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Today we went back to Palazzo Vecchio, this time with tickets. It’s showcases how the Medici family lived while ruling Florence. Needless to say, it’s quite palatial.
When you first enter the museum, you do so in a huge room. Which is apparently still used for big meetings, since one was in progress when we arrived. Here’s what it looks like empty:
It had some of the oddest statues in it.
The rooms themselves were ornately decorated. One of the rules about touring these former palaces is, whenever you enter a room, look up. The ceilings, unlike any place I’ve ever lived, are part of the show.
There were lots of interesting paintings on the walls, too. Including a very large one showing tons of people making offerings to the god Saturn. One of which involved a turtle…who didn’t appear to be looking forward to being an offering.
There were also quite a few pieces of beautiful furniture, in addition to statues, on display.
Even the doorways into the rooms were works of art.
One of my favorite rooms, though, was tucked off in the corner, and not at all highlighted. When I walked into it, I was greeted by a guy sporting a very calculating smile and stare.
Of course, since it was none other than Machiavelli, the calculating pose is completely understandable. I didn’t know Machiavelli was a Florentine.
After leaving the Vecchio we walked over to the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. It’s a famous site, and quite beautiful inside.
Unfortunately, it’s also extremely popular with tourists. Given the chance of rain, we had little interest waiting in line outside for several hours1.
But no matter, because if there’s one thing Florence has a lot of, it’s churches and cathedrals. We decided to return to the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella, which we had found on our first day right around closing time. This time we were able to tour it.
As you’d expect, it had lots of beautiful stained glass and artwork.
The sanctuary, though, was spectacular. Not one, but two very large crosses2, an enormous amount of statuary, and paintings and stained glass in abundance.
One of the unexpected aspects of the Basilica was that, while the church itself is spectacular to the point of being somewhat overwhelming, the grounds and attached pavilions project an air of serenity.
It was nice to be able to sit, relax, and enjoy the day for a bit before we walked back to our hotel.
