Italy Day 4: Florence

We started out early to get in line to climb the Duomo, but discovered we had to buy tickets elsewhere (things had changed in the few months since we bought our guidebook).  It was a little confusing, and we walked to several places, but finally got a Firenze card (city pass) which allowed us to do most everything.  (Note to anyone who may be traveling to Florence--buy this pass online ahead of time--it would have saved us a lot of trouble).  Since we ended up buying our Firenze card at the Palazzo Vecchio, we decided we might as well start there.

The Palazzo Vecchio is Florence's city hall for both past and present.  During the Renaissance times, Florence was a self-governing Republic, and this building was where the governing council (signoria) met.  It is a beautiful building.

The courtyard in the Palazzo Vecchio

The Grand Hall or Hall of Five Hundred

The ceiling in the Grand Hall

Victory, by Michelangelo

The studiola

I really couldn't get over all the amazing ceilings.  We definitely need ceilings like this in our buildings nowadays.

 We climbed to the top of the really tall tower on the Palazzo Vecchio.

 The work was worth the effort.

 A view of Florence with the Arno River.

Our next stop was the Medici Chapel--the tomb for several of the Medici family that ruled Florence. Michelangelo designed the building and tomb and carved several statues inside, but no photos were allowed.  Exquisite.

After lunch at a cafeteria, we went to Santa Maria Novella.  This is an old church that has been around since the Renaissance.

Thirteen-year-old Michelangelo, as part of Ghirlandaio's studio, helped paint the Spanish Chapel inside.

Supposedly, he painted the three men leaning against the wall in the background, with characteristically good anatomy.  This painting is Mary Meets Elizabeth.  So interesting how they are all dressed as Renaissance style Florentines.

This painting  is called, St. Philip at the Temple of Mars, by Filippino Lippi.  Here is what my guidebook says about this painting:

"In an elaborate shrine, a statue of the angry god Mars waves his broken lance menacingly.  The Christian Philip points back up at him and says, 'I am not afraid of him--that's a false god.'  To prove it, he opens a hole in the base of the altar, letting out a little dragon, who promptly farts, (yep, you read that right--look at the painting to see) causing the pagan king's son to swoon and die.  The overcome spectators clutch their foreheads and noses."

Wild.  I had to take a picture of it just for Ben.  Such an interesting topic for a painting inside a church.

 I loved the beautiful black and white gothic-style arches in Santa Maria Novella.

Next stop was the baptistry.  It was truly spectacular.  It is an octagonal-shaped building next to the Duomo.  The outside of it was all under scaffolding, but it has the same facade as the Duomo.  Inside, the gold mosaics on the ceiling were amazing.  It used to be that you couldn't go into a church unless you were baptized first, so this is where people had to come first.

The focal point of the ceiling is Christ with his outstretched hands at the last judgement.  One hand up for the good guys and one hand down for the bad.  I'm sure it was a view worth reflecting on as you were baptized.

 It was hard to take a photo that communicates the vastness and awesomeness of this building.

After we went to the Duomo Museum.  Inside we saw Ghiberti's famous bronze doors (the real ones this time).  The Renaissance began in 1401 with a citywide competition to build new doors for the baptistry.  Lorenzo Ghiberti won the job and built the doors on the north side of the baptistry (still there).  Everyone loved them, so he was hired to make another set of doors for the main entrance.  These doors, dubbed the Gates of Paradise, revolutionized the way the Renaissance people saw the world around them.

Also in the museum is Michelangelo's Pieta, which he designed for his own tomb, but never quite completed.  The tallest figure is supposed to be Nicodemus, but he has the face of Michelangelo.  Done in his old age, contemplating the end of his life and entrance into the next, this is a very personal and introspective work.

Our last sightseeing stop was back to the Duomo--we finally made it there to climb to the top of the dome.  It was a very tall climb (now with tired legs).  It was lots of stairs to get to the base of the dome, then once we got to there, we climbed in between the inner and outer dome.  

 A view of the inside of the dome before we started the final portion of the climb.

 The views from up top were worth the tall climb.

 Looking down over the edge of the dome.  We were WAY up there.

The skies were starting to clear after a rainy day, and the view of the sun sinking behind the clouds was amazing.  These pictures definitely don't do it justice.

 I tried out the panoramic photo feature on my phone.

 We stayed up there for close to an hour.  I just couldn't get enough of the spectacular views.  I'd finally really actually made it to Florence.

After a full day, we were ready to sit down and eat.  We went to a Tuscan steakhouse for dinner.  David is always on a quest for a good steak, and he was not disappointed.  Tuscan steak is one of Florence's signature dishes.  The restaurants actually display the cuts of meat in the front window for people to admire (and then hopefully come inside and eat).  It really was delicious.