Busy Day in Florence!
Walking out our door, we chose the first cafe we saw. Grabbing a little breakfast and coffee, we enjoyed the view. Soon we would be inside discovering what the interior of the Duomo looks like! Knowing we would soon see more made us really take a closer look at the details on the outside!
Another day, another cappuccino… just what the doctor ordered. My “American” breakfast hit the spot. I was in the mood for a little bacon and eggs. After lapping up a little water and finishing my coffee, the waiter pointed me in the direction of the restroom. Imagine my surprise when I opened the door and there was a man on a ladder inside! He was changing the lightbulb… not a big deal, I just wasn’t expecting it!
Walking through the giant, wooden doors, the first thing I noticed was the tile on the floor. So much detail. The second thing I noticed… stained glass. I’m a huge fan of the colorful artwork all around the room. The workmanship was completely amazing!
Known as the Brunelleschi Dome, this crown jewel is the city’s most recognizable icon. Built and completed in 1436, this is the largest masonry vault in the world. Decorated with a cycle of frescoes depicting the Last Supper, this is a magnificent work of art!
This was a most unique area to light candles. In most cathedrals, there is a table for people to light a candle in honor of a loved on. They usually say a prayer for the person. In the Duomo, the candles rest of a tree-like sculpture. When doing this, a donation is usually requested. it isn’t mandatory, but it’s a nice thing to do.
Not wanting to overdo the photos, here are a couple more. For some, if you’ve seen one cathedral, you’ve seen them all. For me, it’s never enough! Each has a uniqueness due to the time period or location. Built as a basilica, it has a wide central nave and four square bays. With the aisles and chapels, it forms a Latin cross.
After strolling through the entire Duomo, we took the stairs down to the crypt of Santa Reparata. So interesting, it is the earlier cathedral that sat on the site of the current Duomo. It took 50 years of excavation to unearth this treasure! Tombs, and ancient pavements dating back to the Roman times. It’s like a whole other world beneath the floors of the Duomo.
Roxanne had a great time exploring both the upside and the underground.
With our exploration complete, we walked back into the Piazza area.
Bidding “arrivederci” to the Piazza del Duomo for the time being… we passed by Repubblica Square. It was extremely crowded, so we avoided the area. Slightly to the right in the photo, you can see the antique carousel. It has 20 horses and two ornate “king’s carriages”. Once a marketplace, this area has gone through many changes.
We arrived at Piazza della Signoria. Having never visited this part of Florence; I made an error. There was much written about the Ponte Vecchio (old bridge) and my plan was to cross it to reach our next destination. At one time, it was the only bridge across the Arno River. Attracting an incredible number of tourists, I thought the city was now charging to walk across it. So, I bought tickets “to cross”. Actually, it turned out I booked a museum visit.
With strict time schedules, we were an hour early for our slotted time. So… cocktails! An Aperol Spritz and Bloody Mary… We had such a great view of this piazza!
Upon entering the museum, we started up a short set of steps… at the landing was this window. Unique in design, it was also fascinating how it perfectly framed the architecture outside.
Daunting… the thought of climbing these cement steps was not something we really wanted to do. Roxanne has her bad knees and me with a swollen foot, stairs did not seem smart. However, we took the challenge and up we went. It was worth it! The ceilings in this part of the museum were nothing short of historical uniqueness!
Soon, we found it was necessary to climb yet another long set of steps. We looked back at what we had already climbed… in normal circumstances, this would be no big deal. Unfortunately, our old bodies are wearing out haha! So, we chose to forego the rest of the museum. We actually missed the best part but it’s ok… Back out in the piazza, we focused on the collection of statues. This was the most crowded area we experienced! Part 2 coming next… mainly because I am so far behind in posting! I figure, I’ll get part of it out and then post the rest of our day!
