Our day started early with breakfast at 6:45 AM and departure by bus at 7:30, but the entire group was up and ready to go right on schedule. Our driver took us to the Florence Airport so that we could make the transfer into center city by using the tram. I'm still a bit confused as to why this was the mode of transport for a group of 38, but it was refreshing to see that the airport is Pristine with easily accessible bathrooms, as well as a couple of coffee shops, since it will be our departure airport on May 30.
We were the first group on the tram this morning, but plenty of people hopped on as we passed through several stations on the way into Florence. Luckily, it never got as packed as our metro car in Rome.
Our first stop was the beautiful Santa Maria Novella. This was the first basilica in Florence and it is associated with the Dominican order.
We had stopped just for a quick peak then we made our way back to the square to meet our tour guide, Paula. She was far more reserved than Anna, who had thoroughly entertained us yesterday. Paula had a wealth of knowledge to share, but no quirky stories or laughs. But she was certain to point out items of interest and offer detailed explanations pertaining to the many structures that we managed to see.
We walked along toward the Duomo, stopping to admire the baptistry and tower.
The doors on the baptistry are recreations, but show the brilliance of the gold used to construct the originals as well as the duplicates.
Each of the panels represent a particular scene from the Old Testament. Paula explained that people back in the time when this was built, could not read, and so the visual depiction of Bible events aided them in understanding.
This church is huge, as you can see, and it is virtually impossible to get a photo that shows it in its entirety.
After spending some time fighting the crowds, we began our walking tour through the streets of Florence. Here you see the only remaining round tower in Florence. It stems from the 8th century.
Paula said that she liked to feature this section, as it gives an idea of Medieval life in Florence.
The protrusions in the photo below are structures used to hold scaffolding while the building was being constructed. One can easily see that they are positioned for such a purpose.
Each of these Renaissance buildings are certainly unique, with three dimensional figures enhancing the exterior walls.
Paula led us along the route of the Via dei Georgofili to show us the location of a terrorist attack that occurred in May of 1993. It was carried out by the Sicilian Mafia, and the bombing resulted in quite a bit of damage to several buildings, in addition to killing five civilians. The building below was repaired in such a way to stand as a memorial to the tragic events. She said that it was the first time such an event, focused on the art of Florence, had ever occurred and it had taken the city by surprise.
Not far from here is the Ponte Vecchio Bridge which we could easily view from a location near the Uffizi. This is the only original bridge that was not bombed during World War II. Bribes were paid to keep it in existence so that people could continue to travel from one side of the river to the other.
As you probably know, Florence is known for its preservation of art, and there were dozens upon dozens of statues preserved in piazzas along the walk. I 'm going to feature just two, as I'm writing this super late, and there are way too many to elaborate: Galileo
and Macchiavelli
just to name two.
Our tour today included admission into the Academy, and we were told that we had 45 minutes to enjoy the surrounds. The purpose was to see the original, giant statue of David by Michelangelo, but it was difficult not to get drawn into the fine art displayed inside. Here are just a few of the paintings that caught my eye.
The Annunciation painted in the 1400s
St. James the Great, St. Stephen & St. Peter painted in 1493. I loved the gold highlights and brilliant colors.
The resurrection painted in the 1500's
Six Angels in prayer: 1505-1508
Madonna of the Girdle and Saint Catherine of Alexandria & Francis
And this unusual Tree of Life from the early 1300s.
Marty and I agreed that we would have loved to have had more time just to check out the fine art collections in the building, but it wasn't in the schedule, so we headed out on time and made our way to join the group to begin the walk to the Santa Croce Plaza. A beautiful church stands at the one end, but it was hidden by scaffolding that has been erected for some type of outdoor event in a few weeks.
By this time, we were tuckered out and hungry. We stopped for lunch to take the load off our feet and enjoy some delicious refreshment.
Our return to the hotel was by bus, and our tour guide had us stop at this extremely scenic viewpoint to admire the city of Florence in the distance.
We certainly were lucky that the weather was so accommodating.
Once back in Montecatini Terme, we joined our Rome companions and headed down the block for dinner, where we enjoyed delicious food and excellent company. But, it's late, and it's been a super long day, so I'm going to close. Hope you enjoyed following along.
Until next time....
