Firenze per la giornata.

Despite many a visit to Firenze, I still haven’t managed to see everything.

My tuesday was blessed with two lovely visitors; a Scott and a Geordie.

The pair of them arrived from Rome after a rather elongated trip made worse by a Tren Italia staff member  who initially sent them to Milan instead of Florence.

Despite the hick-up they arrived only an hour later than expected and we set off to explore Florence.

First stop; coffee.

Once we had emerged from the warmth of a lovely little coffee shop it began to snow. Yes it began to snow in mainland Italy.

So logic took us to the tallest building in Florence; otherwise known as Giotto’s Bell Tower/ Campanile.

The biggest attraction in Florence and indeed Piazza del duomo; is the Basilica of Santa Maria del fiore, the Batisstero di San Giovanni and the Campanile di Giotto. The 13th century structure sits on top of the 7th century Church of Santa Reparta, which visitors can see the remains of underneath the Cathedral in the Crypt.

To visit the trio of magnificent buildings it only costs fifteen euros which I thought was relatively cheap!

The torre del duomo was by far the most entertaining. There are four floors to get up before you reach the top, and the further you climb the more narrow the stairwell becomes. By the second floor the snow was blowing all around us and I honestly thought I might fall over in the wind.

But the view once we reached the top was amazing, and certainly worth the climb.

At the top you are able to walk all the way around the top of the tower and view across the whole of Florence, its a sea of brown tiles and tuscan architecture.

Visiting during a low season in tourism allowed the three of us to feel very relaxed and at ease in a building which is probably impossible to climb without being squished against the wall in order to let people pass on the narrow staircase.

These 12th century buildings are protected by the World Heritage Trust, and the Cathedral is the fourth largest  in the world. Despite the cathedral only being completed in the 1900s it is certainly a credit to Gothic architecture.

Florence is still my favourite City, and with every visit I discover something new and wonderful.