Florence

Friday was Florence. We went to the Academia (Galleria dell’ Accademia) to see Micelangelo’s David. The Academy was the first school in Europe to teach drawing, painting, and sculpture. Since 1873, many of Michelangelo’s most important works have been there. The David, perhaps the most famous. The colossal nude depicts the biblical hero who killed the giant Goliath. It established Michealangelo as the foremost sculptor of his time. An impressive piece indeed, the details intricate even in its large size.

After the Academia we had some free time before we had to meet at the Uffizi. Jenn, Liz, Amanda S, and I went to the Open Market. Here the vendors formed a maze along the streets. Many of them sold the same goods. T-shirts, leather goods, and pashminas the most popular. Jenn got a gorgeous new coat for only 40 euro. I am kind of envious.

An impressive piece indeed, the details intricate even in its large size

On to Uffizi – the oldest art gallery in the world. It was originally built for Duke Cosimo I’s Tuscan administration. Cosimo’s heirs began using the well lit space to display the Medici family art treasures. Ancient Greek and Roman sculptures were displayed in the corridor running around the inner side of the building. The paintings were hung in chronological order to show the development of Florentine art from Gothic to High Renaissance and beyond. We saw the Primavera, The Ognissanti Madonna, The Duke and Duchess of Urnibo, and the Birth of Venus to name a few. It was crazy to see so much famous artwork all in one place. Some of the students taking the GLS art history course especially enjoyed it because they got to see a lot of art that they had been learning about. Our tour guide in the Uffizi was very good. Apparently she gave Sarah Jessica Parker her tour a couple years ago.

A couple of friends who were studying in Florence recommended this sandwich place called the Oil Shoppe for lunch. Their sandwiches were amazing, and probably because they fit the American standard of actually having a decent amount of meat on them. I quickly noticed the European accents and foreign languages that were lacking in the shoppe, and tuned into the excess of American accents flowing from the patrons there. It may not have been the most authentic Italian food, but it was so good that I can’t complain.

That night we went to a bar called the Fish Pub with a big group of us. It was here that we were conversing with people of many nationalities and attempting to learn several new languages at once. It was a lot of fun to watch the football game and meet new people and learn about their various cultures.