The first time I saw the snow in Florence was 2005, and then it happened again! I took those few pictures the night of december 20th, when the snow was beginning to fall... it was really amazing, such a magical feeling watching the snow flakes falling over Santa Maria Novella!
The next morning I drove to my parent's house for Christmas, on a snowy and icy highway... end of the magic! :-(

the street where I live... one of the cars is mine :-)

snow on Santa Maria Novella

snow on the christmas trees in Piazza della Stazione

snowy christmas at Santa Maria Novella

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Founded in the 11th century by the Ubaldini prior (of the feudatory family of Mugello), this convent is one of the most ancient in the whole Tuscany.
In the 15th century Cosimo de’ Medici decided to rebuilt it, and the architect is once again Michelozzo (the same of the villas of Trebbio and Cafaggiolo, and also of Palazzo Vecchio and Palazzo Medici).

As with Cafaggiolo and the Trebbio Castle, the architectural structure of the convent unites the characteristics of the innovative Renaissance experience with those of the medieval one. Therefore, ribs, vaults and cornices, clearly late Gothic elements, were left in the building of the choir, while the new architectural lines of Renaissance were used to construct the cloister, the cenacle and the Monks' cells.
Early members of the Medici family left the convent many precious gifts, among which we find the beautiful wooden crucifix by Donatello. Today it’s preserved in the small sacred art museum beside the convent.

In the convent still lives Franciscan friars, so the opening hours are very limited to respect them. The convent is opened just in the weekend, from 11.45 to 12.30 and from 18.00 to 18.45.

You can find all the details about my daytrip in Mugello in this post!

inside the church

the altar of the church

the entrance to the convent of Bosco ai Frati
the small cloyster of Bosco ai Frati

the water well in the cloyster of Bosco ai Frati

the mini-van of the Franciscan friars of Bosco ai Frati :-)

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The church of Sant’Agata is in the heart of a small old town, Sant’Agata, near Scarperia, in the Mugello. The church is really ancient, surely existing before 984, and it’s a wonderful Romanesque building.
It’s a small and simple church, but so beautiful… inside there’s a nice marble baptismal font of XII century and a wonderful wooden Christ by Francesco di Simone Ferrucci, realized in the XV century.
Also the small town of Sant’Agata is really nice, a typical medieval borough in a wonderful landscape.

Go there and have a walk in the narrow streets, you’ll feel like going back in time.

You can see the tour of my daytrip in Mugello in this post!

the small cloyster of the church

the baptismal font of XII century, church of Sant'Agata, Mugello

the entrance of the church of Sant'Agata

the bell tower of the church of Sant'Agata, Mugello

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Last week I decided to spend a Sunday in Mugello, a wonderful corner of tuscan countryside, rich in nature, art and history, just a few kilometres away from Florence.
Mugello was dominated by Etruscan first, then by Romans. In the middle ages was territory of the Guidi and Ubaldini families, whose fought Florence. Then from 1300 the Mugello became an important area for Florence, because of its strategic and economic importance.
Several important buildings and fortresses, castles, villas, monasteries and palaces still bear witness to this important period of growth in Mugello. In fact, even the artistic and cultural history of Florence owes much of its development to Mugello: artists such as Giotto and Beato Angelico were born here; important architects worked on the construction of the castles and moreover, the Mugello landscape has provided inspiration for numerous Florentine paintings.

I decided to follow the “Medici Route”, discovering the places where the Medici family lived nad ruled.
The tour starts in Scarperia, which was founded by the town of Florence at the beginning of the 14th century, and still conserves the impressive Palazzo dei Vicari, which was built in the same period but has undergone numerous transformations and restorations throughout the centuries. Palazzo Vicari houses the Museo dei Ferri Taglienti - antique and modern cutlery – as Scarperia is well known for knife handcrafts.
From Scarperia move to the small town of Sant’Agata, where there is a beautiful Romanesque church, the most famous sacred structure in Mugello.
Then visit the Bosco ai Frati Convent, which was built according to Michelozzo’s design, by order of Cosimo dé Medici. Inside, you find the splendid Crucifix by Donatello ( opened only on Saturday and Sunday morning because friars still live here).
Heading towards San Piero a Sieve, you find Villa Medicea of Cafaggiolo, one of the favourite residences of Lorenzo the Magnificent, and a splendid example of Renaissance architecture (visits must be booked). Not far away, towering above you, surrounded by century old cypress trees, you can admire the Trebbio Castle: another magnificent Medici construction (private, visits only in special days).

In the next post I’ll let you know all those wonderful places!

Here's a small useful map of Mugello!

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Other pictures and descripion of Orsanmichele can be found in this post! ;-)

the painting by Bernardo Daddi, "Madonna delle Grazie" and the tabernacle by Orcagna, inside Orsanmichele

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The church of Orsanmichele was originally a loggia that housed a market, built in the second half of XIII century, but soon people came to venerate an image of the Madonna, considered miraculous.
Il the second half of XIV century a fire destroyed both the loggia and the sacred image, so a new loggia was built and a new image of Madonna delle Grazie, painted by Bernardo Daddi was placed.

The arches of the new loggia soon had been closed, the market moved away and the building became a church. It was the church of the Arts, the powerful medieval corporations of Florence.
Inside the church of Orsanmichele the Madonna delle Grazie by Bernardo Daddi is placed inside a wonderful marble tabernacle made by Orcagna in 1349.

Orsanimchele is a little precious gothic jewel inside the heart of Florence, it sure deserve a visit! Entrance is free and some panels give information about the church and the precious paintings and sculptures housed in it.

Other pictures of Orsanmichele can be found in this post! ;-)

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Yesterday I went to the ex-monastery of the Oblate, a renaissance building built in first years of XIV century, and took some pictures of this wonderful place.
For centuries this building was an hospital and a monastery, then it became property of the city of Florence: it had been completely restored and two years ago it re-opened as a modern, multifunctional public library, Biblioteca delle Oblate, which is housing over 65000 books on three storeys, a huge wifi area looking over the cloister, a coffee-shop and a children’s corner.

The three-floors cloister is just wonderful, I love its quiet atmosphere, and the smell of the flowers of the big magnolia tree…
I usually come here when I want to study in a relaxing, silent open-air space.
You really have to step to the upper floor where is a beautiful renaissance style lodge with a breath-taking view of the dome of Santa Maria del Fiore, standing in front of you, just a few meters away! In this lodge there’s the coffee shop so you can have a coffee-break while admiring the dome and reading a good book or magazine.

The public library of the Oblate also organizes guided tours of the building, every Saturday from December to March at 11.15 am.
Guided tours are free and you can also book it by telephone: +39(055)2616512
Opening times of the Oblate complex: Monday - Friday, 8.30am - 6.30pm, Saturday 8.30am -1.30pm

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I took those pictures some days ago, in a bright morning. I just went out for a walk and decided to enter in the cloister of Santa Maria Novella. I've been there so many times and it's always a pleasure...

Is a little peaceful place, with beautiful arches and leafy tall trees, the perfect quiet corner to take a rest and relax.

From the cloister you can enter into the church of Santa Maria Novella paying a ticket (2 euro) or enter in a small chapel where you can pray without paying the ticket (but also without seeing the wonderful church from the inside!).

the external of the cloister, with a nice violin player

the access to the cloister is in the arch beside the facade of Santa Maria Novella

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Today it’s Valentine day so my post is dedicated to all the loving people of the world!

A Romantic wedding in Florence is a dream, and a lot of people come from all over the world to get married here.
There are several agencies that offer a complete wedding-planner service: you can get married in the suggestive Sala Rossa, the “red room” of the town-hall (Palazzo Vecchio), or in a church of any religion: Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, and more.

Surely the most perfect place to have a romantic wedding in Florence is the church of San Miniato al Monte, an ancient Romanic church on the top of the green hills around the city, just a few meters away from Piazzale Michelangelo, where you can have a breath-taking view of the whole city.

Those agencies offers complete packages containing wedding, documents, interpreter, flowers, makeup and hairstyle for the bride, transportation, professional photographers, wedding reception, special travels for the couple, etc, etc…

Here are some useful links if you’re dreaming to get married in Florence:

http://www.weddingflorence.com/
http://www.weddingandflorence.com/
http://www.florence-weddings.com/

http://www.weddingsitaly.com/

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