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Florence was the birthplace of the Renaissance, and has the artistic gems to prove it. Genius the likes of Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci called Florence home, and helped power a rebirth of art, architecture, music, politics--you name it. The focal point of Florence is its awe-inspiring Cathedral, or Duomo. With a lively facade of green, pink, and white Tuscan marble, and capped by the first Renaissance dome that served as a model for many others (including Michelangelo, who would later design the dome that sits atop St. Peter's Basilica in Rome), it is a glorious edifice.
Maureen, Rich and Doreen pose in front of the massive central doors of the Duomo.
Ponte Vecchio is one of the most attractive bridges in Europe, lined with shops that have traditionally sold gold and silver and crowded with pedestrians (no vehicle traffic).
From Piazzale Michelangelo, high above central Florence, we take in a peaceful view. The dome of the Duomo sits directly above Kelly's bean.
Florence is chock-a-block with great art, none more famous than Michelangelo's David. Standing 14 feet tall and exquisitely sculpted from a single block of marble that others had refused as too unwieldy and of not sufficient quality to work with, this piece is a symbol of the Renaissance. Taken from the biblical story where the young shepherd David takes on the unbeatable Goliath, it epitomizes the new feel of the Renaissance: man taking control of his life and the here and now, powered with strength and creativity by God.
At the Santa Croce Church in Florence, many of the greats of the Renaissance are entombed. Galileo, Machiavelli, Dante, and our man, Michelangelo, whose tomb is shown here.
Want to
experience a grand canal, a square filled with pigeons, a bridge of sighs, and a
romantic ride on a Venetian gondola? |
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So
this Michelangelo character was quite a guy, huh? He was an architect,
painter and sculptor. This is his only surviving easel painting, displayed
in the Uffizi Gallery.
