FIRENZE

 the Ospedale degli innocenti was the first orphanage in Europe.
The Giardino dei Semplici, commissioned by Cosimo I for the cultivation and the study of medical plants, is called this way because of the plans used to make ointments and medicaments, called “semplici” (simple). The adjoining Bothanic Museum is one of the most complete in the world.
The Library of San Marco, realized by Michelozzo, was the first public library of Renaissance.
The tombs of important men (Michelangelo, Galileo, Machiavelli) and men of the most important families of Florence are in Santa Croce, and inspired the Sepolcri by Ugo Foscolo.
Among the most important museums of the world, the Galleria degli Uffizi is one of the oldest born in Europe.
Piazza della Repubblica is one of the liveliest zones of the city, with its famous dehors of caffè Gilli, the Belle Epoque decorations, and Giubbe Rosse, a meeting place for artists and intellectuals.
The Palazzo Strozzi is one of the symbols of the city, wanted in 1489 by the banker Filippo Strozzi as a sign of supremacy on his revels.
The Ponte Vecchio is the most ancient of the town and also the only one to be safe from the German mines during the Second World War. Symbol of Florence, is a bridge a square and a market.
SAN GIMIGNANO: Piazza della Cisterna is called this way for its well of 12nd century, placed in the centre, it has a triangular square.

SIENA :the Duomo is one of the most spectacular in Italy and one of the few south of the Alps to be built in pure gothic style. Its realization was possible also thanks the help of many inhabitants of the city, that transported the big white and black stones of the caves of the surroundings. In 1339 the people from Siena decided to build another nave in the biggest church of Christianity, but their project never came to an end because of the epidemics of Black Death in 1348, that killed about one third of the population.
The symbol of the Sun was taken because San Bernardino from Siena hoped that under the symbol of Christ’s Resurrection it could be possible to rejoin the different districts, putting an end to the rivalry and blood spreading.
PISA: the pulpit of the Duomo, created by Giovanni Pisano, is an hexagonal plant and bears up on 11 supports, some of which are columns, some statues that represent the arts and the virtus.
The Tower foundations are just 3 mt deep and stay on a sand and very unstable ground.

PISA : the pulpit of the Duomo, created by Giovanni Pisano, is an hexagonal plant and bears up on 11 supports, some of which are columns, some statues that represent the arts and the virtus.
The Tower foundations are just 3 mt deep and stay on a sand and very unstable ground
 
LUCCA : it’s one of the few examples of military architecture remained of Italy, still practicable on foot or bike.
Via Fillungo, flanked by houses of the ‘300 and by the Torre delle Ore of the ‘200, this way is the heart of the town, a passage among boutiques, ancient goldsmith’s and pleasant ills. You can drink at the Café Di Simo, where Puccini and Mascagni were customers. The Cathedral of San Martino is dedicated to San Martino, the roman soldier that divided his cape with a mendicant.