By:Marcia Abramson
I don't think that any trip to Italy is complete without a visit to Florence particularly after
exploring Venice and Rome on this cruise. Therefore, it was worth the bus ride from Livorno, the
port city for Florence where the Renaissance Cruise ship docked. The transportation arranged
through the Renaissance Cruise shore excursions was $49 and well worth the price. The English speaking guide pointed out the Leaning Tower of Pisa as we drove on to Florence. Even from the bus I could see the protective fencing around the Tower which is still tilting or leaning. Comfortable walking shoes are a must for this Renaissance city ( no relation to the shiny new Renaissance Cruise ship). We had to disembark from the bus a good distance from the city itself because there are many thoroughfares in the main part of the town closed off to vehicular traffic. I was part of the group that walked into Santa Croce Square which houses Florence's most renowned church, famous for its frescos by Giotto which I saw to the right of the altar in the Peruzzi and Bardi chapels. I did not get to see many of the 270 tombs which have been designated as shrines to such great well known personages as Machiavelli, Michelangelo, Galileo and Rossini. But I did see Michelangelo's tomb which is smack on the right side of the church as you enter the main front door. His body was brought back from Rome in 1574 to be buried in the tomb, a location he himself chose. Stories are told by generations of Italians that Michelangelo chose the spot for his tomb himself with the rationale that on the Day of Judgment when the graves of the dead fly open, his first sighting would be the dome on the Duomo.
I was also taken aback to see a blue and white tile mosaic Star of David on the uppermost facade of the building. My guide assured me that it had no significance aside from the fact that the architect who remodeled the building chose this purely for decorative purposes. Also in the Santa Croce Square are numerous leather, jewelry and shoe stores, trattorias, and some of Florence's delicious gellatti (ice cream).
The square itself has only the church as a tourist attraction in so far as I am concerned, but from this vantage point it was easy to get to the splendid scenic Ponte Vecchio, the Piazza del Duomo and the Piazza della Signoria. From these locations it is just minutes to the three great galleries of Florence, the Uffizi for paintings and the Bargello and Museo dell'Opera del Duomo for sculpture and my all-time favorite, the Palazzo Pitti. The Pitti Palace picture gallery, a six-museum complex surrounded by the magnificent Boboli Gardens is only ranked second although it surpasses the best in other cities that I have visited. Another must stop is the Galleria dell'Accademia, which is almost always crowded with visitors whose goal it is to see Michelangelo's David, the most famous nude in art history. It was originally intended to be an outdoor sculpture and not for a gallery. Some art historians cite this as the reason for the huge head, exaggerated long hands and arms and what might be considered a deformity, but in reality it produces an unforgettable monumental effect. Actually the statue was started when the sculptor was only 26 years old and completed when he was 29. His work resulted in the largest stone work since Roman times. However, there are also six other Michelangelo figures worth seeing in the Accademia, a Pieta, an unfinished St. Matthew and Four Slaves "imprisoned in stone."
Florence was also known as the city of Giovanni de Medici. He was the patriarch who founded the banking dynasty and whose family controlled this area for almost three centuries. His forebears, Cosimo and Lorenzo il Magnifico, were responsible for bringing Florence to the zenith of the Renaissance period in Italian history. The museums and churches abound with some of the most magnificent art treasures known to man.
This is indeed a city worth spending at least three days to just feast in the classical beauty of the art works. There was little time for shopping. I was particularly interested in some of the fine leather goods, but they were quite expensive. But quite frankly when you live in the Five Towns and on the South Shore of Long lsland, I do not feel shopping deprived and choose to spend my time exploring the things that I do not have at home. There are no Pitti Palazzos anywhere around for me in my home bailiwick. After a day of unbelievable gallery and church hopping it was great to board the bus, make one stop for an exquisite view of the city and head back to my Renaissance stateroom, kick off my shoes and head for the next destination without the burden of packing and rushing to catch transportation. Another treat was the cup of hot chocolate waiting for me in the cabin. Cruising to a destination filled itinerary is hard to beat.
For further information you can contact your local travel agent, Renaissance Cruise Lines at 1 (800) 973-3352 or E-mail me at: mascribe@aol.com
Copyright by Marcia Abramson
