Florence 2016

In April 2016, I visited Florence for the first time along with some of my friends. The goal was to get to know the city, that is often labeled as the birthplace of Renaissance. Since it was my first visit, I concentrated on the most famous landmarks, such as Santa Maria del Fiore, Basilica di Santa Croce, Palazzo Vecchio, Ponte Vecchio, Palazzo Pitti and its gardens and more. Despite many beautiful buildings, I found Florence to be a little less “visually rich” compared to Venice. Hopefully I’ll be able to return soon to explore less known places away from the main tourist paths.

A morning view of the Florence old town, dominated by Santa Maria del Fiore cathedral.

First light on Piazza del Duomo with its jewel Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence, Italy. The incredible size of the cathedral, the closeness of the Baptistery of San Giovanni and the overall smallness of Piazza del Duomo made the shooting incredibly challenging.

Beautiful details of Florence's cathedral Santa Maria del Fiore main entrance at Dawn.

A play of light and shadow inside Giotto Campanile, the belltower of Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence, Italy

The arcade at Basilica di Santa Croce during a rainy April Mid-Day.

The famous dome of Santa Maria del Fiore from the gardens of Palazzo Pitti, Florence, Italy

Dawn light at Neptune Fountain on Piazza della Signoria, Florence Italy. Neptune Fountain was designed and sculptured by Bartolomeo Ammannati and his collaborators between 1563 and 1575.

A cold spring evening view of Florence from Piazzale Michelangelo

Many beautiful vaults, frescoes and stained glass windows can be found inside Basilica di Santa Croce, Florence, Italy

A black and white rendition of a night view from Piazzale Michelangelo, overlooking Florence.

One of many lion reliefs on the facade of Palazzo Pitti, Florence, Italy

Perseus with the head of Medusa - a bronze sculpture by Benvenuto Cellini, located in Loggia dei Lanzi, Piazza della Signoria, Florence

The Rape of the Sabine Women is a sculpture by Italo-Flemish sulptor Giambologna. It is carved from a single piece of marble and was in the works from 1574 to 1582. The word "Rape" was commonly used to describe abductions at the time. The sculpture is on display at Loggia dei Lanzi, Piazzale della Signoria, Florence.

A cloudless April dawn on Piazza della Signoria, the central square of Florence, Italy.

One of the Saints on the stained glass window displayed at Museo di Santa Croce, Florence, Italy.

The famous brick dome of Santa Maria del Fiore, designed by Filippo Bruneleschi. The dome consists of 4 million bricks and it is considered to be the masterpiece of Renaissance architecture.