Calabria on travelling to Magna Greece

FOR GROUPS prearranged, MINIMUM 30 PAX, 7 nights / 8days,

 
VALIDITY ': April, May, June, September and October until 15 November 015

History / Art, Traditions, Folklore, Gastronomy, Landscape

 

SYLLABUS

1st day. In the morning, the participants at the airport arrrivo Falcomatà to ReggioC., Meeting with the guide and busGt private transfer to the hotel 4 * sea. Welcome cocktail, orientation program, soft lunch at the hotel. In the afternoon, booked visit to admire the famous Riace Bronzes. After the visit, comfortable walk on the waterfront, or "the most beautiful kilometer in Italy". Dinner of fresh fish in a local restaurant. Return to hotel, overnight.

Day 2. After breakfast, departure and visit Bova higher, the capital of "Bovesia", which is the most important center of conservation and Hellenistic traditions. Among the things that will be visited, will the Photo Gallery, which exhibits the works of Gerhard Rohalfs, a historic enthusiast who stayed in this area from 1920 to 1980, collecting photographic images of life, traditions and customs. After the visit, you will descend to Amendolea, it pr farm model Ugo Sergi manufacturer specializing in what is one of the most extraordinary excellence of Calabria - and even global - "The Bergamot". Typical lunch in the company, in the afternoon guided tour of the plantation agrumicola- In the afternoon, return to the hotel, with a stop and visit Pentidattilo. Arrival at the hotel, dinner and overnight.

Day 3. After breakfast, check out hotel and departure Gallicianò, for a whole day dedicated to the true folklore grecanico. It will begin with a guided tour of an ancient millstone, which produced oil and wine and the visit of the first Orthodox church, built in Calabria. Then, the hour of the table and this will be spent in a historic and ethnic local restaurant, where prepare before our eyes, then we will taste the dishes, accompanied by notes of traditional music. In the afternoon, start of travel Roccella Jonica. Along the way, there will be a stop in Casignana, to admire the mosaics and the remains of the Roman Villa. Arrival in 5 * hotel, dinner and overnight.

Day 4. After breakfast, depart for Gerace, the country of the hawks, the Norman village par excellence, included in the Club "The Most Beautiful Villages of Italy", where you can admire valuable evidence of the ages of domination, Greeks, Normans, up the Byzantines. Stop for lunch in a farmhouse of high quality. In the afternoon, down in Locri, to visit the Museum Paolo Orsi, where, among other works, we exhibit the famous "pinaches". After visiting the museum, followed by a visit to the archaeological park, recently reopened after restoration. Return to hotel, dinner and overnight.

Day 5. After breakfast check out hotel and departure for Roccelleta of Borgia, where we will visit the Archaeological Park of Scolacium, immersed in an environment of extraordinary beauty Mediterranean, or what was the place of birth and residence of Cassiodorus. Scolacium, in the reading of history, is the time of transition between the Classical Greek World and the Middle Ages. After the visit, transfer to 4 * hotels in Catanzaro Lido, check-in- Afterwards, lunch booked the local restaurant, based on fresh fish. In the afternoon, excursion to Squillace, for a visit to the castle but, above all, to visit a workshop where they produce the famous ceramics, with live examples. Return to hotel, dinner and overnight.

 

 

 

Day 6. After breakfast, transfer to San Floro, to visit ilo Silk Museum. After the visit, transfer to a farmhouse in the hills, surrounded by a pine forest where, a housewife and a dairyman, we will assist and participate in the preparation of delicious dishes that will taste then to the table, accompanied by traditional music. Return to hotel, free time for a short walk on the boardwalk, dinner and overnight.

 

 

 

7th day. After breakfast, departure for the visit of Santa Severina, called the "stone ship", nestled in the foothills of Presila, in a position of dominance on the Ionian Sea, an ancient sea always .. Its castle, perfectly restored, one of the most important of the entire south, is a "book of stone," which tells 1200 years of

history. Vera. Santa Severina, with Tropea and Amantea, was also Arab Emirate, in the ninth century. Follow the visitita the Diocesan Museum and the Byzantine Baptistery, the only evidence still exists, of this particular architecture. Return to hotel, free time for a walk on the promenade in Catanzaro Lido, dinner and overnight.

8th day. After breakfast, check out hotel and transfer to airport to Lamezia, in time for the return flight. End of services.

Info & Request: info@atmospheraitalia.eu

Tuscany - Villa Quercia - apartment Dalia

APPARTAMENTO DALIA

Appartamento Dalia. L'appartamento è situato al primo piano sopra gli altri ed è di ca. 90 metri quadrati.
Avvicinandosi l'appartamento dal giardino sul lato ovest della casa si entra nel soggiorno tramite 2 gradini. Di fronte a questo ingresso è un 100 anni quercia secolare sotto il quale vi è un divano a dondolo  e sedie per vivere all'aperto, un barbecue, una doccia esterna e un ampio parcheggio. Entrando nel salone si trova un camino di fronte aperto e la zona cottura sulla sinistra con forno, fuochi, frigo / freezer e lavastoviglie. Tra il camino e la zona cottura è un tavolo per 8 persone. Durante i mesi invernali l'appartamento è riscaldato.
Nel salotto ci sono due divani letto singoli ospitare 2 persone più un letto pieghevole e TV satellitare.
Dal soggiorno si accede ad un ampio terrazzo attrezzato con tavolo in pietra e sedie di ferro per mangiare fuori. La terrazza, ombreggiata da alberi di castagno è caratteristica piuttosto particolare della proprietà.
Dal soggiorno si accede alle due camere da letto ciascuna con bagno. Entrambi hanno un letto matrimoniale e il più grande dei due ha anche un letto singolo e una culla.
Entrambi i bagni sono ben rifinito con box doccia e il più grande dei 2 ha anche una lavatrice.











Info & Richiesta: info@atmospheraitalia.eu

Tuscany - Villa Quercia - Apartment Erica

APPARTAMENTO ERICA

                                                                                  Appartamento Erica.

Questo appartamento al piano terra, sul lato sud della casa.
La principale differenza tra questo appartamento e gli altri è che non avendo barriere architettoniche e il bagno attrezzato per disabili apt. E è adattata per disabili. Durante i mesi invernali l'appartamento è riscaldato.
Dal giardino sul lato est si entra nel salotto, di fronte a questo ingresso c'è un tavolo e sedie per mangiare all'aperto, una doccia esterna e un barbecue. All'interno della casa a sinistra è la zona cottura con forno, fuochi, frigo / freezer, lavastoviglie e lavatrice.
Di fronte alla cucina è dotato di tavolo e sedie per mangiare all'interno.
Nel soggiorno c'è un divano letto per ospitare 2 persone (sia come un letto matrimoniale o due letti singoli), e TV satellitare.
Dal soggiorno si accede alla camera da letto che ha un letto matrimoniale e un letto singolo e un lettino, dalla camera da letto si accede al bagno e doccia.
Nel salotto c'è una porta di comunicare all'altra appartamento al piano terra, qualora il due essere affittate insieme. L'ampio giardino offre un ampio parcheggio.









 Info & Richiesta: info@atmospheraitalai.eu

STUPOR MUNDI, FREDERICK II

Stupor Mundi

 

 

 

STUPOR MUNDI, FREDERICK II

AND THE DREAM OF A UNIVERSAL EMPIRE

"An important tour to discover the Castles of Frederick II in Calabria, Basilicata and Puglia”                             

"a guided tour through history, to understand the military, political and social characteristics of each castle you are going to visit"

for organized groups, minimum 25 people.  Validity: September, 2012. April, May, June 2013

 

PROGRAM

• 1* day, Lamezia Airport/Cosenza. Arrival at Lamezia Airport (or Paola Train Station), transfer to Cosenza by bus, check-in at the hotel (4*), situated in the historical centre, dinner and overnight stay. 34

• 2° day, Cosenza/Cosenza. After breakfast, a visit to the Norman Castle, then transfer to the National Gallery of the Arnone Palace. Lunch at a local restaurant. Return to the hotel, free afternoon for a walk in Via Mazzini, to admire the MAB, (Outdoor Art Museum), with the possibility of some shopping. Dinner at the hotel. After dinner tour of Cosenza by night, with a special shuttle bus with the accompaniment of a storyteller. 

 

• 3rd day,  Cosenza/Roseto Capospulico/Barile. After breakfast, check-out and departure for Roseto Capospulico to visit the Castle. Lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon, departure for Barile, a nice locality in the Vulture region, passing through the Dolomites of Lucania. Arrival in the evening, check-in at the Grand Hotel Garden (3*), dinner and overnight stay. 20+44         

COSENZA. Cosenza was an important strategic hub, a meeting point between Crati and Busento; the city controlled a fertile valley. San Pancrazio Hill already hosted a fortress in the Bruzia era and later an Arab Fort. Frederick II of Hohenstaufen built his Castle on the previous Norman Castle site belonging to Roger II. This fortress replaced a previous Greek one. According to tradition, in 1235 Frederick II jailed his son, Arrigo the Lame, guilty of collusion with the  municipalities of Northern Italian towns that rebelled against the Emperor.

 

ROSETO CAPOSPULICO. A monastery situated on the cliffs of the Gulf of Taranto, in the XI century it became Castrum Petrae Roseti, thanks to  Guiscardo, a boundary between his land and Roger’s lands. Frederick II confiscated it from the Templar Knights (their architecture is still visible today) in order to leave it to his legitimate heirs after his death, in doing so he assigned the territory of Roseto to his true heir, Manfred. 

 

 

• 4th day, Barile/Melfi/Ripacandida/Venosa/Barile. After breakfast, departure for Melfi and visit of the Castle; then, transfer to Rionero in Vulture, to visit the Cantine del Notaio (Notary Cellars), one of the most important producers of the famous DOC wine of Basilicata, Aglianico del Vulture; here, we will taste this special wine. In the afternoon, transfer to Ripacandida, to visit the Sanctuary of San Donato (that is about to be included among the UNESCO world heritage sites) twin church of the Assisi Basilica, for the beautiful frescos situated in the chapel; later on visit to SS Trinità, Venosa, a Norman Church, and the tomb of Roberto il Guiscardo, and to the Aragonese Castle. Return to the hotel, dinner and overnight stay. 44+23

MELFI. Even the Melfi Castle was an ancient Norman Fortress that Frederick restored giving it its current appearance. Melfi is a strategic crossroad in the human and political history of  Frederick. In Melfi he met Bianca Lancia and probably they conceived Manfred here. In 1231 he promulgated the Augustee Constitutions, in which he expressed his political ideas. The philosopher, Michele Scoto, and Frederick’s confidant, Pier Delle Vigne, helped to write the Constitutions. It’s strange how two of the most important figures of those happy years in Melfi, Bianca Lancia e Pier delle Vigne, shared the same fate, they both committed suicide for the accusations, probably unfounded, of Frederick, that was now at the end of his life.   

 

VENOSA, In 1456 the Halley’s Comet appeared in the sky of  Venosa, six months later, in December, a violent earthquake destroyed the city and its fortifications. Fourteen years later, Pirro del Balzo, Lord of Venosa,demolished the ancient Romanesque Cathedral to build a Castle.  He took as its models the great castles of Naples, Castelnuovo and Maschio Angioino. The castle had a double function, it was a military fort and an aristocratic residence.

 

RIPACANDIDA Sanctuary of San Donato “A miniature Assisi”.  An ancient tradition states that Ripacandida was founded after the invasions of the Goths guided by Alarico in the V century A.D., which forced the inhabitants of  Candida Latinorum to leave their village. In order to defend themselves from the barbaric invasions, the citizens chose to build their houses on the hill, where there was a temple dedicated to Jupiter. It was fortified by the Lombards and during the Norman era, it took part in the First Crusade, at the time of Boemondo of’Altavilla, son of Roberto Guiscardo. The Church of San Donato  is mentioned in a papal bull of 1152. It is considered a national monument, its architectural style is Romanesque with a beautiful portal that dates back to the  XVII century. Recently it has become a twin Church of the Basilica of San Francesco d’Assisi because of its frescos representing episodes from the Old and New Testament.

 

• 5th day, Barile/Lucera/Trani/Casteldelmonte/Barile. After breakfast, departure for Lucera and visit of the Castle. Lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon, transfer to Trani for a visit to the Castle. Afterwards transfer to Castel del Monte. Return to the hotel, dinner and overnight stay. 

 

LUCERA. Lucera and its castle witnessed an extraordinary political experiment of Frederick II. The Castle, built on the ruins of a Roman Acropolis, was used to lock up and monitor 1200 Muslims from Sicily, reluctant at any attempt of peacemaking. An example of ethnic cleansing that paid off as the Muslims became loyal subjects of Frederick II and, later on of his son Manfred. Charles of Anjou further enhanced the military potential of the place and its long walls continued the tradition of  Lucera’s parade ground..

 

TRANI. The Castle of Trani overlooks  a hostile and dangerous sea. It was built on a cliff surrounded by shallow water at the centre of the bay to protect the eastern border of the Kingdom. Frederick II had Pietro Tiepolo, son of the Doge of Venice and Podestà of Milan, hanged in a tower of the castle ,after he was taken prisoner during the Battle of  Cortenova in 1237. The castle was Manfred’s favourite residence. He married his second wife Elena Ducas in 1259 in Trani.

 

CASTEL DEL MONTE. Castel del Monte is an enigma, one of the many left by Frederick, certainly the most fascinating. It’s not a fortress, it doesn’t have any peculiarities and it is not situated in a place of strategic importance; it is not a hunting  residence: too refined and completely devoid of any structure suitable for this purpose. It is not a noble residence, there aren’t any reception halls, services and hallways. So what? Maybe it is a place of knowledge, or a treasure to keep?

 

• 6th day, Barile/Lagopesole/Acerenza/Barile. After breakfast, departure for Lagopesole and visit to the Castle, with a multimedia show about Frederick II. Lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon, the visit continues to Acerenza and its Cathedral. Return to the hotel, dinner and overnight stay.

 

LAGOPESOLE. Lagopesole Castle was one of the last castles built by Frederick, in the last ten years of his reign. Almost certainly, as he often used to do, he turned a former Norman fortress into a  very big residence. Maybe thinking about his love Bianca Lancia? We don’t know for sure, but Lagopesole became the final residence of another princess. They say there are nights, in Lagopesole, especially during full moon, where an intense light appears and disappears in the direction of the castle, people can hear moans,desperate cries and sobbings.

They say it is Elena degli Angeli,  the happy bride of Manfred of Svevia, coming back to the place where she found happiness in search of her beloved husband and children lost forever. 

They also say that in less enlightened corners of the countryside Manfred, unaware of his wife’s presence, wanders in search of his lost happiness, he rides a magnificent white horse wearing a long green coat …you may be able to see him wandering around the castle..

 

ACERENZA CATHEDRAL. Situated on the border between Puglia and Basilicata, you can find Oppidum di Acherunthia, described by François Lenomant,as one of the most beautiful and wild villages in Basilicata. The Assumption Cathedral has a Romanesque and Gothic style and it is one of the most important monuments in Basilicata.

 

 

• 7thday,  Barile/Matera. After breakfast, check-out and departure for Matera, check-in late morning. Lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon, guided tour of the Sassi of Matera, where Mel Gibson shot his famous movie The Passion of the Christ. Return to the hotel, dinner and overnight stay. 

• 8thday, Matera/Bari, after breakfast, check-out and transfer to Bari. End of services.

 

Amount per person: 764. the price includes: overnight stay in Cosenza in hotel (3* S) for two nights,  overnight stay in Barile, hotel 3* S, overnight stay in Matera, hotel 3* S, in double room. Full board  (HB in hotel and all meals), visit to the historical centre, local tour guide where provided, GT shuttle bus, from the arrival in Calabria, to the departure from Bari.

 

INFO E PRENOTAZIONE: INFO@AITMITALIASERVICES.COM

Royal Maniace Hotel | Lungomare Ortigia, 13 | 96100 Siracusa Italia

SIRACUSA****  a window on the sea of Ortigia 

Welcome to Royal Maniace Hotel in Siracusa Italy, a superbly situated residence located in the historic city centre of Siracusa along the sprawling emerald blue seas of Sicily.  Standing on the seaside on the small Ortigia island, the cheap 4 star hotel in Siracusa offers panoramic views and breathtaking beauty combined with elegantly styled modern rooms to make your stay a relaxing and comfortable visit.

There’s no shortage of modern day amenities nearby either, all easily within walking distance.  Take a seat at one of the many cafes and relax with an aperitif as you take in the warm Sicilian sun.

Try some of the Sicilian cuisine at the many restaurants found in the area, sampling some of the best food and wine Italy has to offer. And at night, check out some of the hot spots that can be found by having a luxury hotel in the city centre of Siracusa!

ROOMS

The Royal Maniace Hotel Syracuse offers 21 elegantly styled rooms all equipped with modern amenities.  Each room is decorated in elegantly styled contemporary furniture, lined with parquet flooring, and makes use of light and cream colors to create a peaceful and relaxing atmosphere. Several of the cheap rooms in Siracusa Italy also have a terrace overlooking the sea.

SERVICE

The Royal Maniace Hotel Siracusa wants to make your stay as pleasant and carefree as possible, offering a wide range of facilities and services.  Guests arriving by car can take full advantage of private parking located nearby. 

In the mornings enjoy breakfast outside in the garden area, and during the day get cold refreshing drinks and cocktails from the bar lounge area. 

IN HOUSE RESTAURANT

The in house restaurant offers samplings of Sicilian foods throughout the day and room service is available 24 hours a day.  Other extra services available for a supplement include babysitting and child services, laundry service, and pet friendly services for small pets.

Alla Scoperta Dei Sapori Siciliani - Discovery of the Sicilian Flavors

Not just foodart, history and archeology, in a time travel added to extraordinary natural environment. Here, different civilizations have left their permanent mark of their passage. What is not included in the 'proposed route can easily be visited during a stay of a few more days, from museums to nature reserves and parks archaeologists, to the most interesting monuments. In telling the various stages of the itinerary will give you references for small deviations that will complete your tour.The tourist, the traveler would say-visitor will be amazed by the quality of productions, from the passion of the producers, the care with which they worked to keep life and revive the traditions of this great island, but still remain impressed by the diversity. Diversity and variety of flavors and aromas of the oils, cheeses, wines, fruits and vegetables that change even within the territories, in a magical and fascinating kaleidoscope of the senses. We can speak of a Renaissance Sicilian food and wine.

Tour Lands of the Phoenicians
The food and wine we offer runs through the lands that were once places of settlement populations of Phoenix.It winds its way between the provinces of Palermo, Trapani and Agrigento and Trapani are interested mainly on, but also includes the territories of the Belice Valley that fall in the provinces of Agrigento and Palermo. You can walk through as it is proposed, or, if you wish, from anywhere else. To enjoy it fully you will need three days, but I took the offer from the throat of its typical products, the hospitality of the innkeepers and the charm of nature and its history, surely you would like to extend your stay by a few days.






HOTEL BOTTICELLI FLORENCE

HOTEL BOTTICELLI -  FLORENCE

                                                                                                                                                            Hotel Botticelli is situated in a delightful 16th century building, a small Renaissance gem located in the historic center of Florence.
This fine and popular three-star hotel is strategically located within a few minutes walking distance from all the most important monuments including the Duomo, the Medici Chapels, the Uffizi Gallery, the Galleria dell'Accademia and the most famous shopping streets. The railway station is only a few hundred meters away. Also located near the congress center, Palazzo dei Congressi and Fortezza da Basso, headquarters of the Florence Fair, the hotel is ideal for business visits or congresses in Florence. Together with comfort and elegance, the hotel offers its guests courteous and professional service in a special Renaissance atmosphere enhanced by a splendid Florentine Terrace where, while enjoying a glass of excellent Tuscan wine our guests may give themselves over to pleasant moments of complete relax.
The facilities include a private garage, free bicycle rental for pleasant hikes and romantic city rides, the Internet Point and Wi-Fi in all public areas.
Hotel Botticelli is one of the hotels that are part of Panorama Hotels Italy, a group of hotel titles, established in Florence in 1997 with the idea of creating a "landscape" of various proposals that could meet the needs of every type of client wishing to stay in a prestigious hotel in Florence for business or pleasure.



HOTEL BOTTICELLI FLORENCE DESCRIPTION

Witness to good taste and attention to detail, Hotel Botticelli is in a characteristic 16th century building in the historical center of Florence. The hotel been completely restored to revive an ambience of Renaissance flavor and enhanced by modern services and equipment to reopen its doors to guests.
Charm and elegance are everywhere: the rooms are elegantly refined in every detail; the public spaces are decorated with splendid frescoes; and the classic "Florentine loggia" has a pure Renaissance style. Enclosed within the hotel, the delightful central alley which once separated the two original buildings that today make up the structure makes the setting even more distinctive.
At the guests' disposal there is also a spacious, bright hall, with traditional ribbed vaults, where an inviting and substantial breakfast buffet can be enjoyed.
All this makes Hotel Botticelli the ideal location, which in addition to the fascination of the Renaissance palace, brings first class comfort and courteous, pleasant, professional service to your unforgettable stay.


HOTEL BOTTICELLI FLORENCE HISTORY AND CURIOSITY

The construction of the "Palazzetto Serragli" in which the Hotel Botticelli is located dates back to the second half of the 16th Century as can be seen from ancient plans of Florence from various historical periods. The building, which is recognized by the Supervision of Architectural Heritage since 1935, has several major elements: the ribbed vaults on the ground floor, the internal "kneeling" window with shelves made of stone and iron grating and the characteristic loggia on the second floor. The vaults of the entrance are painted (probably at a later period) with floral and cherub motifs.

On the front façade stands a coat of arms belonging to the Serragli family. The Palace Hotel opened in 1890 when the owner at the time asked the City of Florence for a license to open an “inn with a stable”. Little more than a century later (we are now in 1995-1997), the hotel underwent a complete restoration under the constant supervision of the Superintendence of Architectural Heritage, which made it a hotel with an excellent standard of comfort. An interesting curiosity is given by an inner space overlooked by the beautiful "kneeling" window, which was mentioned in the architectural notes and which previously opened to the outside.

In this space during the last restoration a "road" was re-created in “the old Florence style” that we thought about calling Via Alessandro Filipepi (real name of the great Botticelli) because of a road plaque in the "old Florence" style that has been a subject of curiosity and comments from our guests.

HOTEL BOTTICELLI FLORENCE ROOMS

Very charming and comfortable, all 34 rooms of Hotel Botticelli are finished with indisputable good taste and great attention to detail. Furnished in refined Tuscan style, with predominance of light, delicate colors, the rooms are equipped with every modern comfort; in addition, many of them offer views on characteristic sights of Florence.
Each room counts with air conditioning, satellite TV, mini bar, safe, hairdryer and direct dial telephone.


SINGLE ROOM

Charming and decorated in warm shades of color, with superior finishes, single rooms are relaxing and pleasant, and being equipped with all the modern comforts, they make guests feel completely at ease. These rooms feature a single bed with air conditioning, satellite TV, mini bar, safe, hairdryer and direct dial telephone. Smoking rooms on request

DOUBLE ROOM AND DOUBLE SINGLE USE ROOM

With either a double bed or two single beds, double rooms are decorated mainly in warm colors and classic furniture conducive to relaxation and, thanks to all the modern comforts, they make guests feel completely at ease. Equipped with air conditioning, satellite TV, mini bar, safe, hairdryer and direct dial telephone, some of these rooms offer views of characteristic sights of Florence. Smoking rooms on request




SUPERIOR DOUBLE ROOM

Beautiful and elegant rooms where the furnishings and colors combine perfectly with the structure of the hotel. Bright and spacious, they welcome guests to total comfort and relaxation and offer views of characteristic sights of Florence. Available with double bed or two twin beds, they are equipped with air conditioning, satellite TV, mini bar, safe, hairdryer and direct dial telephone. Smoking rooms on request

TRIPLE ROOM

In triple rooms, the warm tones of the furnishings and accessories create an aura of familiarity, making it pleasant to spend relaxing moments, thanks to modern amenities that make guests feel completely at ease. Some of these rooms offer the possibility of views on characteristic sights and streets. Available with double bed –or two twin beds - plus one extra bed, these rooms have air conditioning, satellite TV, mini bar, safe, hairdryer and direct dial telephone. Smoking rooms on request

JUNIOR SUITE ROOM

Large and bright, the Junior Suite has two rooms, a bedroom and a sitting area, and can accommodate up to 4 guests. The refined appointments and furnishings combine perfectly with the architecture, and the warm colors of the accessories are conducive to total relax; it also offers the most modern amenities, allowing guests to feel completely at ease. The room is equipped with air conditioning, satellite TV, mini bar, safe, hairdryer and direct dial telephone.





HOTEL BOTTICELLI FLORENCE PLACES OF INTEREST

Piazza San Lorenzo: with its lively market, is named after the Basilica of the same name. The entrance to the cloisters and to the Biblioteca Mediceo Laurenziana, designed by Michelangelo, opens onto the square. On the right there is the statue of Giovanni delle Bande Nere, the father of Cosimo I. The statue was made by Bandinelli. On the east side, the back of Palazzo Medici Riccardi can be seen, built on a long, protruding base which is used as a bench to rest and to admire the surrounding buildings.

Ponte Vecchio: one of the main symbols of the city of Florence, is suspended over the River Arno at the narrowest point. The first construction dates back to Roman times, but it was damaged several times when the river flooded. In 1442, the city authorities obliged the butchers to move their shops onto Ponte Vecchio in order to isolate them from the palaces and the dwellings in the centre of the city, aiming above all to eliminate the unpleasant smells which could thus be dispersed directly in the current of the river.

Piazza della Signoria: is Florence's main square, in the medieval centre, south of the Cathedral (Duomo) and a few dozen yards from Ponte Vecchio and the Arno. Palazzo degli Uffizi, also known as Palazzo Vecchio or Palazzo della Signoria, built by Vasari in the middle of the XVI century and completed by Buontalenti, is found in the square. On completion, 13 Uffizi (offices), previously housed in various seats, were all moved into the building.

Piazza del Duomo: is in the heart of the historic centre of Florence, dominated by the imposing cathedral, the Campanile (Bell Tower) designed by Giotto and the Battistero di San Giovanni (the Baptistery of San Giovanni or sometimes called the Florence Baptistery or the Baptistery of St. John). Florence's Cathedral is one of the most important architectural works of the period, in Gothic-Renaissance style, and one of the largest and most beautiful cathedrals in Europe.

Piazza San Marco: surrounded by elegant buildings, is dominated by the monastery and the Basilica di San Marco, from which it takes its name. The church was built in 1437, when Cosimo il Vecchio (Cosimo the Elder) commissioned Michelozzo to build the church and the monastery for the Silvestrine monks, although the complex was later taken over by the Dominicans. In ancient times, the area was called San Marco al Cafaggio (faggio = beech), because of the fenced-in wooded area which once existed here.

Piazza Santa Croce: is located in an area which in ancient times was an island formed by two branches of the Arno, which separated near what is now Piazza Beccaria,to join again in front of the walls situated near Via de' Benci. Like Piazza Santa Maria Novella, Piazza di Santa Croce was built to contain the crowds of the faithful who gathered to listen to the sermons of the monks.

Firenze Fiera: is the Florentine complex which organises congresses, meetings and exhibitions in the city of Florence. The structures which house the various national and international events are the Fortezza da Basso, the Palazzo dei Congressi and the Palazzo degli Affari. They are positioned side by side and are in the area of the historic centre beside the Santa Maria Novella railway station.