Housing Assignment

So you might have been wondering (as I have) where exactly one stays when they study abroad. For the student program we will be sharing doubles and triples in apartment style flats fully equipped with a kitchen, living area, shared bathroom and washer and dryer with a weekly cleaning service.

I received my housing assignment and I will be on the top floor (yeay!) of one particular complex which has access by elevator. The building I will be staying in appears to be located near one of the largest green spaces in the heart of Florence. I'm praying for an excellent view of the city (but I'd settle for a window over the interior loggia). Unfortunately these satellite images didn't reduce well, but if you click on them they can be viewed full size.


The blue dome seen in the above picture belongs to a local Jewish synagogue. The next picture shows my proximity to some of the most popular sites in Florence:

• The Duomo: the gravity defying architectural wonder masterminded by Brunelleschi and fronted by the Baptisery (which originally featured Ghiberti's bronze "Doors to Paradise").
• Palazzo Vecchio: The loggia outside of the original seat of Florentine government which now features reproductions of the famed sculptures which once inhabited its square and flanks the world renowned Uffizi Gallery.
• Santa Croce: Large chapel that holds funerary monuments for Michelangelo, Galileo, Dante and other masters.
• Basilica of S. Maria Novella: Architected by Giorgio Vasari, Florence's first basilica features important works of fresco, including Masaccio's "Trinity" most known for its innovative use of the technique of perspective.

And here is a view from the top of the Duomo looking toward the Arno River and capturing the trademark rooftops of the city. I cannot wait to take amazing shots like this one!


I am definitely looking forward to seeing sites from my studies, in addition to walking in the footsteps of Michelangelo in his own hometown--and more than 500 years after his own studies!

Ciao!