- Florence
We slept well - it wasn't so noisy last night (it is during the day) so we're keeping the room. We ate, cleaned up and got out of the room.
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The Duomo |
The Duomo facade is under restoration |
We started walking towards a couple of jewelry stores Aviva likes; she's been here enough that she doesn't need a map to find a few items of intense interest! She bought a few things. One of the stores had closed. Then, we walked towards Santa Maria Novella; there's no photography allowed inside.
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"Martyrdom of Saint John Evangilist" by Filippino Lippi |
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"Nativity of the Virgin" by Ghirlandaio |
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"Wedding of the Virgin" by Ghirlandaio |
After visiting the church, we walked further towards another jewelry store Aviva likes; I bought a pair of cheap lightening earrings. We walked back past Santa Maria Novella and stopped at a trattoria Aviva likes (she became friends with a waiter there that's moved on to open a restaurante nearby), La Madia at Via del Giglio 14. Lunch was quite good - we'll probably come back here once more before we leave Florence.
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We had lunch here - it was really good! |
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This is a place we wanted to try but didn't get a chance - next time.... |
We shopped at the open market at San Lorenzo; I bought a Fiorentina hat (that's the local soccer team) and Aviva bought a few gifts, including two portrait plates and a pitcher for us from a neat little ceramics shop, Lorenzaccio, where we'd shopped on a previous trip.
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The card from the ceramics shop |
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The portrait plates we bought - we were told that couples would commission such plates when they were married |
We stopped at a couple of buildings with frescoes remaining on their exteriors.
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Painted building facades |
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We happened by Masacio's house |
We walked down Via de Pucci to San Michelino Visdomini (another church of course). Inside is a very old Pontermo, painted in his twenties. It was really dirty and needed restoration badly. We walked down Via del Servi to Santissima Annunziata and the Foundling Hospital.
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A panorama of the Piazza Santissima Annunziata |
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The fountain at Piazza Santissima Annunziata |
In the center of the panorama above is Santissima Annunziata. The church has an interesting structure - it has an entry collonade followed by a square courtyard, then the church itself. There's a cloister with frescoes, some by del Sarto, and a small chapel, by Vasari, which are usually closed. But, after I gave the man 5 Euro for a 3.50 Euro book, he took a few of us to the cloister and the chapel.
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The facade of Santissima Annunziata |
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The two lentil decorations at the entrance |
Below are images from the entry square.
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On the right is a fake window with a woman looking out |
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A man with a mean fish |
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Two of the many frescoes on the walls of the square |
Below are images from the church interior, the cloister and the Vasari chapel.
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A detail from a paining - remind you of anything? |
The ceiling above the altar |
Vasari does Vasari, from the chapel |
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A fresco from the cloister |
We crossed the piazza to the Foundling Hospital - this was set up to receive children that parents couldn't keep. There is a door at the far end of the collonade where foundlings were left. This has become a museum - we saw the show that was up.
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Ticket for the Foundling Hospital |
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The vaulting over the entry is painted; on the left is a detail |
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There are images like this on the outside of the hospital |
The door where children were left |
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A painted ceiling |
We then walked down to Santa Maria Maddalena de' Pazzi, which has a Perugino fresco which we couldn't see.
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Aviva loves the small European cars - this one is a two seat electric car |
We had dinner by the Duomo at Buca San Giovanni at Piazza San Giovanni, 8; it was pretty good.
Then back towards the hotel and a gelato (of course) and then to bed.