Carolina Hatfield
Before going to Florence a few weeks ago, I had no expectations or any idea of what it would be like.
My friend and I arrived on a Friday evening, but started our weekend adventure bright and early Saturday morning.
Our first stop on the list was to see Michelangelo’s “David” statue among other art at the Galleria dell'Accademia.
I felt as if I had stepped back in time to the Renaissance age as I walked from painting to painting and sculpture to sculpture, in awe that human hands could have crafted these masterpieces.
After wandering around the Galleria, we headed to the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore. Architecture is my favorite type of art and I have seen many beautiful structures, but the beauty of this cathedral surpassed anything I have ever seen, in person or in pictures.
The cathedral has subtle tints of pink and green, a red dome and countless intricate details. Every time you look at the cathedral, you notice something that you didn’t before.
We then made our way through town, passing all of the leather vendors claiming that they had the true authentic leather and ready to bargain with the crowds. We continued on to Point Vecchio, where the Arno River passes under a medieval arch bridge.
Next, we headed toward Piazzale Michelangelo, which sits on a hill on the south bank of the Arno River.
From Piazzale Michelangelo, we had a panoramic view of the whole city. The view is stunning, especially when the sun starts to set. We snapped dozens of photos, but of course none of them compared to the real scene.
To finish the evening, we watched a beautiful performance of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons at Auditorium Santo Stefano.
The rest of our time, we looked around at the little shops and simply enjoyed the views of this unique city.
If you ever find yourself in Italy, make sure your journey takes you through Florence. It is a city you don’t want to miss!
