Italy - Florence & Rome

Important to note:

1. Florence was warm but bearable however Rome was extremely hot even in 2nd week of June.
2. Keep Electrolytes and an insulated water bottled. We made sure, we refilled our bottle with chilled water and at least once a day, my husband and I would drink Electrolytes.
3. Those silly fans that everybody keeps buying was not much of a use. In my opinion, the dry hot air only gets exaggerated by this little fan. It probably functions better in humid weather where it may be more helpful.
4. Florence Doumo - If you want to go inside the Doumo, you will need to buy the tickets.
5. Given we only had a day in Florence, there is only so much we could do. One thing that we really wanted to see was Medici Chapel. If you get a chance visit this, we will for sure next time.
6. When visiting churches in Italy, you must cover your shoulders and knees. Avoid sleeveless tops, tank tops, crop tops, shorts, and mini-skirts. Men should remove hats indoors. Pack a light scarf or cardigan to wear as a cover-up before entering.

Founded by Julius Caesar in 59BC, blossomed from a Roman military colony into the cultural engine of Europe. It emerged as the birthplace of the Renaissance in the 15th century, driven by wealthy patrons like the Medici family and cultural icons like Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. The city survived Nazi occupation and devastating bombings during World War II, as well as a catastrophic flood in 1966 that rallied global efforts to save its artistic treasure.

It has so much history that as you walk, you are just totally in awe of everything. My husband I had a chance to see the Doumo and walk the beautiful Ponte Vechhio but we were returning today with our whole crew.

Santa Maria Del Fiore

First thing first was, the Doumo. We reached here on Sunday so it was closed to visit from the inside, but we just walked around the Doumo and were totally mesmerized.

Designed originally by Arnolfo di Cambio, its massive octagonal dome remained an unsolved engineering puzzle until 1420, when Filippo Brunelleschi invented a revolutionary, self-supporting double-shell dome to complete the masterpiece.

We then walked to another must stop Vivoli Gelato. The family began making gelato in 1932. Today, the shop is world-famous for its affogato (espresso poured over gelato) and is still run by the founding family. When you reach here, you will see the line by the door and 2 shops. Both are same by Vivoli, but the original one has only 2 flavors, that where we lined up. I loved it so much, I had 2 :).

We walked around and reached Piazza della Signoria. It was built between 1299 and 1314 and this fortress-palace was once a symbol of Florentine civic power. It has a massive 94-meter tower. Outside its entrance stands a replica of Michelangelo’s David in the exact spot where the original stood from 1504 to 1873. Yes, this is not the real David, for the real David, you need to visit Galleria dell’Accademia. The ticket costs around $63 per person just to see David.

A few not so pleasant history pieces about that Piazza:

• The Ring of Ashes: A circular plaque in the pavement marks the exact spot where Savonarola and two of his followers were burned. Today, tourists casually walk, take photos, and eat gelato over the same stones where this infamous execution happened
• The Pazzi Conspiracy Aftermath: Following a failed assassination attempt against the Medici family in 1478, the people of Florence exacted bloody revenge. The conspirators (including a bishop) were thrown out of the Palazzo Vecchio windows to hang.
• The Killer in the Shadow: Over the centuries, the Piazza has been tied to darker, bloodier lore. Decades of unsolved, ritualistic killings by the infamous serial killer known as the Monster of Florence (Il Mostro) terrorized the Tuscan hills.

As beautiful as it is, it certainly is tied to many such executions.

Our last thing to do here was to visit the Uffizi Gallery instead of just David at Galleria dell’Academia. We bought the tickets online the same day and visited the gallery. Designed by Giorgio Vasari in 1560 for Cosimo I de’ Medici, the Uffizi started as government offices (or uffizi). In 1581, the Medici family transformed the top floor into a private art gallery, making it one of the world’s first museums when it officially opened to the public in 1769.

It has many pieces from Caravaggio and Leonardo da Vinci and truly beautiful to visit. You can also visit “The Tribune” room here where you can see Medici family’s collection. Fun Part - You only get 8 seconds to take photos, the guard really counts you down :).

and lastly no trip to Florence is complete without eating a Florentine Sandwich called “Lampredotto”. Though not a traditional one, I found the vegetarian version and it was equally delicious.

We had to visit Ponte Vechhio, the old bridge again. A medieval stone arch bridge, rebuilt in 1345. It uniquely survived World War II intact when retreating German forces destroyed all other bridges in the city. The bridge when build had Butchers, tanners, and farmers who occupied the shops; today there are mostly jewelers, art dealers, and souvenir sellers.

Florence is known for their leather and paper craft. I bought some really nice leather journals, books and stationaries. Additionally, one of my favorite spot here was to visit the oldest pharmacy to buy Perfume. It is called Santa Maria Della Novella. It originated in 1221 at a Dominican Monastery, where friars cultivated botanical gardens to create herbal remedies. Its most famous scent, Acqua della Regina, was created in 1533 as a wedding gift for Catherine de’ Medici. and Yes, I did buy the Acqua della Regina, it’s beautiful.

The mesmerizing Florence trip came to an end and we travelled back home to get ready for our Check out and then head to Rome. We finally changed our base from Milan to Rome and settled into our Airbnb there.

Rome

I would not even attempt to write the history of Rome here. The only thing, I would say here is that it started in 753BC as a small village on Tiber river and standing today as it did even then.

Our main attractions to see here were:

• Colosseum
• Roman Forums and Palatine Hills
• Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps
• Pantheon
• Vatican City

Our Airbnb was actually about 20mins walking distance to Trevi Fountain so once we settled in and got our Coffee fix. We decided to go and see the Trevi fountain and Spanish steps. Know, that to see Trevi fountain from outside is free but if you want to walk down and get as close, you will need to buy 5 EUR ticket per person, you can buy it at the sport. No advance booking necessary.

After our walk and getting absolutely tired, we picked up some light grocery for breakfast and some Pasta and wine for dinner. We ended up making some delicious prawns pasta for dinner and loved hanging out at the balcony of our apartment.

Next day, our tour was booked for Colosseum, roman forums and palatine hills. We met our guide at 11:30am to get going. We started our tour at the Roman forums and palatine hills. Rome was very hot even in the beginning of June so walk and climb up felt challenging for quite a few people in our group. If you are taking this tour, prepare to walk and climb during the tour.

Roman Forums and Palatine Hills

Roman Forums was once the bustling civic, political and commercial heart of ancient Rome. Originally a marshy valley between the Palatine and Capitoline Hills, it was drained in the 6th century B.C. and evolved into the vibrant nucleus of the Roman Republic and Empire.

Palatine Hills is considered the mythical birthplace of Rome. Legend status Romulus founded the city there in 753 BC after he was rescued by a she-wolf. You can walk the ruins for both but you need a ticket to go inside.

Colosseum

Commissioned around 70AD by Emperor Vespasian on the drained grounds of Nero’s palace, the Colosseum OR Flavian amphitheater was then a gift to the Roman people. Completed by his son Titus in A.D. 80, it held up to 80,000 spectators for gladiatorial combat and wild animal hunts. Our guide told us that Emperor Titus opened the amphitheater with 100 days of extravagant—and deadly—games that saw thousands of animals killed and gladiators battle.

You can go inside the Colosseum too. You just need to make sure your ticket comes with a pass to go inside. We bought the full experience pass so we could really explore it from the inside too. A must see!

Pantheon

For Pantheon, I won’t recommend booking a tour given it’s quite small. However, I would recommend getting an audio guide for $5 per person, that can really explain you the history and inside of Pantheon. We bought the audio guide and got to learn some really cool nuggets of history.

The Pantheon, one of ancient Rome’s best-preserved monuments, was originally built by Marcus Agrippa between 27 and 25 BC. After fires destroyed earlier versions, Emperor Hadrian completely rebuilt it around 118–125 AD. It features a central opening known as the oculus, which measures 27 feet in diameter and acts as the building’s sole source of light, symbolizing a direct connection to the heaven.

The Pantheon was originally built as a temple dedicated to the major deities of the Roman pagan world. Its name is derived from the Greek word pantheios, meaning “of all gods”. The audio tour was really nice and would definitely recommend it.

Vatican City

I have seen this in so many movies and heard about it and this really was one of the highlights of our trip. Vatican City though in Rome is an independent Country. The independent state of Vatican City came into existence in 1929 via the Lateran Treaty between the Holy See and the Kingdom of Italy.

Today, the tiny 109-acre enclave within Rome houses the Pope, the Swiss Guard, and the museums. Even though our ticket was skip the line but everybody does purchase the skip the line tickets which means you all wait to skip the line together :). It was not too bad, we moved rather quickly but there was a wait. Once you cross through the wall and initial doors, you go through security and the guards check your pass to make sure you are admitted.

Our tour guide explained that they can’t talk once we go inside to see the Sistine Chapel so they have us a lot of history download before that tour. Once in technically, you can’t take photos of the Sistine Chapel but many were doing it. My favorite piece was the Creation of Adam, painted by Michelangelo between 1508 and 1512. It depicts the iconic Genesis moment where God breathes life into Adam, with their almost-touching fingers, its breathtaking.

We then went inside the St. Peter’s Basilica, do not pass or skip this masterpiece on the right side as soon as you enter the church. The Pietà (Italian for “pity” or “compassion”), it depicts the Virgin Mary cradling the dead body of Jesus Christ. It is made with a single block of Carrara marble, also the only piece he ever signed.

and lastly, we had to see the Piazza Navona. It is built over the 1st-century Stadium of Domitian, Piazza Navona still traces the exact oval footprint of the ancient arena. The centerpiece, the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (Fountain of the Four Rivers), was designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini in 1651. You also would have seen this in famous Angels VS. demon movie, this is where the murder related to Water element happens.

Next day, we got ready to travel to Naples and Amalfi. We got super lucky, our Airbnb was super close to the a famous Church of Santa Maria della Vittoria. This church houses the Ecstasy of Saint Teresa by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. It is free to enter and requires no advance reservation. I would highly recommend seeing it.

Pro Tip - You can put 50 cents or 1 euro coin for the lights above the sculpture to light up. You can see both before and after light here.