|
|
|
Train from Rome to Florence (1.5 hours)
|
Michelangelo's David
Stands under a dome in the Accademia 17 feet high
|
Medici-Riccardi Palace Courtyard
The Medici family ruled Renaissance Florence. The teenage
Michelangelo studied sculpture and liberal arts in the family
school located in the gardens of the palace.
|
|
|
|
Statue of Orpheus
|
Madonna with Child by Fra Filippo Lippi
|
|
|
|
|
Luca Giordano Room
A former reception room added by the Riccardi family. The
ceiling was frescoed in 1685 by Naples artist Luca Giordano
and features Medici big shots frolicky with Greek gods.
|
The Medici appear to rise up into heaven to be crowned
by Zeus.
|
The blue robed woman is Florence who re-birthed
the classical world.
|
|
|
|
Duomo - Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore
Church was begun in 1296. It was intitially built with
a big hole in its roof, waiting for a grand dome to cover
it, but the technology needed had yet to be invented.
|
Church's neo-Gothic facade from the 1870's
is covered with pink, green and white Tuscan marble.
|
|
|
|
|
Brunelleschi's dome - Built in the 1400's,
it was the first Renaissance dome and the model for domes
to follow.
|
Top of the Dome viewing area
|
We climbed the 463 stairs to the top of the dome
|
|
|
|
View of Florence from the top of the dome
|
|
|
|
|
|
Colleen and Barbara at the top
|
Tools used in the dome's construction
|
Scaffolding used to build dome
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Baptistry
|
Campanile - a 270 ft. tall bell tower designed by Giotto.
|
View of Ponte Vecchio from the Uffizi Gallery
|
|
|
|
One of the many statues around Florence
|
Amazing the detail in the marble carving
|
Fred enjoyed his Gelato every day while
in Italy
|
|
|
|
Bargello Museum
Built in 1255, it once served as a police station and later
as a prison.
|
The museum contains some of the best Florentine
Sculptures. by Michelangelo, Donatello and Verrocchio. (No
photos were allowed except in the courtyard.)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
San Lorenzo Market
|
|
|
|
|
Colleen models her new scarf
|
Our Hotel - Katti House
|
Colleen and Mark watch the happenings on
the street below their window
|
|
|
|
Fixed Price Menu at Katti Restaurante
|
Maria, the owner of Katti House and Restaurant
serves the wine at our street side table
|
Colleen wonders how she will eat all that
food!
|
|
|
|
Strolling musicians entertain us at dinner
|
|
|