This blog will focus on Florence’s Duomo and Baptistery. The Duomo is officially named the Santa Maria Del Fiore, or St. Mary’s of the Flower (referencing the origin of Florence’s name). It is the fourth largest Christian church in the world. Construction of the cathedral began in 1296. Work on the external decoration, consisting of green, pink and white marble, began in the 14th Century and was completed in 1887. The dome is known as Brunelleschi’s Dome and is crowned…
Florence is an incredible city and was our favorite on the Classic Italy tour. It is an easy city to get around. And despite never having an interest in art history, I developed an appreciation for it while visiting this lovely city. And then there was the food. Florence is said to have the world’s best gelato. I had to sample it (on a few occasions) and would heartily agree! There are also small restaurants with incredible food. We had…
We visited several small towns in the Umbria region of Italy which include Orvieto and Assisi from my last post. Umbria is famous for medieval towns, wine and beautiful farmland. We stayed in Torgiano, also in the Umbria region. The oldest part of Torgiano is still partly surrounded by a wall. Pictured below is the Torre di Guardia which is a defensive tower dating back to the 13th Century. As we walked to see this tower, we came across the…
We visited several small towns while in Italy, one of which was Orvieto. It sits on rock that is believed to have come from a volcanic eruption. Orvieto is famous for its cathedral, wine and ceramics. These are pictures we took while walking around the town. In the last picture, you will get a glimpse of the cathedral. These pictures are of the Duomo of Orvieto. Construction of the cathedral began in 1290, but took over 100 years to complete. …
These are pictures of the Roman Forum. It is a rectangular plaza that is surrounded by the ruins of several ancient buildings. The Forum was a marketplace and civic center. Monuments honored great men of the time. The last picture with the three columns are all that remains from the Temple of Castor and Pollux. It was built in 6 AD, replacing an earlier temple. Castor and Pollux were the twin sons of Jupiter and said to have been instrumental…
Rome’s history spans three centuries and its history comes alive everywhere through ruins, monuments and cathedrals. The first picture below is the Castel Sant’ Angelo. It has been used as a mausoleum, fortress, castle and is now a museum. Tradition says that Archangel Michael appeared on the mausoleum, which led to its current name (translation is Castle of the Holy Angel). A statue of the archangel is at the very top. The next picture is the Supreme Court of Cassation….
We visited St. Peter’s Basilica on a beautiful day. The Basilica is the largest church in the world and thought to be the burial site of St. Peter. The Basilica replaces an earlier church and was completed in 1626. Across the top of the Basilica are statues of Christ (in the center), St. John the Baptist, the eleven disciples and St. Mathias who replaced Judas. There is also a close-up picture of three of the figures. They are John the…
Our visit to the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel was certainly special. Tauck had arranged an after-hours visit. Being able to see the Museum and Sistine Chapel without large crowds was a wonderful opportunity. If you visit the Vatican Museum, be sure to take in everything – you will see incredible ceilings, mosaic floors, decorative windows and medallions on the walls. They may not seem like the featured exhibits, but you will want to appreciate them as well. In the…
As we walked among the ruins of Pompeii, our local guide shared what life in Pompeii would have been like as well as that fateful day when Mt. Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD. The ruins remained undisturbed for over one thousand years. One of the first areas we saw was the forum, a large plaza where people would have gathered to socialize, do business and worship. Immediately below is the Temple of Jupiter with Mt. Vesuvius in the background. The…
We drove along the Amalfi Coast, an absolutely beautiful drive. Many of the roads were narrow and had “hairpin” curves. We also stopped in Positano, a small town built on the face of a cliff. These pictures were taken from our bus or during our stop in Positano. During our drive, we saw the Church of Santa Maria Assunta which is located in Positano. It is by the Mediterranean Sea and has blue, green and yellow tiles on the dome. …