The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore (affectionally known as The Duomo) is about a 10 minute walk from our apartment but we decided to wait until a weekday to visit as it can get pretty crowded in Florence on the weekends. The Sanctuary is free to visit but prepare for long lines. There are a variety of ticket options depending on what you want to see. We opted for the Ghiberti Pass which allowed access to the Sanctuary, the Crypt, the Museum and the Baptistery. The other tickets give the option to climb the 414 to the top of the Campanile (bell tower) and another to also include the 463 steps to the top of Brunelleschi's dome.
Tip for physically challenged travelers: while the streets and sidewalks of Florence are not the greatest for those which physical or mobility challenges, the tourist sites are accessible. We saw signs that those with a physical challenge (and often one person accompanying them) can get in for free. Many also have a lift for those in need and if you do not see it often just asking the staff is all it takes. With LuLu's asthma, the lift came in handy as stairs are not always her friend.
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Like many places in Italy, the Duomo is under restoration
but they have a construction tarp that makes it appear to be cohesive. |
Photos from the crypt...
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| Could not resist a pic of relics sitting next to storage boxes |
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| Tools used to make the mosaics |
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| Baptistery of San Giovanni (St. John) |
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| Replica of the doors...originals are in the museum (below) |
Two of Italy's greatest contributions to the world...hot chocolate and gelato!
The Palazzo Vecchio is the past and present town hall of Florence. Again there is a ticket option so you can climb the tower but to be honest, once you have gone to the Piazzale Michelangelo and seen the view of Florence, you really do not need to climb any of the optional towers in town.
The Basilica of Santa Maria Novella is about 5 minutes from our apartment as well. It is yet another beautiful church full of amazing artwork reminding you once again you are in the birthplace of the Renaissance.
For my birthday (December 5 in case anyone is wondering), we headed to Assisi. It is about a 2.5 hour train ride from Florence so it makes for a nice day trip. It really is a place you can see in a day but there is enough if you wanted to spend a night or two as there were a lot of little streets that looked interesting for wandering.
We took a taxi to the top of the city to visit St. Clare of Assisi first and then made our way down the hill (travel smarter not harder is my motto!). St. Clare holds a special place in our hearts as that was our former parish in Charleston and the one where Daddy (aka JB) was confirmed into the Catholic church (LuLu prayed for 48 years and in God's time, JB heard the calling and became a Catholic 6 years before he went to heaven). The church does close from 12P-2P so plan your visit accordingly especially if you hike up the hill.
Relics of St. Francis and St. Clare  |
| A Christmas market was being set-up in front of St. Clare |
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| Our old friend, St. Anthony |
Photos are not allowed inside the church
unfortunately but there are photos on their website.
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The Abbey of St. Peter was on the way to taxi
stand so we popped in for quick visit before
catching the train back to Florence. |
How the day started and how and the day ended!
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