Finding Florence
Florence, as all of Italy is a wonderful mix of old meets new. The first thing to draw your eye upon entering Florence is the massive dome of the Gothic cathedral, Santa Maria del Fiori, which when completed in 1463 was the largest dome in the world. Started in 1296 this church was designed by Arnolfo di Cambio, who also designed the Palazzo Vecchio, the original home of Michelangelo’s Statue of David. the inside of this cathedral is simply massive, with arches and marble columns. Paintings such as Dante and The Divine Comedy, and The Last Judgment adorn its’ walls as well as intricate frescoes and beautiful stained glass. This site was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site and today remains Florence’s most important historic center.
Although the original statue of David is now situated in the Gallery Academia, which houses not only him, but other lesser known works by Michelangelo, there is a replica of David standing in the originals place in the Piazza della Signoria. It stands also with other sculpted works such as the Marzocco by Donatello and the Neptune Fountain. Next to the Piazza is the open air gallery of Loggia dei Lanzi. This houses numerous marble statues as well such as the Rape of the Sabine Women, the Rape of Polyxena, Perseus and Hercules Beating a Centaur. The statue of the Rape of the Sabine Women was done on one perfect block of marble, in fact the largest block of marble ever transported to Florence. The detail in these sculptures is absolutely amazing, doubly so when one considers the lack of modern tools they were able to do it with.
From the Piazza, we make our way to the famous Ponte Vecchio, the three arched bridge spanning the Arno River. This bridge was built in 1345, and during the Second World War, there was an agreement reached that this landmark would be spared, though the roads leading up to either side of the bridge were bombed.
On to Santa Croce, the church which houses the tombs of Michelangelo, Galileo, and Machiavelli. Michelangelo’s tomb is large with beautiful statue representing Painting, Architecture and Sculpture sadly contemplating the world’s loss.Galileo’s tomb is directly across from Michelangelos’ and is also a monumental marble masterpiece. His tomb is decorated by details of the dynamics of moving bodies, as well as the moons of Jupiter.
After all of this sightseeing, we are given time to browse the streets and shops of this lovely city. After our afternoon of leisure, we hope on our bus and detour out to Pisa to see its’ famous leaning tower. Pisa is much more than just its tower and we highlyreccommend a day trip to this lovely town. The Piazza del Miracoli is truly beautiful and wandering its quiant streets is a treat not to be missed.
Bridge in Florence
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