Sept 13 - Florence

 Sept 13 - Florence 

A little bit of an early start today getting tickets for some of the main sights and to try and miss some of the crowds. 


Our first visit was a walk (climb!) up the Campanile.  This magnificent looking bell tower, designed by Giotto (he of Padua fresco fame) and covered in white, green, and pink marble, was completed in 1359.  At a height of 85 mts, and with 414 steps to the top, there’s a lovely scenic view of the city and it’s surrounding hills, plus there’s a great close-up of Brunelleschi’s dome.

Located close-by our next stop was to the Baptistery of San Giovanni, one of the oldest churches in Florence.  This 12th century octagonal building is covered with white and green marble and is renowned for its three sets of bronze doors and magnificent mosaics on the interior dome.  These mosaics are absolutely stunning and, with the huge figure of Jesus, display the scenes of the Last Judgment around the dome.  

Our last stop was to the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, in essence a museum telling the story of 750 years of Florence’s cathedral history.  Mainly offering a insight into the construction of the Baptistery, Duomo and Campanile it houses many of these buildings original sculptures which have been replaced with copies for preservation reasons.  It’s a magnificent museum, so much better than we were expecting, and contains some fantastic exhibits, such as the Ghiberti’s original doors from the Baptistery (apparently Michelangelo called them ‘The Gates of Paradise’), the reconstruction of the former facade of the Duomo, and Michelangelo's Pieta Bandini, amongst others.  There’s even a great spot on the roof to get another close-up of Brunelleschi’s Dome. 

L: Pietà Vaticana & R: Pietà Bandini



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