Firenze....July 7th

Florence (Italian: Firenze) lies on the River Arno. It is known for its history and its importance in the Middle Ages and in the Renaissance, especially for its art and architecture and, more generally, for its cultural heritage.
Florence is considered the birthplace of the Renaissance.

                                                        Palazzo Vecchio

                                                   The River Arno

                                                 
the Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge), whose most striking feature is the multitude of shops built upon its edges, held up by stilts.  It is the only bridge in the city to have survived World War II intact.

                                      looking at fabric in one of the Florence markets

Fontana del Porcellino ("fountain of the piglet"), actually a copy of a bronze wild boar by Pietro Tacca from the sixteenth century. Popular tradition has it that rubbing the nose brings fortune, so over time, the statue has acquired a certain shine in that spot.

 The best-known site of Florence is the domed cathedral of the city,

 Santa Maria del Fiore known as the Duomo

In addition to the art and history, the street markets and high fashion shops

 Florence also has more than its fair share of the strange and quirky: