Uffizi (and the statue of David)

The Uffizi Gallery

Uffizi Gallery (Galleria degli Uffizi) in Florence

It is foolish to visit Florence and not step foot in the Uffizi Gallery. This museum holds some of the most important pieces of art in human history. According to our guide, it was also virtually the first public museum in history. Of course you had to be of some status to enter. The Birth of Venus by Botticelli is one of those pieces. He was commissioned by the Medici in 1486.

The hall ways are lined with statues and rooms that are filled with some of the most exquisite art you will ever see. I could spend hours upon hours gazing at the ceilings, let alone the paintings on the walls. If you are feeling up to it, you can have lunch on the patio. It is a great view of the city and,hey, it is eating lunch at the Uffizi. Watch out for the birds. They may be little, but they are relentless. 

 The square right outside the Uffizi is filled with statues and is quite a marvel in itself.

Now to the Accademia. It is much smaller than the Uffizi and the main attraction is David. The statue is truly remarkable. I had the perception of it being big, but not that big. The detail Michelangelo placed on that piece of art is why it is one of the most famous statues in history. 

It is a good idea to get your tickets beforehand, unless you like waiting in very long lines. These places are always busy. For the Accademia we still ended up waiting 30 minutes even with our tickets. Those who did not were waiting in line for a solid 3 hours.

Do you think you know a thing or two about art? Test your Renaissance art knowledge:Play Quiz: Italian Renaissance: Art Matching now!

Firenze

Florence

The Ponte Vecchio. It is the most famous bridge in Florece. It is lined with shops (mainly jewelry).

It was strange moving from Venice to Florence. You step into the street and suddenly a Fiat zooms past. You have to tell yourself there are cars here. Unlike Venice the mixture of past and present is much more noticeable Buildings that have stood the test of time tower over tiny curs buzzing through the narrow streets. These streets alone must be the reason why many Italian cars are so tiny. With they way they drove and the way people walked right out into the middle of the street, it was  no surprise you would hear an ambulance every ten minutes or so.

The view from out room looked right out over the Piazza Della Repubblica, which is one of the main squares in Florence since the medieval times.

An old castle which is now a hotel.

The Cathedral of Florence

Strangely enough, this was not the only couple I saw exchanging vows in the square near the cathedral.

The Baptistry doors known as the gates of paradise. They were designed by Ghiberti who was commissioned in 1425 and the doors were installed in 1452.

There is so much history when it comes to Florence. Its golden age was brought on by the Medici and their influence in the renaissance. Evidence of the family can be seen throughout the city. Their symbol can be seen throughout the city. It contains a shield and six balls. According to several people, no one is quite sure why they chose the six balls featured on the crest. I found that quite interesting.

This was originally built to one-up the Medici family. However, the rivals ran out of money and the building was later purchased by the Medici and used as their home.

Walkways like this were constructed so the upper class could travel without mixing with the people on the street.

Murano

The Island of Glass.

Murano has an interesting history when it comes to its trademark glass making. The craftsmen originated in Venice but were forced to relocate due to  the risk of fires by the furnaces. The city, at the time, was mainly constructed with wood. After their migration, the glass makers became some of the most important members of society ing Murano. They were included into high society. Although, they were restricted in further relocation due to the safe guarding of the glass making methods. If you are looking for a little more info on the history, click here.

We were fortunate enough to witness how these craftsmen work. It was amazing how quick and effortlessly this man formed a horse out of glass. It is neat to watch the glass take shape.

At one point, the guide dropped a piece of paper into the vase. The interior was so hot, the paper caught on fire. Make your way here to have a look at their website. 

After the glass blowing,we were able to explore the island. We visited a museum that contained many ancient artifacts. I was not able to get pictures of them. We were under watch. I was able to sneak a few of the ceiling in one of the rooms.

 There were some great stone pieces outside as well.

I am proud/hesitant to say that Murano was the site of one of my biggest blonde moments. We set out to see the church. On the way we got a bit distracted taking pictures in front of an interesting building. After about 20 minutes we decided we should be on our way.

 We then spent the following 30 minutes looking for the church... Let me just say we had to backtrack some. When we finally made it inside, it was unbelievable. Frescos covered the walls along with some mosaics. In all honesty, you are not supposed to take pictures. Unfortunately, I could not help myself and ended up taking a quick snapshot of one of the mosaics. Not that it would do it any justice.














Half of the experience is just stumbling upon things. We were able to see some very beautiful and interesting things by just exploring.