More of Florence

After lunch we continued on a walking tour to see more of the highlights of Florence. The Church of Santa Croce is the burial place of some of the most illustrious Italians, such as Michelangelo, Galileo and the composer Rossini, thus it is known also as the Temple of the Italian Glories. The Basilica is the largest Franciscan church in the world. Piazza Della Signoria is where the Medici Family had one of their many "homes". The Medici family owned banks and by some estimates were the wealthiest family in Europe for a time. They, along with other families of Italy—fostered and inspired the birth of the Italian Renaissance.

The final hours of our tour were at the Uffizi Gallery a prominent art museum located  in the historic center of Florence. One of the most important Italian museums, and the most visited, it is also one of the largest and best known in the world, and holds a collection of priceless works, particularly from the period of the Italian Renaissance.

The Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge) is a medieval stone closed-spandrel segmental arch bridge over the Arno River, noted for still having shops built along it, as was once common. Butchers initially occupied the shops; the present tenants are jewelers, art dealers and souvenir sellers. It is the only bridge in Florence that was not destroyed during World War II. - Nancy