Description

Plunge into a non-traditional Florence Italy Travel Guide that will get you hooked before you ever leave home. In this guide book, you will not find information about food, bars or hotels in Florence. Any website or app will give you such information, right?

Sure, while on your trip, you will want to enjoy great Italian meals and wine. And you will. Because amazing food is on every single block of this city - but you won t need a guidebook to find them.

The reason why Florence is important is because this is where the Renaissance began.

Florence is all about stories - stories about romance, mystery, adventure, pain and hardship, joy and laughter. Stories about that group of rock stars that you may already know something about: Michelangelo, da Vinci, Botticelli, Donatello, Machiavelli, Raphael, Dante, Galileo and more. But did you know that they were all from Florence? That most of these guys actually knew each other? And that these were the guys that started the Renaissance? See? You have just learned something cool... It s that easy!

Think "PEOPLE" Magazine meets Michelangelo

~ Trivia and factoids of the Florence Renaissance

You will want to read this book during the plane flight over!

About the Author

As a historian and armchair archaeologist, I have traveled for 17 years to the deepest corners of our ancient past in search of lost civilizations all over our planet. I have had the privilege of doing so with some of the foremost archaeologists and scientists in the world. 

Today, I enjoy the honor of serving on the Director's Council of the Cotsen Institute of Archaeology at the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA), and as a Board Member of the Center for Medieval & Renaissance Studies at California State University in Long Beach (CSULB).

As a writer and photographer, I have enjoyed the pleasure of writing and photographing for the Cotsen Institute's prestigious journals, in addition to over 150 business and marketing clients around the country.

Once addicted to the rewards of book writing, I returned to Italy in 2017 to study the great Republic of Venice. Stunned by what I learned? You bet! Find out why the first sentence in my new Venice book is "Welcome to Venice. You're not in Italy anymore!"

Praise For…

"While this work looks like a traditional Florence guidebook, the author s expert use of facts and illustrations sets it above the rest.

Most travel guides do not open with definitions of Stendhal syndrome and humanism, but this unusual introduction sets the tone for the debut book. As delineated in the subtitle, the work focuses on Florence s Gems (noteworthy places) and Giants (diverse luminaries). Before these two main sections, there is a checklist of things to do and see in the city, presented in the form of provocative questions (for example, Who broke Dante s heart? ), followed by textual and image tables of contents and a background section. The last includes a map of Florence and a brief overview of its history and development, beginning with the plague in the 1300s and continuing through the Renaissance (1500s). The Giants section is the lengthiest and provides biographies of the Medicis, Petrarch, Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, and other well-known figures associated with Florence but also lesser lights like Masaccio and Ghirlandaio. The relatively shorter Gems presents tidbits on some prominent tourist sites, including the Uffizi Gallery and Ponte Vecchio. The final section, Wandering Around Today s Florence, gives a list of piazzas and offers tips on the best views, art, and day trips. While readers looking for information on hotels and restaurants will be disappointed, Civalleri gives more in-depth information on the history and significance of Florence s celebrities and sites than traditional guides. Despite the reams of history, the work is still a light, entertaining read. The extensive use of illustrations primarily photographs, but also maps enlivens the text. Numerous sidebars supply anecdotes, definitions, and brief topics. The various font styles, sizes, and colors keep the book visually intriguing (although it occasionally verges on becoming a little busy). Ultimately, Civalleri delivers on her promise to teach readers about Florence through its fun stories." — Kirkus Review

"With no direct competition in the travel guidebook arena, this is a game-changer for travelers that want to know more than simply where to eat or drink. I can say that Patty always has a smile on her face; she put this smile on every page of the book. Her style is unique and compelling. I think it is the most helpful travel book about Florence that the public has ever seen. I have published almost 50 books about Egypt myself, and I know a great destination book when I see one. I will be very happy to recommend this book over all others for the city of Florence." — Dr. Zahi Hawass, Egyptian Minister of Antiquities, Archaeologist, Author, NatGeo Explorer in Residence