An Unplanned Year

This part really probably belongs in the Bologna post as it was close to Bologna, but it was our day travelling to Florence so here it is.

We awoke to the good news that our box of glass items from Murano had arrived in Brisbane and been collected and assessed as being “intact”. (Two small breaks on small pieces 😢).

We checked out of the Abbey and headed straight to Santuario Madonna di San Luca, high on the hill above Bologna.

The world’s longest continuous portico is here, providing the path up to the church. There are 666 porticos along the 3.9km pathway. The top third is quite steep and climbs 300m!

The church at the top is, again, another stunning building with amazing painted decorations.

We climbed the >100 steps up to the top of the cuppola.

From here we went back into Bologna to get out again and head to the Monumento ai caduti di Sabbiuno . A memorial to anti Nazi/fascism resistance fighters who were executed here in Dec 1944. Their bodies were found at the bottom of the Ridge a few months later.

The memorial consisted of 57 large stones inscribed with the names of those identified as having been killed here and another stone to represent the more than 50 who couldn’t be identified. There is also a concrete wall with machine guns mounted in it to represent how they were killed.

It was a beautiful location with a sad history.

From here we took the long way to Florence through the hills, with the landscape changing every 10 or so km.

Stopped for lunch in a village at the top of a hill – could absolutely get used to the long lunch. My work day may need to look different when I return…

We’ve arrived in Florence and are relaxing with a holiday beer, hearing up for a tourist marathon tomorrow with three tours, at 9, 12 and 3! Must see all the things!!!

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We were up early and walked to the tram stop, taking the tram into the centre of Florence. We were in the first group admitted into the Duomo to climb to the top of the dome. 463 steps up.

About halfway up you stop at a balcony just under the painted dome for a close up look at the painting and also to look down!

We made it!

The view over Florence was worth it.

After descending we grabbed a coffee and some water (we had forgotten to bring some so our throats were very dry after that climbing!) Then went to look at the Baptistry (ceiling concealed by scaffolding) and the Opera del Duomo museum -this was interesting as it had most of the statues and decorations that were removed from the Duomo when the first Medici Duke decided he wanted the church updated to be as decorative as others in Europe!

We then went to the Uffizi Gallery – the Birth of Venus was the star here.

After leaving there we saw and crossed the Ponte Vecchio. No purchases made.

We then headed to our final stop of the day, the Accademia Gallery to see…

Our tour guide was so passionate about Michalangelo, the statue of David, medieval and renaissance art; she really made the tour.

Some more Michalangelo sculptures for you:

And did you know that during WW2 people were so worried about David being damaged, and they couldn’t move him because the gallery was built around the statue, that they cocooned him in bricks for protection?

And just because it is a masterpieces, here are some more images.

We then stopped for a beverage on the way back to our accommodation, with tired legs after climbing and descending all those stairs today. 40 flights up, 42 down according to my watch!

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No alarm this morning and after calls to kids we headed back into the main part of Florence. We mostly wandered without much of a plan, just taking in the things we didn’t see or notice much yesterday. Like the front of the Duomo. We were so busy climbing to the top yesterday we didn’t stand and take in the front. There are 30 statues on the front!

And a big door.

Our only planned activity today was to visit Santa Croce, a church where there is a large amount of art created by some well known artists (Donatello, Giotto are two we have heard of) and a large number of notable people are buried or memorialised.

Santa Croce looks a lot like the Duomo.

Inside it is quite tall with graves all over the floor – intentionally to be walked over in order to keep the dead people humble apparently.

There is lots of medieval art

including not one, 

but two Last Supper paintings in the same room!

Note the flood level markers at the right of the photo below – this painting is now hung on chains that allow it to be raised above flood waters!

As you’d expect Michaelangelo’s tomb is highly decorated and references his sculpture, painting and architecture.

Galileo’s included many references to science, maths and astronomy.

My favourite was the one for Rossini that referenced music and opera – how they make marble look like soft fabric is amazing!

We then went and had a bite to eat and enjoyed more statues in the street as we wandered back to the tram stop and our hotel to go and do some laundry as we have a week ahead where this won’t be possible!