Friday, September 22, 2006

Friday, September 22, 2006




It was hard to believe that after all of the things that we had done that our time was coming to a close. It was our last trip to Florence before heading away from Italy. I was really looking forward to it.

Our first mission was to head to San Miniato. It is a church above the hill in Florence, and it is fabulous. It has a really good view of the city. The church is one of the best that I had been in. It was also one of Michelangelo’s favorites, and I can see why. The church was right along the defense walls that Michelangelo helped to put together when Florence was under siege.

The time we spent in the church was amazing because it was all covered inside and out with perfect white marble. It was a really good church to end our tour of Florence on.

After that, the group walked down the hill to Florence and had lunch.

After lunch, we met up at the Medici Chapel. The goal was to go in and see the Medici tombs as well as the work that Michelangelo did. It was a really fabulous visit, and the works are by far some of my favorite works that Michelangelo did. We then went around and went into the church of San Lorenzo. It is one of my other favorite churches. The entire thing was designed my Brunelleschi, and it has a very fabulous feel. It was one of my favorite spaces to spend time in.

We were all tired, but because it was our last trip in Florence, I headed off with a couple of people to see some other churches. The church of Santo Spirito that was wanted to see was closed, so Jeffrey recommended that we go to the Church of SS. Annunziata. It was nothing like the other churches we had been in, so we did not stay long. The cloister was amazing, but that was because Brunelleschi had a say in it’s design, and it was not ruined too much by later people.

On the way home, I stopped off on the train to Prato. The city is a beautiful little city that I had wanted to see. The only thing that Jeffrey told me would be of interest during a quick trip would be the Duomo. I loved it. I was so surprised by its simple beauty. It is legend that the girdle that Mary was wearing when she ascended to Heaven was thrown down on her way up, and it is supposed to rest in the Duomo in Prato. I was able to see it.

It was nice to take the side road off alone to Prato to see all the wonderful things there were to see.

No comments: