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Italy 2017


Previous
Friday June 30, 2017
Rome

Saturday July 1, 2017
Florence

Next
Sunday July 2, 2017
Siena and Palio

Early Saturday I walked over to the Pantheon, caught a taxi to the train station, took the train to Florence, took another taxi to the Hotel Casci, dropped off my backpack, and started my Florence art blitz.
Florence has some of the most fantastic art anywhere...
The 3 day 'see everything and cut to the head of the line' FirenzeCard is now up to 72 euros, but is still a bargain considering how much more time you get to spend staring at art instead of standing outside sweating in line.
By the time I started my art blitz it was warm and getting crowded, but I knew it would get much hotter and the crowds would get much crazier...


2017-07-01 11:17


2017-07-01 12:00

I started at the Bargello, which I'd only seen once before during my first trip to Italy in 2003

Ground floor of the Bargello

Michelangelo - Bacchus
2017-07-01 11:34

Michelangelo - Bacchus

Michelangelo - Bacchus
2017-07-01 11:37

Michelangelo - Bacchus

Michelangelo - Pitti Tondo
2017-07-01 11:37

Michelangelo - Pitti Tondo


2017-07-01 11:44

Michelangelo - Brutus
2017-07-01 11:40

Michelangelo - Brutus


2017-07-01 11:43

Michelangelo - David - Apollo
2017-07-01 11:42

Michelangelo - David - Apollo


2017-07-01 11:43

Giambologna - Flying Mercury
2017-07-01 11:45

Giambologna - Flying Mercury


2017-07-01 11:45


2017-07-01 11:54

Bargello - First Floor (Americans would call it the second floor)

Donatello - David
2017-07-01 11:47

Donatello - David (the not famous one)


2017-07-01 11:47

Donatello - David
2017-07-01 11:52

Donatello - David (again) - this is the more famous of Dontatello's David's....

After the Bargello I went to the Uffizi.
After a while I noticed lots of people taking pictures, and also noticed the museum staff weren't doing anything about it.
The Uffizi had always forbidden all pictures, but I noticed there weren't any signs telling people not to take pictures anymore.
I asked one of the staff members when they started allowing visitors to take pictures and she replied 'about a year ago'.
Botticelli is one of my favorite artists and the Uffizi has lots of his paintings, now I'd finally be able to take pictures of them!

Botticello - Madonna of the Rose Garden - c 1470
2017-07-01 12:33

Botticello - Madonna of the Rose Garden - c 1470

Botticelli - Annunciation
2017-07-01 12:34

Botticelli - Annunciation


2017-07-01 12:37

Botticelli - Sant'Ambrogio Altarpiece / Madonna and Child with Six Saints
2017-07-02 10:11

Botticelli - Sant'Ambrogio Altarpiece / Madonna and Child with Six Saints


2017-07-01 12:35


2017-07-01 13:10

One of the new Botticelli rooms

Botticelli - Annunciation - c 1481
2017-07-02 10:11

Botticelli - Annunciation - c 1481
(scroll right to see the whole thing)

Botticelli - Madonna in Glory with Seraphim - c 1469
2017-07-02 10:11

Botticelli - Madonna in Glory with Seraphim - c 1469

Botticelli - Allegory of Spring - Primavera
2017-07-02 10:11

Botticelli - Allegory of Spring - Primavera

Since I'd first seen it in 2003 Botticelli's Birth of Venus had been my favorite painting
While enjoying the Allegory of Spring I decided that perhaps I liked it a little better since there was more to see...


2017-07-01 13:10

Another of the new Botticelli rooms...

Botticelli - Birth of Venus
2017-07-01 12:50

Botticelli - Birth of Venus

Botticelli - Portrait of a Man with a Medal of Cosimo the Elder
2017-07-01 12:55

Botticelli - Portrait of a Man with a Medal of Cosimo the Elder


2017-07-02 10:11

Botticelli - The Virgin and Child with Four Angels and Six Saints

Botticelli - The Virgin and Child with Four Angels and Six Saints
2017-07-02 10:11


2017-07-01 12:56

Botticelli - Madonna of the Pomegranate - c 1487
2017-07-01 12:56

Botticelli - Madonna of the Pomegranate - c 1487


2017-07-01 12:56

Botticelli - Saint Augustine in His Study
2017-07-01 12:58

Botticelli - Saint Augustine in His Study

Botticelli - Madonna of the Magnificat
2017-07-02 10:11

Botticelli - Madonna of the Magnificat


2017-07-02 10:11

Botticelli - The Calumny of Apelles
2017-07-02 10:11

Botticelli - The Calumny of Apelles

Botticelli - The Calumny of Apelles
2017-07-02 10:11

Botticelli - The Calumny of Apelles


2017-07-02 10:11

Botticelli - Coronation of the Virgin
2017-07-02 10:11

Botticelli - Coronation of the Virgin


2017-07-01 13:06

Botticelli - The Discovery of the Body of Hologernes and Judith Returns to Bethulia
2017-07-01 13:09

Botticelli - The Discovery of the Body of Hologernes and Judith Returns to Bethulia


2017-07-01 13:09

Botticelli - Adoration of the Magi - c 1475
2017-07-02 10:11

Botticelli - Adoration of the Magi - c 1475

Michelangelo - Doni Tondo / The Holy Family
2017-07-02 10:11

Michelangelo - Doni Tondo / The Holy Family


2017-07-01 13:37


2017-07-01 13:38


2017-07-01 13:45

The Raphael room.
I love Raphael, but most of the Raphaels in the Uffizi are not very interesting...
I took pictures simply because I couldn't pass a Raphael without taking a picture...

Raphael - Pope Julius II
2017-07-01 13:42

Raphael - Pope Julius II

Raphael - Young Man with an Apple
2017-07-01 13:43

Raphael - Young Man with an Apple

Raphael - Portrait of Guidobaldo da Montefeltro
2017-07-01 13:43

Raphael - Portrait of Guidobaldo da Montefeltro

Raphael - Portrait of Elisabetta Gonzaga
2017-07-01 13:44

Raphael - Portrait of Elisabetta Gonzaga

Raphael - Madonna del cardellino / Madonna of the Goldfinch
2017-07-01 13:44

Raphael - Madonna del cardellino / Madonna of the Goldfinch

Raphael - Portrait of Perugino
2017-07-01 13:44

Raphael - Portrait of Perugino

Raphael - self portrait
2017-07-01 13:45

Raphael - self portrait


2017-07-01 13:45


2017-07-01 13:46

Titian - Lorenzo Lotto
2017-07-01 13:48

Titian - Lorenzo Lotto

Titian - A Knight of Malta
2017-07-01 13:48

Titian - A Knight of Malta

Titian - Flora
2017-07-01 13:48

Titian - Flora


2017-07-01 13:48



Titian - Portrait Papst Sixtus IV
2017-07-01 13:48

Titian - Portrait Papst Sixtus IV

Titian - Bishop Ludovico Beccadelli
2017-07-01 13:49

Titian - Bishop Ludovico Beccadelli

Titian - Eleonora Gonzaga
2017-07-01 13:49

Titian - Eleonora Gonzaga

Titian - Venus of Urbino
2017-07-01 13:49

Titian - Venus of Urbino


2017-07-01 13:50

Leonardo da Vinci - Annunciation
2017-07-01 13:51

Leonardo da Vinci - Annunciation

Verrocchio - Baptism of Christ
2017-07-01 13:52

Verrocchio (Leonardo's teacher) - Baptism of Christ

Leonardo da Vinci - The Adoration of the Magi
2017-07-01 13:55

Leonardo da Vinci - The Adoration of the Magi

Caravaggio - Testa di Medusa
2017-07-01 14:00

Caravaggio - Testa di Medusa


2017-07-01 14:00

Caravaggio - Bacchus
2017-07-02 10:11

Caravaggio - Bacchus

I hadn't been Santa Croce Church since 2003, and I wasn't too far away, so...


2017-07-01 14:48

Marconi's tomb


2017-07-01 14:49

Enrico Fermi's tomb


2017-07-01 14:50

Galileo's tomb


2017-07-02 10:11

Michelangelo's tomb


2017-07-01 14:52

Michelangelo's tomb


2017-07-01 14:53

Danti's tomb


2017-07-01 14:54

Machiavelli's tomb

I wanted to climb up the Duomo's dome but it was sold out for the next two days, even for passholders.
However the Campanile was open, and I hadn't been up Giotto's tower, and you can see the Duomo from the Campanile...


2017-07-01 15:23

The dome of the Duomo


2017-07-01 15:27

The crypt under the Duomo


2017-07-02 10:11

I got lucky, the sun was in the perfect place for pictures from the Campanile


2017-07-02 10:11

Florence from the Campanile


2017-07-01 15:46

the Campanile


2017-07-01 15:51

the Campanile


2017-07-01 15:53

the Campanile, looking down through a grate in the top


2017-07-02 10:11

Florence from the Campanile


2017-07-01 16:06

Duomo


2017-07-02 10:11

I'd saved the Acadamia for later in the day.
I was extremely pleased to see that the Acadamia finally allows visitors to take pictures as well!

Acadamia - Hall of Prisoners

Michelangelo - Awakening Slave
2017-07-02 10:11

Michelangelo - Awakening Slave

Michelangelo - Young Slave
2017-07-01 16:36

Michelangelo - Young Slave

Michelangelo - Atlas Slave
2017-07-01 16:37

Michelangelo - Atlas Slave

Michelangelo - Bearded Slave
2017-07-01 16:37

Michelangelo - Bearded Slave

Michelangelo - Pieta
2017-07-02 10:11

Michelangelo - Pieta

Michelangelo - St Matthew
2017-07-02 10:11

Michelangelo - St Matthew

Michelangelo - David
2017-07-01 16:48

Michelangelo - David
I enjoyed once again spending quality time with the best scul

Michelangelo - David
2017-07-02 10:11

Michelangelo - David


2017-07-01 17:00

the mob outside the Acadamia


2017-07-01 17:08

My very small room at the Hotel Casci

I almost ran out of battery on my iPhone cause I took so many pictures in Florence...
I took a quick break for a while before heading back out for dinner.


2017-07-01 17:16


2017-07-02 10:11


2017-07-01 17:23

I'd never seen the interior of the Pallazo Vecchio.. it was closed for a wedding, so I still haven't seen it.


2017-07-01 17:39

I'd also never seen the Baptistry, which was worth a good 2-3 minutes.


2017-07-02 10:11


2017-07-01 18:38

My hotel suggested dinner at the Mercato Centrale.
There were too many food choices; I finally settled on pate and salad with truffles... it was amazing.
Affligen summer, my new favorite Belgian beer.


2017-07-01 19:11


2017-07-01 19:27

I went back for seconds but bought too much!

Previous
Friday June 30, 2017
Rome

Saturday July 1, 2017
Florence

Next
Sunday July 2, 2017
Siena and Palio