On a Rainy Day

The plans was for a walking tour of Florence, but, it was raining. So…we went on a walking tour of Florence! 

Uffizi, meaning offices in Italian, was built between 1560 and 1581, to accomodate Cosimo I de Medici’s many business ventures and holdings. 

Today it is home to works by many of Italy’s great renaissance artists.

The Uffizi Museum is closed on Mondays, but we took a moment to wander around the courtyard. 

Nearby, spanning the Arno River is the Ponte Veccio. While there had been a bridge at this location since the tenth century, this version of the bridge has stood since the 1340’s. At that time it was customary for butchers, farmers and tanners to set up shop on the bridges for easy disposal of waste materials. 

Butchers were excluded from having their shops on the bridge in 1565, due to the smell of their wares. A decree from that year declared that only jewellery shops are allowed on the bridge. This decree is still in effect today. 

In 1565, after the completion of the Uffizi, Cosimo de Medici commission the development the Vasari Corridor, connecting his palace, Palazzo Pitti with the Palazzo Vecchio on opposite sides of the Arno River.  The upper row of windows above the shops mark the Vasari Corridor. 

The Ponte Veccio is the oldest bridge in Florence, as it was never bombed in WWII. 

Our next stop was the stunning Duomo St. Marie del Fiore. 

Clad in red, green and white marble, this Cathedral includes the external Baptistry and Giotto Bell Tower, making it one of the largest Cathedrals in the world.

The symbol of Florence, the red Fleur de Lis, adorns the wall representing both the cathedral’s name Santa Maria del Flores and the city name, Florence or City of Flowers. 

Inside, the high ceilings create a sense of awe. The painting inside the dome by Vasari and Zucconi represents universal judgement.