We are Marta, Martina and Sofia. We will be your tourist guide.
We live in Florence.
It’s a very beautiful city in Italy.
It’s famous all over the world for its monuments and museums.
In this article we are going to talk about two of the most beautiful buildings in Florence:
The Baptistery of San Giovanni and Ponte Vecchio.
The Baptistery of San Giovanni is a famous and beautiful monument.
It’s in the centre of the city near the Cathedral and Giotto’s Bell Tower.
It has an octagonal shape, green and white marble facing and geometric pattern.
Its origin are unknown but it is believed that it was built over the ruins of a Roman temple dedicated to Mars (4th¬/5th century A.D.), In 1128 it was consecrated as the Baptistery of Florence. Until the end of the 19th century, all the catholics in Florence were baptized there.
On three of the four sides there are three large bronze doors famous for their decorations.
If you enter in the Baptistery you can admire on the ceiling glittering mosaics and on the floor a spectacular mosaic marble floor with geometrical patterns and oriental zodiac motifs and in the centre an ancient baptismal font.
Ponte Vecchio in Florence
One of our favourite places in Florence is “Ponte Vecchio”.
Ponte Vecchio was the first bridge in Florence, it was probably built in Roman times, and it’s the oldest one. The current bridge was finished by 1350. It’s known today for the Jewellers’s shops and the Vasari Corridor that runs over it. The Corridor was built in 1561 so that the Medici family could move between Palazzo Pitti and Palazzo Vecchio, safe from the risk of assassination in the streets.
It counsist of three segmental arches and it crosses the river “Arno”.
It’s a lucky bridge because during the World War 2 it wasn’t destroyed by the Germans. It was a Hitler’s order because Hitler liked the view of Florence from Ponte Vecchio as well, and thought it was too beautiful to blow up.
It is a strange bridge because on it there are a lot of little workshops, which are Jewellers’s shops, but in the past there weren’t jewellers, there were butchers! They used to throw discards in the river Arno, but in 1593 Ferdinando 1st of Medici family stated that the butchers should move from the bridge because he didn’t like this smelly activity under his corridor.
Walking on the bridge you will meet Benvenuto Cellini’s statue, Cellini was a famous jeweller and sculptor.
According to a local legend if you and your lover attach a lock to the gate surrounding the Cellini’s bust and throw the key into the Arno, your love will be eternal. This practice is illegal today and you can be fined.
It’s all for now, see you next time with more information about our wonderful town.
Sofia, Marta and Martina.
CONDIVIDI: