Florence: Part Two

We spent our second day in Florence visiting the museums and churches. We climbed the stairs to the top of the dome in the Florence cathedral. The view was absolutely incredible. 

The path to the top of the dome takes you around the inside of the dome. It was really amazing to be walking around the paintings on the dome and see the detail and sheer scale of this masterpiece.

Michelangelo's David is housed in the Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze. This is not a large museum, and the main attraction is really the David. The hallway leading up the the priceless statue is lined with unfinished sculptures started by Michelangelo. It was so fascinating to see the process of carving a statue. You could see the chisel marks and the rough details. It almost looked as though these figures were breaking through their marble trappings, as if they were inside all along.

There was an entire hall of the museum that was filled with plaster casts of busts, and a few larger statues.

The doors to the baptistery are some of the most famous doors in the world. They are known as The Gates of Paradise and were created using bronze relief. The Victoria and Albert museum has a cast of these doors, as well as the David, but it was much cooler to see the real thing.

Inside of the Baptistery the ceiling is entirely tile mosaic, predominately using golden tiles.

The floor is marble diamonds. This building plays a lot with geometric shapes and design.

Next we headed to Dante's house. The exhibit inside was almost entirely in Italian, so we wen't really able to read what it was about. Here is an old book. It is probably important.

The view from Dante's house. We especially liked the bike storage solution. Very clever use of space.

Walking down stairs at Dante's house. 

Our last stop of the day was the Uffizi Gallery. 

The ceilings, the art, the stair cases, the statues, the sculptures, simply everything was awe inspiring. The collection housed here was so amazing, we wondered around for hours absorbing the wonderful art and atmosphere of the place.

There is a cafe on the terrace halfway through the museum. We stopped for a snack and enjoyed the beautiful view. 

The outdoor David is a cast of the original and is housed outside in the Piazza della Signoria.

Quite the view. We were there when the Orlando shooting occurred and you can see the rainbow and American flag being hung in solidarity. Quite touching to be in a place so far away and still see support and love.

Sunset on the Arno as we drive back home.