The sun usually rises in Florence well before I do. But today I made a point to reverse that trend. There's a great look-out over Florence in the Senese Clavey Hills (which surround the city) called Piazza Michelangelo. It's a bit of a hike, but well worth the views. These first three photos are all taken from there as the sun poked it's head.While most settlements in Tuscany lie on some type of hilltop, Florence is actually settled in a valley, on the narrowest part of the Arno river. It's said that Florence was settled by Julius Ceasar in the year 59 BC as a settlement for his veteran soldiers. It quickly became an important commercial center after that, for Rome and any points to the north.
The last photo is taken from Fiesole (Fee-ay-so-lay) which is on the north side of Florence. Fiesole, was settled by the Etruscans in the 8th or 9th century BC, but overtaken by the Romans shortly after Florence was settled. Fiesole is a bit more of a hike, in fact a lot more and so we took the bus. It's a great escape from a hot day down in the city though, as the breezes are cooler and the views well worth the trip.
