Thursday was a big day for on sight classes. We visited one of the most important sites in Florence. When the Florentines planned Santa Maria del Fiore, they wanted it to be the largest cathedral in the world. It was for a while, but it currently stands in third place. It stood largely unfinished for years and was a great humiliation, until Brunelleschi came up for the plan of the current dome. The Baptistery was built many years earlier on the site of an ancient Roman temple. There is an amazing Byzantine style mosaic on the dome of the Baptistery. The museum holds many of the important works from the church. The original panels from the east doors of the Baptistery are housed here. In addition, Donatello's "Mary Madelene"
and Michelangelo's second Pieta. It is exciting to see these works that I have seen in text books so many times.Tomorrow, we have a full day of on sight classes. We are going to the Academia to see many works, including the David. After visiting two museums and a few churches, we will spend the rest of the afternoon/night at the American consulate, where there will be a special festival. I'm off to get some more gelato; fragole(strawberry) with limone(lemon) are my favorite flavors! Tourists beware that unless the amount you wish to pay is specified, they will rip you off.
1 comment:
Interesting to know.
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