A Video from Sienna

This was just too cute not to share!

The Otrarno

Mary Beth and I had decided earlier on in the trip to make a day of it on the "otra-arno" or the other side of the Arno. The original plan was to spend the morning at the Pitti Palace and the Boboli Gardens and then spend the afternoon visiting Fort Belvedere and heading up the endless stairway to San Miniato again.

The Pitti Palace and the Palazzo Pitti were HUGE! The Pitti Palace was the seat of power for the short time when Italy was ruled by a constitutional monarchy of which Firenze was the capital.



We discovered upon arriving that there had been a price hike, and that it was 8 euro to visit some of the palace and galleries and 10 euro to visit the garden and the rest of the palace and galleries. We went the 8 euro way and I resolved to go back to see the Boboli Gardens before I leave Firenze.


I could see them from inside of the Palazzo though!



For lunch we at at Gusta Pizza, and on the walk there we passed by a Medici Palace, made evident visually through the appearance of the family crest of six balls and also the elaborate sgraffito on the exterior walls---where we get our word for graffiti!

There is another one of these palaces near our study center, but the sgraffito is not nearly as well as preserved.

While waiting to meet one of my roommates for lunch I ducked into San Spirito, a small but important church near the riverbank. The interior shots from there were some of the best church photos I have taken!




This church was of particular importance to Michelangelo. During the beginning of the Renaissance it was unlawful to dissect bodies. In exchange for sculpting a wooden crucifix for San Spirito, Michelangelo was given permission to go down into the crypt and perform dissections!



Due to its relationship with Michelangelo the church itself had some copies of some of his most famous works. One not so well known was there as well, the "Risen Christ" that I had seen when I visited Rome!


After lunch we made the hike up a hill to the fort, and passed by Galileo's house! No wonder he was so interested in the effects of gravity! He lived on a crazy hill. If he had been a child and had lost a ball playing out front, he would've had to have gone about a quarter of a mile down a hill to fetch it!



When we finally arrived at the fort... we were dismayed to find it to be closed until later in the evening. After making the climb, we had to follow the city walls back down the hill to get to the base of the hill leading up to S. Miniato. It was a picturesque walk. (Where the numbers are will be updated with pictures when the network at school isn't acting icky!)






The picture above shows S. Miniato on its hill--that's were we were headed!

I didn't take many pictures of the climb back up because I had documented it in my previous post on the monastery. I can say, however, that the walk up was much much MUCH easier this time than it had been the first time around. It was a good feeling--and the view over Florence was still amazing.

We toured the monastery again then enjoyed the view until the store at the top opened, were I bought honey filled candies made by the monks themselves.






After descending S. Miniato we stopped by the Piazzale Michelangelo, touted to have the best view of Florence--personally I liked the view better from S. Miniato, but we could see our house from the Piazzale (we live behind the copper-topped Synagogue).

Arezzo on My Own

As part of my paper project I was charged with going to Vasari's hometown of Arezzo to see the frecoes of his house. I woke up early on Saturday and got all of the necessary supplies for a train trip then took off for Santa Maria Novella. I took the intercity train and within an hour I had arrived.

My professor had assured me that it was a small town and from the centrally located train station. I was able to see up to the center square and also Arrezo's Duomo at the top of the hill (which I discovered was located at the furthest side of the city).

It was also the best labeled city I have ever been to! I followed the signs to a tourist information shop (about a 15 minute walk) and picked up a map. When the shop worker handed it to me she pointed out my current location and I had already practically crossed town!




I really enjoyed walking the streets because there was no one around--no tourists... no townspeople. It was a little eerie but the peacefulness was welcome.


I'll also have to see the movie "Life is Beautiful" when I get back to the states, apparently it was filmed here!

On my way to Vasari's house I stopped by a small church and snapped a picture of a Crucifix done by Cimabue.



I made a few quick turns between streets and I was at the Casa di Vasari in short time.



When I arrived I was unsure of how to enter, so I waited a few moments to see what other visitors would do. Two other sets of tourists walked by, read the signs and took pictures but then walked away. I knew I was visiting within the right hours, but it took me a little while to translate the bottom line of the plaque--"For visiting play the bell."

Once inside I only had to pay 2 euro to walk around. I wasn't supposed to take pictures, but since I was doing important research I snuck some!






After I finished at the museum, I walked around the rest of Arezzo and finally started to see more groups of touristi and residents. Maybe they had been hiding from the rain. On the way to the main piazza and up to the Duomo I started to see preparation's for the town's joust! I almost wish that I could stay another week in Italy so I could attend all of the festivities that will be going on! The Paolo in Siena, the feast day of St. John the Baptist in Florence and the Saracen Joust in Arezzo!






Can you tell that Vasari designed the building in the above photo? It was planned out just like the Uffizi!



Behind the Duomo was a large park that (sadly) was littered worse than any I have seen in America, the view from the top was amazing though!





Last stop, the Duomo! When I visited the church was closed to the public, but when I walked by the main doors I heard a wedding march.





I then took the walk down the hill (once again not bad) down to the train station. I bought a ticket for the train to Firenze within a minute of it arriving and headed back home. I did take a charming little picture of this shop before I left though!