To the Heart of The Renaissance - Florence!
Our Day in Florence
The next morning we put on our climbing shoes and climbed
the four hundred steps to the top of the Brunelleschi’s Duomo – a.k.a. The
Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore. Here
are a few details about the church: the
church itself was started in 1296 but was not completed until 1418 but: without its dome as no one knew how to build that
part….until Brunelleschi came along with his ingenious solution leading to the
completion of the dome in 1436. The secret was an inter-woven brick pattern and two domes - a dome within a dome. The
details of the dome are beyond our scope here – for details – look it up online
– it’s a fascinating story! OK –
back to our trip – yes we climbed to the top of dome - but we didn’t stop
there! We then climbed another five
hundred plus steps to the top of the Bell Tower – Giotto’s Campanile! So hey…..over 50 crowd! We still can do it!
Highlights: The Climb to the Top of the Duomo & the Campanile.
Our Day Continues....
After our climbing adventures we stopped for a well-deserved cappuccino. Wandered the side streets and stopped at an
incredible food market and enjoyed the best pizza of our lives! We stopped by the Baptistry with its famed Bronze doors by Ghiberti and the detailed
mosaic ceiling depicting the Last Judgement and then off to the Bargello
Gallery where we saw Donatello's bronze statue of David with a brimmed hat standing on the head
of Goliath. In the same room we also saw
the two pieces that Brunelleschi and Ghiberti entered in a competition to carve
the baptistery bronze doors. Stunning
detail! To us they are both winners! We then met up with Uncle Keith , Cindy our local guide, and the group
on the Piazza Vecchio where we toured the Uffizi Gallery, a collection of art
from the Medici Family. (See slide show for a few highlights). On our own we crossed the Ponte De Vecchio
Bridge with our guide book in hand we went off the beaten track and ate dinner
in a Rick Steves recommended restaurant where the locals eat. Tasty food and inexpensive!
More Highlights
Florentine Food!
Old World Charm of Florence
Of course Florence has the major attractions of The Renaissance which we thoroughly enjoyed - but for Old World Charm it was those quiet personal moments we enjoyed together: Meandering through the town center market place, relaxing in the afternoon at a sidewalk café on the Piazza Vecchio, and the very unique restaurant we found in an obscure Florence neighborhood thanks to following the advice in our Rick Steves Guidebook.