Ryan Goes to Italy: Florence
The train to Florence from Venice was about 3 hours. The place I booked in Florence was technically a hostel but was used as Gonzaga’s study abroad dorms for the year. The hostel wasn’t that big, but only 2 rooms were reserved for guests that weren’t part of Gonzaga. Unlike the dorms I was accustomed to from school – this one was actually quiet. As soon as I got to Florence I walked around a bit and saw Duomo #2 (technically the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, but from here on it will be described as “Duomo #2). Duomo #2 is huge and magnificent like most every large cathedral/basilica in Italy. The problem with Duomo #2 is that it’s not in a big square so it’s hard to get a feeling for the overall size of the structure. You sort of have to look at it straight up which takes something away from it. Part of the obstruction of the Duomo comes from the Battistero di San Giovanni directly across from the church. The Baptistery shares a similar façade and is most notable for its bronze doors depicting scenes from the life of St. John the Baptist. The “Let’s Go” guide I had said it would be very hard to get close to the doors because of the large crowds. I went and walked right up to the doors with no problems. The next day (Tuesday) I went to see the Basilica di Santa Croce. This church is/was the principle Franciscan church in Florence. It was purposely built by the Franciscans as far away from the local Dominican church – because everyone knows Dominicans are a bunch of annoying posers. The Basilica is most famous for having the tombs of all kinds of famous people including Dante, Michelangelo, Machiavelli, and more. Because of this I opted to invest in my new favorite tour device – the audio tour phone. These devices are now available for rent in most museums and I am completely sold on them. I always found it annoying how I would see all this great stuff and not get any of the stories behind them (especially in foreign countries where labels in English are often nonexistent or poor at best). Now with the audio phone tours I learn it all. Annoying Kat was my desire to listen to every single last bit of the audio tour. Hey, I did pay the 3 Euro Student discount rate for it and I want to get my money’s worth! Also on Tuesday I saw the Palazzo Vecchio – the town hall of Florence originally built as a palace and administrative center in the 13th century. Inside the palace is Michelangelo’s “Victory” sculpture and a load of other great artwork. The real treat of the palace was the special “Secret Places” tour I shelled out the extra 2 euro for. The tour showed some “secret” places of the palace such as a secret stairway built by the Duke of Athens to allow him to get out of the palace unnoticed. The tour also included a visit to the Studiolos of Cosimo de’ Medici and his son, Francesco. Cosimo was the first Grand Duke of Tuscany. Finally I was able to get above the ceiling in the palace’s main room to see how it was supported by centuries old wood beams. Tuesday afternoon I went to the Uffizi – one of the most famous art galleries in the world (which is why I had to wait in line for an hour to get in). You’ll just have to go there as I can’t really do justice in this format to the amazing art inside. I strolled across the Ponte Vecchio – the only bridge in Florence not destroyed by the Germans. Built in 1345 it is famous for the shops that line its length. On Wednesday I took a day trip (well, really a half-day trip) to Pisa. The train was only 1 hour to get there so it seemed like a good choice. I’ve heard Pisa isn’t really that exciting, but I still thought it was worth it to see the Leaning Tower since I’ve seen and heard so much about it. The tower was open to go up to the top, but they wanted more money than I was willing to pay for the privilege. While in Pisa I also saw Duomo #3 – the Duomo di Pisa – and the Baptistery, which they claim has perfect acoustics. I walked around the town a bit before heading back to Florence. When I got back to Florence I hit the Palazzo Pitti – the newer (15th century) replacement to the Palazzo Vecchio. The Pitti contains a large art gallery which spreads throughout the royal apartments. My last act in Florence was to watch the sunset over the city from the Piazzale Michelangelo – a high point on the south side of the river with a nice view of the city.
