Weekend in Florence

We took a speed train to Florence Friday! I felt like I was in a Volvo station wagon facing backwards. I went to sleep to avoid getting sick. We were there for just two days, but we saw so much! It rained off and on most of the time we were there. Fortunately I had a handy dandy orange poncho from Auburn. I looked like an extreme tourist, but it kept me dry!

Friday we went to The Cenacogo of Saint Apollonia, Museum of Mineralogy, Museo Di S. Marco, and Il Grande Museo Del Duomo. Lots and lots to see! They renovated Il Grande Museo Del Duomo not too long ago, so it is very nice inside. Ghiberti’s “Door of Paradise” and “Door of the Baptistery” are in this museum, and Michelangelo’s “Pieta.” Ghiberti’s doors were on the Baptistery in front of the Duomo. They have copies on the Baptistery now and keep the originals in this Museum. The Duomo itself is incredible! It is my favorite church in Rome for sure from the outside. It is massive and has so much design on it! For dinner we went and got steak with Emilio! Emilio is our Art Historian and is hilarious!

Saturday we went to Santa Maria Novela and Galleria Delgi Uffizi. Santa Maria Novela has a hanging crucifixion in the middle that is beautiful and huge! There is a sundial on the floor and holes in the ceiling of the church to tell the time of year and day. Galleria Delgi Uffizi is a massive museum. It has Caravaggio’s “Medusa” on a shield. There is an entire room dedicated to Lenardo da Vinci where his “Baptism of Christ and the Annunciation” is. My favorite thing I saw was Botticelli’s “The Birth of Venus” and “Primavera!” They were so much prettier in person, and they were huge! Both of these paintings were commissioned by the Medici family. They were inspired by pagan Renaissance and express the Florentine humanistic culture. This museum also has Giotto’s “Majesty.” This is a tempura painting on wood with gold leaf as the background. It depicts enthroned Madonna with child, and they are surround by angels and saints. It was gorgeous!

It was a very quick trip, but it was lots of fun! We shopped, ate, and explored all we could!