Firenze and Renaissance

After a lazy train-ride through the Alps, we hit the cobblestones running in the city of Florence. Our hotel’s location is right near most of the sights and we will be walking everywhere. The narrow, twisting streets are both picturesque and, initially, confusing. The first stop was the Galleria dell-Accademia (Gallery of the Academy). This is where David resides with other pieces by Michelangelo and various other artists. The David is even more amazing than it is made up to be. I did not realize the scale and perfection of it. I think most of us spent around a half an hour just staring.

In the next couple hours, we split off various ways, but I most of us found lunch and walked the streets looking through open air markets of leather goods. I found my first true Italian cannoli (pastry) and was more than happy.  

The group met one another again at the Leonardo da Vinci Museum. This small but fun museum has information on Leonardo and realistic models of his designs. There is a large interactive portion and we enjoyed playing with the wooden machines.  

The afternoon focus was exploring Renaissance art. First we entered the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella.  Many remarkable examples of Renaissance work with perspective were in the church’s architecture and decor. When looking up towards the altar, the nave seems much longer than it is because of a gently sloped floor, narrowing columns, and gradually smaller arches. There were also examples of using perspective in art to create distance and 3D effects within the piece.

Next was the Orsammichele church which was, interestingly, converted from a granary. Donatello statues were in the alcoves around the outside of the building. Finally, we headed to the famous Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore. This cathedral if often referenced as simply the Duomo, which was its original name (Duomo di Firenze) when first designed by Brunelleschi. The structure was completed in the 15th century, though more details were added later. We climbed the 463 stairs (though I didn’t double check the count!) to the top of the dome and looked out over the city. Though rainy and a bit foggy, it was a great view of the city. It made me realize the extensiveness of the amazing architecture and winding alleys of Florence. 

Feeling quite accomplished, the climb was the finale to our day. In the evening we split to various places for food and gelato. My group found a small, out-of-the-way restaurant. Most of us had the recommended tortellini dish while one went for steak, a florentine specialty. Altogether, the first full day in Florence was long but incredible!