ITALY 2009PART 1, FLORENCE & TUSCANY

Firenze from Piazza Michelangelo

The Wall Around the City

At the Piazza

Bronze Copy of “David”

The Ponte Vecchio over the river Arno

• The Ponte Vecchio is the only original bridge not destroyed by the Germans in WWII. It was built by the Medicis to connect their palaces on both sides of the river. It has a covered second story so that the Medicis would not have to associate with the unwashed peasantry.

On the Ponte Vecchio

Typical expansion above ground level to reduce footprint for tax purposes. Common in city as well as on bridge.

A Niche on the Bridge

At the other end

Scenes along the Arno

Palazzo Vechio & Environs

A copy of David –the original is in a museum where pictures are not allowed.

• Between the Palace and the river, the Galleria degli Uffizi is located. One could get lost in this museum for days. It is surrounded by statuary in every nook and cranny. A sampling follows of persons whose names you might recognize. The work was done in their lifetimes. Most of the statuary are copies with the originals in museums in a protected environment.

• There are so many magnificent churches and piazzas that, as a novice, they all begin to look alike. They are done in white and green marble which sometimes appears to be black and white. Ditto the magnificent piazzas surrounded by impressive buildings. All construction is in stone. Florence was a merchant city and very wealthy starting in the 12th century through the middle ages almost to modern times. To protect against fire, wood construction was forbidden. Hence the city remains much as it was in terms of the streets and exterior facades.

Cathedrale del Santa Maria del FioreThe big red dome identifies the cathedral.

Our Guide in Florence

The Green Dome is the Great Synagogue of Florence

The Great Synagogue

Near the Great Synagogue in Firenze

The Gucci-Pucci StreetSo called because of the fashion houses at each end.

• We will now embark on a random walk through the streets and Piazzas of Firenze. After the walk, we will visit Sienna followed by a stop in a 13th century town and return to Florence from whence we embark to Roma.

• Incidentally, Firenze was originally Florenze (same root as Florida) but the “L” got lost in Italian and stayed in the English version.

The top of the building was used for hanging dyed fabrics out to dry.

Rochelle snaps a picture

This Piazza was the Jewish Ghetto until it was abolished and the Jews integrated in the 19th century.

Rubbing the pig in the flea market for luck

The Church near the Train Station

Walking from the train station to our hotel

Approaching a gate through the wall surrounding Florence

A weir on the Arno to prevent a naval attack

View from the coffee shop at McDonalds. Two women were nursing babies in the coffee shop w/o cover up

A residence entrance

Another entrance

On to Sienna

• Sienna, like Florence, is all stone. It was a rival to Florence in 12th & 13th centuries until Florence conquered Sienna. By law, the exteriors cannot be modernized but the interiors can be changed to the owners liking and convenience.

• Its population has been a constant 50,000 except after WWII when it dropped to 30,000.

• Sienna was a very wealthy town and, in its heyday, had 300 churches until the Pope reduced the number to 30. The wealthy families built churches to show off their wealth.

• The main Piazza is a scene of an annual horse race where the neighborhoods compete against each other with the winner having bragging rights for the next year.

• Tourism is their principle industry today.

The Main Piazza

A Church

A symbol of Rome

Entrance to the Baptismal Font

The Main Church

Our Guide in Sienna

The Main Entrance

• The family that built this church bought several Papacies for their family. (Corruption was rife in those days.) Sienna was their summer home away from Rome.

• They built a separate chapel for themselves so they would not have to associate with the common folk.

Inside their Chapel

Back in the main piazza

Our guide w/o her sunglasses

The ubiquitous Gelato store

Enjoying a cuppa in the piazza

A 13th Century Town Enroute back to Firenze

The Piazza

And now, on our way to Roma

• Next Stop – ROMA

• To be continued