During this virtual walking tour, we will find out why Florence is called the Cradle of the Renaissance, focusing on statues and their symbology.

To familiarize ourselves with medieval symbolism, we will start from the Cathedral square, admire the Baptistery, the majestic Cathedral. We will see the medieval works by Giotto on the Bell Tower. Then we will head to Orsanmichele church, where we will admire great iconic statues such as Donatello’s Saint George and Ghiberti’s Saint Matthew and learn how to distinguish between a Renaissance statue and a Medieval one.

Then we will go to piazza Signoria where we will witness the features of the high Renaissance thanks to the statues made by Cellini, Ammannati, and Giambologna,

The last stop will be by the Arno river, where we will enjoy the wonderful view of the Ponte Vecchio.

Itinerary: Cathedral, Baptistery, OrsanMichele, Piazza Signoria, and Ponte Vecchio.

About Eleonora

When my parents chose to call me Eleonora, surely they could not have known that one of my favorite women in history would have become Eleonora of Toledo, the wife of the Duke of Florence, and of course, also that her city would have impacted me so much.

Actually, I was born just outside Florence. The majestic dome of its Cathedral and its great artists are the things that pushed me to study Art History at University. I focused my attention on the birth of the Renaissance.

I spent a few years immersed in the history of the city, fascinated by the greatest bankers of Florence, such as Cosimo The Elder and Piero de Medici, who became the patrons of brilliant artists like Michelangelo and Brunelleschi.

After graduating, I worked for the University for a while and published some essays. Then I moved to what I like the most: being a tour guide. There is nothing more thrilling than talking about the life of the great, almost mythical, Florentines while walking through the streets to make the City and its art become alive.