I had waited to go to Florence for a long time, since I took an art history class in college, since I read E.M. Forster’s A Room with a View and then fell totally in love with Florence after seeing the wonderful movie adaptation of that book (starring one of my favorite actresses, Helena Bonham Carter). So when we arrived in Florence on the first full day of our pilgrimage and came out of one of those fantastic little Italian alley-like streets to find ourselves in front of the Duomo, I just stopped in my tracks. Really.
Our tour guide was moving us along because we needed to go to a different location (and because the law governing tour guides forbids her from speaking about the Duomo because she is not a local Florence guide). And I said, “I’m sorry but I can’t just walk past this, even if we’re coming back later.” This was my first time seeing the Duomo up close and personal. No way was I just walking on by without taking it all in for a moment or two. And taking a photo or two.
Here’s a quick visit to Florence in photos. Enjoy. (You can click on any of the photos below to enlarge them.)
The famous Duomo…
A fountain…
Ponte Vecchio…
Galileo’s tomb in the Basilica of Santa Croce, where we also saw the tombs of Michelangelo, Rossini, and Machiavelli.
Basilica of Santa Croce in the distance…
Michelangelo’s David…
A typical street…
Wine for two…
Next up: Siena. Stay tuned.
