Firenze

2008, 2.19-21 Florence, Italy

Tuscany is a place I have wanted to visit ever since I knew anything about Italy. I made it, to Florence, and I wasn't disappointed. It was a beautiful city with amazing scenery and architecture, friendly people, good food, and wonderful art. I was only disappointed that I didn't have more time to explore the city and other surrounding areas.

One of the best sights we saw in Florence was the Duomo, or Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore, one of the world's largest Cathedrals.
Front of the Duomo

Looking up at the Duomo's cupola

We climbed the heights of the Duomo--think lots of stone steps, many levels, steep and narrow stairways as you ascend--to see the beautiful view, of which the picture simply does not do justice.

View from the top of the Duomo

Copy of Michelangelo's David and the Loggia della Signoria in the Piazza della Signoria

Windows of the Ponte Vecchio (Vecchio Bridge)

View from the top of the Piazzale Michelangelo, a beautiful park area with a great view of the city.


View from the Galleria degli Uffizi--home to the world's greatest collection of Renaissance art. Here, we saw The Birth of Venus by Botticelli (one of my favorites), Annunciation by Leonardo Da Vinci, and Holy Family by Michelangelo, to name a few of the more famous paintings there.

One of the markets in Florence. As you may expect, lots of leather...purses, jackets, and shoes... but also, other things like jewelry, scarves, and t-shirts.

To end our trip in Florence, Kate and I went to the Galleria dell'Accademia. Though I don't have a photo that I took myself, as photography was not allowed, one of the neatest pieces of art that I saw in Florence was Michaelangelo's sculpture David. They have the statue set up in a way that really makes it an experience to see. It is standing at the end of a corridor under a large arch with perfect lighting to see it's every inch and detail. The sculpture is much larger than I had expected. The size and detail of the piece was truly exquisite. To see Michaelangelo's masterpiece was a very pleasant and memorable experience.