Florence - Day 1 {The Uffizi Museum}

one of the most wonderful perks of Nick's position at the college is that we get to take advantage of the three-day travel weekends each month. this is especially delightful since, as is the case for all church musicians, Nick always works on the weekend. so in November, we gladly took the opportunity to head north and visit Florence! our three-day trip was absolutely perfect. we were able to see just about everything we wanted to see without feeling rushed (although if we were traveling sans kids, we definitely would have visited more churches). we took the fast train 2 hours north and then walked from the train station to the booking office for the apartment i had reserved. (i found a great deal on this apartment just a few blocks away from the Uffizi Museum, through hotels.com of all places!)

our first impression of Florence as we walked to our apartment was that it was clean and the sidewalks were nice and flat, compared to the cobblestones of Rome. however, many of the sidewalks were also very narrow which made navigating with a stroller tricky! thankfully the traffic wasn't too heavy in the historical center. to get to our apartment, we walked along the Arno River, catching our first glimpse of the medieval Ponte Vecchio! the first document noting a bridge at this spot dates to 996. the bridge was rebuilt several times, but the 1345 version is still standing. it was the only bridge in Florence not to be destroyed by bombs in World War II (apparently by Hitler's command).

the Arno River with Ponte Vecchio in the background

so many beautiful architectural details! 

one end of the Ponte Vecchio

the other side of the Ponte Vecchio

then we arrived at our apartment, quickly got settled in, and i ran out for some groceries. it was a lovely surprise to find the familiar Carrefour chain! with enough food to hopefully last us the weekend, i came back to the apartment to fix lunch.

our apartment was on a quiet side street

the decor was a bit of a mishmash, but just look at those ceilings!

the girls were obsessed with the loft!

a super tiny kitchen, but major points for the Moka pot! 

well, i underestimated how long it would take to cook the sausages. we had to bolt down our food and practically run across to the Uffizi Museum to collect our tickets for timed entry to the museum, which i had pre-booked. of note, it is highly recommend to reserve your tickets both for the Uffizi Museum and for the Accademia (where Michelangelo's David sculpture is on display) as the lines to buy tickets can get ridiculously long. we trotted into the Uffizi complex, which is built like a U with the short part of the U along the river. it was a few minutes after our entry time and i was freaking out a little because i didn't know if they would let us in after the time. in classic Italian form, they didn't even blink an eye when i walked up to the desk to show our mobile tickets on my phone, and gave me the physical tickets without any comment. we had to cross over to the other side of the U to enter the museum, and i realized (as i was able to catch my breath) that there was practically no line. i don't know if it was just the time of day (1 pm on a Friday) because we definitely saw long lines here when we walked past on Saturday. regardless, we got inside without any difficulty (except for the fact that you can't take any liquids or bottles inside -- so i had to throw out both of my full water bottles!). but the security guard was very nice and kept waving and making faces at the girls.

and then we were in! we followed Rick Steves' audio guide, which was terrific. the museum is such a perfect size. it has so many true art treasures, but it's not overwhelming -- you feel that you can really see everything in one visit without your head spinning.

Madonna and Child, by Giotto (c. 1310)

Madonna and Child, by Duccio (c. 1300) - note how flat it appears compares to Giotto's version

The Annunciation, by Simone Martini (1333)

see the angel Gabriel's words, physically written on the painting? "AVE GRATIA PLENA DOMINUS TECUM" (also, Mary's face is pretty much how i would look in this situation!)

Presentation of Jesus at the Temple, by Ambrogio Lorenzetti (c. 1342)

The Nativity, by Simone di Filippo (c. 1380)

Lamentation over the Dead Christ, by Giotto (c. 1360)

close up of the same painting -- the facial expressions are amazing

a stroller and an altarpiece

The Adoration of the Magi, by Gentile da Fabriano (c.1423) -- approaching the Renaissance! 

Madonna and Child with Two Angels, by Fra Filippo Lippi (c. 1465). Fra Lippi was a monk who certainly appreciated beautiful women (so much so that he married a nun and had two children with her). his paintings appear vastly more lifelike than the earlier depictions of this subject. that mischievous angel reminds me of several little boys i know! 

now we were ready to move on to the fullblown Renaissance section. i'm no art history expert, but even i was moved by seeing Botticelli's most famous works in their original form.

The Birth of Venus, by Botticelli (c. 1485)

Madonna and Child Enthroned, by Botticelli (c. 1487)

Jesus is so delightfully chubby in this one! 

Allegory of Spring, or La Primavera, by Botticelli (c. 1478) - also, somebody else snapped at that lady to step back from the painting so they could get a perfect photo. i mean, really? 

The Three Archangels and Tobias, by Botticini (c. 1470)

Salome Receiving the Head of John the Baptist, by Bernardino Luino (c. 1527)

walking through the Hall of Sculptures (the short part of the U), we could glimpse the dome of the Duomo! 

Ponte Vecchio and the Arno River as seen from inside the museum. see that red-tiled roof that leads from the Uffizi (Palazzo Vecchio) to the Ponte Vecchio? that is the "secret" Vasari Corridor that allowed the Medici family to walk between this and the Pitti Palace (across the river) without being disturbed by the plebeians below. 

Adoration of the Child and the Young John the Baptist, by Fra Filippo Lippi (c. 1475) - this one made me smile, from Jesus clasping a baby bird to the solemn form of John the Baptist (clad in wild animal skins, even as a toddler!)

medieval skyline

The Holy Family, by Luca Signorelli (c. 1485)

The Crucifixion with Mary Magdalene, by Luca Signorelli (c. 1502)

an unfinished altarpiece depicting the Adoration of the Magi, by Leonardo da Vinci (c. 1481)

super blurry, ack! but this is Leonardo da Vinci's interpretation of the Annunciation (c. 1475). quite different from Martini's gilded version that we saw in the very first room. 

Nick commented that they all seemed to have frizzy hair. it's crazy how you can see the details of every single strand! 

this tondo of The Holy Family with the Young John the Baptist is the only painting that famed sculptor Michelangelo ever completed (in 1505). the Medici family acquired this painting in 1594. 

museum-ed out

definitely some five-heads going on in this Madonna of the Pear by Albrecht Durer (c. 1526)

Durer's take on the Adoration of the Magi (c. 1504)

we emerged onto a little terrace level with a small cafe and stunning views of the city.

then it was down to the lower level to feast our eyes on some more art.

Madonna and Child, by Ugolino di Nerio (c. 1310)

The Martyrdom of St. Lawrence, by Bernini (c. 1613)

Athena and Arachne, by Tintoretto (c. 1575)

Madonna Suckling the Christ Child, by Ferrari (1505) - i absolutely love everything about this, especially His little toes and the way He is lifting up her shirt. 

Portrait of Giovanni de' Medici, by Agnolo Bronzino (c. 1545)

#notimpressed! Portrait of a Girl with a Book, by Agnolo Bronzino (c. 1542)

Venus of Urbino, by Titian (c. 1538)

St. Margaret, by Titian (c. 1565)

one last section of exhibits to round out our visit to the museum!

Judith Slaying Holofernes, by Artemesia Gentileschi (c. 1620) - a compelling painting by Gentileschi, an incredible Baroque painter who was the first woman to be accepted into the Accademia di Arte del Insegno in Florence. this painting depicts a scene from the apocryphal Book of Judith, but Gentileschi paints her own face on the figure of Judith, and the face of her one-time mentor and convicted rapist Agostino Tassi on the face of Holofernes. 

Head of Medusa, by Caravaggio (c. 1595) - Caravaggio gave this painted shield to the Grand Duke Ferdinando I. i'm going to go out on a limb and say this would have been quite disconcerting to his opponents on the battlefield. 

Bacchus, by Caravaggio (c. 1596) - the detail and realism is astounding. just look at the grapes! 

Adoration of the Child, by Gherardo delle Notti (c. 1619) - the chiaroscuro in this painting is exquisite. 

 then finally, we emerged into a more interactive exhibit on Leonardo da Vinci, including a projection of running water meant to emulate the Arno River. the girls spent quite a while "swimming" and burning off steam!

by this point, we were all quite ready for some gelato. we had heard that the gelato just keeps getting better the farther north you go in Italy, and i have to say that was correct! we went to the whimsically named Perchè No! (which means "why not!"), which is acclaimed for its all-natural gelato. oh my goodness, it was delicious! i had a scoop of lavender (which tasted like mint) and a scoop of amarena (sour cherry), con panna, of course.

the wall of the gelateria was lined with Italian cookbook and guidebooks! so cute. 

then we walked home, past the Palazzo Vecchio (the town hall), and relaxed for an hour or so before it was time to think about dinner. the girls were happily playing in the apartment, so we decided to just get pizza and eat at home rather than dragging them out to a restaurant. after some leisurely research on nearby pizzerias, i walked about ten minutes to Pizzeria O'Vesuvio to order takeaway pizzas. it was a perfect way to end the day!

a copy of Michelangelo's David stands guard outside the Palazzo Vecchio. the original David was placed here in 1504, and then moved to the Accademia for better preservation in the nineteenth century. 

feet up, beer in my hand, guidebook on my lap ... the perfect way to recover after a day of sightseeing

loved taking this little solo walk through the Piazza del Signoria while Nick held down the fort at the apartment! 

not quite as good as genuine Neapolitan pizza, but still delicious! 

sweet dreams!