Swollen Feet

This city is great. The food is to die for, I have already found a few places where the sandwiches are delicious and I am still in search of my favorite gelato place. The only downside to this city is that the streets can be a little confusing, so until I learn Italian, I am refraining from exploring toooooo much. Last night we went out to the Lion's Fountain again and met a group of girls from Minnesota studying at another school here in the city and they invited us to join them at another bar called the Red Carter, which is another popular spot for American students.

Santa Maria Novella

Today we went on another tour with our hostel that took us to the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella which is a church right down the street from our apartment actually and it is beautiful. From there we headed down towards the river, passed by the Palazzo Strozzi which is a palace that I will actually be attending class in for school. (can't complain about that) We saw a few more palaces and churches then we hit the Fiume Arno and crossed over the Ponte Santa Trinita to the other side of the river and went into the Chiesa del Carmine, a gorgeous church that from the outside, looks very plain however the inside was breathtaking. Most churches, more specifically the Renaissance churches have beautiful, yet simple facades but the inside of the church is far from plain or simple. This plays along with the idea of separation of body and soul. 

Santa Croce

After our tour we got lunch at this cafe right across the square from Basilica di Santa Croce. IT WAS DELICIOUS! I had a very tummy panini and cappuccino. After lunch we went inside of Santa Croce and it was absolutely unreal. Da Vinci, Michelangelo, the Medici family, Dante and other very important historical figures are all buried inside of this church. Fun fact, the church was actually designed by a Jewish man...there is a star of david on the facade. The church had a lot of restorations going on so I definitely plan on going back later in the semester. Also, I would like to get the audio tour next time so I can learn more about the church and about each of the tombs.

Battistero di San Giovanni

Today we also went inside of the Baptistry (Battistero di San Giovanni) which is right in front of the entrance to the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore (the cathedral where the Duomo is attached). The ceiling of the Baptistry is unreal. The detailing and the gold made it feel as if you were looking into the heavens. There are two doors on the side that are considered to be the entrance and the exit door is facing the Cattedrale. The meaning behind that is because once you were baptized, you are then ready for church, thus you exit at the foot of the church.

Outside the Battistero

The exit doors, as Michelangelo called them the "Gates of Paradise" were done by Lorenzo Ghiberti. They are made of bronze and plated with gold and have ten panels each depicting a different scene from the Old Testament.

Gates of Paradise 

I love Florence because of it's rich history in art. All of the buildings have character and you cannot walk a few blocks without running into a palace, piazza housing some important statue or breathtaking church. The mixture of Gothic and Renaissance architecture gives the city even more richness and awe inspiring power. Nothing is ugly, only old. I am going to make it a point to learn all that I can about the history of Florence and especially the history of all the churches and famous palaces. Everything has a story and I feel as if I am walking through a textbook, the feeling is indescribable.

I wish everyone could visit and experience the beauty that is Florence for themselves.


Ciao!