ArgenTina's Travels: Pasta & the Pope: Florence (Day 8)

Hola todos,

To begin, Florence harbored good omens. It was warm and sunny as I awoke in a new city, ready to tackle a day that would logistics until everything was signed and settled, and then fun. I checked out of the hostel (the check-out window would end during my appointment) and, with all of my possessions once again on my person, I headed to my appointment.

On my way to the U.S. consulate, I passed the Santa Maria Novella church again, in daylight this time.

I walked through a few different winding streets, ending up at the River Arno.

The River Arno cuts through Florence. There were lots of runners along the river's sidewalk at this time in the morning.

The consulate! (Peep the American flag!)

I arrived to get everything notarized about 45 minutes before my appointment because I wasn’t playing games. And good thing. When I got there, it turned out at the e security wouldn’t let me go through with a large bag or any electronics other than my phone! The guards were nice, though, and pointed me to a few luggage storage options down the street.

I finally made it back to the consulate in time for my appointment and, to make a long story short, was told they couldn’t notarize any of the documents I had been sent.

All of the stress and schedule rearrangement for nothing. Mamma mia!

So I went back to my luggage and spent the next few hours slowly sipping an espresso at a cafe while I figured out what to do. And, although it took years off my life, I got a housing situation worked out. (Needless to say, I do NOT I repeat do NOT recommend scheduling international travel over a housing search and lease-signing period.)

But with that huge weight off my shoulders, it was finally time to see Florence. After a quick grocery-store lunch in a park, I headed off to my new hostel to store my bag for the day until check in. (I also dropped off my jacket—it was a warm one!)

The aforementioned park for lunch.

Then, I did this Rick Steves walking tour through the heart of downtown Florence, the Centro Storico, to get an overview of the main sights and the rough contours of Florentine history. Florence used to be the capital of Italy and was the birthplace of the Renaissance, forever changing art and producing some of the most famous artists, architects, engineers, and thinkers of world history. And that was after the Black Death killed half of the city’s population. So for such a small city, there is a lot to learn about.

The Duomo, the city’s main and most famous cathedral, is one of top 10 biggest cathedrals in the world. It’s officially called Santa Maria della Fiore and draws its name “fiore” from the Italian word for flower for which Florence is named. Its cornerstone was laid in 1296.

The Dome was built later (in “just” 16 years) and was inspired by the Pantheon in Rome. It’s self-supported by bricks laid in a herringbone pattern.

It’s bell tower (right) is 270 feet tall. On the outside are copies of Donatello’s sculptures of the 4 prophets, and you can climb to the top for stunning city views.

The Duomo complex’s Battistero, or baptistery, is the oldest building in Florence. Dante, author of The Divine Comedy, was baptized here!

The batiestero holds two sets of bronze doors, both made by the same artist, Ghiberti. The second set, made in 1425, were called the “gates of paradise” by Michelangelo. They consist of 10 panels depicting Old Testament scenes. Made of bronze only a few inches deep, they artfully use illusion and perspective to artfully make three dimensional scenes. This second set took Ghiberti 27 years to make.

Then I took a walk down Via dei Calzauoli, a true pedestrian street lined with famous luxury brands and trendy Italian boutiques. It was packed with tourists.

I passed by the Church of Orsan Michele. It was a combination church and granary--something to do with the power of both commerce and the Church.

Niches around the church's exterior were sponsored by various merchant guilds. This is a statute of St. George by the famous Donatello. Its Renaissance art style led it to eventually be adopted by Florentines as the symbol of their city.

Next was the Piazza della Signoria, the main plaza which holds the Palazzo Vecchio (Florence's town hall, still functioning today). Outside of the Palazzo is a copy of Michelangelo's famous The David in his original habitat, and a beautiful open-air sculpture museum.

The Palazzo Vecchio is the building on the left with the tower. On the right is the Loggia, an open-air sculpture museum, thanks to the wealthy Medici family. Most of the sculptures in the Loggia today are originals.

This is one of the Medici rulers depicted as Neptune. It is also carved out of one block of marble.

In the Loggia. This incredible sculpture on the right was made in 1556—the three figures are carved from one complete piece of marble. It's a beautiful piece that almost forces you to walk around it with its spiraling form.

Outside the Palazzo is this copy of The David. The original is in the Galleria dell'Accademia, which I will visit in a few days.

This is a bronze plaque in the middle of the Piazza commemorates the death of Savonarola, a Dominican friar who, in 1492, overthrew the dictator Medici and organized democratic rallies in the square. He was instrumental in returning Florence to constitutional republic and was outspoken about Catholic reform. But he also upset plenty of Florentines. Who ended up arresting him, torturing him for two days, and then hanged and burned him in this exact spot. Functionally ending the Florentine Renaissance in 1498.

This is the exterior of the Uffizi Gallery, an art museum and former offices of the Medici (“uffizi” means offices).

The courtyard holds statutes of Florence’s hall of fame:

Lorenzo il Magnifico (a Medici patriarch)

Giotto (who made the Duomo’s bell tower)

Donatello (the famous sculptor)

Leonardo da Vinci (the definition of a “Renaissance man” who is claimed by Florence)

Dante (the first great Italian writer who was the first Italian to write a popular work in non-Latin—he used the Florentine dialect to write The Divine Comedy, turning Florentine Italian into standard Italian)

Vespucci (the European who first sailed to the Americas)

Macchiavelli (author of The Prince)

Galileo (yes, that Galileo)

What a walk through world history just from those Florentine heavy-hitters alone!

More scenic views from further down the River Arno.

The River has had major flooding, and even took down this bridge, Ponte Vecchio in 1300s. However, the stone bridge has stayed up since it was rebuilt in 1345.

It’s the only bridge in Florence to have survived WWII: Nazis were ordered to destroy all of the bridges but the commander in charge decided to preserve Ponte Vecchio for its beauty and history.

I walked along the Vasari Corridor, across the Ponte Vecchio, over to Oltrarno, the neighborhood across the river (literally "on the other side of the Arno"). It was super crowded.

Originally filled with butchers and tanners, jewelers now fill the shops along the bridge. And when I say jewelers, I mean *nice* jewelry shops. Like hide-the-price-tags-because-if-you-need-the-price-you-can't-afford-it kind of nice.

I went back to the hostel to check-in and get settled in my room, but quickly headed back out to walk a little more around the city in the evening.