Florence: tips on things to see?

[Bombax]

Hi folks,

I'm off to Florence for a week next Monday, and I was wondering if there are any 'must see' things from a military perspective?
There's an interesting looking museum called the Stibbert, which seems to have a big selection of arms and armour -

http://en.firenze.waf.it/museo_dett/29- ... useum.html

Does anyone know of other museums, fortifications etc relating to the military side of the Renaissance era?

TIA,
Bombax

[Adraeth]

I live in tuscany, yes stibbert it is a must see; anyway if you have time and a car you might try to locate the Anghiari field of battle near Arezzo. I would however suggest you to head to Lucca by train from Florence to see a full walled city in a typical renaissance architecture.

[Bombax]

Thanks Adraeth - we were thinking of visiting Lucca, and will definitely do it now! Likewise the Stibbert. Cheers!

[Philippeatbay]

Hi folks,

I'm off to Florence for a week next Monday, and I was wondering if there are any 'must see' things from a military perspective?
There's an interesting looking museum called the Stibbert, which seems to have a big selection of arms and armour -

http://en.firenze.waf.it/museo_dett/29- ... useum.html

Does anyone know of other museums, fortifications etc relating to the military side of the Renaissance era?

TIA,
Bombax

I spent a lot of time in Italy when I was growing up and that museum was always one of my favorites. The sheer volume of armor in the collection is stunning, more than the Met and the Tower of London combined. The large number of suits of
armor is very useful for training your eye. But be aware that the Met and the Tower of London collections are focused on quality rather than quantity: you won't find any of the exquisite pieces that you'll find in those two collections. I also recall that getting there was a bit of a hassle involving infrequent bus connections, but that was many years ago and I haven't a clue how things work now.

But you ought to be aware that if there were twenty things you needed to see in Florence, that museum would still be on the list, but very close to the bottom. If you can rent a car and travel outside of Florence, you really should plan on making a day trip to Siena and another one to Pisa. On your way to Siena you'll pass the town of San Gimignano -- plan on having lunch there, but include a nap in your schedule because the local wine is incredibly good and very strong. The reason you want to go to San Gimignano is that you won't understand what a medieval hill town looked like until you've seen its towers (which look like metal skyscrapers when the morning sun is glintin off of them in the distance, until you realize that they're medieval and made of stone). When you get to Siena make sure you see the frescoes in the upper floors of the town hall. Similarly, if you make the trip to Pisa you'll want to see the tower, of course, but right next door to it is a wonderful set of medieval frescoes celebrating the Dance of Death. After seeing that you'll understand where Boccaccio was coming from.

And if you get up to Milan, you should pay a visit to the Sforza castle. It's made of brick and sitting in the middle of town. The locals used to feed the stray cats who live in the moat at dusk, so bring catfood.

[Bombax]

Thanks for the tips Philippe, greatly appreciated and duly noted!