Day 7, Rome to Florence [Walking tour of Florence] – September 24, 2017

Today was a travel day with our departure at 10:30 am on the high-speed train non-stop from Rome to Florence in 1-1/2 hrs.  After arriving in Rome, we took a taxi to the WOW Florence hostel, which is centrally located to all the major sights in Florence.  We arrived in rain, which lasted until 5:00 pm and is to leave us with very nice weather for the remainder of the week – sunny skies in the mid-70’s in the day and mid-50’s at night.  After lunch in San Marco square, we gathered at the Medici-Ricardi Palace, which is about 4-1/2 blocks from where we are staying.  

There we had a guided tour of the Palace, which served as a home for the Medici family for 100 years (1444-1540).  Within the palace is the Magi Chapel.  This is a gorgeous chapel with brilliant frescoes depicting the Magi in procession (featuring the Medici family in various roles) and painted by Benozzo Gozzoli between 1459 and 1463.  It depicts an idealized Tuscan landscape with exotic animals, birds, castles, etc. 

From the chapel, we proceeded past a large room containing tapestries

and then to another room that contained the Filippo Lippi Madonna and Child painting; previously the altarpiece of the palace chapel.

Adjacent to this room was the “Sala di Luca Giordana” with its fabulously frescoed ceiling depicting a baroque Apotheosis of the Medici.  

 After leaving the palace, we continued to the Piazza San Lorenzo 

and then the Duomo square with the Baptistery, Duomo, and Campanile (bell tower).  

The Duomo was begun in 1296 and took over 100 years to complete.  The massive and impressive Brunelleschi Dome was completed in 1436.  Tomorrow morning, we will return here for the Duomo Museum and see much more of this area.  We walked

 toward the San Marco square

and returned to the hostel.  At 7:00 pm, we gathered for dinner, which was at De Garibardi.  

 I had Bruschetta and the steamed seafood mix – octopus, shrimp, squid, etc. – which was excellent.