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Bologna, Florence and Pisa (February 2011) Bologna

Day 1. Madrid-Bologna
Day 2. Bologna-Florence
Day 3. Florence
Day 4. Florence-Pisa
Day 5. Pisa-Madrid

Transportation

We take another flight cheap Ryanair to make a four-day getaway to Italy . We fly to Bologna airport and return from Pisa for 50 euros apiece. An irresistible bargain. Movement between cities, we train.

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landed in Bologna shortly after from 8 am (the early start is always included in the price of Ryanair) and a bus dropped us off at the station for 5 euros in 20 minutes. Opposite the station was the hotel we had booked online, the Mercure Bologna Centro , a four star, but where we went for 60 euros the double room through the website booking . Recommended and ideal to catch the train to Florence the next morning.

Bologna, capital of Emilia-Romagna , has the oldest university in Europe , or rather, the Christian Europe because the Caliphate of Córdoba and there was two centuries earlier. It was founded in 1088 and has since attracted intellectuals of the stature of Dante , Copernicus or Erasmus. Today

remains a major university that attracts students from all over Europe . The university environment is reflected in every corner of bottles at night, many bars and cheap restaurants for dinner or a beer.

But if something surprises travelers arriving at Bologna is the labyrinth of alleyways that make up its old . It is the largest in the continent after of the Venice and is ideal for any corner missing. The red walls buildings (the Italians call to Bologna "la rossa") require looking up at every turn, with old churches and medieval palaces to finally complete the picture. Another surprise

Bologna step is to meet the arcades streets. Virtually all of the old ways have arched porticos on both sides of the road sinking any business selling umbrellas. If it is raining (as happened to us) can go perfectly the old town through their porches almost without getting wet. A total 50 kilometers of arcades the historic city center. Almost nothing!

To see the old nothing better to climb the 498 steps of the Torre degli Asinelli , offering excellent views (3 euros) from its 98 meters high. It was built in the twelfth century and is one of the symbols of Bologna with the neighboring Garisenda Leaning Tower of the eleventh century. The

Neptune Square and Piazza Maggiore are the heart of Bologna. They rose Neptune fountain, designed by Giambologna in the sixteenth century, and the Communal Palace the Town Hall since 1336. Older still is the Re Enzo Palace, a fortress in the middle of the square that once served as a prison. The church of San Stefano , one of the oldest in the city, stands on another beautiful square, which recreates to perfection the medieval past of Bologna.

For dinner or a beer can go to the Via del Pratello or around the Plaza Verdi .

degli Asinelli The tower rises in the background.

The strength of the Re Enzo Palace.

Source Neptune.

cobbled street of the historic center of Bologna.

The center of Bologna, seen from the tower degli Asinelli.

The historic center is a maze of streets.

Another street in the center.

Almost all the streets of Bologna are arcades.

Picturesque alley.

The church square San Stefano.

Church of San Stefano.

Beautiful facades adorn the streets of Bologna.

Independence Way, the main commercial artery of the city.

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The next morning early we took the TGV Bologna-Florence you plant in the capital of the Renaissance in 45 minutes. It costs 24 euros and most of the trip is made in tunnels that cross the Apennines , completely snowed in this time of year.

Florence, capital of Tuscany, is one of the three most beautiful cities and holiday resorts in Italy, near Venice and Rome. Its medieval past still visible in the lanes of the old town and its Renaissance splendor remains alive today. Just mention the names of Michelangelo, Leonardo , Brunelleschi, Botticelli and an endless and so to understand how Florence became the world capital of art during the XV and XVI.

All these artists left their mark on Renaissance Florence, especially Michelangelo, who gave the city its David , one of the masterpieces in the history of sculpture. You can see in the Accademia Gallery (6.5 euros).

But the greatest collection of Renaissance art is stored in the Uffizi Gallery , a XVI century palace designed by Vasari (6.5 euros). Inside you can see works of most artists Renaissance and Baroque . From the windows overlooking the Arno River obtained great views of the city.

was the powerful family of Medicis who ruled Florence during the Renaissance , which attracted to most artists and collecting funding much of their work. The imposing palace still stands in the historic heart of the city, but more spectacular is the Pitti Palace , across the Arno, which was also bought by Medicis in the sixteenth century.

After buying the Pitti Palace, Cosme de Medicis had built a Vasari corridor which communicated with his new palace Palazzo Vecchio, the seat of government in the Piazza Signoria , to avoid stepping on the street. This is the famous Vasari Corridor , nearly a mile long, running over street, crossing the river above the Ponte Vecchio and through the Uffizi Gallery .

The Palazzo Vecchio and Piazza Signoria are one of the great icons of Florence. This plaza was the center of the political life of the city and was adorned with sculptures of the great artists, like David of Michelangelo. Today you can see copies of these statues, the originals have been protected in museums.

But if there is an image that identifies Florence that is its spectacular cathedral of Santa Maria dei Fiore , commonly known as the Duomo , Crowned by the huge dome of Brunelleschi . Has more than 100 meters high and was an engineering unprecedented for the fifteenth century. It is worth paying 8 euros to see the best views of Florence. The cathedral was completed with the adjacent Giotto's Bell Tower (6 euros) and the Baptistery of San Juan (4 euros).

Another unmistakable image of Florence is the Ponte Vecchio , crossing the waters of the Arno from the time of the Romans. Obviously has suffered dozens of transformations and reconstructions to offer its picturesque appearance today. The interior of the bridge is full of jewelry that century XVI and Vasari order replacing the old, smelly butcher.

Other attractions of Florence are the Basilica of Santa Croce , which holds the graves of people like Dante or Galileo, the church of Santa Maria Novella or the square of the Annunziata , with Hospital of Innocents of Brunelleschi. The best, however, is lost in its streets and enjoy every corner of the Tuscan capital.

to watch Florence from the heights you could climb to the lookout Michelangelo, on top of a nearby hill. We will go on buses, that is caught in front of the train station and walk down.

In Florence we stayed at the hotel Soggiorno Isabella de 'Medici, near the station and the Duomo . Double with bath we went for 34 euros, plus 3 for breakfast, through the booking website . The hotel is in a flat in an old building. The rooms are good and well located. Recommended, although in high season prices doubled.