Blogs from Florence, Tuscany, Italy, Europe - page 6

We’re leaving Florence this morning. I’ve woken early, as you do when it’s time to head off to the next destination. Before I go I must tell about a treat (Ye another one) Bev and I had yesterday. The Royal Apartments at the Pitti Palace which is practically next door. So next door it’s where we catch the bus and take our rubbish. But we hadn’t been back to see them. So as a break from packing (Bev’s nearly finished. I haven’t started) off we trot. No queues at all. Up three grand staircases. No red carpet. A notice on the information desk announces a tour of the kitchens in 20 minutes. Wow! We put our names down and quickly look around a few rooms before heading off with guide, and her very large key, in ... read more

One of the things we have enjoyed about Florence is finding all the street art by a French-born artist named Clet Abraham, commonly known only as Clet. He hacks street signs in an amusing and imaginative way. The first one I saw was the usual round red sign but in the middle was a picture of a man falling. Strange I thought. Perhaps there’s a building site where men are in danger of falling. Then in the next street appeared David stealing away with the horizontal ‘No Entry’ line, and another with Christ on the cross of the ‘No Exit’. Then of course we started looking for them and found many more. I even went out especially one morning to photograph them and was quite chuffed when I found one that Ian hadn’t found. Most of ... read more

Florence is really all about the Medici Family so much of today’s walking tour was based upon them. The Medici ruled Florence for several hundred years. Catherin di Medici was Queen of France and the mother of three French kings, the Queen of Spain and confident of Mary Queen of Scotts. They even had a pope or two in the family. This was to be a full day of museums and walking tours and it was for Jerry and Christina. When I woke up, I was simply not feeling well and felt I needed to sleep a bit more. So, Jerry and Christina headed to the Academia (where the David is) and I slept an hour or so more. I was feeling better around 11:30, so I took a shower and dressed, then headed out for ... read more

It was quite cold today with rain and thunderstorms. Three things today. First I must tell you where I went yesterday afternoon. To Casa Guidi just up the road. Where Elizabeth Barrett Browning and her husband Robert lived from 1847 until 1861 when she died there. A large elegantly furnished apartment, it is open three afternoons a week from 3-6pm, just ring the bell and go up in this tiny lift that feels like vertical coffin. I came down the stairs! I loved the beginning of one of her beautiful poems, From Casa Guidi Windows: “I heard last night a little child so singing ‘Neath Casa Guidi windows, by the church O bella liberta, O bella! “ It was amazing to be there where she wrote many of her poems. So to today. Bev and I ... read more

As you probably know, the Medici family were very prominent in Renaissance Florence. They began with the wool trade in the 13th and 14th centuries and in the 15th century Giovanni started the Medici Bank which became the largest in Europe at that time. His son Cosimo (1389-1464) was a humanist and patron of the arts and culture. His grandson followed in his footsteps and became known as Lorenzo the Magnificent. The next generation wasn’t as successful and they were exiled in 1494. Lorenzo’s second son became Pope Leo X and they returned to Florence in 1512. Later generations were also patrons of the arts with Cosimo II supporting the work of Galileo. The family eventually died out in 1737 when there were no male heirs. Why do I tell you all of this? Because on ... read more