Verity Petraits Goes to Florence, Italy 23rd-29th May 2023: Part 2
By our third day in Florence we were already worn out but nonetheless, still enthusiastic! We had stacked up around 21,000 steps already because we loved exploring the city by foot. I definitely recommend comfortable footwear if you plan to take a visit, because there is soo much to see!
It was another lovely sunny day and we booked a tour around the grounds of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore (first constructed from 1296, by the famous Architect/Sculpture genius, Arnolfo di Cambio). Joe and I were initially hoping to climb up the dome to see the amazing bird eye views of Florence, however the dome tours were all booked up in advance (we hope to return and do that). Nevertheless, our 30 minute tour with the company, ‘Viator’, was really informative and they took us inside the church and explained all the features of the Cathedral. I won’t show most of what we saw inside the Cathedral because I don’t want to spoil the magic of going and seeing it in person. Below is an image I took of the front facade of the Cathedral.
Front of the Cathedral, apparently the green, pink and white marble was naturally sourced locally! The front facade decorations were apparently finished in the late 1800’s.
A glimpse of the Duomo’s famous Fresco.
According to multiple sources, the fresco represents the Biblical representation of ‘The Last Judgement’ or ‘Universal Judgement’. The Medici court painter, Giorgio Vasari, was commissioned to design and oversee painting of the religious (Christian) motifs from 1572-1574. Sadly, Vasari didn’t get to see the final result of his project because he died 5 years prior to the finish date (which was 1579). Vasari’s student, Federico Zuccari, then carried on the project until its completion.
I was stood paralysed in awe when I saw the Fresco, so much so that my neck began to hurt! It’s sheer size and detail could keep your gaze for hours on end. My favourite thing about the Fresco was the way that the design incorporated the architecture to help narrate the story, for example, you could only see the ‘Hell’ part if you stood facing the entrance out into the world and not towards the alter! Again, I want to share the rest of the Cathedral with you but I don’t want to give any spoilers away, just incase you decide to go and see it for yourself!
I couldn’t resist photographing the dramatic forms and lighting of the city
After the tour we explored the city a bit more before chilling at a Roof Top Bar called Loggia. It’s a discreet bar that is next to a lavish hotel. We mistaking thought it was just a hotel, which meant we had to go back up the four flights of stairs we mistakenly came down in the 28 degree heat! I recommend it as the views of the city are spectacular and they make great cocktails!
I had a Pimm’s as you can see! You can see the roof tops behind me but really doesn’t give the views justice in this photo.
My boyfriend deep in thought! You can see a glimpse of the skyline in the reflection behind Joe. They also provided us with free snacks!
I guess we didn’t cram in a lot of activities everyday on our trip to Florence, however I think this was a good idea because of how much walking we did. It was nice just to take in the views as we strolled around the city. One thing I realised about Italy was the fact that the culture is really relaxed and slowed paced and that suited us!