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Published: January 18th 2018
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There is no item that compares to traveling and discovering a new culture. I really appreciate this trip because it enables me to become a part of this culture for three weeks versus a few short days; however, three weeks has gone by a lot faster than I imagined it would. Even though I love traveling I really dislike being a tourist. Now I could not imagine skipping any of the “must sees” in Florence, or anywhere for that matter, but I hate knowing that everyone knows that I am not from this place. Just a few days of language class and talking with some locals made a big difference in my confidence of getting around on my own without help. I appreciate it when local Florentines recognize I am not from here and are helpful, but I do not appreciate when locals take advantage of me not being form the area. I just wish that if anywhere I traveled the local people did not view me as this thing that has a come along way just to view the beautiful art that they may otherwise take for granted themselves. I am not saying by any means that everyone here takes
their environment of art and culture for granted, but there is some that do. I do love those who do understand the magnificence of the history of where they are at, are helpful and willing to share with me their favorite things about this beautiful place they get to call home.
The history of the United States is something completely different and so new compared to the history and foundations of what Italy is today. I care so much about all of the art and history that I have been introduced to while on this trip because it is so incomparable to what the United States history has to offer before the 1700’s. I didn’t even realize that there was actual art being made in the 1200’s and 1300’s, nor that if it was that it would last this long and be so breathtaking. Here I am, in Italy, viewing endless amounts of art from the 1200’s and every other century leading up to now. While I do appreciate and love the history of the United States, especially its roots in religious freedom, I do have a certain degree of respect for Catholicism in Italy. Without Italy being historically
and largely Catholic I don’t think that there would have been nearly as much art geared towards religious figures and biblical stories; the main reason I’ve felt emotion from much of the art here has to do with its depiction of Christ and other biblical figures. I believe that most anything that has been around for centuries and continues to stay relevant is admirable.
One of Michelangelo’s most well-known sculptures,
David, was sculpted between the years 1501-1504.
David may very well be one of the most interesting and magnificent things I have ever seen. Michelangelo’s
David is a depiction of the biblical story “David and Goliath”. In the bible story David is a young teen who defeats this great biblical warrior, Goliath, with only a sling and stone. Michelangelo never specified whether or not his sculpture was of David before he defeated Goliath, or David after he defeated Goliath. This is worth considering because from one angle you may believe the sculpture to be a depiction of David after his victory, but from another angle, if you get to see David from all angles like I did, then you might think otherwise. This sculpture requires you to
think, and its massiveness will allow you to be able to look at it for an hour at least. Even if all if all of the art here in Italy was not aesthetically pleasing, I like it because it makes me think.
The views in Florence seem to be beautiful no matter where you go. Today I got to climb to the top of the Duomo. This was really cool because I could pinpoint many of the places I have been to during my trip. I found that I know Florence fairly well now, and maybe more so thatn I thought I did. Regardless, my favorite view remains to be the Piazzale Michelangelo at sunset. Watching sunsets is one of my favorite things to do and one evening I had decided that going to the Piazzale Michelangelo at sunset would be nice. I discovered that this is a common thing in Florence as there were at least one hundred people, both locals and tourists, seated on the steps watching the sunset over the city. I imagine that if I lived here that I would often go there to watch the sunset. Now, if I was from here and my entire family lived here I probably wouldn’t appreciate the city as much until I was older. I also would really hate not being around more nature and green grass on a consistent basis. This is something I may take for granted sometimes as a Kentuckian, just as the locals here may take for granted the “must sees” of their city.
01/17/2018: 12,297 steps
01/18/2018: 10,431steps
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