Guided tour on the traces of the Dan Brown’s Inferno in Florence
Have you read the Dan Brown’s novel Inferno or seen the movie starring Tom Hanks by director Ron Howard? Do you know that many scenes in the movie were filmed in Florence? This week we have tested for you the “Inferno Tour” following the footsteps of the famous protagonist of Dan Brown’s novel, Professor Robert Langdon, an international expert on religious symbols in search of clues to save the world from a disaster: an engrossing journey through the streets of Florence’s historic centre and the incredible monuments such as Palazzo Vecchio or the Baptistery of San Giovanni.
The idea of Inferno, born by the pen of Dan Brown, refers to the Dante Alighieri’ s poem, The Divine Comedy, which represents a journey through Hell, Purgatory and Paradise.
In the novel and in the film the way into the historic centre starts from the Boboli Gardens and then it continues in the Vasari Corridor towards the Uffizi Gallery and Palazzo Vecchio. Perhaps not everyone knows that the famous Vasari Corridor, which houses a gallery of portraits, connects the Palazzo Pitti and the Boboli Gardens to the Uffizi gallery and Palazzo Vecchio passing above Ponte Vecchio: it is an amazing journey that, unfortunately, it is not accessible to the public because in restructuring. Its reopening is scheduled for 2021.
Them our tour started directly from Palazzo Vecchio, which houses the funeral mask of Dante Alighieri which plays a central role in the Inferno novel. In fact, the exposed mask is a sculpture of the XX century and it is not a real cast of Dante Alighieri’ s face.
Always inside Palazzo Vecchio, during the tour, you can admire the Salone dei Cinquecento, where there is a large fresco of the Marciano Battle with the clue “cerca trova” and whose ceiling (not open) it is held a fierce pursuit.
You may also notice the secret passage on the map of Armenia in the Sala del Mappamondo, used as a way to escape by Landgon Robert and his companion Sienna Brooks that in the film is played by a charming Felicity Jones.
Inferno Tour continues then to the Museo Casa di Dante Alighieri and the Church of Santa Margherita de’ Cerchi, known as the Church of Dante and Beatrice. These two locations are found only in the book and not in the film.
The final stop on the tour is represented by the Baptistery of San Giovanni with the wonderful Paradise Door.
Robert Langdon and Sienna Brooks found the death mask of Dante in the baptismal font of this incredible place, with a unique riddle on the back.
Inside the baptistery you can also admire the unique religious representation in Florence of te Hell, with pictures of the place where the dead are serving the punishment of sins committed during their earthly life.
We suggest you this addictive tour lasting about three hours, that will allow you to discover a different side of the city, through the eyes of the famous American writer and scenes of the compelling movie.
At the end of the novel, but not in the movie, Professor Langdon stay at the Brunelleschi, our hotel in Florence in the heart of the historic centre:
“It was early evening when Langdon made his way across Piazza Sant’Elisabetta and returned to Florence’s elegant Hotel Brunelleschi. Upstairs in his room, he was relieved to find an oversize package waiting for him.”
“Langdon exited the hotel, carrying the delicate package with him in a Hotel Brunelleschi tote bag, which he had borrowed from the concierge. The evening was unusually warm, adding to the dreamlike quality of his walk along the Via Calzaiuoli toward the lone spire of the Palazzo Vecchio.”
The Inferno Tour is available within the Inferno Experience package at the Hotel Brunelleschi, or as an additional service to your stay. Our concierge is at your disposal for any request: concierge@hotelbrunelleschi.it – tel. 055.27370.
Enjoy the thrilling experience of a journey into history in a unique balance between fantasy and reality!
