Adventures in Florence

I thought by now most everyone would be tired of my travelog but I got such nice comments on my Adventures in Venice post....You like me, really like me.......that I thought for the next two Mondays I'd continue posting photos from other cities visited in Italy.

So today class we are going to talk about Florence. Of all the cities I have visited in Italy, I liked Florence the best and would opt to return there first. It's a very easy city to get around, not confusing like Rome and Venice. Located in the region of Tuscany, Florence is on the Arno River and is thought of as the heart of the Renaissance. The architecture is beautiful and there are so many galleries and museums I don't think you could ever see them all.

The Arno River has six bridges, the oldest of which is the Ponte Vecchio, shown above. Originally lined with fishmongers, butchers and tanners, the shops were later occupied by goldsmiths and jewelers. Anyone who knows me can tell you I've been in a few jewelry stores in my life. Well, I have NEVER seen as much jewelry as I did in these shops on the Ponte Vecchio. These little shuttered shops you see above hold some of the most amazing displays I have ever seen.

The current bridge was rebuilt after a flood in 1345. During World War II it was the only bridge across the Arno that the fleeing Germans did not destroy. On November 4, 1966, the bridge miraculously withstood a tremendous flood of the Arno which damaged many buildings.

This is the monument to Benvenuto Cellini, the most famous Florentine goldsmith. When I was there in 2005 the fences around the Cellini Monument were full of padlocks with indelible writings, hung up by lovers who believe that it is a symbol of an indissoluble relationship; the keys to these padlocks are then symbolically thrown into the Arno River, where nobody can ever retrieve them. When I returned in 2007, all the padlocks were gone and there was a sign saying anyone caught attaching a padlock to the fence would be fined.

Most photos of the skyline of Florence include Il Duomo an incredibly beautiful cathedral that is covered in red, white and green marble. Begun in 1296 and finally consecreated in 1436 it has an enourmous octagonal dome that was the largest in the world when it was built.

An amazing view that pops into sight as you turn a corner in the city.

The interior of the Filippo Brunelleschi's dome.

The color and detail of the marble on the Duomo are exquisite.

Here's my real Adventure in Florence, the handsome Italian I brought home with me