Florence and museums and David 8-18-09

The river in Florence was to me very uninviting. It looked like there was a film of green moss on the surface of the river. This is a very famous bridge called "Ponte Vecchio" built in 1345. It was the first bridge across the Arno River and is the only surviving medieval bridge. It is lined with shops selling gold and silver.

This was the piazza del duomo where we spent every evening listening to a singer/guitarist and eating pizza at one of the small cafes in the square. It would finally begin to cool a bit!

Here is the original "David" by Michaelangelo. Really an amazing work of art! This was seen at the Galleria dell' Academia where we saw sculptures and paintings from the 13th to the 16th centuries. We also visited the Galleria degli Uffizi with a collection of Renaissance art.

We found a small storefront where they make mosaics. The artwork looks like a painting but is intricate pieces of colored rock. This is the ancient cutting table and tools used in this lost art. There are very few artists left who do this work. I sure did want one of the pieces!

This is the most beautiful work of brass in the world. It depicts scenes from the bible intricately carved in brass. It is called