Tuesday June 22nd 2010

We were off to an early start for our trip into Florence. We stopped first at the piazzale Michelangelo to get our first glimpse of the city. In the city proper, we ditched the van and proceeded to walk the streets of a city rich in history and art. We began at the Duomo.

Unlike Siena, the horizontal marble stripes here are green and pink. Florence gave birth to the Renaissance and changed the way we see the world. The dome of the Duomo is a work of engineering genius of Brunelleschi. It is the undisputed centerpiece of the city.
We headed over to Santa Croce to see the tombs of Michelangelo and Dante, but it was closed. The piazza was taken over by preparations for the Palio (horse race) to be held there on Thursday. We went back to the duomo to take in the baptistery. The bronze doors of this octagonal structure depict scenes from the life of Christ and the new and old testaments.
The focal point of the interior dome is Christ of the Last Judgement. The entire ceiling was done in mosaics and we spent time following the stories depicted in each row around. Some of the stories included those of Adam and Eve, Joseph the Patriarch, and Cain and Abel.
After a light lunch we went to our appointment for the viewing of the David at the Academie. We rented audio guides and went through the museum at our own pace. We enjoyed the music room. Here were antique instruments dating back to the time of the Medici prince. He was more interested in music and art than politics and accumulated all sorts of instruments. One of these being the marble dulcimer! We saw a number of original Stradivarius’ and something called a piano guitar. The exhibit was most informative.
Pass the paintings and on to David!! WOW – it never ceases to amaze me. The sheer size of him is unbelievable and to think he was formed from a single block of marble – and a block of marble that was rejected by others! Michelangelo’s genius and talent cause one to pause. We later ruminated if he had any idea that hundreds of year’s later, people would still be appreciating his marvels.
We shopped on the way home and had a barbeque. Chris prepared chicken for the grill – Anna and Richard picked fresh herbs from our garden – what a tasty treat. Of course, the meal was supplemented with much wine. A very satisfying day!