Dante's Florence Walking Tour

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1 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 1 - Dante's Florence Walking Tour Dante Alighieri is considered one of the greatest poets of all times. He was born in Florence and spent most of his life there until he was exiled. Many of the structures in the city were built according to his greatest epic poem Divina Commedia. This tour will take you on a trip through Dante's life and work in Florence. Guide Location: Italy» Florence # of Attractions: 7 Tour Duration: 1 hour(s) Travel Distance: 2.3 km Please note: This walk is also featured in the ios app "Florence Map and Walks" on itunes App Store and the Android app "Florence Map and Walks" on Google Play. The apps provide GPS navigation to guide you from one tour stop to the next, so you will never be lost. The apps offer additional walking tours in Florence. Check them out! GPSmyCity offers self-guided walking tours in over 1,000 city around the world. Please visit gpsmycity.com for more walking tour offers. List of attractions included in this self-guided walking tour: A) Piazzetta del Limbo B) Chiesa di San Pier Scheraggio C) Casa di Dante D) Sasso di Dante E) Florence Cathedral F) Santa Maria Maggiore G) Santa Maria Novella Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 1 -

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3 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 3 - A) Piazzetta del Limbo Piazzetta del Limbo is a famous ancient square in Florence. It is located in the historic center of the city, not far from the church of Santi Apostoli. The piazza is described in details in Dante's well-known poem. Address: Via delle Bombarde, Florence, Itlay Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Sailko B) Chiesa di San Pier Scheraggio Chiesa di San Pier Scheraggio is a very old church in Florence. It was used for city's Council meetings before the other palaces were built. Dante attended many of these meetings during his life as a politician. Today the church is part of the Uffizi Gallery. Address: Via della Ninna, Florence, Itlay Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Sailko C) Casa di Dante (must see) Set in the heart of medieval Florence, presently the area between the Church of Saint Martino and Piazza dei Donati, is the Casa di Dante or the House/Museum of Dante. The building, though erected in the twentieth century, is believed to be seated on the birth place of one of the most cherished poets in Italian history- Dante Alighieri. After a series of archaeological studies done on the site, historians concluded that the area, on which the building now stands, was the birth place of Dante. In the twentieth century, the Municipal Administration decided to build a medieval structure in honour of Dante Alighieri. The structure that stands today was built by the architect Giuseppe Castellucci in 1911, after which the museum was opened to the public in Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 3 -

4 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 4 - The museum displays some of the most important works and covers the milestones of Dante s life. The museum is spread across three floors, which depict the most important phases of the poet s life. On the first floor you get a glimpse of Dante as a child, an adolescent and a young adult. Details about the poet's christening, his early public life, his participation in public affairs, etc. are depicted in the form of the poet s works. On the second floor one can find documents related to his exile in 1301, his visits to a number of cities, and the final years that he decided to spend in Ravenna. The third and last floor showcases Dante s vast collection of documents and the fortune he collected over the years. Address: Via Santa Margherita 1, Florence, Italy Image Courtesy of Flickr and llee_wu D) Sasso di Dante Sasso di Dante was the stone from where Dante would watch the cathedral of Florence while it was being built. It was located in the Piazza del Duomo, just outside the cathedral. Today, a stone mentioning the poets name is installed in that place. Address: Piazza del Duomo, Florence 50122, Italy Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and sailko E) Florence Cathedral (must see) Overlooking the city of Florence is the beautiful Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore. The dome of the Basilica is famously the largest brick dome in the world. The Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore, which roughly translates to the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flower, is dedicated to Madonna or The Virgin Mary. The magnificent cathedral is noted for housing Domenico di Michelino's painting, Dante and the Divine Comedy, portraying Dante illuminating Florence with his famous poem. The painting is considered absolutely unique and one of the most important artifacts in the cathedral. The building itself is the product of about 170 years of sheer hard work. It was originally constructed to replace the withering structure of Saint Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 4 -

5 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 5 - Reparata which was founded in the early 5th century. The new church was built in a Gothic style by architect Arnolfo di Cambio who commenced construction of the cathedral in He was responsible for the construction of the three magnificent naves that spread under the dome. There were high hopes for the cathedral but all fell apart after the death of Arnolfo in The cathedral was left half built for nearly thirty years after which there were a series of renowned architects who modified and added their inputs to the design. However, it wasn't until 1420 that the true identity of the cathedral was found. Architect Filippo Brunelleschi was commissioned to build the Dome of the cathedral, a project many architects had given up on. The cathedral is many a times referred to as Brunelleschi's Dome just for the soaring presence of the domed cathedral that overlooks the city of Florence. Address: Piazza del Duomo, Florence 50122, Italy Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and PTG Dudva F) Santa Maria Maggiore (must see) Santa Maria Maggiore di Firenze is a medieval church in Florence. The church was originally constructed in the 11th century and underwent extensive renovations to the facade and sides in the 13th century. The original church existed as early as the 8th century, and is first documented in 931. In 1176 it obtained the status of collegiate church and was one of Florence's priories. The church subsequently expanded its possessions and in 1183 it was put under papal direct protection by Lucius III in 1186, which it kept in the following century. Acquired by the Cistercians, in the 13th century the church was rebuilt (with the exception of the original external walls and the vaults) in Gothic style. During the 15th century the church's finances declined: in 1514 Giulio de' Medici describes it as decaying, and in the following year the pope gave it to the Florence Cathedral's capitol. In 1521 it went to the Carmelites from Mantua. In the early 17th century the interior was restored by Gherardo Silvani, perhaps following a project by Bernardo Buontalenti. The exterior is rather undecorated, with stone walls and the portals surmounted by tympani. The bell tower, although reduced in height, survives from the Romanesque building. It has a Roman head embedded in its walls, popularly known as Berta. The interior is simple with a nave and two aisles, ogival arches and groin vaults. Artworks include frescoes by Bernardino Poccetti (Histories of St. Zenobius in the vault), a Nativity by Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 5 -

6 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 6 - Matteo Rosselli, and, above the altar of the left transept chapel, a polychromed stucco relief panel, the Madonna del Carmelo, long attributed to the 13th century artist, Coppo di Marcovaldo. A recent restoration has caused scholars to question this attribution and posit an earlier, 12th century date for the panel. Address: Via de' Carretani, Florence, Italy Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Sailko. Sight description based on wikipedia G) Santa Maria Novella Built by the Dominican order in the 13th century, the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella was constructed on the site Santa Maria delle Vigne oratory. Between 1246 and 1360, the lower part of the Basilica and Bell Tower were completed under the direction of Friar Talenti. Leone Alverti was commissioned in 1456 to complete the upper part of the current façade of the church. Known for his work on a church in Rimini and a palace in Florence, Alberti gave the church its four white and green pilasters, a frieze with a circular window and a pediment. Alberti s S-shaped scrolls were his greatest contribution, not only to this structure but also to the architecture of churches in Italy. Massacio s The Holy Trinity is a Renaissance masterpiece located in this church. Stained glass windows from the 14th century depicting Coronation of Mary and Madonna and Child beautify this church. The Filippo Strozzi, Gondi, Rucellai and the Spanish Chapel are a few chapels within the Basilica. The Cappella Strozzi is one of the most beautiful parts of the church. It was decorated according to Dante's poem Divina Commedia. A portrait of the poet is housed in the chapel. The building has a cloister adorned with paintings from the 14th century. Frescoes portraying stories from Genesis ornament the walls of the cloister. Eminent Florentine families contributed towards the art possessions with the Church and the funerary monuments, of which they are now, part of. The Holy Trinity comes to life just outside the Church. Address: Piazza di Santa Maria Novella, Florence 50123, Italy Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Georges Jansoone. Sight description based on wikipedia Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 6 -