Academy of Fine Arts
After breakfast, we were bused out to meet our Local Guide outside the Academy of Fine Arts. The primary attraction there is Michaelangelo’s David but some other exhibits include the hall of unfinished Slaves or Prisoners, lots of ancient plaster casts from the masters and their students, and some pre-Rennaisance gothic art.
Florence Cathedral
We then were escorted through the historic city center where we got to admire the Florence Cathedral, formally the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore. It was absolutely breathtaking having been made of different colored marble. We also got to admire Giotto’s Bell Tower and the Baptistry’s heavy bronze “Gates of Paradise.” Unfortunately, we did not get to go inside.
Signoria Square
We then hiked to the Signoria Square which was the political center of the city and whose centerpiece was the Palazzo Vecchi which was their town hall. The plaza was full of statues. There was a copy of Michelangelo’s David at the entrance of the Palazzo Vecchio which the ignorant would assume was the real version. The plaza had several other notable statues such as the Equestrian Monument of Cosimo I, honoring Cosimo I de’ Medici and sculpted by Giambologna (1594), and a huge Fountain of Neptune by Bartolomeo Ammannati (1575). The Loggia dei Lanzie area had numerous other famous statues such as The Rape of the Sabine Women by Giambologna (1583) and Perseus with the Head of Medusa by Cellini (1554).
Santa Croce Basilica
We then visited the Santa Croce Basilica (1442) that had the tombs of some of the most illustrious Italians such as Michelangelo, Galileo, Machiavelli, the poet Foscolo, the philosopher Gentile and the composer Rossini. We were able to go inside this church and admire this Minor Basilica which is the largest Franciscan church in the world.
La Galleria Michelangelo
At the end of the guided tour, our tour director arranged an opportunity for us to get a tour of a Florentine Gold and Leather shop called La Galleria Michelangelo that was on the Piazza di Santa Croce. The shop keeper took us into a back room and passed around beautiful gold jewelry that had been crafted in the store. She explained that in Europe most gold and silver jewelry is sold by weight and that most of it are 18kt. She then had a couple of volunteers model leather clothing that was sold in the store. While they tried on various items, she proceeded to educate us on leather goods. She also informed us that the shop specialized in antique book restoration and had a long history in antique bookbinding and traditional Florentine paper.
Lunch
Afterward, we got some lunch from a local sidewalk cafe where I enjoyed a tasty lasagna and Lisa enjoyed some spaghetti with pepper.
Florence Walkabout
We then pulled out the Rick Steves walking tour and revisited some of the sites and a few more.
During our walk, we spent some time in the Orsanmichele, the Church of Guilds, because of its interesting history (and it was free to enter).
We finished the walking tour by walking to our hotel along the Arno River so that we could see the Ponte Vecchio. We also got some gelato along the way.
Tuscan Dinner
When we got back to the hotel, we freshened up and Tuscan Dinner. The was anticipated to be one of the highlight meals of the tour, and it did not fail us. We first got a brief bus tour of some Florence sites as we headed out of town. We stopped at a wonderful scenic overlook that allowed us to see the entire Florence old town area.
The restaurant was called Ristorante I Tre Pini. When we arrived we were taken to the garden area in the back of the restaurant where we each received a welcome and a blue welcome drink before being escorted to our tables. We were serenaded by a four-person singing group with an accordion and guitars. We were then greeted by the chef before helping ourselves to a huge antipasto table buffet. The wine flowed and we continued to be serenaded and Lisa was coaxed by their solo singer to do a little dance with him. The il secondo or the second course was a large meat platter with various types of beef and sausage. The weather was beautiful, the company was joyful, the music was fun, and the service was friendly. It was a delightful meal.
On the way home, we were feeling so good that the driver put on some Italian classic songs such as Volare that got the entire bus singing. Definitely a highlight.