Florence Italy

Ponte Vecchio across the Arno River in Florence Italy / G Sutton 2019

Florence, Italy has been labeled "The Cradle of the Renaissance." Certainly, the old city contains many treasures visible on the streets and in world-class museums.

Our starting point on our last visit was by the statue of the poet Dante Alighieri outside the Basilica of Santa Croce, which is the place where many familiar men are buried-- Rossini, Machiavelli, Galileo and Michelangelo--for example.

There's so much art in the Uffizi Gallery that it is difficult to choose what pictures to share. We were there nearly four hours and that wasn't enough. Suggestion. Do get in line early because it can soon get crowded. If you are pressed for time, skip the slow service museum restaurant, but do walk out on the terrace and enjoy the views.

The seven panel paintings illustrating traditional virtues capture eyes and cameras as you enter the room. Sandro Botticelli painted Fortitude in 1470.

Sleeping Hermaphrodite has his own room. You can't enter the room--were they worried we'd wake him up?

Sleeping Hermaphrodite

Whilst looking at the walls and statues on pedestals, it's hard to remember to look up.

The complexity of some religious art scenes offers an intriguing glimpse into perspectives on familiar stories a few centuries ago (http://janbrueghel.net/object/calvary-florence)

Calvary by Jan Brueghel 1604, Uffizi Gallery, Florence

Outside, in addition to the Piazza di Santa Croce pictured near the top of this post, there are many fountains and squares.

Here's an overview video of Piazza della Repubblica, Florence, Italy.

The statue of David by Michelangelo in the Galleria dell'Accademia is indeed impressive. I didn't take this video, but we did see the statue and other works in the gallery.

Hotels and restaurants in Florence are expensive so we stayed in nearby Montecatini along with many other visitors.

Pizza dinner in Montecatini

Note

I found the locals helpful to point us in the right direction for a landmark such as a plaza.

The Uffizi staff weren't very helpful. Check out their website to see if you qualify for a free admission. Keep asking how to use their fiddly audioguide- make sure it works before leaving the area.


See the other cities we visited in ITALY

ASSISI Italy

We arrived in  Assisi on the St. Francis Festival Day, which is celebrated October 3-4. Crowds of worshippers were present, which added to our appreciation of the city. St. Francis is the patron saint of Italy.

There is an upper and a lower church.

Upper and lower church at Assisi

Assisi Lower Church

St. Francis of Assisi (San Francesco d'Assisi; Francesco) was born about 1181 and died 3 October 1226. His tomb is below the lower church. He is the founder of the Franciscan Order and he is credited with organizing the first live nativity scene.

Tomb of St Francis

The upper church (Basilica di San Francesco) is known for scenes of St Francis life and biblical scenes. The frescoes are by Giotto and other artists (See Britannica entry).

The people and pageantry add richness to the whole experience.

Along the picturesque pathways of Assisi are shops and restaurants.

Assisi is high above the verdant Umbria countryside in the Province of Perugia, Italy.

This short video gives a sense of the crowds at the festival in 2019. A lot of folks were smiling and laughing--nice to see people having a good time.

Experience the sound of the church bells while viewing the church grounds and countryside in this short video.

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See the other cities we visited in ITALY