As I was strolling along the Arno River in the warm morning sunlight towards the bustling inner-city area of Florence, the ancient capital's picturesque landscape against a blue sky gradually unveiled before my eyes.
Our bus driver dropped us off just a stone's throw away from the vibrant tourism hub, explaining it would be a memorable experience to explore art and cultural attractions scattered across the city.
Standing the test of time, Florence -- the age-old capital of Tuscany in Italy -- has held its visitors spellbound for centuries with masterpieces and architectural legacy, which have been shaped by long-standing culture, art and religious beliefs.
Lying along both sides of the Arno River, the city's vital artery, the heart of Florence -- or Firenze in Italian -- was declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco in 1982 due to the richness of ancient artistic and cultural spots.
Dubbed the cradle of Renaissance art, influenced by classical art and architectural forms developed by ancient Greeks and Romans, Florence was once a Roman colony. It is teeming with Renaissance heritage, ranging from buildings and paintings to sculptures and decorative art by foremost artists and architects from a bygone era.
After the fall of the Roman Empire in 476, the Middle Ages, which lasted until the 15th century, saw the decline of culture. Therefore, there was an effort to revitalise classical knowledge, which gave birth to the Renaissance period.
Renaissance, literally rebirth, first emerged in Florence in the 14th century aiming to explore the philosophy of humanism and the natural world.
During this period, many artworks featured Christian mythology as artists were motivated by Christian humanism, which emphasised on the humanity of Jesus, originating from a medley of the nature of humanity and the Christian faith.
The Renaissance later reached its zenith in the late 15th and early 16th centuries, a period when one-of-a-kind artists produced the finest masterpieces of all time.
Among those great artists were Leonardo da Vinci; Sandro Botticelli; Michelangelo Buonarroti; Raffaello Sanzio, known as Raphael; Giorgio Vasari; and Filippo Lippi.
Several of their artworks have been preserved in art museums across Florence. For art aficionados, one of the top-rated attractions here is the Uffizi Gallery, a world-renowned art museum, the highlight of my trip.
Even at 8am, it was crowded with tourists who formed a long queue outside the main entrance. After we managed to pass through a security checkpoint and enter the museum, an Italian guide provided specific information about the museum and its art exhibition.
Briefed by the local guide, I learned that the Uffizi houses more than 100 exhibition galleries featuring innumerable antique paintings and sculptures, ranging from the Renaissance period to the Middle Ages.
The galleries are arranged in chronological order, from ancient work of arts to the newest.
A number of artworks are part of art collections owned by the House of Medici, a patrician family who played a pivotal role in the patronage of art in Florence, particularly during the Renaissance. The family also held the reins of politics, religion and trade in the city at that time.
Dating back to 1560, the Uffizi was commissioned by Cosimo I de' Medici, known as Cosimo the Great and first Grand Duke of Tuscany. He ordered his favourite artist Vasari to design the building layout, which is a U-shaped grandiose structure lauded among travellers today.
The word "uffizi" in Italian means office as the building originally served as the administrative and judicial offices in the past. Its ceilings are ubiquitously adorned with aesthetic frescoes painted by various artisans.
The museum officially opened in 1765. Before that, it was open to visitors on request. In his 1591 guide to Florence, Francesco Bocchi, an Italian author, described it as "among the most supremely beautiful sights in the world filled with ancient statues, with noble paintings and extremely precious objects".
The Uffizi preserves a myriad of notable painted works, including Annunciation by Leonardo da Vinci; The Holy Family by Michelangelo; The Madonna Of The Goldfinch by Raphael; and Primavera and The Birth Of Venus by Botticelli.
Others worth admiring are Diptych Of The Duke And Duchess Of Urbino by Piero della Francesca; Adoration Of The Magi by Gentile da Fabriano; Lamentation Of Christ by Rogier van der Weyden; Musical Cherub by Rosso Fiorentino; and Medusa, an oil painting on wood, by Caravaggio.
Besides paintings, visitors can appreciate marble sculptures such as Bust Of Antinous and Boy Removing A Thorn From His Foot, which were relocated from the Medici's residences in Rome.
After several hours at the Uffizi in the morning, I spent the rest of the afternoon exploring other sightseeing destinations around Florence.
There is no direct flight between Bangkok and Florence. From Thailand, Thai Airways International and other international carriers operate several flights from Bangkok to Milano Malpensa Airport in Varese near Milan and Fiumicino Airport in Rome. Train is the most convenient transport mode in Italy. Visitors can board trains from both airports to a central station, called Santa Maria Novella, in Florence. Visitors can explore train schedules via www.italiarail.com or www.trenitalia.com. However, many tourists opt to rent a car and drive along the Autostrada A1, the country's main motorway, to Florence.
The Uffizi Gallery's opening hours are Tuesday-Sunday, 8.15am-6.50pm, except Mondays, December 25, January 1 and May 1. Visit www.uffizi.it. Advance online purchase is available.
The Florence Cathedral is open daily. Visitors can enjoy free entrance to the cathedral but a ticket is required for climbing up to the church's cupola. Also, it may take some time to get into the cathedral due to a long queue. Headphones are also available for audio walking tour inside the cathedral.
The Loggia dei Lanzi is open to the public from 8am-7pm daily.
