Rick Steves'
Best of Italy in 17 Days
Where are we?
Popular during the 14th. to 16th.centuries, this classical
lute music honors Florence,
the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance.
 Florence's Town Hall, Palazzo Vecchio. |
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 A replica of "David" outside the Town Hall. |
 Milan's Duomo: Cattedrale di Santo Maria del Flore. |
 Unique cathedral dome designed by Brunelleschi (1436). |
 Column of San Zanobi. |
 Baptistry east door by Ghiberti. |
 Michelangelo's "David" at the Accademia. |
 Looking into the eyes of Renaissance man. |
 "Palestrina Pieta" by Michelangelo who believed he only had to chip away the marble to release the hidden sculptures. |
 The Uffizi Gallery has several exterior sculptures dedicated to noted Italian artists. |
 Botticelli's "Birth of Venus"(1486) inside the Uffizi. |
 "Portraits of the Duke and Duchess of Urbino" by Piero Della Francsca. |
 "La Primavera" by Botticelli. |
 The Arno River |
 The Ponte Vecchio |
 Bust of noted artist Cellini. |
"When in Florence, do as the..."
DAY 8
PLEASE ACTIVATE AUDIO PLAYER
Awakening to sunshine, we boarded our bus for the three hour trip to the capital of Tuscany, FLORENCE. After settling into our rooms at Hotel Accademia, we joined Mary for a walking orientation to the city. On the way to the Town Hall we passed the 1337 Orsanmichele Church, formerly a granary. Its exterior niches contain sculptures by Donatello and Ghiberti among others.
St. Mark
St. Matthew
Four Saints
by Nanni de Banco
Now primarily a museum, Palazzo Vecchio, the Town Hall, is located at Piazzo dela Signoria. A replica of David stands in the piazza as well as several antique and Renaissance sculptures housed in the nearby wide arched Loggia dei Lanzi.
Cellini's Perseus
The rest of the day was ours to explore Florence on our own. There were many sightseeing options and we chose to combine a little Christmas shopping (we had a pre-prepared list) with a few of these. Most of these sights were in a concentrated area close to the Duomo and Ponte Vecchio.
So much to see...so little time, but as these photos show we actually accomplished quite a bit!
We were met this morning at the Uffizi Gallery by our very knowledgeable local guide, Riccardo, and spent the next several hours receiving a detailed history of Italian Renaissance art. His engaging presentation on masterpieces by Botticelli, Donatello and Giotto to Fra Angelico, Michelangelo, Da Vinci and Raphael, gave us a better understanding of this period of great cultural change and achievement.
This charismatic waiter at Il Porcospino made our dining experience extraordinary!
Window shopping on Florence's famous bridge, Ponte Vecchio.
Strozzi Palace
Pitti Palace
Medici Chapel
An artist's "dead end" sign
May we recommend...
DAY 7
Great marbled paper store
Rape of the Sabine Women
The strikingly beautiful Duomo with its piazza and Baptistry
ended the tour. Although the Cathedral was built in 1436,
the pink, green and white marbled Gothic Revival facade
was added from 1841 to 1887. The innovative dome,
designed by Brunelleschi, was the prototype for future
domes. The Baptistry was closed for renovation, but we were still able to observe the Ghiberti designed bronze east doors and note the inclusion of his self-portrait in a door panel.
A brief stop at the Accademia to see Michelangelo's David
followed and we ended the evening with another delicious
group dinner - PERFETTO!
San Gaetano Church
Art for sale
Florence's symbol
