Piazzale Michelangelo, Florence

Next on the itinerary was a visit to the Piazzale Michelangelo, Michelangelo’s Square, to admire the views of the city. I had researched how to get there and even though I had worked out it would be easy enough to catch a bus, we ended up walking there, and it was a long hot walk, up lots and lots of stairs. Thankfully there were the beautiful gardens, Giardino delle Rose, halfway up where we could stop, refill our water bottles and rest before continuing. The views from here were impressive enough, so we could only image what it would be like at the top. It was a lovely much needed rest stop.

After a brief rest, onwards and upwards we climbed and thankfully the views were worth it. They were very impressive, and would be beautiful at sunset, but it was extremely hot and there was very little shade to sit and enjoy while waiting for the sun to set. The Piazzale, built in 1869, was dedicated to the famous sculptor Michelangelo, hence the title of the square, and features bronze copies of some of his marble works found elsewhere in Florence, the most famous being the statue of David. The monument is certainly impressive against the Florentine skyline.

If we ever return to Florence, we would definitely catch the bus to the top and time it so we could admire the sun setting over this historic city.Read more