7. Day 3 (evening)- Florence!

- April 18, 2018

Mr. Dolan said it best: Rome is like opening a history book and Florence is art...

Our tour guide described Florence as the most beautiful city in the world and I couldn’t agree more! So many artists lived and worked in Florence and they were sponsored by very wealthy families; mainly the Medici family.

The Arno river runs through Florence

We weren’t expecting what was right around the corner...the Duomo! It’s the 4th largest cathedral in the world and the dome is made to look like flower of a petal.

Or tour guide, Monica

It was built right before the Renaissance from green and pink marble. It is dedicated to Mary and called in Italy, Santa Maria del Fiore. At the very apex is God, then Mary below with figures from the Old Testament, then Jesus and his disciples.

Across the street was the Baptisteria which has a beautiful statue of It was built right before the Renaissance from green and pink marble. It is dedicated to Mary and called in Italy, Santa Maria del Fiore. At the very apex is God, then Mary below with figures from the Old Testament, then Jesus and his disciples

The brown building toward the center (above) is where Michelangelo studied as a child.

Michaelangelo called the gold-leaf plated, bronze door of the baptisteria “the doors of paradise” Its 12 panels depict: The creation story, Cain assassinating his brother Abel, the deluge destroying everything and Noah’s ark, Abraham almost killing Isaac, Jacob quarreling with his sons, Benjamin who sold his brother Joseph, the 10 commandments being given to Moses, Jericho, David killing Goliath, and Sheba and Solomon.

This square is dedicated to the amazing (and one of Miss Stamidis’ favorites) poet Dante Alighieri! He is known for writing the divine comedy: inferno, purgatorio, and paradiso.

The arches between buildings served as both reinforcement and a way to travel from one building to another.

Rape of Sabine (civilization before Romans who weren’t as civil)

Perseus beheading Medusa

King David holding the slingshot moments before facing th Goliath. He represents using your brain as your greatest strength. He also is supposed to depict the perfect man.