Florence Baptistry and a little sustenance!

We decided we couldn't leave without seeing the interior of the Baptistry and of course the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo. We gave up trying to get into the actual Duomo.... entry was free so it had hour long lines each day... for Green Pass check and then to actually enter.

There was no problem getting tickets at the door to enter the museum... it wasn't on the tourist track! However it has the actual baptistry doors of the Baptistry........

The South door Gates of Paradise by Ghiberti...

South door by Pisano.....

North door also by Ghiberti.......

The Baptistry itself was very easy to enter... one just needed the Museum ticket!

We didn't just do Italian class mornings and tourist sites afternoons.......we also tried quite a few restaurants!

The 4 Leoni was just underneath our apartment.......sooo convenient! great food, perfect ambience!

Then the Osteria Santo Spirito was also great....

While there we spied a rooftop bar on the opposite side of the square and had to explore it!  It is the Loggia Roof Bar.......Walking up about 5 floors  to it ( the lift/elevator looked too small!)  made a drink on arrival very necessary! But the view was magnificent!

Then there was Osteria Toscanella just down the street...... an old meeting house .....

Then the Obica in an old courtyard....... superb location, food just so so!

and also drinks in the Cafe Courtyard of the Palazzo Strozzi... it is said to be a place for people watching......they were obviously not there in August!!

The Il Rifrullo in the San Nicolo quarter just inside an old wall gate was also great! Both food and ambience.

Can't beat 13 euros for a drink and a tapas plate!

And the very small Bistro Tre Tavoli (which did have slightly more than 3 tables!).....had excellent food....  but was quite small and only had inside tables. But definitely recommend trying it!

Florence in August.....

 The weather in Florence in August this year was extremely hot (34 degrees) and humid! And was full of tourists......just not foreign ones! Italian was the main spoken language, some French and some German.

We needed also to explore the main attractions  and this meant going on line to purchase a time slot and then wait with all the others with the same time slot! Green passes were checked and masks were mandatory.

First off we had to visit the Accademia to check out Michelangelo's David... the real one!

Next we joined everyone else at the doors of the Uffizi! 

We checked out La Primavera and Birth of Venus by Botticelli

Then on to the more religious art!

Madonna and Child by Masaccio

Filippino Lippi.......

Annunciation by Botticelli

And a different version of the Annunciation by Da Vinci... thought to be his earliest complete work...

And then his uncompleted altar piece.......

Half way around the gallery we were able to see the Medici's great view of the Ponte Vecchio!

It takes an exceptionally long time to go through the Uffizi and we definitely needed a drink at the end on their great terrace! With a very upclose view of the Palazzo Vecchio!

 

After our long trek around the Uffizi we were in need of something a little lighter!

There was an interesting American exhibition at the Palazzo Strozzi.......

American Art 1961-2001

And we also visited the Gucci Garden....... which was a little over the top!

Back to school ( Italian once again!) in Florence

 Having studied Italian many times over the years, with many yearlong gaps, I should be fluent by now... if it had been continuous! However given my level I seem to be always joining grammar classes studying Il Trapassato Remoto or other complicated tenses! I am really only interested in Present, Past and Future!

First morning walking to the classes near the Santa Croce Basilica was one of those mornings when one is happy to be alive! The Ponte Vecchio  up close before anyone arrived!

Arriving at the school.....

...the assigned room for class was interesting.....

The grammar board not so......

That evening called for an uphill walk to the Piazzale Michelangelo to see the sunset.....

The night time view of the Ponte Vecchio was also great!

Next day we visited the Santa Croce Basilica with the school.......

The architect of the facade, Niccolo Matas, was Jewish and some think the star at the top is the Star of David.

He was buried at the threshold to the church.... his choice apparently as permission had been given to be buried inside.

There are many illustrious names within.....

Marconi.... has a plaque but is not actually buried there.....

Da Vinci... also not actually buried there... he died in France.

Galileo.....actually buried there.....

Machiavelli...... also actually buried there.....

Dante Alighieri..... actually buried in Ravenna.....

Michelangelo.....

And there is of course the statue which is thought to have inspired the Statue of Liberty!

The main altar was also very beautiful.....

With Giotto's fresco to the right......

The exit is now through the old refectory,where Tadeo Gaddi's Tree of Life  can be viewed.