We checked into our hotel which was in the center of town and had an excellent view of the enormous dome on top of the cathedral. After getting settled and a quick rest we hit the town. Our first stop was the nearby Piazza della Signoria which is the main square in the center of the town. The square is covered in amazing statues and fountains and was the first home of Michelangelo’s David. The square is bounded on one side by an imposing palace, another by the famous Uffizi Gallery and on all others by cafes teaming with people.
After admiring the beautiful sculptures we headed north to the Cattedrale di Santa Maria. Outside of the Cathedral is the baptistery which has three sets of ornately decorated doors. The doors were actually a competition between famous renaissance artists and really showcase their abilities. The final product of the competition is amazing with the gold leaf still shining brightly over the square. Across from the baptistery is the amazing cathedral. It is covered in white marble with inlaid designs of green and pink marble. In addition to the inlays there are many sculptures and paintings above the doors and in little niches in the exterior. This site is actually very important in the history of art not just for its beauty but because it is where 3D perspective in paintings was first invented.
After surveying the amazing exterior of the cathedral it was time to go in and get to the very top. The vast interior was almost completely void of decoration and added to the splendor of the dome. The dome was covered with an enormous fresco depicting the three tiered universe. After a long climb we reached the bottom ring of the dome and got an up close look at the painting. The bottom portion showed a gory scene of hell with people chewing their own flesh and the devil throwing others into the fire. In the center was earth and showed the struggles of man trying to look to heaven and away from hell. Jesus spanned the gap from earth to heaven where there were cherubs flying and angels playing harps. It was one of the most amazing things I have ever seen. After admiring the beauty of the interior we started the last part of the climb to the very top of the cupola.
The climb through the dark and narrow corridor was the most exciting part of the whole journey. The walls were covered in old brick and stone with lights hanging at sporadic intervals, much like what I imagine an old mine would look like. As we climbed higher the ceilings got shorter and the walls began to curve. At the very end the path opened as we walked across the spine of the dome to the very top. Upon exiting we were hit by bright sunlight and an amazing view of the city below. The area on top of the cupola was extremely small and only guarded by a thin iron rail that ran around the very edge. Needless to say it was unnerving but the view was so spectacular that I really couldn’t focus on anything else, not even my fear of heights. Looking out over the city you could see the many beautiful churches, palaces, and also the Tuscan pine forest off in the distance. On the walk down my fear of heights began to creep up as the steps were very steep and I had lost my sense of adventure. Once on solid ground I was very happy to admire the Dome from beneath and continue our tour of the city center.
We walked through more bustling squares and past grand palaces on our way to the Ponte Vechio. The bridge is famous for being completely covered in jewelry shops which cantilever over the water barely clinging to the sides of the bridge. The little street is full of people admiring the enormous amount of gold and diamonds packed into the tiny space. On one side of the bridge there is a raised walkway that was used by the Medici family to travel across the river from one of their palaces to another never having to set foot on the sidewalk with the commoners. Unlike the Medici’s we were more than happy to wander through the crowded streets and on to dinner.
For dinner we stopped at a little restaurant and ordered more delicious Tuscan pasta, red meat, and wine. The food was again phenomenal and completely lived up to its reputation. On the walk back we got a little turned around and didn’t realize it until we had come to the serial killer museum. After getting spooked by the likenesses of Hannibal Lecter and the gruesome details of real murders like Ted Bundy we decided to break out the map and get on the fast track back to the hotel. In just one day Florence had quickly become one of my favorite Italian cities and I couldn’t wait to see what was in store for day number two.
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