Day 2 started out just as bad as Day 1.
After a very good night’s sleep in one of the most comfortable beds I had slept on in a long time, we rose with the morning sun in good spirits and high hopes for what was planned for the day. On our schedule for our first full day in Florence was the Uffizi Museum and climbing the dome of the Duomo. Now I’m not much into art, so this was more for my wife, after all it has been her dream to come to Florence since she was a child. What I do like are the sculptures. If you like art, then the Uffizi museum has plenty of it for you. If you are like me and enjoy sculptures then again, this is the place.
As we flung open the curtains, threw open the shutters, (Yes these windows had shutters. How cool is that?) it was raining. Yuck. The good thing was that this was the only day on our whole trip that it was supposed to rain. On our way to the Uffizi I had one stop that I wanted to make on our way. We headed south towards the Duomo and straight to the Palazzo Vecchio. I made my wife close her eyes cause I knew where we were going and I also knew that just right around the corner would be the palazzo, but more importantly was the Fontana del Nettuno, also known as the Fountain of Neptune. My wife has researched this fountain, drawn pictures of this fountain and has dreamed of seeing this fountain for many years.
Once around the corner we entered the palazzo and I had her keep her eyes closed just a bit longer till we got a bit closer. Once we got close enough she opened her eyes and the biggest smile came to her face. She was so emotional, so overwhelmed with joy, tears started to form in the corners of her eyes. I let her take all the time that she needed even standing there in the rain. She was happy and I was happy for her.
After enough time went by and we were both soaking wet we decided to take a bit of time to dry off. We found a little coffee shop serving breakfast nearby. Getting out of the rain and drying off all our camera equipment we ordered a simple breakfast. Omelets and a coke for each of us.
Once we had gotten a good breakfast in our bellies and recovered from the cold and wetness, we gathered our stuff and headed towards the museum. At this point I’m still not so excited about an art museum. I’m just not that kind of guy, but this is for the wife I had to keep telling myself. We didn’t have far to walk. We dodged people and the rain at the same time trying to stay dry and not get poked in the eye by an umbrella.
My wife had preordered the tickets ahead of time online. I recommend this as the line to purchase tickets was extremely long and this wasn’t even the peak tourist season. We found the ticket office, got our tickets, and then found the line to enter which looked long but actually moves pretty fast to get into the museum. As with all museums lately due to vandals and activists, there was an extensive security screening at the entrance. All bags had to go through the x-ray scanner and you had to walk through metal detectors and be searched with wands. This makes the lines slow down to a crawl unfortunately. Once you are passed security, you can collect an audio guide if you want one at the desk. There is also a place to check large bags for you to collect at the end of your tour, as some large bags will not be allowed into the museum.
The Uffizi, which translates to Office, was built and used by the ruling family of Florence, the Medici family, in 1560. Taking 21 years to complete, the upper floor of the Uffizi was used as an art gallery where nobility, family and guests could share and appreciate some of the finest art of their day. Over many years, slowly more and more rooms were added to display all the new art that the Medici family kept accruing. Thankfully the last surviving heir to the Medici family, Anna Maria Lusia, donated all the art and building to the city of Florence and we now, for a small price, get to enjoy all the art work. Well worth the small price to pay I think.
Once inside your eyes widen and your head starts to swivel from side to side as you walk down the long corridors. Looking at paintings and walking in circles around the statues you start to feel like the people of nobility during the renaissance era. Getting to see such magnificent art like the Birth of Venus by Botticelli or Medusa by Caravaggio was absolutely amazing. To be in the same room with masterful art work by Da Vinci and Michelangelo was heavenly. I don’t even like art but knowing that I was in the presence of history just made my day.
The unfortunate thing is, even though this was off season for tourism, it was still very crowded and you had to go with the flow or else you would get run over. I did feel a bit rushed because of the crowds and after a while of going room to room all art seems to blend and become the same. You can still appreciate what’s in front of you but it does seem to lose its luster the longer you stay. Though enjoyable and worth every minute, we did have other places to be. Sadly, we took the last pictures and exited the museum. I would very much like to go back and spend more time. Maybe in a few years we’ll go back. I hope so.
Once we left the Uffizi, we had time before our next scheduled adventure. We took this time to walk around and explore one of the many markets that the city has to offer. This walk took us to Piazza del Mercato Nuovo, which translates to New Market. This market has many different leather vendors and souvenir vendors. It was nice to look at all the different leather goods that Florence is known for. Located on the side of the market is the fountain Il Porcellino, meaning “the little pig”. It is actually a wild boar. People rub the snout and place a coin in the boar’s mouth. If the coin falls into the grate below, you will have good luck and be sure to return to Florence. We were having too much fun to take photos, but will post some video soon.
One thing that you have to realize is that the city of Florence, Italy is small enough that you can walk around the whole city center in a matter of a few hours. That is why it only took us about a ten minute walk back to the Duomo where our next sightseeing attraction was waiting for us. We were climbing the dome of the Duomo. Now I’m no spring chicken. I’m pushing 50 years of age and not in the best shape of my life, but I wanted the challenge. The other bad thing is my wife has asthma which, when doing heavy physical activity, can be troublesome for her. She has climbed St. Paul’s Cathedral in London and a hill/mountain in Ireland (you can read about that here on the website).
Again, and I can’t stress this enough, make sure you purchase your tickets ahead of time. It will really save you time. Once through security we were on our way to the top. We were in a group of about 20 that was let in at one time with our timed entry tickets. Since there is only one way up and one way down they have to stagger the groups and time is limited once you are at the top.
Halfway up the climb you are directed to a walkway that allows you to look down inside the Duomo and also gives you a better and closer look at the painting inside the dome. Under the dome you can view The Last Judgment by Giorgio Vasari and Federico Zuccari. Inspired by the book of Revelations and Dante’s Inferno, the top of the dome depicts Heaven and the lower half represents Hell. It really is a remarkable place to view the dome’s interior with a closer vantage.
Continuing the hike to the top, you then go to what is called the dome within a dome. This is where there is a space between the inner shell of the dome, what you would see from inside the Duomo vs. the outer shell of the dome. The space between the two shells is pretty significant. There is plenty of room so no need to worry if you are claustrophobic. But, on the flip side, the climb to the top is very steep. So if you have physical issues; back, knee, or breathing, you might want to consider if this is for you. What is waiting for you at the top is breathtaking.
Once at the top you get a 360 degree panoramic view of the medieval city of Florence and the ancient Arno river. Unfortunately you do only get 10 to 15 minutes to take in the view. It can be crowded as this is the highest point in the city and everyone wants to get their selfies. You may have to squeeze your way into a spot on the railing just to get the perfect photo. We were fortunate that the weather cleared up, which made for an amazing view of the city. Once back down on the ground you are escorted out the side door. This for us was our first view of the interior of the Duomo from the ground level. We had on our schedule to come back at a later date.
Since we were in the area we decided to go ahead and eat at the same spot we had on our first night in Florence, the Duomo Cafe. Great food, decent prices and great service. Once dinner was over it was back to our apartment. Luckily it was just down the street and not too far to walk as we had a busy first day and many more days like this ahead.
Oh, and we still didn’t have gelato.
