Florence and its hills [antikvár]

PURPOSE AND USE OF THE NEW EDITION Ever more aware of the usefulness of a truly practical guide that prevents unnecessary loss of time to the visitor, and taking advantage of my long experience as a tourist guide, I improved this new edition, br inging it up to date according to the re cent reorganiza-tions in the Galleries and Museums, and enriching in with new illustrations so that it may alsó remains as a small remembrance of the u city in the he art of everyone". In order to make better use of this guide, I make the follotving suggestions: 1) Reád the brief useful notes at the beginning of the book regard-ing: the schedules of the Churches, Galleries, Museums etc. 2) Look over all the illustrations, divided into practical itineraries and special maps that allow one to easíly choose the works that interest him most, and visit them according to the time and means at his disposal. 3) The double map of the city's monuments at the rear of the book (with numbers refering to the relatíve pages in the book) alsó serves to show hoiv so many important monuments that are located near one another are not seen by a great majority of visitors, be-cause of lack of organization which results in a great loss of time. In fact, most visitors enter to admire the famous Medici Chapels but few get to see the adjoining and no less important architectural complex of San Lorenzo by Brunelleschi, enriched by Michelangelo's celebrated Laurentian Library. The same holds true with the small but important Museo del Duomo (Cathedral Museum) located be-hind the Cathedral; with the Pazzi ChapeUin the cloister of the church of Santa Croce; ívith the splendid Church of San Miniato, not far from Piazzale Michelangelo; with the celebrated frescos by Masaccio in the Church of the Carmine; and, another among so many outstanding examples, the Komán theatre located behind the Cathedral of Fiesole, which, although it is one of the most important testimonies of the history of that city, is ignored by most visitors. In the hope of rendering a better service to the reader, and over-coming the difficulties encountered in putting together a modest but nonetheless accurate ivork, I have tried to improve this new practical and illustrated guide of "our beautiful Florence", that I and my collegues have the responsability and honor of explaining. ROBERTO BARTOLINI