We were fortunate to view this magnificent edifice during a full moon. Enchanting. Relieved that the problem of pickpockets has been dealt with so we felt safer in this environment than we did during our visit in 2000.

The Piazza del Duomo is the heart of the city of Florence and everything is just minutes away from the square. This consists of three magnificent buildings: the Cathedral of Santa Maria de las Flores, with the famous dome, Giotto's tower and baptistery. The square is unforgettable for the white marbles, green and pink lining the main buildings and gives its main feature. My advice is to visit early in the morning before the hordes of tourists flooding (literally) and at night.

Before I went to Florence for 2.5 weeks this past spring, several dear friends warned me to be hyper-vigilant about the gypsies. I was told that they would never harm me, but were very adept pick-pockets. I saw plenty of them, but was merely annoyed at the extremely persistent panhandling. They follow you as you try to walk past, attempting to engage your pity in any number of languages in which they are surprisingly fluent.

However, I never felt more safe in any city in my life, walking around alone after midnight in amazement. The Piazza is a very safe place to be: well-lit, well-populated (sometimes too much so), and well-patrolled by the carabinieri. I'm not going to tell you about all the wonderful things you can see and do in the Piazza del Duomo area. There are countless guide books that can do a better job that I ever could.

I will tell you, however, that I made another trip to Florence this autumn, and this time, I WAS pick-pocketed. Truthfully, I feel ashamed to say it, but it was definitely the gypsies, who are Romanian, and stick together, working as a team. I know it's not "politically correct" to call them out, but this is exactly what happened. I was sitting on a bench, admiring the Campanile while resting my weary feet after a long walk. So far, so good. I unlatched and unzipped my satchel/purse to take out my cell phone; the idea was to update my Facebook status. I know, I know. And although I fended off a few panhandling gypsies who came right up and all but sat down in my lap, I never saw sticky fingers glide into my bag, and a few minutes later, walked back to my apartment to find... well.... to NOT find my beautiful python wallet.

With my credit card. And debit card. And Drivers License. And euro from the ATM where I'd just been. Had I been watched as I withdrew the cash? All I can say is that I suddenly found myself in a foreign country with no cash on me, and no way to access any. Not a pleasant experience, and unfortunately, I was told that this occurs many times over, each and every day in every piazza in Florence.

So this is my "Different Sort of Review" of Piazza del Duomo. It's been said since time immemorial: be aware of your surroundings. Even the locals have been pick-pocketed numerous times; just ask them. It's not violent crime, but it's definitely crime.

This church is in the very center of everything in the city. I attended a service there and the inside is so beautiful! Climb to the top of the Duomo for an amazing view of the city. This is such a great way to orientate yourself in the city as well, you will always know where you are when you see this huge figure.