Florence - Art Day

Wednesday was the day Greg was looking forward to most.  He had been to Florence as a teen but he didn't go inside any of the art exhibits so now was his chance - and what a day it was.  We found our best patisserie of the trip on our way to the Uffizi Gallery (I wish I would have bought several more tasties).  The building itself was pretty cool and the view of the Ponte Vecchio was incredible.

The museum was filled with incredible art.  Our Rick Steves tour pointed out the most important works in 50 minutes, Greg would have spent much longer here but the boys were done after the audio tour ended.

Some memorable works were Botticelli's Birth of Venus and several works by Michaelangelo, Raphael and Leonardo.  Before the trip I read a fictionalized work about the life of Michaelangelo, The Agony and the Ecstasy and a biography about Leonardo called simply, Leonardo di Vinci.  Those books really helped me appreciate the pieces we viewed in the Uffizi.

Leonardo’s Annunciation 

"Some of the paintings clearly had protective systems while others were exposed to the air and whatever else.  I looked closely and couldn’t see the glass enclosure protecting the Annunciation.  Andrew leaned so close that he bumped the glass, confirming its existence.  Fortunately it didn’t set off any alarms or bring security running.  I didn’t see it at the time, but when Lisa and Andrew told me later I had a good laugh as I had tried in vain to see the glass barrier."

Leonardo's unfinished Adoration of the Magi

Michaelangelo’s Doni Tondo

Every inch of the building was a tribute to art, the ceilings, sculptures and walls.

"There was no line to enter the Palazzo Vecchio next door when we exited the Uffizi. This town hall was the seat of government, where the Council of 500 met.  Had history taken a different turn it may be the most famous site in Florence as Michaelangelo and Leonardo were commissioned to paint massive murals on opposing walls celebrating Florence’s military history.  Michaelangelo only made it so far as developing some preparatory drawings before being called to Rome by the Pope.  Leonardo’s Battle of the Anghiari filled the wall but he had experimented with a new technique and ultimately the fresco didn’t hold and the painting was ruined.  Some say that the remnants have been preserved behind a façade but no one know for sure.  Our vision of the painting rely on several Leonardo sketches and a copy of the central section by Rubens.  The walls instead host a massive work by Vasari." 

In one of the rooms at the Palazzo we discovered this treasure and had to send it to Emmy in honor of her tradition of counting all pooping animals in Africa.

We stood in line for 20 minutes at the Galleria dell Academia to see the David by Michaelangelo.  It was neat to see the unfinished Michaelangelo Prisoners in the hall leading up to the David.  The Prisoners, were left at different levels of completion revealing the process of the artists work.

We gave in and let the boys eat at McDonalds while Greg and I held out for some yummy pasta.

The Medici Chapel was next where we saw Michaelangelo's Day and Night, and Dawn and Dusk.  

Our train to Rome didn't leave for a while so we got some gelato, sat on the steps of the basilica and enjoyed watching people.

On the train I saw some groundhogs and deer as I listened to my audiobook and enjoyed the view.  It was dark when we arrived but we wandered to our hotel and got a a recommendation for a restaurant near by.

This dinner was probably the best of the trip.  The fried artichoke and my spinach ravioli was delicious.  We enjoyed observing the other diners as our tables were rather clothes together.  

Unfortunately, our hotel left a little to be desired.  The beds were quite hard.  Each of our three nights I tried different ideas to soften things up, like more pillows and towels, but to little avail.  However, I was worn out enough that I still slept well.