First day in Florence

Fantastic Firenze! Today was our first trip south to Florence (only 20 minutes by train). Needless to say, the highlight was David – all 5m (and 5 inches) of Michelangelo marble magic. Fortunately, the boys got the penis jokes out of their systems before we got there – and were uncharacteristically well behaved and in awe of the Masterpiece. Other highlights included the Cappelle Medici, the Duomo (cathedral) and the Ponte Vecchio. The construction of the Duomo began in 1296 and it took 150 years to build the world’s fourth largest cathedral. David is housed in the purpose-built Galleria dell’Accademia. The statue is a staggering 5.16m tall and weighs 19 tonnes. Michaelangelo also designed the Cappelle Medici. It is the Medici Family mausoleum and the main chapel is typical of the baroque style – granite, marble and semi-precious stones. Cosimo il Vecchio (1389-1464) was founder of the Medici dynasty and historians argue that the political stability achieved by Cosimo helped foster the Renaissance – particularly as a patron of the arts. The Ponte Vecchio is Florence’s oldest and most famous bridge over the fast-flowing River Arno and is still a bustling area after seven centuries. It was once home to medieval butchers and is now home to numerous jewellers. After all our sightseeing we enjoyed a delicious pranza at a trattoria with red and white checked table cloths! We’ll probably be making a few trips to Florence during our Tuscan sojourn...