Stu and Theresa Allen: Florence, Italy

We left this morning for a long weekend in Florence! We took the bullet train from Naples, how nice! No traffic, faassst, and more importantly no parking!!

The Santa Maria Novella Church, built by the Dominicans was finished in 1357.

In the heart of Florence, Santa Maria del Fiore - The Duomo, or cathedral, of Florence, dominates the city with its enormous dome. To this day, no other building stands taller in the city.

A beautiful moasic and a 24 hour clock.

The frescoes on the dome were amazing, the camera just didn't do justice.

This guy was determined the get the perfect shot of the dome!

The Campanile (Bell Tower), at 276 ft. is 20 ft. shorter than the dome. It is clad in white, green and pink Tuscan marble.

The Baptistry is one of Florence's oldest building, dating perhaps to the 4th century. It is where many famous Florentines, including Dante, were baptized.

One of the gates in the old city walls.

Piazza della Signoria - Palazzo Vecchio (the old palace).

The Grand Duke Cosimo I

Me in front of the Neptune Fountain.

Reproductions of "David" and "Hercules and Cacus".

The Neptune Fountain - the Roman sea god surrounded by water nymphs commemorates Tuscan naval victories.

The Loggia dei Lanzi built in 1382 is named after Cosimo I's bodyguards, the Lancers, is lined with ancient Roman statues.

"The Rape of the Sabine Women" (1583), The writhing figures were carved from a single block of flawed marble.

David

The Marzocco lion is the emblem of Florence.

Cortile and Putto Fountain was placed in the courtyard of the Palazzo Vecchio in 1565.

A bronze statue from 1554, of Perseus holding Medusa;s head was meant to warn Cosimo I's enemies of their probable fate.

Hercules and Cacus (1533)

The Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge), if you look up to the top two windows, that is a corridor that was built in 1565 and links the Palazzo Vecchio to the Palazzo Pitti, via the Uffizi. This private elevated walkway, also known as the "Prince's Route", allowed members of the Medici family to move between their residences without havingt to step into the street below and mix with the crowds...

The Ponte Vecchio - is the oldest bridge in Florence. It was the only bridge in the city to escape being blown up during World War II. There have always been workshops on the bridge, but the butchers, tanners and blacksmiths who were here originally (and who used the river as a convenient trash dump) were evicted in 1593 because of the noise and stench they created. Now just about every shop is a very, very high priced jewlery shop.

Upstream of the Arno River.

That's us...me, Stu, Francesco, Gianni and Susy... Consiglia is taking the picture.

The Arno river

Rumor has it that if you leave a pad lock with your names on it, you'll be together forever... Or at least until the lowly street sweeper comes by and cuts them all off.

And us without a padlock!

Gold shops as far as the eye can see!

This "fountain" is called "Il Porcellino, or as we called it the "Drooling Boar", not much of a fountain! It's a 17th century copy in bronze of the Roman marble statue of a wild boar. It's snout gleams like gold, thanks to the superstition that any visitor who rubs it will return to Florence some day.