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Published: March 5th 2007
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Florence
October 12 - 14, 2006
Thursday
We caught the train to Florence after an almost tearful goodbye with our hostess, Giovanna. She hugged everyone when we said goodbye and told us we are now family (so we’re expecting we’ll be crashing at her place for free from now on). We arrived around noon in Florence and settled in at our hotel, Old Florence Inn (http://www.oldflorenceinn.com/uk/default.cfm), which is near the train station. The hotel is very nice with balconies and privacy screens on the windows which block out all light and noise and are great for sleeping. Because all of the breakfast is prepackaged it’s in your room for you to eat on your balcony whenever you like. The only “downside” to the hotel is that while the proprietors are nice, they’re not Giovanna from our hotel in Rome.
After getting settled we headed out for sandwiches and a walk around the city. While we had both been to Rome before, neither of us had been to Florence (even though it was a place both of us had always wanted to visit). We walked around Basilica di San Lorenzo and then the Piazza Duomo, featuring the distinctive
Cathedral di Santa Maria del Fiore and the Baptistery. The cathedral, the fourth largest in the world, is brilliantly ringed by green, white and pink marble on the outside, the western face being the most ornate and prominent. The red dome is recognizable and gorgeous. The interior is somewhat sparsely decorated but very impressive. The dome, designed by Brunelleschi, was studied by Michelangelo as he prepared to design the dome for St. Peter’s (he said he would build a grander one, but not fairer). In front of the cathedral the eight-side barrel that is the Baptistery is also ringed in green and white marble (though this building is older than the cathedral it now looks like a little brother in front of the massive edifice). The interior is beautifully tiled, open, spacious and humble. The “altar” is where Dante was baptized and the Ghiberti doors, one pair took him 20 years to design, the other 28 more, were the highlight for us (even though the current doors are replicas, the originals are in a Florence museum). We did not climb to the top of the Duomo, though we have since heard that it is definitely worthwhile. The Ghiberti doors facing
the cathedral reportedly struck Michelangelo as being so moving that he commented that he had seen “the doors to paradise” - so guess what the doors are now known as?
Amy didn’t feel well so she went back to take advantage of the privacy shades as did John and Pam. Roger visited the Basilica di San Lorenzo and went back to the Duomo area to get a better look. The Basilica de San Lorenzo may easily get lost in the mix of the more high profile Florence landmakrs but it is a stunning example of the genius that sparked the Renaissance. The church of San Lorenzo was consecrated in 393 and reconsecrated in 1059. What is visible today is Brunelleshi's design from the late 14th century, work so beloved at the time that the church became the family church of the Medici family.
We had dinner at Zio Gigi, which was good, where Roger and John were both able to try the renowned beefsteak Florentine which they both enjoyed immensely.
Friday
Friday began with breakfast on our balconies overlooking the bustling Florence streets and the Basilica di Santa Maria Novella. After breakfast we caught the bus
across town to the Piazzale Michelangelo which overlooks the entire city and gives you a great idea for the size of Florence. The city sprawls out in every direction with only a few towers and domes rising into the sky. From the Piazzale we took the bus back into town to visit the Galleria dell’Accademia, the home of Michelangelo’s David. The gallery is very old and situated in an old area of town so getting in is a hassle because the only place for lines to form is in the congested street. Having reserved our tickets ahead of time we did not have to wait long, though we did find our entrance fee increased by 33% for the privilege of reservations (which no one told us until we were there). We were also not told until we entered that large sections of the gallery were closed, but as long as David is available can you really complain?
The first room, the Sala del Colosso, is full of beautiful Italian Renaissance paintings. The crowd, as sophisticated as any we had encountered in Rome, was focused more on rushing through to see David. We could not blame the crowd for its
urgency to see David, simply one of the only pieces of art in history to be universally recognized. The room containing David is lined by the paintings of Michelangelo’s contemporaries and sculptures of his including The Slaves. At the end of the hallway there is a large domed area bathed in gentle but bright daylight. In the center, towering over the gawkers, is David. The sculpture is at once recognizable and completely foreign - its size far exceeding expectations (it was, in its time, called simply “The Giant”). It is far more elegant than one would imagine. Graceful, even. You can walk completely around the statue and there is a computer simulation set up that allows you to zoom in, out, and around a virtual David for views terrestrial viewers have been denied for the 502 years since the statue was completed.
We made quick work of the two remaining rooms of 13th and 14th century paintings. After you see David and the two remaining rooms you are deposited in the gift shop and then you exit. Only as we were exiting did we realize there’s at least one more floor. We’re not sure what started first - people
only wanting to see David or the museum being designed to guide people only to see David.
After admiring David, John and Pam headed off to shop and relax while we went to the Basilica di Santa Croce. The basilica was completed in 1385 and features a façade similar to the Duomo. The timber ceiling and the variety of tombs and memorials inside make it unique - the remains of Michelangelo, Galileo, and Machiavelli are within steps of each other. Also, in the back of the Basilica is a path to Scuola del Cuoio, a leather store which produces some of the most beautiful purses Amy had ever seen. You can actually watch the purses being made in the store/workshop. If you’re coming to Italy and planning to splurge on a purse, we highly recommend you splurge here. Before meeting back up with John and Pam we stopped at a chocolate shop called Vestri to try their gelato (chocolate for Amy and chocolate cinnamon for Roger).
Instead of using the guidebook to pick out a place for dinner we decided to just wander and find something that appealed to us. Often that is a great way to find
a meal but we wandered in the wrong direction past the Basilica di Santa Maria Novella and discovered that this area contains a lot of hotels and pensiones and so rather than enjoying an authentic meal we ended up at a rather touristy restaurant. We lucked out though because the food was good and affordable, and the waiter was funny. He even brought us some free grappa and we were happy it was free because it is not something we will be drinking again.
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Joy
non-member comment
Bellissimo!
I feel the jealousy welling up inside of me as I read this post and see the photos! It's all so gorgeous and I dream of one day going there as well. Thanks for the very descriptive posts!