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| Statues
of Florence
Discover
Italy Newsletter
Greetings,
Florence is a bustling city full of art,
architecture, and history. When you go to
Florence with your family, consider a strategy
to avoid sensory overload, for example, seek out
just a certain type of art or the art of just
one artist or architect or two. Or try
"collecting" statues; it is a great
quest for the whole family.
I was in Florence in October, my excuse for
skipping a month of this newsletter. I visited
favorite statues and inspected a number of
vacation rentals for my readers. I made some
real finds, one of which is featured below.
Sincerely,
P L Byrne
Statues
of Florence
Pose
for the Camera
 You
will find beautiful sculpture all over Florence,
inside and out. A suggestion for enjoying this
art- filled city is to have family members pose
like each statue you like and take a photo,
resulting in a nice theme for your album. The Italy
Discovery Journal has a little checklist of
famous statues,
The
David
by Michelangelo is, of course, a top sight.
You'll find the original in the Accademia (check
times, it's hard to get in) protected from the
elements, a copy in Piazza Signoria, and another
copy in Piazzale Michelangelo overlooking the
city.
Near
the David in Piazza della Signoria, look for a
beautiful, small statue
of Perseus
who is holding the head of Medusa (snakes for
hair) whom he slew. It warned the enemies of
Florence of what would happen to them. It is
considered the finest work in the Piazza. What
do you think?
Next
to the David is the huge statue of Neptune
called the white giant. When it was erected,
the Florentines didn't like it very much, they
called out: "Amanato (the first name of the
sculptor), Amanato, look at all the marble
you've wasted!"
In
the Boboli Gardens, a great place for a romp,
look for the amusing statue
of a very fat, naked man riding a turtle!
The gardens feature statuary among the flowers,
shrubs, and trees.
Just
outside the Church of Santa Croce is a very
serious statue of the most famous poet of Italy,
Dante.
What do you think the sculptor was trying to
convey? There are a lot of neat things to see in
Santa Croce church, too. For example, the tombs
for Dante (where was he really buried?),
Michelangelo, Macchiavelli, and Galileo (who
else is in his tomb?).
The
Statue
of Liberty inside the Santa Croce church is
amazingly similar to the one in New York. But
wait, there are even more statues of liberty in
the world, here
is an interesting web page about them. Not
too far from Santa Croce is the Bargello museum
which is filled with sculpture.
To
digress, Piazza Santa Croce is a favorite of
mine. Look for the high water marks from the
1966 floods. In June there are traditional
soccer games (originally training for
soldiers) held right in the Piazza, in medieval
costume. If you are interested, I know of some
vacation rental apartments that overlook this
piazza. They are great year round, but a special
treat during the Calcio in Costume games.
Suggestion from a reader: Print out photos of
sights such as statues and buildings you will
probably see and put them in a notebook with the
Italy Discovery Journal. Then, those pictures
form a treasure hunt for your children;
especially nice for children who aren't yet
reading.
The
Renaissance Art Book - Great Intro for Kids
Eyewitness
Renaissance (illustrations captivate
children)
Italy
Discover Journal for Free
Limited
time offer
We
will refund you the price of the Italy
Discovery Journal up to $6.99 (i.e. the
price of the eBook) if you will send us a
photo for our website. We offered this in
our last newsletter and received some
wonderful photos, see them here.
Why?
We like to feature photos of customers with
the Italy Discovery Journals in hand and in
Italy on our website. there are a number of
great photos and ideas from other parents on
the Kids
Europe Testimonials page.
Isn't
that a pretty fair arrangement? You are
probably going to be in Italy and will take
photos anyway, so slip the Italy Discovery
Journal in and send it to me and we'll send
you a refund!
My
son (future lawyer?) reminded me that I have
to clarify the rules: Offer expires December
30th 2004. Digital photos, please, sent via
email to pbyrne@kidseurope.com. Goofy,
silly, funny photos are all great. Use your
imagination. Individual or group photos of
kids and families are fine. You need to be
able to see that it is, indeed, the Italy
Discovery Journal that someone is holding.
It should also look like they are in Italy.
No guarantee they will all end up on the
website, but if they otherwise qualify, I
will send you the refund via PayPal. You
must include the photos with an emails that
says "I give permission for you to use
this photo on your website." One refund
per family. Well, that is all I can think
of, but I reserve the right to refuse
submissions that aren't in the spirit of the
program.
Comfortable
& Affordable Apartment in Florence
Right
by the Ponte Vecchio
 I
went to Florence last month to inspect new
apartments for Excellent
Europe, our vacation rental business.
I found this comfortable and affordable
apartment that sleeps four (two on the
sofa bed) that couldn't be in a more
convenient location. It is a block from
the Ponte Vecchio, the wonderful, medieval
bridge that is filled with jewelry and
fine art stores.
The
building is entered through the courtyard
of a famous ceramic store and because it
does not face the street, it is very
quiet. Furthermore, it is air conditioned,
important for summertime visits. The
weekly price is less than 800 Euros, far
less than a hotel room for four (if you
can find one) plus you have the
convenience of a kitchen and space to
spread out. More
information. These do fill up during
peak vacation times, so reserve early. Contact
us for availability.
Looking
for something else? Let us help you, we
love matching travelers with the perfect
rental, email
rentals@excellenteurope.com
Italy
Discovery Journal
Travelex
Travel Insurance - Children's Coverage
is Free
Bags
for Kids and Parents at eBags
High
quality up-to-date maps of Italy from
maps.com the online map store
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Vacation
Rentals In Italy
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Contessa
Venice,
btw Rialto - St Mark's
Sleeps 5
2 Bedrooms, 1 Bath
Real Noble Palace
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Via Veneto
Rome
Sleeps
2 + 2
4
night minimum
Convenient
Location, Central & Comfortable
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Borgo Bucine
Arezzo, Tuscany
Sleeps 2-7
Magical
Castle and
Vacation Village
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*****
Splendida
Florence,
Central, Arno View
Sleeps
6
3
bedrooms, 2.5 baths
Daily
Maid Service
Total
Royal Luxury
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Tiberio
Rome,
Prati by Sant'Angelo
Sleeps
4 + 2
4
night minimum
Location
and Value
for
a Family
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Castello Niccolo
near
Florence on Chianti Estate
Sleeps 2 -12
Villas
& Apartments
Tuscan
Castle & Wine
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Palazzo Santa Croce
Florence,
Santa Croce
Sleeps
2 - 8
16
apartments
Beautiful
Historic Palazzo
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Via del Corso
Rome,
Spanish Steps
Sleeps
2-6
2
Apartments
4
night minimum
Location
& Flexibility
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Villa Sofia
Siena, Patrician Villa and Farm,
Atmosphere Galore
Sleeps 2-6
Vistas &
Weddings
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Palazzo Cavaliere
Florence,
Santa Croce
Sleeps
2 - 6
21
Apartments
4
night minimum
Central
& Convenient
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Janus
Rome,
btw Capitoline & Trastevere
Sleeps
2-4
35
Suites
4
night minimum
Neat
Neighborhood
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Spagna Apartment
Spanish
Steps, Rome
Sleeps
5
Luxury
& Fabulous Terrace
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Villa Agosto
Siena, Tuscany
Sleeps 4-8
Comfort,
Relaxation, Quality
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Cerretani
Heart
of Florence
Sleeps 1 - 6
8
Apartments
First
Class & Location
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Ca'
Bella
San
Polo, Venice
Sleeps 4 + 1
2 Bedrooms, 2 Baths
Glorious Rooftop Terrace
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Flaminio
Piazza Popolo, Rome
Sleeps 4+ 2
4
night minimum
Perfect
Family Apt
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Villa Colle
Colle di Val d'Elsa
Tuscany
Sleeps 2+2/Apt
5
nights minimum
Great
Value
Walk
to Hill Town
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Ponte Vecchio
Center
of Florence
Sleeps
2+ 2
1 bedroom, 1
bath
1
week minimum
Perfect
Value & Location for Small Family
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