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Published: January 18th 2018
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The past couple days in Florence we have seen some breathtaking things. Wednesday we went to the Accademia Gallery and got to witness Michelangelo’s David, accompanied by Elizabeth Butler who gives us wonderful information about art and history. This sculpture was amazing. I never realized how large it is and he stands 16 feet tall. Looking at the sculpture, it’s hard to believe that David was a young teenager. The statue looks like the perfectly chiseled man, standing with pure confidence. It was so interesting to hear about the history of the statue; that his right hand is slightly bigger and there is a tree branch behind his right leg to help balance the weight of the statue so he doesn’t fall over or crack. In the 1980’s an artist ran down to the statue and took a hammer to David’s toes, then fell down into the floor waiting to be arrested. You can still see the damage from that incident today. Not only did we see David at the Accademia, but there were also many unfinished works by Michelangelo. Some people believe he left these statues unfinished on purpose, to show the amount of work he put into each and
you can see his sculpting technique. Even these unfinished sculptures were amazing just to be so close to a work that the famous Michelangelo created.
Today we climbed up 463 twisting and winding, narrow, creepy steps to get to the top of the Duomo. It was such an amazing experience and worth every one of those steps. The steps wrapped around the dome and you could look down into the chapel. The frescos at the top of the dome were gorgeous and I wish our guide, Elizabeth, had been with us to tell their story. It looked as if the bottom layer was Hell with all the demons, then there was possibly Heaven’s gates, then Saints, and at the very top were all the angels. The paintings definitely depicted something religious, but I’m not exactly sure what the story was. I might have to research that after I’m finished with this blog!
The Duomo in Siena was much more detailed than the Duomo in Florence. In Siena there were beautiful paintings and frescos all around, but not as many sculptures like we see in Florence. I think the frescos are amazing and required so much talent, but I’m
still more fond of the sculptures. To think that someone chiseled every little detail into a sculpture so large, and any mistake could not easily be fixed, required way more talent, practice, and patience than I can fathom.
Once we reached the very top of the Duomo, we were outside and could walk all the way around it and see the entire city of Florence. Today was the perfect weather to do the climb. The view of the city was amazing, but honestly I paid more attention to the mountains in the background. Florence is a city full of so many masterpieces and historical buildings, but it’s still a city. Growing up in the country there will always be a special place in my heart for nature and God’s wonderful creations. I love being able to see and experience all these wonderful artworks in Florence, but I really miss the rolling country sides in Kentucky.
Speaking of Kentucky, I would definitely want to start a family in one of the southern states. After learning about the typical Italian family from Dr. Sarti earlier this week, I have been paying more attention to families I see here in Florence.
The truth is, I don’t see many Italian families that have children here. I think the part of Florence we are staying in is mainly a tourist area and people with kids don’t come around unless they have a specific reason to. If I did raise a family here in Florence I don’t think I would like it. Trying to commute when you have kids is a chore in itself, much less having to walk or bike everywhere. Not to mention, the taxis, big trucks, scooters, and bicycles drive like CRAZY and they don’t care at all about pedestrians. There are always so many people around and if I was a parent here, especially with young children, I would constantly be stressed. Florence would be a great place to bring your children to learn about some amazing history and develop an appreciation for art at a young age, but I would not want to raise my family in a city this large. Then again, it might just be me, because I think Lexington, KY is a big city!
Even after climbing all those steps this morning, my step count isn’t very high today. Although, yesterday we got all kinds of steps after getting lost when we left the Accademia Gallery. Thankfully I’m not hurting too bad at the moment and I’m ready to take on Rome this weekend!
Wednesday, January 17
th, 2018 – 18,579 steps
Thursday, January 18
th, 2018 – 9,928 steps
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