After getting off the bus in Firenze we walked down the cobblestone roads to the Basilica Santa Croce. The church itself was one of the last great cathedrals of Italy, dating back to about the 1200s, but the outer facade is actual of the 19th century. If you're facing the church to your left is a large, grimacing statue of Dante Alighieri, author of the Divine Comedy. I am a fan of Dante's work, and could picture him staring me down in marble, but it was unnerving none the less.
(Dante Aligheri outside the basilica)After walking into the church the first thing I noticed was the ceiling: it was made of wood. Yes, wood. Wooden beams and trusses. It was a moment of pure awe. Here is a cathedral full of stone that must weigh thousands of pounds being supported by wood. Architectural genius, I believe I must have taken at least ten pictures of the ceiling alone, but here is one of the better ones.
(Wooden beams and trusses)The church was unlike the churches we saw in Roma, not only because they were more dome orientated while this church was Gothic (as in it has a t shape, or a cross shape with niches on either side), but because it wasn't overbearing in its decoration. Yes, this cathedral was decorated to the nines, but to me it seemed so simple. What I mean is that the decorations seemed in place, they weren't doing more than being inspirational, and they were not being, at least in my opinion, ostentatious like some of the other churches I saw in Roma were. The other aspect I loved about the cathedral was the enclosed garden. The garden/piazza was enclosed rectangular and reminded me of an old picture of a Roman hotel I once saw. Very picturesque.
After finishing the cathedral we grabbed a quick bite in the square which was hosting an international flea market of sorts. I grabbed a true German sausage (complete with spicy brown mustard) and then browsed the wares (doing a bit of quick Christmas shopping) before rejoining the group of the cathedral's steps. From there we walked over to another church, the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore. This cathedral is most famous for its immense dome, constructed by Brunelleschi.
(The Basilica of Santa Maria)The exterior is somewhat like the Basilica Santa Croce, but the interior was so much different. I didn't spend much time in the inside of this church because I opted to climb to the top of Brunelleschi's dome (a steep 463 steps... 926 roundtrip). While the climb to the top was not blog-worthy, the views were worth the effort, if you ever have the chance to climb, do it. Even if you're afraid of heights, just do it, you'll be glad you did. Words cannot express the beauty of what I saw from the top of the dome, so instead I'll just show you some pictures.
(The far-off hills of Firenze)
(A panoramic from the top of the dome - click on it for full effect)
(A view of Firenze)After the dome we made our way to the Galleria Nationale which houses the famous "David" sculpture. I'd like to point out how big this sculpture is. I thought it would be about 15 feet tall, but no, it must have been at least 25 feet tall, maybe taller. Pictures were not allowed so I have none to show you, but it was amazing.
We left the Galleria and headed back towards the bus which was waiting for us on the river. A few of us broke ranks and sprinted down the river to the Ponte Vecchio, the bridge of gold. It is a bridge over the Arno river that houses nothing but jewelry shops. As we turned the corner to walk down it we were suddenly enveloped in a cloud of gold light. Now, I am not a fan of jewelry, but this bridge was breath-taking. Everywhere you looked was gold, silver, and more gold. We got a few ok pictures, but we didn't have much time and we had to run back to catch up with the group.
(Ponte Vecchio)I loved going to Firenze. It's slow pace and natural atmosphere was a nice compliment to the hustling city atmosphere of Roma. I will have to return to Firenze soon, because I feel as though the entire trip was rushed and I would love to experience it more.
(The Arno River in Firenze)
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