It’s our last day in Florence. We don’t have a set plan for the day, other than to walk around and enjoy the city. We’re not ready to leave, but ready or not, tomorrow we’ll have to say arrivederci to Firenze. Continue reading “Arrivederci Firenze!”
Category: Venice & Florence
Brunelleschi’s Machines
Florence, Italy’s Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, a.k.a., The Duomo, dates back to the 15th century. Construction of the massive church took fifteen years. Its architect and designer, Filippo Brunelleschi, invented a number of specialized machines to support the construction effort. Without Brunelleschi’s machines, the Duomo might date back to the 16th century instead of the 15th. Continue reading “Brunelleschi’s Machines”
The Biggest Dome in the World
In the 15th century, Florence, Italy was becoming a center of wealth and power. And what do the wealthy and powerful often like to do? They like to build something to show it off. What better way for 15th-century florentines to strut their stuff than to build a gigantic church having the biggest dome in the world? Continue reading “The Biggest Dome in the World”
Il Contesto – The Contest
The year is 1401. In Florence, Italy, the wealthy cloth merchants’ guild – the Arte di Calimala – is sponsoring a design contest. The winner will get the job of making a set of new doors for the Baptistery of Saint John. It’s a big deal. The artist who wins the contest will be highly esteemed and famous forever. Continue reading “Il Contesto – The Contest”
Nighttime in Florence
Emerging from our cozy little restaurant into the dark, wet streets of Florence , we were happy to discover that the rain had stopped. In fact, we were just plain happy. Dinner was so good and so much fun – not the first time that’s happened in Italy. Now it’s time to take a walk and see what nighttime in Florence looks like. Continue reading “Nighttime in Florence”
Dinner in Florence – Mangiamo!
Today we took a day-trip from Florence to Siena. Siena is impressive, even on a drizzly fall day. We had an excellent lunch in Siena, but that was hours ago. We’re ready to have our first real dinner in Florence. Continue reading “Dinner in Florence – Mangiamo!”
Mystery and Intrigue on the Bus Ride Back from Siena
It’s a drizzly fall day in Siena, Italy. We arrived this morning via local bus from Florence. When lunchtime rolled around, we ducked into a cozy little restaurant where we had a wonderful lunch of ribollita. We needed to walk it off before heading back to Florence. Little did we know that our bus ride back from Siena would have a bit of excitement. Continue reading “Mystery and Intrigue on the Bus Ride Back from Siena”
Day Trip to Siena
It’s a chilly, drizzly fall day in Florence. Not the best day for a day trip to Siena, but we’re going anyway. And to make the trip just a little more scenic, we’re going to take the local bus to get there. If the cloudy skies behave themselves, it should be an interesting day. Continue reading “Day Trip to Siena”
Stendhal Syndrome and The Charterhouse of Parma
We’re in Florence, but instead of doing a normal tourist thing today, we’re taking a detour to get inside the head of Stendhal – the writer who was so overwhelmed by the beauty here, he became seriously ill. Today, Stendhal Syndrome is considered to be a legitimate illness. Continue reading “Stendhal Syndrome and The Charterhouse of Parma”
Stendhal and the Charterhouse of Parma
If you’ve been following along, you may recall reading about Stendhal Syndrome. Stendhal was a 19th-century writer who was so overwhelmed by the magnificence of Florence that he got seriously ill. It sounds crazy, but Stendhal Syndrome is considered to be a legitimate illness. Since we’re here in Florence, let’s take a detour from the tourist path and get better acquainted with Stendhal. Continue reading “Stendhal and the Charterhouse of Parma”
