Our time spent in Florence seems to be moving much faster than our time in Rome. With its Tuscan charm enhanced by incredible views such as the twinkling river under the Ponte Vecchio at night and the panorama of a clear day from the top of the Duomo, this is most of our favorite city thus far.

Breathtaking Basilicas

We have visited several of the incredible churches and basilicas that Florence has to offer, including Santa Croce, San Lorenzo, and the Cathedral of Santa Maria (where the Duomo is located). The style of these churches differ greatly from what we saw in Rome, with more simplistic designs of various colors of marble and huge timber ceilings. Although they are not as complex, the churches are just as grand. It has been interesting to compare the designs from different regions and time periods and connect them to our our practice while sketching on site.

Incredible Museums and Palaces

Florence is home to a ridiculous amount of famous artworks, many of which we have been lucky to see and even draw from. On Friday, we visited the Galleria degli Uffizi, which is my favorite museum so far! We saw countless influential sculptures and paintings including two of my all time favorites: The Birth of Venus and the Venus of Urbino. We stayed here for hours sketching and admiring work. On Sunday, we visited three more museums, where we saw Donatello's David at the Bargello, Michelangelo's David at Dell'Accedemia, and received a unique perspective at the Casa Buonarroti, which displayed preparatory sketches and models of Michelangelo's work. Today, on our last day in this beautiful city, we independently toured the gardens at the Pitti Palace, which offered the most amazing view of the Tuscan countryside. All of the climbing in the cold that it took to get to the top was well worth it!

Food in Florence

On Sunday night, we experienced the ultimate Florentine family-style dinner at Trattoria Marione. We were treated to a four course meal, featuring prosciutto, salami, cheeses, vegetables, pasta, steak, and an assortment of house-made cakes. It was definitely my favorite (and most filling) dinner I've had on the trip so far!

Preparing for Venice

It is our last afternoon/night in Florence and we are spending our time sketching, relaxing, and packing for Venice. We will miss Florence dearly but we cannot wait for our next adventure! Ciao!