Firenze - Cultural capital of Italy

On Thursday we took the bus to Firenze (or Florence) to once again drink from the fountain of Italian culture and renaissance art. We went to the Galleria dell’ Academia and were able to buy a ticket and walk right in (one of the benefits of traveling in the off season). The gallery has been updated with the addition of many religious paintings that have been fully restored and were very beautiful. The gallery also houses many works by Michelangelo, including his masterpiece, David.  We spent a good 2 hours looking at the art. We also went through the Duomo and walked over the Ponte Vecchio.  It was a good day.

 The Duomo is a magnificent building

The famous dome & painted ceiling designed by Brunelleschi

The many religious paintings on canvas and wood are from churches all around the area

...and have been beautifully restored

The "Rape of Sabines" by Giambologna is very powerful

There is a hall dedicated to Michelangelo's work

His most famous piece of work is his David, from the David and Goliath biblical story

 

  

...and it is so majestic and overpowering to see.

Several of Michelangelo's unfinished pieces were also on display 

 

The Ponte Veccio bridge is the only bridge in Florence that was not destroyed during WWII.

For some reason Hitler ordered it to be kept