As a mum and English language teacher, Virginia is pretty savvy about keeping youngsters amused and engaged – even when the challenge of sight seeing and museums are on the agenda !
What makes this family tour so fun ? First of all a friendly and relaxed approach, and a fun way to find out many fascinating facts and legends about Florence. Your children will receive an original quiz which will follow the tour’s itinerary covering the most important sites of Florence. Along the way your kids can try their hand at paper marbeling and enjoy the best ice- cream in town !
The tour covers the following sites:
Meeting point at the Column of Abundance in Piazza Repubblica
A short walk to the Cathedral, baptistry and bell tower and a great story about how Brunelleschi built the biggest dome in the world
A stroll through the narrow lanes of the medieval quarter, full of interesting tower houses and tiny churches . The most famous resident being Dante Alighieri, author of the Divine Comedy which inspired the film Inferno.
An insight into the ancient art of paper marbeling used in book binding with a live demonstration
If you fancy an ice cream, this is the right place !
Just around the corner lies the vast and majestic square Piazza Signoria , an incredible open air museum full of original renaissance statues and a spectacular fountain dedicated to Neptune. There is even an excellent replica of Michelangelo’s David standing in its original position in front of Palazzo Vecchio the old seat of Government dating back to 1300 which was transformed into a sumptuous palace for Cosimo 1 in 1540 and which today is the city’s town hall. The quiz puts your observation to the test here !
next a brief encounter with the famous wild boar fountain and its legend
last stop is the world famous Ponte Vecchio, so full of charm and nearly 700 years of history, here if you look up you can see the Vasari corridor running over the shops on the bridge. this 1km long overhead closed passageway joins Palazzo Vecchio and Palazzo Pitti on the other side of the river Arno serving as a private walkway for the Medici family between their 2 residences.
From here you are in a good position to wander through the quieter streets on the south bank , or Oltrarno as it is known by the Florentines.