Firenze

Basilica di Santa Croce

After a really long day of travel, we've started our Italian journey in Florence -- Firenze to the locals.  We flew to London first and then direct to Florence. Florence has a smaller airport with no jet bridges, so we deplaned on the tarmac and then rode a bus to the terminal building.  We rode the tram from the airport to the train station and then walked to our apartment.  Needless to say, we were quite tired.  But we still managed to walk around a bit to get a feel for the city                                                                                                    before crashing for the night.  

Galileo's tomb

Buongiorno Florence! Today was our day to explore and there was so much to see.  We started our morning at the 14th-century Basilica di Santa Croce.  Santa Croce is the largest Franciscan church in the world.  It is still a place of worship with a daily mass; however, it is jointly owned by the Italian government and the municipality of Florence.

Over the years, it has become a place where prominent Italians are entombed or remembered, especially Florentines.  We visited the tombs of Michelangelo, Galileo, Machiavelli, and the famous Italian composer Gioachino Rossini.  We also saw remembrance markers for Dante and Leonardo da Vinci, but they are entombed elsewhere.  The high ceilings are ornately-painted wooden beams, some of which have the faces of Franciscan saints.  Outside the church are two lovely cloisters, serene green spaces to be contemplative before exiting to the bustling city outside its walls.

Michelangelo's tomb

After Santa Croce, we walked to the Galleria dell'Accademia to see Michelangelo's iconic statue David.  Created between 1501 and 1504, this marble masterpiece was placed outside in the public square in front of Piazza della Signoria.  Originally intended to be placed in the cathedral, it was placed outside to project Florentine strength.  It wasn't until 1873 that the statue was moved to the Accademia.  To me, the most impressive part of David is the realism Michelangelo was able to convey -- veins in the hand, fingernails, eyes, etc. -- carved from a single block of marble.  It's challenging to convey in words how phenomenal this sculpture is.

Incredible realism

We stopped for a late lunch at a nearby Osteria, eating fresh Italian food at an outside table -- the first of many al fresco meals I expect to enjoy during our trip.  After our meal, the Sextons headed back to the apartment to rest for a bit.  Mona and I detoured to the Duomo (cathedral) to see the interior and Brunelleschi's dome.  Filippo Brunelleschi was a founding father of Renaissance architecture and is most famous for the dome on the Florence cathedral.  His dome was the inspiration for Michelangelo's dome on St. Peter's Cathedral at the Vatican.

We finished our time in Florence meandering the streets, seeing and walking across the Ponte Vecchio bridge, and perusing the shops. Florence is so rich in history, art, and culture that we could spend multiple days here and still not see everything.  With only one full day to explore, we didn't attempt to see it all.   We wandered and soaked up the essence of the city.  And we ate well.....very well. 

Ponte Vecchio

Florence skyline highlighted by the Duomo