FLORENCE, ITALY- THE BIRTHPLACE of the RENAISSANCE

   
 

We rode the train from Lucca to Florence for about an hour. I ended up having my huge luggage carried by some friends up and down the train stairwells as there were no elevators present.

When we came to Lucca, we ended up walking another 10 minutes to our hotel, while dragging our huge bags. We took turns bringing up our things, while the rest waited at a nearby cafe.

We passed by the Florence Mercato for lunch, and I finally ate rice with beef, which tasted like caldereta. We strolled some more and saw breads, cheeses, and mushroom stations.



We passed by the outdoor vendor place where they sold leather jackets, wallets, and bags. We ended up visiting two churches, in which one housed the tomb of Michaelangelo Buonarotti, Galileo Galilei, Donatello, and Brunelleschi. The paintings were so detailed, and many showed perspective. The stained glass and rose windows were none like I've ever seen before!



[Sta. Croce Church, the burial place of Renaissance artists such as Michaelangelo Buonarroti, Machiavelli, and Galileo Galilei.

  


["Gates of Paradise"]

   

[Florence, Italy]



[Brunelleschi's Duomo]



[Michaelangelo Buonarroti's burial place]









































We met our tour guide at the local piazza, where the Renaissance artists used to meet. Outside the open area, I saw a replica of David as well as marble figures like Neptune and the killing of Medusa. We also passed by The Duomo (Dome) designed by Brunelleschi. In addition, we took some pictures near "The Gate to Paradise," which had popped-out sculpted scenes of Adam and Eve, Abraham and his son, as well as Moses obtaining the tablets from Mt. Sinai. 

 

[A replica of "The David" by Michaelangelo]

 As I passed through this sculpture gallery, I was anticipating how I would react, when I see the 14" tall statue of David by Michaelangelo. I remember opening up the curtains from the gallery and saying "Wow!" I looked and scrutinized the front... He has really good veins, especially from the right hand. The feet also showed some veins. Of course, one could see how perfect his pubic hair was made, including his... Looking from behind, I could not help but notice his huge gluteus maximus! It was perfectly sculpted. Also, his sling shot, which hung from his left shoulder to his right hand was noticeable as well. His sides showed his rib cage area and his muscles were well depicted also. A cut-out tree trunk supported David's right leg, which also showed a contrast in both textures as the log was rough, whereas David had a smooth surface. His facial features showed an expression of deep thought and calm concentration, kind of like a sportsman analyzing which angle to best hit his target (in this case, Goliath). Moreover, they placed a seismograph near the marble statue in order to monitor any cracks that may happen during an earthquake.

From the David statue museum to the hotel is about a 20 minute walk. As we had already been out in the hot Florentine sun, my new roommates, Heidi, Anu, Yen, and I took a taxi back to our hotel, rested for a while, and ate at the pizzeria across the street.