Florence
Firenze here we come!!!
We spent two days in Florence.
We arrived early thankfully bc we almost missed our train not bc of being late but bc of stupidity and panic. Long story not worth getting into but I would actually like to just go back to Rome and try it again to see how we messed up. I think the Pope’s blessing helped us get on the correct train with seconds to spare.
We were not able to check into our room in Florence, but the host allowed us to store our luggage. Side note: we were here 18 years ago for one afternoon. We (me, Paige, my dad, Jarrett and Nicky) took a train from Chiusi in Tuscany and left Taran back with my mom because he had a really bad stomachache. So Paige and I were a little bit stressed with that. The only thing we saw was David at the Accademia Gallery.
We never realized how small Florence is. After walking Roma 10 to 15 miles per day, we were in shock when it only took us about 15 to 30 minutes to get from one side of Florence to the other.
Per the recommendation of our host, we had a delicious Tuscan lunch at a nearby ristorante, we walked to the Porto Vecchio.
“Ponte Vecchio was first constructed during the Rome Era; in fact, it is found mentioned in a document from as far back as 996 AC. However, heavy floods continuously caused its destruction throughout the following centuries. Alas, in 1345 an architect named Taddeo Gaddi reconstructed the bridge, which still remains the current construction.
About a hundred years later, in 1442, the Florence Council requested that the meat and fish vendors move to Ponte Vecchio, creating a local meat market on the bridge. This way the awful smells would be removed from the city center, and the vendors could drop the waste directly into the river, helping clean the streets.
In 1565, Cosimo I dei Medici decided the smells and filth from Ponte Vecchio could no longer be tolerated. He requested a passage to be built on the bridge connecting Palazzo Vecchio with his family’s private home, the Pitti Palace. This way, the royal family could secretly cross the bridge, in complete isolation, while avoiding the markets. This genius (and still-standing) passageway was designed by the famous architect and artist Giorgio Vasari. It is now called the “Vasari Corridor”; at one kilometer long, it connects from Palazzo Vecchio, through the Uffizi Gallery, and ends at the eastern side of the bridge. “
Florence Cathedral of Santa Maria Del Fiore was next and we toured the church then climbed the 463 steps up the Duomo for quite an amazing view of Firenze. The dome was painted by Brunelleschi. He is buried in the crypts the cathedral.
http://www.museumsinflorence.com/musei/cathedral_of_florence.html
We had an Aperol spritz in the Piazza della Signoria where we admired the David replicate sculpture in front of the Uffizi Gallery, the Fountain of Neptune and many other sculptures.
“Piazza della Signoria is a real treasure chest of art treasures, in the heart of historic Florence.
This famous Florentine square is home first of all to the famous Palazzo Vecchio, now the seat of the municipality of Florence, once the headquarters of the Medici and the symbol of their undisputed power in Florence.
Piazza della Signoria is undoubtedly one of the most visited places in Florence, not only for the presence of the Medici palace. In fact, the magnificent courtyard of the Uffizi palace opens just a stone’s throw from here.”
The next morning we had a great bfast (too much eating) then wondered up to the Central Market. We just admired the food bc we wanted to try the Panino con il Lampredotto from Trippaio del Porcellino. “This little food cart near the Porcellino market is where real Florentines line up for the city’s most iconic street food. Tender, slow-cooked pig stomach stuffed in a crusty roll and dipped in its own broth. We got the con salsa verde” like the locals do. The cart’s been run by the same family for generations.” It was delish if you don’t think about what you’re eating lol. It was starting to drizzle on our way to the square and we ate the sandwich undercover bc it was thunder and downpour. Thank goodness it was a quick one. We were able to rub the nose of the wild boar bronze statue for good luck (we need it for our train to Verona).
We stopped and got some pastry and went back to our room to eat it and have a cup of coffee before our David museum tour.
David did not disappoint.
“The commission of the work was assigned to Buonarroti by the workers of the Cathedral of Florence on August 16, 1501, for a fee of 400 ducats. On January 25, 1504, a commission composed of the major artists of the time (among others, Leonardo da Vinci, Sandro Botticelli, Filippino Lippi, the Perugino) decided that the sculpture should be placed at the entrance of Palazzo Vecchio, as an emblem of the strength and independence of the Florentines.
On September 8, 1504, the statue was revealed to the city, arousing everyone’s admiration. Originally some parts were golden: a garland on the head, the trunk (or bronchone) behind the right leg and the slingshot. The sculpture, with a sculpted base, is 517 centimeters high and weighs 5560 kilos.
The marble was the subject of a thorough cleaning in 2003-2004 and is periodically subjected to maintenance dusting, to allow precise monitoring.”
Next up we headed across the bridge to have a glass of wine on the terrace of a restaurant. The host was kind enough to let us in without a reservation since we were just having a quick drink. The view was phenomenal.
We are about to get our train to Verona. Wish us luck!
