Florence American Cemetery & Memorial, Florence

This cemetery is a beautiful dedication to over 4,000 young men who gave their lives to protect our freedoms. May they rest in peace.

One can only begin to realize the sacrifice of the brave men who died serving our country by walking through a place like this. It is beautifully designed and a fitting resting place for those who gave their lives for the freedom we enjoy every day. It brought tears to our eyes to walk among them but it was an honor I won't soon forget.

While on a Photo Shoot to Italy in May 2006, and traveling between Florence and Tuscany, we happened across this beautiful and immaculately kept Memorial to our fallen Heros. It made me Proud to be an American! The staff was most accommodating and willing to give information. Fortunately I did not have any known relatives buried here. Well worth a visit.

I was finally able to visit the grave of my cousin, who was like a brother. He was a bombardier and returning from his second mission, the plane crashed into a mountain. This visit was even more meaningful because our 3 daughters, a grandson and his wife were with us. We found the grounds to be exceptionally well kept and the staff most accomodating. We were there near closing time and the one of the staff asked my grandson (master sargeant in the U.S. Air Force) if we would like to fold the flag, which we considered to be a great honor. The visit was made memorable by the staff, who went out of their to accomodate us.

This is worth the stop. If your taking the bus make sure you know where to get off. My wife and I waited too long to get off the bus and we had to walk about a half mile to get back to the memorial. As soon as you walk through the entrance you feel a sence of pride and calm. I would recommend this for any American citezen. As you walk up to the wall of the missing soldiers with the white crosses and Jewish Stars on both sides of you, you start to realize just how many young men died for our freedom. The night before we ate at a local restuarant and we told the waiter we were going to stop at the memorial and he could not thank us enough for what the United States of America did for Italy. It was a great feeling!

During a vacation to Italy I visited this cemetery to see a family member's grave. The grounds are immaculately maintained, and the beautiful and quiet surroundings make it a fitting place to remember the sacrifice of so many Americans. Any American visiting Florence should consider making the short trip to see this site in person. There are a few employees (Americans) on site who can help you locate a specific gravesite and provide general information. They were friendly and helpful. The man I spoke with knew a lot about the history of the fighting that had taken place in this area, as well as how the cemetery and memorial came to be. The cemetery was about a 20-min. drive from my hotel in Florence. I got there and back via a car service that my hotel helped to arrange. It was expensive but a bit less expensive than a taxi would have been. There is also a SITA bus line with a stop at the cemetery gates. I opted for the car because the bus schedule and route were difficult to pin down (all the info on the SITA website is in Italian, and the format makes it hard even for Italians to understand) and my time in Florence was short. The drive ended up doubling as a tour of a little bit of the countryside since my driver spoke good English and had lived in Florence his entire life.

This part of our trip to Italy was one of my best experiences in Tuscany. The setting and respect given to our lost soldiers was very moving to all of us. I came there to visit the grave site of my Uncle George T. Potts who was KIA in 3-1944. Mr. John Luncheon showed us around and talked about what these young men had to endure while in battle in WWII. The beauty of the surroundings and the peaceful setting was one of the best part of our trip. If I am ever lucky enough to return to Tuscany that will certainly be on our places to visit while there. May God Bless those who gave their lives for others.

The American Cementery at Tavarnuzze was a great place to spend at least a couple hours. It is open 9-5. The location in the heart of Tuscany, is a beautiful place. The grounds are immaculately kept. I could`nt help but to shed a few tears as I saw the U.S. flag flying high between the two plots , 2,200 graves in each. Stop at the office and get a brochure from the guide, who is very knowledgeable about the cemetery, and the war in Italy. Then just go walk among the heros, take some time to reflect about what these guys did for us, see the memorial, and take some photos. As far as getting there, the Florence TI was not helpful at all. I thought is was almost like they did`nt want you to go there. Three years earlier they told me the bus did`nt go there any more, this time they advised me to take a bus to some town that obviously to far south of Tavarnuzze. But they were right this time, that it is a SITA bus that goes in that direction, south of Florence. There are 3 bus compinies that are in the area of the train station. As you are facing the front of the Florence train station, on the same side of the street, walk to your left, the SITA station is about a block before you get to Via Della Scala. I would advise asking one of ticket agents about the the buses to and from the American Cemeteri at Tavarnuzze. The guy I delt with spoke English. And the times he gave me, were different than the times I wrote down off the schedule. The SITA bus that stops at the cemetery is on the Via Cassia linea. Cofirm with the driver that the bus stops there, this way he will also know to stop there, to let you off. These buses do`nt stop at every little stop unless you tell the driver, or hit the red button inside. It`s about 20 min. from the Florence station. The bus will let you off at the first cemetary entrance, just walk right in. When you leave, the bus will stop at the other cemetery entrance, about 100 yards past where it dropped you off. Be on the other side of the street, and wave your hand when you see the bus coming, so he knows to stop. I hope my instructions help some people get there, It really is`nt that difficult. I highly recomend visiting this site!!

I recently visited Italy and my home is Nebraska to follow the path of my father in World War II. I went to the Florence American Cemetery Memorial. I was touched by the setting and how well kept the cemetery was. I cannot think of words to describe my feelings as I walked passed the many crosses. I could only think of all they must have went though, what a peaceful setting for their last resting place. I could only say thank you and may god bless you all. It is a must to see