Tag: #tuscany

Florence’s Duomo

For tourists, Florence is very crowded in the summer, and there will be a line to enter the Duomo, but don’t be discouraged. It is a magnificent structure of outstanding craftsmanship that could never be recreated in modern times. Inside the dome Vasari painted an enormous fresco. You can hike to the top of the dome via narrow stairway in between the internal and external walls if you wish; it’s a workout!

The story behind the Duomo is fascinating. I recommend Ross King’s “Brunelleschi’s Duomo,”  a wonderful book that reads like a novel, not a history textbook. It tells the story of the competing architects who designed and built the enormous and ornate Duomo beginning in 1418. You will learn that no one had yet figured out how to build this large a vaulted dome over the foundation that was complete up to the base of the dome, and how they did it.

It is difficult to photograph the entire church from either the front or back, because the Baptistry, another architectural gem with bronze relief doors by Ghiberti, stands directly in front, and other buildings rise along the sides and rear. You can best see the famous dome while walking away from the church down a narrow cobbled street. Inside and out, from the sidewalk or top of the dome, the Duomo and its story are extraordinary.

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Facade of the Duomo, Florence
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Rear of the Duomo: geometric pattern with three colors of marble.
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It’s hard to get a good distance from the Duomo for a view of the dome.

Ponte Vecchio, Florence

Florence, Italy is a popular travel destination for many reasons: the wonderful architecture of the Duomo (enormous domed church), the medieval Ponte Vecchio, the art in the Uffizi Museum, the delicious Italian cuisine and the surrounding Chianti vineyards. You can’t describe it one sentence or see it all in one day.

However, if you visit for one day of your Italian holiday, be sure to enjoy the Ponte Vecchio, or “old bridge.” This covered bridge dating from Roman times is lined on both sides with gold and art shops now, formerly butcher shops. Thankfully, it was spared from bombing in World War II, so we can enjoy walking it as well as photographing it from the shore.

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Ponte Vecchio, Firenze, Italia

Planning a trip? Stay tuned for more travel tips and photos of Rome and Tuscany. If you are savoring your own memories, consider buying one of my prints to decorate your home or office.