Magnificent and inimitable Florence gave the world Michelangelo, Dante and Leonardo da Vinci. Its old dialect formed the basis of the modern Italian language, and the native of the city of Amerigo Vespucci glorified his homeland in both hemispheres. The suburbs of Florence are full of Tuscan charm and are ready to share it with every traveler who decides to stroll through the green hills and cypress groves.
Tuscan merchant
For a long time, the suburb of Florence Prato, located a couple of tens of kilometers to the northwest, has gained fame as the most commercial city of Tuscany. Its historical center was an ancient hexagon-shaped fortress, which is carefully guarded today by both residents and the government of the country.
The first castle appeared here in the 10th century and since then Prato tried to defend its independence from Florentine encroachments for the next several centuries. Today, the main architectural landmark of the city is the magnificent Duomo, a 15th century cathedral, faced with white and dark marble and decorated with frescoes by Lippi.
The centuries-old history and evolution of textile production is covered in detail by the local museum, and in the 12th century Palazzo Alberti, an art gallery with paintings by Bellini and Caravaggio awaits guests.
Flower kingdom
All suburbs of Florence are picturesque and colorful in their own way, but Pistoia among them is a rare pearl in a beautiful necklace. The flower market has been buzzing here for decades, where you can buy magnificent bouquets, seedlings, seeds, bulbs and hundreds of other products related to the art of floriculture and horticulture. However, serious matters for Pistoia were also no strangers! Pistols, tiny daggers made in this suburb of Florence, were named after this town. Later, the word "pistol" began to be called pistols, because it was in Pistoia that the trigger was invented.
Fans of Italian architecture have a lot to look at in the pretty city of Tuscany:
- The 7th century stone tower survived from the first ring of the city's defensive walls.
- The octagonal baptistery is just as impressive as the one in Pisa. Its façade is made of green and white marble, and the statue of John the Baptist belongs to the great master Andrea Vacca and is carved out of Carranian marble.
- Campanilla Duomo rises 67 meters into the sky. Its bells still beat the time, and from the height of the observation deck, overcoming 200 steps, you can see a wonderful panorama of the suburbs of Florence.
