Photo Walk: Florence's Duomo

As you wonder through the streets and alleyways of Florence, you can suddenly stumble on extraordinary sites, especially if you aren't looking up.  The Piazza del Duomo is one of those sites.  While the dome of the Basilica and Giotto's Tower are symbols of Florence and dominate a view of the city, when you are on the ground nearby, you don't see it until suddenly it is there.  You stop and your mouth hangs open.  Then you remember that you have a camera.

St. John's Baptistery is the oldest of the three structures.

While the church is nicknamed The Duomo because of the red dome,
the formal name is the Basilica of Santa Maria del Fiore
(Saint Mary of the Flower).

The draw for the Baptistery is The Gates of Paradise, ten panels that depict major events of the Old Testament.  While I can't imagine that Dr. Muir and Dr. Bekus didn't make this point in Medieval History, I had never thought about the fact that people couldn't read, so the imagery in the church told the Bible stories.  It was Michelangelo who described Ghiberti's masterpiece as The Gates of Paradise.  The originals have been moved to a protected location.

The statues above the Gates of Paradise depict the baptism of Christ.

While the Cathedral was begun in the 1200s, the facade was redesigned in the 1800s.

The stone work, in pink, green, and white, come from three different quarries
in Italy.  The facade is dedicated to the mother of Christ.

In this mosaic, Christ blesses various saints from Florence.

Above this door, Charity is honored by Florence's philanthropists..

In this scene, Florentine merchants and artists pay homage to Faith.

Mary with the Christ child is in the center portal, surrounded by the twelve apostles.

Above the rose window are busts of famous Florence artists.  Christ is at the top.

Like most Gothic churches, the vaulted ceiling draws the eyes upwards to heaven.

I'm not thrilled with my interior pictures.
We weren't allowed to use flash and I didn't have my tripod.
I'm learning more about my camera all the time, though.

Clock on the back wall painted by Ucello.

Coronation of Mary by Gaddi

The Dome, painted by Vasari and Zuccari, tells the story of the Last Judgement.

You can climb to the top of the outside of the dome, but it was closed on Sunday.

Part of the trek includes being able to walk around the interior of the dome.

Punishment in Hell

The High Altar

Much of the interior, like the exterior, mirrors the design of the Baptistery.

The Rose Window depicts the Assumption of Mary into Heaven.

Even the floor is a work of art

 

The Dome was built by Brunelleschi, and was so large that people told him it would be impossible to build.  It is actually two domes with space between, the lower dome supporting the upper dome.  If you travel to the top, you can see this architectural wonder.

Giotto designed the bell tower that stands beside the Cathedral.  You can also climb it.

Photo Walk in Florence

The Torre San Niccolo has recently been (re)opened for visitors to go to the roof for scenic views over Florence.

Basilica of Santa Croce (Holy Cross)

Once a year, an early form of soccer called Calcio Fiorentino
is played on the piazza in front of Santa Croce.

Entombed inside are Michelangelo, Galileo, Machiavelli, and Rossini.

There is a monument to Dante in front of
Santa Croce.

Photos and sculptures of Dante always show him looking
severe because of his attitude toward the Catholic Church.

Florence is the birthplace of Dante, and his home has been turned
into a museum.

Dante was eventually exiled from Florence
and he died and was buried elsewhere.

Florence, like many old European cities, is a series of winding
alleys and streets.

 

Pedestrians share the streets with automobiles.

The city has been built on top of Medieval and Roman ruins.  This
curved building was built on the remains of the Roman coliseum that
once stood in this spot.

The Law Courts at the Piazza San Firenze

Detail above the door of the Law Courts

The Ponte Vecchio over the River Arno

The Ponte Vecchio was the only bridge
spared by the retreating Nazis, though both ends
were blocked to prevent the Allied troops from
being able to cross.

The Ponte Vecchio is the oldest bridge in Florence.

The shops that line the bridge once belonged to butchers,
but they were eventually forced to move away from the center of town
because of the stench they created.

Today, most of the shops are jewelers and souvenir kiosks.

This is a bust of Celleni, one of the most famous goldsmiths,
along with being a painter, soldier, and sculptor.

One of the Medici's had a passageway built connecting the Uffizi with their
Palace across the River Arno.

The Piazza della Repubblica was built on the site of the Roman Forum, and later the Jewish Ghetto.  When Italy was unified, Florence briefly became the capital.  The new government spent money restoring the city, destroying some of the Roman remains in the process.  Before the restoration was completed, the government decided that Florence would not be the capital of the Italian Republic.

The inscription above the arch translates "The ancient center
of the city/restored from age-old squalor/to new life."

The Column of Abundance marks the point where the
East-West and North-South Roman roads crossed.

We attended a leatherworking demonstration.  The woman is explaining how they make Florentine jewelry boxes with three bumps to represent the hills of Tuscany.

The Italians frequently use scooters for transportation.

The River Arno

Cemetery (taken from bus)

A park

Farther from the center of the old city, the city is more modernized.

A park

The modern Palace of Justice on the outskirts of town