Family Travelogue: FLORENCE, ITALY: Piazza della Signoria, Galleria Dell' Accademia,Giotto's Campanille / Family Travelogue 10 June 2015

Michealangelo's David sculpture

Florence is home to many masterpieces by the famous artists in the Renaissance era. Galleria dell' Accademia houses Michealangelo's David sculpture- one of the most iconic masterpieces in that era,
likewise, one of the world's famous statue to-date. This work of art would surely give you a sense of
an awe. The statue details almost the real thing: the expressions, the veins in the arms and the muscles in the legs. Apparently, Michaelangelo had a great knowledge of the human body's structure.

We booked in advanced, the earliest admission to the Galleria Dell' Accademia, online. We were allowed to enter few minutes before the timed schedule. The museum is opened from Tuesday to Sunday, 8:15am to 6:50pm.

We had stayed in Florence for 2 nights; from 08Jun 2015~ 10Jun 2015, Monday to Wednesday. We had arrived the city in the late afternoon from Rome. We stayed at Signora Apartments which we booked through expedia, €338 for 2 nights. The apartment had washer, we did all the laundry while having dinner and retired early to recharge for the next day's activity. We joined the local tour to the best of Tuscany the following day, Tuesday.

Florence is one of the beautiful cities we had visited. It is the center of Italian Renaissance and the capital city of the Tuscany region. Florence has been called the Athens of the Middle Ages.

After our visit to the Galleria dell' Accademia, we walked around the city, visiting a few of the popular places in Florence before we headed to Venice, Italy.

Santa Maria del fiore facade (Florence Cathedral facade)

Cattedrale di Santa Maria de Fiore, Saint Mary of the Flower in english, is the main church in Florence. The Cathedral is an Italian Gothic building designed by Arnolfo di Cambio. Construction was completed in 1367.

Santa Maria del fiore facade and the Giotto's campanille (Bell tower) on the right

Giotto's Campanille (Giotto's tower) is part of the building of the Santa Maria del fiore (Florence Cathedral). This gothic architecture tower was designed by a Florentine's painter and architect, Giotto di Bondone.

view of the Duomo's Cupola from the top of Giotto's Bell tower

The Dome of the Florence Cathedral is also known as the Brunelleschi's dome. Filippo Brunelleschi, a hot tempered goldsmith, engineered the building of the cupola. The construction of the Dome began in 1420 and completed in 1437. Brunelleschi was one of the founding fathers of Renaissance and the first modern engineer. Without architectural training, he had built the dome without flying buttresses or freestanding scaffoldng.

The line to climb the Duomo was very long. We entered the cathedral instead (with a separate long que) and later climbed 400 steps to the Giotto's Campanille (Giotto's Bell tower).

view of Florence from the top of Giotto's Bell tower

view from the top of Giotto's Bell tower

Giotto's Bell

Needed a rest after the climb. Hello Big Bell!

view from the top of Giotto's Bell tower

The Bell tower, 10 meters below the Dome. feels like back in the Renaissance period. Amazing views paid for the steep stairs walked up.

PIAZZA DELLA SIGNORA

Piazza della Signoria (Plaza Signoria)

Behind the Equestrian statue is the Tribunale della Mercanzia (Court of Merchants) formerly a tribunal for trade disputes, currently houses the Gucci Musuem. On the left is the Palazzo Uguccioni, a renaissance palace presently a vacation apartments for tourists.

Cosimo I de' Medici's statue at the Piazza della Signoria by Giambologna

The 1594 Equestrian Monument of Cosimo I is a bronze equestrian statue commissioned by Cosimo's son, Ferdinando I, symbolizing ruler's power. It is situated in front of the north corner of the Palazzo della Signoria.

Palazzo Vecchio

A mix of fortress and a palace, Palazzo Vecchio is the town hall in the city of Florence, Italy. Outside this fortress-palace building is the copy of the Michelangelo's David statue. Adjacent to Palazzo Vecchio is the Loggia dei Lanzi.

Fountain of Nepture by Ammannati (1563~1565)

Fountain of Neptune is located in front of the Palazzo Vecchio on the PIazza della Signoria. It was sculpted by Bartolomeo Ammannati in 1565.

Stood at the entrance of the Palazzo Vecchio is the copy of the statue of Michelangelo's David (on the right) and Bandinelli's Hercules and Cacus statue (on the left).

Hercules and Cacus by Baccio Bandinelli (1525~1534)

copy of Michaelangelo's David statue

The original David statue is in the Galleria Della Accademia (Gallery of the Academy of Fine Arts).

Putto with Dolphin by Verrocchio

Putto with Dolphin bronze sculpture by Andrea del Verrocchio (1435~1488) at the First Courtyard inside the Palazzo Vecchio

Loggia dei Lanzi

Logiga dei Lanzi is an open-air gallery of sculptures

Loggia dei Lanzi

Piazza della Signoria is such a magnificent square with lots of statues, replica though. It is the central tourist area of Firenze.

Statue of Perseus with the head of Medusa by Benvenuto Cellini

Statue of Perseus with the Head of Medusa is a bronze sculpture in the period from 1545~1554 by Benvenuto Cellini (1500~1571)

More sculptures at the open air gallery, Loggia dei Lanzi:

The Medici lions, a pair of marble sculptures of lions with a ball under one paw facing sidewards. Both were completed in the 16th century though, the marble's origin used for the Giovanni di Scherano Fancelli's ancient lion (on the right) was from the 2nd century. The second lion was sculpted by Flaminio Vacca (1538~1605).

Farther on the right, a marble sculpture Rape of the Sabine Women by an Italian -Flemish artist, Jean de Boulogne (Giambologna as his italian name).

On the left, 1599 Hercules and Nessus. As per the Greek mythology, Nessus was a famous centaur who was killed by Hercules with a poisoned arrow while the centaur was running off with Hercules' wife, Deianira against her will.

Palazzo delle Assicurazioni Generali

The Palazzo delle Assicurazioni Generali is a commercial building in the city of Florence.

Piazza della Signoria

Restaurants next to the Logiga dei Lanzi (from the left). They almost offer the same menu. Too expensive, not really that of good quality.

Piazza della Signoria

The Palazzo delle Assicurazioni Generali on the right. The Equestrian statue on the left.

Ponte Vecchio

Ponte Vecchio is a medieval bridge over the Arno river, famous for the various shops along it.

Ponte Vecchio

view of Ponted Vecchio from Ponte alle Grazie

Ponte Alle Grazie

Ponte Alle Grazie is one of the bridges that crosses the Arno river. It is also one of the two neigbouring bridges of Ponte Vecchio. Ponte Santa Trinita is the other one.