Diana Petterson 60 Days of Italy, European Continent, Italy

60 Days of Italy – Florence

Good morning to our leisurely breakfast with views of the Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral in Florence. (May 7, 2023)

Italy Day 19: Florence, Birth of the Renaissance

Florence is literally a walking museum even if you never enter one of the churches or buildings and is known as the “Cradle of the Renaissance.” But when you do enter, there is a world of beauty to behold.

We made it in time to check out the Uffizi Gallery, along with a crowd of people. But where else do you get to see the works of the pre-eminent Renaissance artists like Brunellesci’s dome, Michelangelo, Leonardo di Vinci and Botticelli topped off with a meal other than pasta.

Here’s a brief introduction to Florence.

Alice and I getting in a selfie on our first afternoon in Florence by the Tuscan city’s best-known site, the domed cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, known as The Duomo and its inimitable dome built by Filippo Brunelleschi. Considered the largest masonry dome ever built, it was was officially completed in 1436, but the decorative work began during 1572. (May 6, 2023)
We purchased tickets for the Uffizi Gallery in Florence but had to stand in this long line to pick up the tickets and then in another long line and up at least 100 stairs just to enter the museum. (May 6, 2023)
The narrow courtyard of the Uffizi Gallery in Florence facing toward the Arno river. (May 6, 2023)
The Piazza della Signoria with the Palazzo Vecchio (to the left) the Uffizi Gallery (in the middle) and the open arches of the Loggia della Signoria in Florence. (May 6, 2023)
The Piazza della Signoria with the Palazzo Vecchio (to the left) the Uffizi Gallery (in the middle) and the open arches of the Loggia della Signoria in Florence. (May 6, 2023)
The Palazzo Vecchio in the Piazza della Signoria in Florence. (May 6, 2023)
The Palazzo Vecchio in the Piazza della Signoria in Florence with a copy of the David by Michelangelo. (May 6, 2023)
The Vasari Corridor’s bridge from the Palazzo Vecchio to Uffizi Gallery in Florence was built in 1565 so the Medici could move freely between their residence at the Palazzo Vecchio and the government palace of the Uffizi. (May 6, 2023)
A view of the Uffizi Gallery courtyard. It is ranked as the 25th on the most visited art museums in the world, with around 2 million visitors annually. (May 6, 2023)
Views of the Ponte Vecchio, the medieval stone arched bridge over the Arno, from the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. (May 6, 2023)
One of the hallways inside the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. The walls were originally covered with tapestries. (May 6, 2023)
The Baptism of Christ by Leonardo di Vinci circa 1475 inside the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. On the banks of the River Jordan, St. John baptises Jesus by pouring water on His head. (May 6, 2023)
The Birth of Venice, circa 1485 by Alessandro Filipepi, detto Botticelli, inside the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. It captures the moment when the goddess of love and beauty, born of the sea foam and propelled by the winds, reaches the island of Cyprus. Botticelli sought his inspiration in the models of classical antiquity for Venus’ modest pose as she attempts to cover her charms with her long blond hair. (May 6, 2023)
The Uffizi Gallery in Florence. (May 6, 2023)
The Holy Family with the Young St. John the Baptist, circa 1505-1507 by Michelangelo. Inside the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. (May 6, 2023)
Inside Restaurant Toto in Florence where people eat late. We had reservations for 7:00 p.m. and the place was relatively empty. (May 6, 2023)
A simple dinner of a delicious hamburger pattie, fries and a salad slathered in olive oil at the Restaurant Toto in Florence. Alice was hoping for Florentine steak but the cuts were pretty large for one person. She likes her steaks a little bloody and I like mine a tad bit pink. So I settled on the hamburger pattie and Alice chose the grilled beef steak with rocket and balsamic vinegar. (May 6, 2023)
Alice’s grilled beef steak with rocket and balsamic vinegar at the Restaurant Toto in Florence. The steak was okay, but not as good as Alice had expected. So, we are off to find a Florentine steak. (May 6, 2023)
My hotel room at the Residenza dei Pucci in Florence. (May 6, 2023)
My bathroom at the Residenza dei Pucci in Florence. (May 6, 2023)

Italy Day 20: Santa Maria Novella and a Nun’s Last Supper

Florence is overwhelming, with people, with art, with tons of history. It’s too much to take in even in four days. You must pick and choose and pace yourself because intellectually, it is just a lot to take in.

So, today we paced ourselves and settled on just one thing, the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella and its museum that includes its former convent and its cloister.

Plus, the highlight for me was the Last Supper by a woman, circa 1560, who was a self-taught artist and nun named Plautilla Nelli.

Good morning to our leisurely breakfast with views of the Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral in Florence. (May 7, 2023)
The Basilica of Santa Maria Novella is the first great basilica in Florence and is the city’s principal Dominican church. Construction began about 1276 and lasted some 80 years. (May 7, 2023)
The Basilica of Santa Maria Novella is the first great basilica in Florence and is the city’s principal Dominican church. Construction began about 1276 and lasted some 80 years. (May 7, 2023)
Inside the excessively large and detailed Basilica of Santa Maria Novella church in Florence looking towards the main altar. (May 7, 2023)
High above and at the center of the Nave before reaching the altar inside the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella in Florence. is this magnificent Crucifix painted by Giotto sometime around 1288. (May 7, 2023)
The main altar of the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella church in Florence. (May 7, 2023)
The large decorated chapels inside the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella in Florence. (May 7, 2023)
The Filippo Strozzi chapel (left) and the Bardi Chapel (right) inside the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella in Florence. (May 7, 2023)
The Chapel of Filippo Strozzi with frescoes by Filippino Lippi started in the late 1480s and completed around 1502, the last series of paintings by the artist, inside the Basilica Santa Maria Novella in Florence. (May 7, 2023)
The Chapel of Filippo Strozzi with frescoes by Filippino Lippi started in the late 1480s and completed around 1502, the last series of paintings by the artist, inside the Basilica Santa Maria Novella in Florence. (May 7, 2023)
The Chapel of Filippo Strozzi with frescoes by Filippino Lippi started in the late 1480s and completed around 1502, the last series of paintings by the artist, inside the Basilica Santa Maria Novella in Florence. (May 7, 2023)
The St. John the Evangelist resuscitates Drusiana fresco on the left wall of the Chapel of Filippo Strozzi inside the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella in Florence. (May 7, 2023)
The Bardi Chapel inside the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella in Florence. (May 7, 2023)
Inside the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella in Florence. (May 7, 2023)
Inside the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella in Florence. (May 7, 2023)
Inside the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella in Florence. (May 7, 2023)
The Gondi Chapel with the wooden Crucifix by Filippo Brunelleschi inside the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella in Florence. (May 7, 2023)
The Trinità, or Trinity, by Masaccio inside the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella in Florence from 1424-1425 is considered to be one of the earliest paintings to demonstrate the mastery of perspective. Also notice that the Virgin Mary is not portrayed as a young girl as in so many other paintings; here, she is older and is clearly a mother. (May 7, 2023)
The small cloister complex of the former convent where the museum and refractory area located inside the complex of the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella in Florence. (May 6, 2023)
The Spanish Chapel off the small cloister complex of the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella in Florence. It was frescoed by Andrea di Bonaiuto from 1365 to 1367. As the chapel was built for the Dominicans, depictions of Saint Dominic are found in most of the frescos that represent “The Passion and Resurrection of Christ.” (May 7, 2023)
“The Passion and Resurrection of Christ” in the Spanish Chapel of the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella in Florence includes the Road to Calvary, the Crucifixion and the Descent into Limbo. (May 6, 2023)
The left side of the Descent into Limbo from “The Passion and Resurrection of Christ by Andrea di Bonaiuto in the Spanish Chapel of the Basilica of the Santa Maria Novella church in Florence. (May 7, 2023)
The right side of the Descent into Limbo from “The Passion and Resurrection of Christ by Andrea di Bonaiuto in the Spanish Chapel of the Basilica of the Santa Maria Novella church in Florence. (May 7, 2023)
The Triumph of the Christian Doctrine by Andrea di Bonaiuto in the Spanish Chapel of the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella church in Florence. (May 7, 2023)
Inside the Refectory of the former convent and now museum of the Santa Maria Novella church in Florence is the 21-foot canvas of the Last Supper by the self-daughter artist and nun Plautilla Nelli. She painted this scene around 1560 at a time during the Renaissance when a majority of the biblical scene painters were male artists. The painting, which recently underwent four years of renovations, is now on display. (May 7, 2023)
A close-up of the 21-foot canvas of the Last Supper with Jesus Christ and the 12 Apostles created by self-taught artist and nun Plautilla Nelli in 1560 during the Renaissance when a majority of the biblical scene painters were male artists.
Nelli, born into a Florentine merchant family in 1524, joined the Dominican Santa Caterina convent at age 14. (May 7, 2023)
A close-up of the 21-foot canvas of the Last Supper with Jesus Christ and the 12 Apostles created by self-taught artist and nun Plautilla Nelli in 1560 during the Renaissance when a majority of the biblical scene painters were male artists.
Nelli, born into a Florentine merchant family in 1524, joined the Dominican Santa Caterina convent at age 14.
She ran a convent workshop of artist nuns whose religious output was designed for display in churches, convents and private homes. She painted this large Last Supper, probably with her fellow nuns, for the refectory of her own convent at the time, the Convent of S. Caterina da Siena, which was destroyed. The painting was taken from its original home after Napoleon suppressed religious orders and moved to the refectory of the monastery of Santa Maria Novella in 1817. (May 7, 2023)
The painting opposite the 21-foot canvas of the Last Supper inside the Refectory of the former convent and now museum of the Santa Maria Novella church in Florence is this late 1300s fresco depicting the Madonna and Child. (May 7, 2023)
The Grand Cloister of the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella in Florence is called that precisely because it is quite large, with 56 porticos or archways surrounding the cloister’s courtyard.
Built between 1340 and 1360, it was once dormitories for the friars living here. Two centuries later, two noble Florentine families and the Grand Duke Cosimo I de’ Medici financed the decorations of the walls with frescoes of the life of St. Domenic and other Dominican saints, along with scenes from the life of Jesus Christ (at the corners) and portraits of important members of the Santa Maria Novella community. (May 7, 2023)
The Grand Cloister of the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella in Florence is called that precisely because it is quite large, with 56 porticos or archways surrounding the cloister’s courtyard and with frescoes under each archway. (May 7, 2023)
Frescos along the 56 porticos or archways surrounding the internal courtyard corridor of the Grand Cloister inside the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella church and complex in Florence. (May 7, 2023)
One of the many frescoes along the 56 porticos or archways surrounding the internal courtyard corridor of the Grand Cloister inside the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella church and complex in Florence. (May 7, 2023)
One of the many frescoes along the 56 porticos or archways surrounding the internal courtyard corridor of the Grand Cloister inside the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella church and complex in Florence. (May 7, 2023)
Frescos along the 56 porticos or archways surrounding the internal courtyard corridor of the Grand Cloister inside the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella church and complex in Florence. (May 7, 2023)
One of the many frescoes along the 56 porticos or archways surrounding the internal courtyard corridor of the Grand Cloister inside the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella church and complex in Florence. (May 7, 2023)
The tombs inside the Basilica of Santa Marie Novella complex commemorating a wide range of people who have passed through Florence. (May 7, 2023)
The tombs inside the Basilica of Santa Marie Novella complex commemorating a wide range of people who have passed through Florence. (May 7, 2023)
The tombs inside the Basilica of Santa Marie Novella complex commemorating a wide range of people who have passed through Florence. (May 7, 2023)
We capped our day with an early dinner of pork sandwiches at the Antica Porchetteria Granieri 1916 in Florence. I would highly recommend this delicious fast food sandwich corner that’s made to your liking. (May 7, 2023)
We capped our day with an early dinner of pork sandwiches at the Antica Porchetteria Granieri 1916 in Florence. I would highly recommend this delicious fast food sandwich corner that’s made to your liking. (May 7, 2023)

Italy Day 21: Medici & Michelangelo in Florence

The Medici were a family of wealthy bankers and four popes who were the funding force behind the Renaissance. They commissioned art for their palaces and family tombs and patronized artists so they could focus on their art without having to worry about money.

Beginning in 1434 with the rise to power of Cosimo de Medici or Cosimo the Elder, the family’s patronage of the arts and humanities made Florence into the cradle of the Renaissance, Europe’s scientific, artistic and cultural rebirth.

The Medici Bank was the largest in Europe during the 15th century which facilitated their rise to political power in Florence. And, the Basilica of San Lorenzo was the Medici church with the Medici Chapel.

So, today was about visiting the Basilica of San Lorenzo, the Medici Chapel, the Palazzo Medici Riccardi and the tomb of Michelangelo at the Basilica of Santa Croce.

Me in the Grand Cloister of the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Florence. (May 8, 2023)
The Basilica of San Lorenzo is considered the oldest church in Florence as the first early construction dates back to the year 393 when it was first consecrated. It is also the resting place of one of the most powerful families in pre-Unification Italy, the Medici. A banking and political dynasty, the Medici were the first consolidated power in the Republic of Florence under Cosimo de’ Medici, during the first half of the 1400s. And, the Medici Chapels, to the rear of the church make up the Medici Chapels. (May 8, 2023)
Entering from the back of the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Florence is the Medici Chapel that’s divided into three parts: the crypt, the Chapel of the Princes and the New Sacristy. The La Cappella dei Principi or Chapel of the Princes was erected between 1604 and 1640. Six Medici Grand Dukes are buried here. (May 8, 2023)
The Cappella dei Principi or Chapel of the Princes inside the Medici Chapel in Florence. (May 8, 2023)
The dome of the Cappella dei Principi or Chapel of the Princes inside the Medici Chapel in Florence. The frescoes, scenes from the Old and New Testament, were not finished by Pietro Benvenuti until 1828. (May 8, 2023)
The dome of the Cappella dei Principi or Chapel of the Princes inside the Medici Chapel in Florence. The frescoes, scenes from the Old and New Testament, were not finished by Pietro Benvenuti until 1828. (May 8, 2023)
The Cappella dei Principi or Chapel of the Princes inside the Medici Chapel in Florence. (May 8, 2023)
The Cappella dei Principi or Chapel of the Princes inside the Medici Chapel in Florence. (May 8, 2023)
The Cappella dei Principi or Chapel of the Princes inside the Medici Chapel in Florence. (May 8, 2023)
The Cappella dei Principi or Chapel of the Princes inside the Medici Chapel in Florence. (May 8, 2023)
The New Sacristy of the Medici Chapel behind the Church of San Lorenzo in Florence. It was built by order of Pope Leo X to house the mortal remains of his brother Giuliano Duke of Nemours, and his nephew, Lorenzo Duke of Urbino. Michelangelo carried out the order between 1520 and 1524 of the  Dusk and Dawn marble sculptures opposite the Night and Day sculptures. (May 8, 2023)
The Dusk and Dawn marble sculptures by Michelangelo at the New Sacristy of the Medici Chapel to the back of the Church of San Lorenzo in Florence.(May 8, 2023)
The Night and Day marble sculptures by Michelangelo at the New Sacristy of the Medici Chapel to the back of the Church of San Lorenzo in Florence. These sculptures are opposite the Dusk and Sawn sculptures. (May 8, 2023)
The Night and Day marble sculptures by Michelangelo at the New Sacristy of the Medici Chapel to the back of the Church of San Lorenzo in Florence.(May 8, 2023)
The marble sarcophagus, topped by three statues, containing the remains of Lorenzo the Magnificent who died in 1492, is also housed at the entrance in the New Sacristy of the Medici Chapel to the back of the Church of San Lorenzo in Florence.
The statue in the middle of the Madonna and Child is the autographed work of Michelangelo from 1521. On the left is Saint Cosmas by Giovan Angelo da Montorsoli, while oh the right is Saint Damian by Raffaello da Montelupo. (May 8, 2023)
The exterior of the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Florence. The early Renaissance-style church was designed by Brunelleschi and constructed from 1421 to the 1460s, except for the facade, which was left uncompleted. (May 8, 2023)
The unfinished exterior of the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Florence. (May 8, 2023)
Inside the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Florence. (May 8, 2023)
Inside the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Florence. (May 8, 2023)
The high altar inside the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Florence. (May 8, 2023)
The Glory of Florentine Saints fresco on the interior of the dome inside the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Florence. (May 8, 2023)
The Glory of Florentine Saints fresco on the interior of the dome inside the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Florence. (May 8, 2023)
The Martyrdom of Saint Lawrence by Agnolo Bronzino from 1565 inside the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Florence. (May 8, 2023)
A close-up of the Martyrdom of Saint Lawrence by Agnolo Bronzino from 1565 inside the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Florence. (May 8, 2023)
One of the two Donatello pulpits inside the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Florence. This is the Passion pulpit dated from around the 1460s. Donatello, an Italian sculptor of the Renaissance period, was born in Florence, (May 8, 2023)
A close-up of the Passion pulpit by Donatello pulpits inside the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Florence which dates from around the 1460s. (May 8, 2023)
The second of the two Donatello pulpits inside the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Florence. This is the Resurrection pulpit dated from around the 1460s. Donatello, an Italian sculptor of the Renaissance period, was born in Florence, (May 8, 2023)
The Palazzo Medici Riccardi, a Renaissance palace in Florence, was designed by Michelozzo di Bartolomeo for Cosimo de’ Medici, head of the Medici banking family, and was built between 1444 and 1484. (May 8, 2023)
The inner courtyard of the the Palazzo Medici Riccardi in Florence. (May 8, 2023)
The Luca Giordano Hall inside the Palazzo Medici Riccardi in Florence. Giordano (1634-1705) was an Italian late-Baroque painter whose fresco covers the ceiling of the hall and whose paintings are featured in the hall. (May 8, 2023)
The ceiling fresco of the Luca Giordano Hall inside the Palazzo Medici Riccardi in Florence. (May 8, 2023)
A close-up of the ceiling fresco of the Luca Giordano Hall inside the Palazzo Medici Riccardi in Florence. (May 8, 2023)
The Luca Giordano Hall inside the Palazzo Medici Riccardi in Florence. Giordano (1634-1705) was an Italian late-Baroque painter whose fresco covers the ceiling of the hall and whose paintings are featured in the hall. (May 8, 2023)
A close-up of the ceiling fresco of the Luca Giordano Hall inside the Palazzo Medici Riccardi in Florence. (May 8, 2023)
Me at the Fountain of Neptune at the Piazza della Signoria in Florence. (May 8, 2023)
The Fountain of Neptune at the Piazza della Signoria in Florence. (May 8, 2023)
The Santa Croce church in Florence where Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni, better known as Michelangelo, is buried. Founded in 1294 and completed in 1415 to replace a smaller church built in 1222. (May 8, 2023)
The Santa Croce church in Florence where Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni, better known as Michelangelo, is buried. Founded in 1294 and completed in 1415 to replace a smaller church built in 1222. (May 8, 2023)
Inside the Santa Croce church in Florence. (May 8, 2023)
Inside the Santa Croce church in Florence. (May 8, 2023)
The high altar inside the Basilica of Santa Croce church in Florence. (May 8, 2023)
Inside the Basilica of Santa Croce church in Florence. (May 8, 2023)
A side view inside the Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence. (May 8, 2023)
The tombs of Dante (left) and Michelangelo (right) inside the Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence. (May 8, 2023)
The tomb of Michelangelo (1475-1564) inside the Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence was designed and partially carried out by Giorgio Vasari to honour the memory of the great artist. (May 8, 2023)
The tomb of Michelangelo (1475-1564) inside the Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence was designed and partially carried out by Giorgio Vasari to honour the memory of the great artist. (May 8, 2023)
The tomb of Michelangelo (1475-1564) inside the Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence was designed and partially carried out by Giorgio Vasari to honour the memory of the great artist. (May 8, 2023)
The Bust of Michelangelo on his tomb in the Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence. (May 8, 2023)
A tomb for Dante Alighieri, commonly known as Dante, was built in 1829 in the Basilica of Santa Croce, however, it is empty because his body remains in Ravenna where he died. Florence exiled Dante but later wanted his body returned. Dante (c.1265-1321) was a poet, writer and philosopher. His Divine Comedy is widely considered one of the most important poems of the Middle Ages and possibly the greatest literary work in the Italian language. (May 8, 2023)
The tomb of Italian astronomer, physicist and engineer, Galileo di Vincenzo Bonaiuti de’ Galilei (1564-1642), commonly known as Galileo, inside the Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence. He was not allowed a Christian burial inside the church because he asserted that the Earth revolved around the sun, and was thus excommunicated by the Church. It took 95 years, in 1737, his body was moved to a marble sarcophagus inside the basilica. (May 8, 2023)
The Pazzi Chapel inside the first cloister of the Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence is considered the masterpiece of Filippo Brunelleschi. (May 8, 2023)
The Pazzi Chapel inside the first cloister of the Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence is considered the masterpiece of Filippo Brunelleschi. (May 8, 2023)
Views of Florence and the Cathedral. (May 8, 2023)
Views of Florence and the Cathedral. (May 8, 2023)
And, one more important church before ending our day and going out to dinner, the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flower or the Florence Cathedral or just the Duomo in Florence. It was built between 1269 and 1436. And Giotto’s Campanile or free-standing bell tower standing adjacent to the Duomo. (May 8, 2023)
The Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flower or the Florence Cathedral or just the Duomo in Florence. (May 6, 2023)
The Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flower or the Florence Cathedral or just the Duomo in Florence was built between 1269 and 1436. (May 6, 2023)
Inside the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flower or the Florence Cathedral or the Duomo, is one of the largest churches in the world. (May 8, 2023)
The Filippo Brunelleschi dome, inside the Duomo, was built between 1420 and 1436 and is still the largest masonry vault in the world. And, the Last Judgment fresco painting was begun by the Italian Renaissance master Giorgio Vasari in 1572 and completed after his death by Federico Zuccari in 1579. (May 8, 2023)
The Filippo Brunelleschi dome, inside the Duomo, was built between 1420 and 1436 and is still the largest masonry vault in the world. And, the Last Judgment fresco painting was begun by the Italian Renaissance master Giorgio Vasari in 1572 and completed after his death by Federico Zuccari in 1579. (May 8, 2023)
The Martyrdom of Saint Lawrence by Agnolo Bronzino from 1565 inside the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Florence. (May 8, 2023)
A close-up of the Martyrdom of Saint Lawrence by Agnolo Bronzino from 1565 inside the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Florence. (May 8, 2023)
The Filippo Brunelleschi dome, inside the Duomo, was built between 1420 and 1436 and is still the largest masonry vault in the world. And, the Last Judgment fresco painting was begun by the Italian Renaissance master Giorgio Vasari in 1572 and completed after his death by Federico Zuccari in 1579. (May 8, 2023)
The Filippo Brunelleschi dome, inside the Duomo, was built between 1420 and 1436 and is still the largest masonry vault in the world. And, the Last Judgment fresco painting was begun by the Italian Renaissance master Giorgio Vasari in 1572 and completed after his death by Federico Zuccari in 1579. (May 8, 2023)
The Filippo Brunelleschi dome, inside the Duomo, was built between 1420 and 1436 and is still the largest masonry vault in the world. And, the Last Judgment fresco painting was begun by the Italian Renaissance master Giorgio Vasari in 1572 and completed after his death by Federico Zuccari in 1579. (May 8, 2023)
Inside the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flower or the Florence Cathedral or the Duomo, is one of the largest churches in the world. (May 8, 2023)
Inside the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flower or the Florence Cathedral or the Duomo, is one of the largest churches in the world. (May 8, 2023)
Inside the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flower or the Florence Cathedral or the Duomo, is one of the largest churches in the world. (May 8, 2023)
Inside the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flower or the Florence Cathedral or the Duomo, is one of the largest churches in the world. (May 8, 2023)
The doorway inside the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flower or the Florence Cathedral or the Duomo to the 498 steps up to the Brunelleschi Dome in Florence. (May 8, 2023)
Kudos to Alice who climbed the 498 steps up to the Brunelleschi Dome of Santa Maria Del Fiore Cathedral in Florence. While I was visiting the Basilica of Santa Croce, Alice was climbing those steps! Congratulations Alice!
We tried the Florentine steak at the Lorenzo de Medici restaurant in Florence and it was a dud, way too chewy and tough even though I ordered it as a medium well. Here’s Alice with her steak, but it wasn’t as tender as she would have liked it to be. (May 8, 2023)
We tried the Florentine steak at the Lorenzo de Medici restaurant in Florence and it was a dud, way too chewy and tough even though I ordered it as a medium well. (May 8, 2023)

Italy Day 22: The Duomo, Museum, Baptistry, The David & Oltrarno Food Tour

We have squeezed a lot into four days of Florence and yet there is still more we could see and do. But for now, we’ve enjoyed the city that opened the door to the Renaissance.

So for our last full day, the morning began with a visit to the Galleria dell’Accademia or Accademia Gallery, the art museum containing Michelangelo’s The David. Plus, I squeezed in the Florence Duomo, the Duomo Museum and the Baptistry in the historic center.

And, for our last evening in Florence, Alice and I enjoyed a food tour and a walk through the Oltrarno area of Florence.

Here’s to saying goodbye to Florence and hello to Arezzo, where the plan is to take it easy and slow down.

Me at one of the few remaining wine windows of Babae Ritrovo con Cucina during our walking food tour in the Oltrano area of Florence. Just walk up, order your wine, pay and drink it on the street. (May 9, 2023)
This was the crowd of people at the Accademia Gallery in Florence. Where we began our morning. We purchased our tickets in advance but still had to wait in a line to enter. And, the line for people wanting to get in without tickets was literally around the building. (May 9, 2023)
The David, Michelangelo’s world renowned sculpture, inside the Galleria Accademia in Florence. (May 9, 2023)
The David, Michelangelo’s most famous sculpture in the world, inside the Gallery of the Academy in Florence. (May 9, 2023)
The unfinished Palestrina Pietà by Michelangelo inside the Accademia Gallery in Florence. (May 9, 2023)
The Lorenzo Bartolini’s plaster casts gallery inside the Accademia Gallery in Florence. (May 9, 2023)
The main entrance hall into the Opera del Duomo Museum in Florence. (May 9, 2023)
Inside the Opera del Duomo Museum in Florence. (May 9, 2023)
The original doors of the Baptistery with Old Testament stories, the “Door of Paradise” by Lorenzo Ghiberti were made between 1425 to 1452 are inside the Opera del Duomo Museum in Florence. (May 9, 2023)
A close-up of the original doors of the Baptistery with Old Testament stories, the “Door of Paradise” by Lorenzo Ghiberti were made between 1425 to 1452 are inside the Opera del Duomo Museum in Florence. (May 9, 2023)
The statue of Saint Mary Magdalene by Donatello inside the Opera del Duomo Museum in Florence. (May 9, 2023)
The statue of Saint Mary Magdalene by Donatello inside the Opera del Duomo Museum in Florence. (May 9, 2023)
The Pietà by Michelangelo from circa 1547 to 1555 inside the Opera del Duomo Museum in Florence. (May 9, 2023)
The funerary mask of Filippo Brunelleschi from 1446 inside the Opera del Duomo Museum in Florence. (May 9, 2023)
Another view of the Florence Cathedral or Duomo and the Brunelleschi Dome from the ceiling of the Opera del Duomo Museum in Florence. (May 9, 2023)
The octagonal Baptistry also known as the Baptistery of Saint John stands across from the Duomo and the Campanile di Giotto or tower in Florence. The Baptistery is one of the oldest buildings in the city, constructed between 1059 and 1128 in the Florentine Romanesque style. (May 9, 2023)
The octagonal Baptistry also known as the Baptistery of Saint John stands across from the Duomo and the Campanile di Giotto or tower in Florence. (May 6, 2023)
Inside the octagonal Baptistry also known as the Baptistery of Saint John in Florence. (May 9, 2023)
Inside the octagonal Baptistry also known as the Baptistery of Saint John in Florence. (May 9, 2023)
Inside the octagonal Baptistry also known as the Baptistery of Saint John in Florence. (May 9, 2023)
The marble-and-bronze tomb monument of Antipope John XXIII, (Baldassare Cossa c. 1360–1419) created by Italian sculptors Donatello and Michelozzo inside the octagonal Baptistry also known as the Baptistery of Saint John in Florence. (May 9, 2023)
The marble-and-bronze tomb monument of Antipope John XXIII, (Baldassare Cossa c. 1360–1419) created by Italian sculptors Donatello and Michelozzo inside the octagonal Baptistry also known as the Baptistery of Saint John in Florence. (May 9, 2023)
The ceiling mosaic inside the octagonal Baptistry also known as the Baptistery of Saint John in Florence is being restored. (May 9, 2023)
The ceiling mosaic inside the octagonal Baptistry also known as the Baptistery of Saint John in Florence is being restored. (May 9, 2023)
The beautiful tile floors inside the octagonal Baptistry also known as the Baptistery of Saint John in Florence. (May 9, 2023)
The beautiful tile floors inside the octagonal Baptistry also known as the Baptistery of Saint John in Florence. (May 9, 2023)
Walking across the River Arno to the Oltrarno area of Florence for a food walking tour on quite a gorgeous day. (May 9, 2023)
Getting in a quick selfie with the Ponte Vecchio bridge across the Arno River in the distance. (May 9, 2023)
The Oltrarno are of Florence is located south of the River Arno. (May 9, 2023)
The Oltrarno are of Florence is located south of the River Arno. (May 9, 2023)
The kids playing at Piazza Santo Spirito in front of the Basilica di Santo Spirito Firenze in the Oltrarno area of Florence. (May 9, 2023)
The Enoteca Vinaino di San Frediano in the Oltrarno area of Florence, the first food stop during our food walking tour. (May 9, 2023)
Tuscan prosciutto and two different salamis with pepper and fennel seeds plus bread and wine at the first food stop during our food walking tour at the Enoteca Vinaino di San Frediano in the Oltrarno area of Florence. (May 9, 2023)
Getting ready to enjoy three different kinds of bread toppings at the Caffe Notte Bistrot in Oltrarno during our food walking tour. The three different kinds of bread toppings were a white onion and rosemary; cheese mixed with white truffles; and bruschetta with red tomatoes and olive oil. (May 9, 2023)
Our little slices of cheese mixed with white truffles (left) and bruschetta with red tomatoes and olive oil (right) during out food tasting at the Caffe Notte Bistrot in Oltrarno. (May 9, 2023)
Bistecca alla Florentina or Florentine steak, the good kind and quite delicious at Bbq Trattoria Barbecue at Piazza Torquato Tasso in the Oltrarno area of Florence. It’s a 3 to 4 finger thick T-Bone steak that’s cook rare or medium rare and sprinkled with some sea salt. Before putting a piece of steak on your plate, the first thing you do is pour olive oil on the plate then add your salt and pepper. (May 9, 2023)
Good night and goodbye Florence from across the Arno River. (May 9, 2023)