![Florence has many unusual attractions to visit. [Image Credit - CCO / Pixabay]](https://staticr1.blastingcdn.com/media/photogallery/2019/6/20/660x290/b_502x220x82/florence-has-many-unusual-attractions-to-visit-image-pixabay_2282905.jpg "Florence has many unusual attractions to visit. [Image Credit - CCO / Pixabay]")
'La Berta' - 39 Via dei Cerretani, Florence, Italy
“La Berta” refers to the head of a woman, sticking out from the walls of the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore. Locals have given different explanations for her presence. Some say the head was petrified by an astrologer in 1326 after he was claimed to be an alchemist who could communicate with the devil. Others say it is a memorial to a greengrocer who donated the church’s bells. The most believable is that this is the head of an old Roman sculpture placed there as a decoration in the Middle Ages.
Platform 16 Holocaust Memorial - Santa Maria Novella train station, Piazza della Stazione, Florence, Italy
Of 243 of Florence’s Jews who were taken to the concentration camps of World War II, only 13 returned home at the end of the war. A memorial has been placed to those lost residents and is set up in the train station. It's created from sculpture and has a steel plaque.
Cimitero delle Porte Sante (Sacred Doors Cemetery) - 34 Via delle Porte Sante, Florence, Italy
One of the best views of the city of Florence can be had from the Sacred Doors Cemetery, located behind the 1,000 year old church of San Miniato al Monte. The cemetery was founded in the 1800s for both common and notable Florence residents and is full of beautiful sculpture and architecture, ranging from neo-classic to Art Nouveau and Art Deco.
Bronze Replica of Michelangelo’s David - 3571 Piazzale Michelangelo, Florence, Italy
While the original marble statue of Michelangelo’s David stands in the Galleria dell’Accademica in the city below, this bronze replica stands tall in a piazza dedicated to Michelangelo’s work. This was put together by architect Giuseppe Poggi in 1860 and is intended for copies of Michelangelo’s work. Besides the beautiful work on display, this is another great spot for a panoramic view of the city of Florence below.
La Specola Anatomical Collection - Via Romana, 17, Florence, Italy
La Specola is the largest wax anatomical collection in the world and is housed at the Museum of Natural History. The detailed models were first collected by the Medici Family and it was opened to the public in 1775. Of particular interest are wax anatomical versions of Venus, posing in semi-erotic poses, with their stomachs and ribcages pulled open, which were apparently a favourite of the Marquis de Sade.
