CyberAlitalia/Firenze

Overview
Florence, the jewel of the Italian Renaissance, entices travelers with a vast collection of architectural and artistic attractions. It is a city of incomparable pleasures, an inexhaustible treasure trove of churches, chapels, museums, and monuments.

A short history of Florence begins with the town's settlement between the 10th and 8th centuries BC by Italic (not Etruscan) tribes. Caesar's army established a colony here in 59 BC. After many centuries of barbaric invasion, Florence flourished in the 1300's, and was probably the wealthiest city in the civilized world . The town became the center of artistic patronage in Italy under the Medici family, who made their fortune in banking and ruled the city as an independent state for some three centuries, most auspiciously during the years of Lorenzo de' Medici, known as «Il Magnifico», who fiercely held onto Florentine independence in the face of papal resentment. Later, in the late eighteenth century, Florence fell under Austrian and then French rule, and in the nineteenth century was for a short time the capital of the kingdom of Italy.

Today the town is home to many language schools, a top-notch soccer team that threatens to win the championship this year, and of course, the monuments and paintings of the city's Renaissance heritage. Our virtual tour begins with the most prominent monument in the town's historic center.

Baptistry, Cathedral, and Campanile
Live from Filippo Brunelleschi's cupola—WebCam images provide a bird's eye view of the medieval town. Relive Foucault's Pendulum experiment, which in 1851 demonstrated for the first time the rotation of the earth.

Set in the heart of Florence, Santa Maria del Fiore—the Duomo, or cathedral, of Florence—dominates the city with its enormous dome. The Baptistry with its celebrated doors is one of Florence's oldest buildings, dating perhaps to the 7th century. In his capacity as city architect, Giotto designed the Campanile in 1334.

Galleria Degli Uffizi
Don't want to wait on line all day to visit one of the world's most famous art museums? Then try online, with images of the paintings, historical notes, news, QuickTimeVR movies of several rooms, an index of artists, and notes on the buildings. If you can't get enough Botticelli, Michelangelo, or Caravaggio, visit Virtual Uffizi to download full-screen images.

The Uffizi Gallery is one of the oldest and most famous in the world. Founded in 1581 by Francesco I de' Medici, it occupied the top floor of the building designed by Giorgio Vasari to house the administrative offices of the state of Tuscany (hence uffizi). The gallery first housed antique statues and historical paintings, and the great treasures were in the octagonal Tribune.

Il Restauro del Perseo
Benvenuto Cellini (1500 - 1571) was a sculptor, metalsmith, and author. His famous bronze Perseus was commissioned by Cosimo I, and until recently was located at the Loggia dei Lanzi, immediately adjacent to Palazzo Vecchio. The statue provided Cellini with a challenge in casting that almost led to the destruction of his home when the furnace, filled with copper and bronze, was stoked to such a blaze that the roof caught on fire. The head of Medusa is held out at arm's length, seemingly too far from the main body to reach it in casting. Only the frenzied genius of Cellini and his technical skills saved both his house and the outstanding sculpture.

Wish You Were There!
Don't forget your friends. Send them a virtual postcard describing your adventures with CyberAlitalia.

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