This fall I took a great trip to Rome, Florence, and Venice. This is part 3 covering Florence. Future posts include more highlights of Florence and Venice.
On the way to Florence, we stopped for lunch at the Castel Vicchiomaggio winery in the Chianti region of Tuscany. High on the top of a hill, the views were amazing, and the wine was to die for! Eventually, we all made it back onto the bus and continued on to Florence. We stayed at the Hotel Cavour, which was a modern hotel within easy walking distance of all the attractions.
The view from the winery
The view from the winery
Our first tour in Florence was the Accademia, home to Michelangelo’s sculpture, The Statue of the David (1504). The Accademia has a lot of historical pieces and is a bit low key, until you turn the corner and at the far end of the room, with dramatic lighting and a raised ceiling, is the Statue of the David.
The Statue of the David
The Statue of the David
The Statue of the David
The word magnificent doesn’t do it justice. Carved from one piece of white marble, Michelangelo was the third sculptor to work on the piece. It was originally commissioned by the Opera del Duomo for the Cathedral of Florence (the Duomo) to be part of a group of sculptures that was to decorate the building 40 feet in the air. This explains why the statue is 14 feet tall and certain features are outsized to support the structure and be seen from a distance.
Declaring the work too perfect to be high up on the Cathedral, it was on display outdoors in the Piazza della Signora until 1873, when it was moved to the Accademia. The exhibit also has some interesting unfinished pieces by Michelangelo, which give a perspective on how the artist approached his work.
The next day we toured the Baptistery, Duomo Cathedral, Duomo Museum, and the Workshop. The Duomo (also known as the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore) was built in the 13th and 14th century adjacent to the smaller church called the Baptistery. The famous dome, designed by Filippo Brunelleschi was added in the 15th century. The interior, especially the artwork in the dome is beautiful. It seemed wherever you went in Florence, you had a glimpse of the Duomo.
The Baptistry
Ceiling in the Baptistry
The Duomo
Ceiling in the Duomo Dome
Ceiling in the Duomo Dome
Glimpses of the Duomo are everywhere.
The Duomo Museum has a wonderful collection of art including works of Michelangelo, Luca della Robbia, and Donatello. It is definitely worth a visit. My favorite part of the museum was the workshop where the beautiful marble columns and other marble components of the Duomo are repaired. A man whose father and grandfather worked in the workshop before him showed us the tools and the process of repairing a marble column. They still use the same tools their forefathers used (with the addition of a couple of modern power tools), but also the same tools the sculptors used when creating their masterpieces.
Florence is not just about art. The food is incredible. For me the most exciting food discoveries were the GROM gelato place and the Starbene Gold Bakery. Both were 100% gluten free, which is magic to the ears of someone with celiac disease, who can’t have a speck of gluten or risk sickness. Let’s just say the woman who ran the bakery and I become fast friends.
Starbene Gold
Florence is known for its leather shops and they are everywhere, both in shops and street vendors. Some are good quality and others are not as good. Our tour guide told us about the leather school (Scuola del Cuoio) that is located on the grounds of the Franciscan Monastery of Santa Croce. After World War II, one of the friars decided to start the school to pass on leather skills to orphaned children so they would have a way to support themselves. Today the students are underprivileged residents of Florence. If you are looking for leather goods, this is the place to go. Not only can you watch the goods being made, but the craftsmanship is beautiful. Here are some pictures from the cases along with a picture of the small wallet I purchased.
See Part 4 for more on Florence and Part 5 for Venice.
Jackie
I was in Florence in February of last year, and your article brought me right back to such wonderful memories. While I visited (and loved!) the Uffizi Gallery, the Accademia did not fit into my schedule. I regret not seeing that marvelous statue of David first-hand. You’ve captured it very well here. I did, however, bring home some of that marvelous leather! Florence is definitely on my top 10 cities of the world, as you point out, with good reasons!
Renata Green
Ok, first of all, from your picture I cannot believe that you are over 60, but that has nothing to do with this post.
Italy is my favorite country and Florence is my favorite city there: At least in the center literally EVERYTHING is beautiful. If been there so often and still cannot get enough and look around in awe.
To shop for leather goods it’s worth it to look around at the markets, too, by the way. The quality sometimes isn’t that very high – you have to take a good look at what you are buying – but it’s much cheaper than at the nicer stores.
Buon viaggio!
Kerri
Florence is one of my favourite cities in the world, having now been fortunate enough to have been there a number of times. I just love the rooflines especially. The Duomo is just amazing, for so many reasons. I bought leather handbags and a leather jacket here at the markets many, many years ago and I still have them all, such is the quality of the leather. I remember the whole bartering experience being so wonderful too.
Rye Santiago
Before I decided to learn French, I was amused by a lot of things French – movies, music, hot chocolate, the language itself, and pastries. Recently, I’ve been seeing so many Italian elements in my travels such as books written by Italian authors, music, pasta and, now, a handful of blog posts about Italy. Now, should I learn Italian? Haha. It’s pure joy to see travelers like you enjoying life to the fullest – gelato and all. Where’s your next destination after Florence?
Pam Q.
Hi Jackie,
Thanks for your comments. The Uffizi Gallery was (outside of seeing the Statue of the David) the highlight of my trip to Florence and will be the subject of my next blog post. There were so many amazing works of art there! Like you, I have many wonderful memories of my time in Florence.
Pam Q.
Hi Renata — Thanks for your complement! I turn 65 next week but try to stay young by hiking, biking, and other activities. I agree with you about Florence — I absolutely fell in love with the city! The street markets for the leather goods was really interesting and as you said, some were good quality and some weren’t. I did talk with a woman who spent a good part of a day going from place to place comparing quality and prices and she felt she made some good purchases at the markets. Enjoy your next visit to Florence!
Pam Q.
Hi Kerri,
Thanks for your comment. Of the places I’ve been, I have to say Florence is one of my favorites as well. Whenever I had some open time, I found myself lured back to the Duomo area to just soak up the atmosphere. You are correct that the leather is amazing – the workmanship, colors, and styles are like nothing I have ever seen before.
Happy traveling!
Pam Q.
Hi Rye,
Thanks for your comment! I retired last year and am having a wonderful time traveling to the places I’ve always wanted to see. There is indeed something special about Italy and France – the people, the customs, the language, and the food. I’m in the process of planning a week long hiking trip in England and a more traditional sightseeing trip to Vienna and Prague. What’s next for you?
Helena
I haven’t been to Florence (yet) but my partner just came back and he loved it. The descriptions you have given and the photos are exactly what I have imagined and why I really want to go there. For some reason the statue of David is high on my list, even though I am not a huge art follower!
Bernie
A coeliac-friendly bakery in Florence? Ah, be still my beating heart! Just when I thought Florence couldn’t get any more perfect. I’ve not been to the Duomo Museum, so that would definitely be on my list for next time (along with the bakery, of course!). Your pictures are beautiful, and it’s great to see David from a different angle. It’s clear that you’ve had a fantastic time exploring.
Pam Q.
Hi Helena,
Thanks for your comment. I’ll admit that I don’t know much about art, but I was amazed with the art in this area. Definitely worthy a trip!
Pam Q.
Hi Bernie, Thanks for your persistence in making this comment. Florence was amazing and a very easy city to find gluten free options. The Starbene Gold bakery, Grom gelato, several little grocery stores with gluten free options, and a number of accommodating restaurants made it easy to enjoy good food. Happy traveling!
Mel Butler
Castel Vicchiomaggio winery sounds so lovely, you can’t go passed drinking wine anywhere in Tuscany. What a great way to start of your trip in Florence. The Statue of the David is definitely a stunning status and I am impressed you have pictures of it because when I went photos were not allowed. It is crazy to think that Michelangelo carved from one piece of white marble.
Bailey
I have always wanted to visit Florence, it is 2nd on my bucket list right now! Thanks for an amazing read about all of the things I want to see, and things I haven’t heard of but now want to! I felt like I was actually there seeing them! I wish lol.