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Florence, 11/10/2025 - 11/20/2025
The pilgrim arrives at Jerusalem! Even the train ride here was noteworthy - it's mostly in a tunnel that runs through the mountains, and you're mostly speeding along at anywhere from 120 - 150mph.
Impressions: Strangely, after a thorough walk around to get my bearings, the city itself hasn't blown me away. It's just as touristy as Verona and Venice (not nearly compact as Venice of course) but not as charming, scenic, or picturesque as either of them. I guess it's "regular" in the Italian way, similar to Mantua and Padua in that regard.
I am sure that will change the second I enter the Uffizi tomorrow morning. The Uffizi was amazing of course but it hasn't made the city any prettier.
The Accomodations
The other thing that suprised me was how affordable the Airbnbs are in comparison to pretty much everywhere else I've been on this trip... or, it's November and we're out of peak season. this place is a spacious one bedroom that features an entry hallway and separate kitchen, with the obligatory 12' ceilings, and is close to everything.
Loggia dei Lanzi, 11/10/2025
Some of them are copies of old Greek and Roman works; here are the Renaissance-era ones to check out:
Galleria degli Uffizi, 11/11, 11/13 and 11/19/2025
If you go (and you should), go later in the day. At opening time there were lines and it was packed; when I left around 1pm there was no line at all. There were huge crowds around the works everybody is "supposed" to see - Boticelli, Leonardo, etc. but once past the A section (top floor) things opened up quite a bit.
Maybe I just picked the wrong day - 2 days later it was very mellow in the morning. I got there around 9, no line at all, and it was mostly just groups of East Asians taking pictures of everything (some stereotypes emerge for reasons). I even got close to the Leonardo daVinci works and they did not change my opinion of his paintings.
That all said the place lives up to its reputation. You go through a full museum's worth of work (like the scale of the pinacotecas in Milan or Bologna) before you even get to the good stuff!
Enough snark, time for art
When I saw there was a whole section devoted to artists' self-portraits I was hoping for a Rembrandt among them. YESSS! I can't think of anyone better to lead this section. His later portraits are absolutely astonishing - completely stripped of bullshit, and the eyes, my god the eyes. They can bring me to tears and besides the 2004 Red Sox there isn't much in this world that can.
Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore, 11/12/2025
Bought the full ticket to go up outside the dome, same idea as in Milan, and the view of Florence is likely unequaled. On the way (both up and down) you do a half-circuit around the cupola which is worth the cost of admission all by itself. It's got those medieval depictions of hell that I love so much, but executed by guys (Vasari and Zuccari) that could actually draw.
More photos of The Last Judgement
Battistero (baptismal chamber), 11/12/2025
Package deal with the cattedrale. Most of the ceiling was under maintenance and therefore completely covered but based on the one piece I could see, it's along the lines of Venice's Basilica di San Marco - gold plated mosaics all day long. Except a fraction of the size. Sorry, Venice gets the win on this one... not that it's a competition. Well actually, back then it was; maybe it still is. After the trip is over and I've had time to digest I'll do a Venice vs. Florence art smackdown.
Museo del Duomo, 11/12/2025
Also included with the ticket for the cattedrale. Depending how you look at it, this is either a bunch of navel-gazing by the church or fan service for religious/architectural history buffs. But it does have a great collection of pre- and high renaissance sculpture, including a piece by the master himself, Michelangelo.
Looking at at the dates of the statues got me wondering. Donatello was executing pretty much fully realistic figures in the early 1400s and even Pisano's from 100 years earlier were pretty solid. Meanwhile the paintings from that time were practically cartoons. What took the painters so long (until 1510 or so depending on the artist) to catch up?
Chiesa Rettoria di Santa Maria Maggiore, 11/13/2025
The church right around the corner from the apartment.
Vasari Corridor, 11/13/2025
My opinion? Unless you're a history buff that wants to imagine yourself in the footsteps of the Medici, save your time and money. It's a long hallway with a couple turns, with one section populated by ancient Greek and Roman busts. Given you have to come through the Uffizi to get here you've already seen plenty of those. Oh, you also get to peer into the church where they had their private worship area (think opera box).
Palazzo Pitti, 11/13 and 11/15/2025
If you're short on time and you have to choose between this or the Uffizi, I'd go here. That's because there are two museums largely dedicated to painting, and as far as I'm concerned the quantity and quality of work on display beats the Uffizi... to the point of overwhelming. In the Uffizi everything is presented nicely and there is plenty of breathing room between the works; here everything is stacked up on top of each other. There is even great work hung in a narrow hallway leading to some bathrooms!
In addition it's WAY less crowded, allowing for a much more relaxed visit.
I got in another hour at the Uffizi before doing the Vasari Corridor and I think I'm done. I lie - I did another full run through the Uffizi because who knows when I'll be back. And... Rembrandt. This place is worth at least one repeat hours-long visit (update: did that too). It's five museums in one plus the Boboli Gardens.
Treasures of the Grand Dukes
A series of elaborately frescoed rooms, some containing treasures which interested me little. What did interest me were the amazingly effective trompe l'oeil frescoes.
Galleria Palatina
A series of rooms named for Roman gods and stories (such as the Iliad) packed floor to ceiling with amazing furniture (one guy that was around me a lot kept commenting on the wood inlays) and even more amazing paintings. Where to start... how about Raphael, he's pretty good, right? How about THREE Raphaels, all of them better than the ones in the Uffizi. Only thing is I had to shoot them all from an angle otherwise the highlights were horrible.
No need to say it but I will, time for art page to come...
Museum of Modern Art
As mentioned elsewhere, in Italy "modern art" appears to just mean post-1800, and here there's nothing more recent than the early 1900s. Just when I thought I was getting used to this place, it surprises me again. Here's a whole collection of artists I'd never heard of, many of whom I may never see again, that are fantastic.
You already know...
Galleria dell'Accademia di Firenze, 11/14/2025
This museum is basically Michelangelo's David and, oh yeah, some other things. I showed up around 9am without a reservation and got lucky, waiting less time than the people who did have reservations. I suspect that was due to the early hour and time of year - I wouldn't recommend anyone else try it. The exterior is so nondescript I didn't even get a photo of it.
Regarding David, the way I heard it told is that his head is deliberately oversized because the statue was intended to be seen from below... so that's how I shot it, as the master intended. From that angle his head does look about right... though his hands are ginormous instead. That all said the overall detail and pose are classic Michelangelo and I'm glad I got to see it.
Page with "other things" from the Galleria coming soon...
Chiesa di San Marco, 11/14/2025
Hopefully I'll get back to take a picture of the outside (I did not)... though it's probably nothing special, in contrast to the inside. Free, and better stuff than some of the churches that charge admission!
Museo di San Marco, 11/14/2025
Can't win them all, I guess. A couple decent paintings but mostly this is about the monks that lived here, with some "masterful" frescoes by Beato Angelico.
When I think of "masterworks," it's usually more like these...
Palazzo Medici Riccardi, 11/14/2025
In hindsight, another one I would have skipped. Among the Palazzo's claims to fame are a frescoed chapel and its Hall of Mirrors with a frescoed ceiling, both of which are far exceeded by any number of other places you can find in this little travelogue. In addition there is the usual smattering of statuary halls and rich people furnishings. However in this case the furniture really looked its age and the overall condition of the place suggests they have trouble keeping the lights on.
Cappelle Medicee, 11/14/2025
This one's kind of a two-for-one. The whole thing was built by the Medicis themselves as a funerary monument to the family. If you got it, flaunt it, right? Well, they sure had it!
The main hall
The Sacistry
Architected/designed by Michelangelo and features more of his sculpture. He's the theme of the day!
Chiesa di Santa Maria del Carmine, 11/15/2025
Bunch of churches one after the other on a fine Saturday morning, and all of them winners!
Cappella Brancacci
Another early-ish frescoed chapel (1400s), a team effort by Masolina, Masaccio, and (later) Filippino Lippi. Not too bad.
Basilica di Santo Spirito, 11/15/2025
This one said no photos but I was sneaky about it... hopefully that doesn't land me in hell. Crazy how they all look like nothing from outside!
There's a sacrestia designed by young Michelangelo along with an early sculpture of his, a crucifixion. If this isn't a quote from someone already, it is now, from me: "Most artists have at least one great work in them, and even the greats leave behind plenty of work that isn't. Artistic greatness is measured by the proportion of one to the other."
A few more from here to come...
Chiesa di Santa Trinita, 11/15/2025
Has not one, but TWO frescoed chapels from the 14th and 15th centuries, viewable for a mere €0.50 to turn the lights on! And of course some pretty good paintings.
Chiesa di Santa Felicita, 11/15/2025
I came here because I saw the altar painting by Pontormo in a book and I thought it had a really light and airy color scheme as compared to pretty much every other painting at the time. That impression was 100% confirmed live and in person!
Boboli Gardens, 11/15/2025
Part of the Passpartoute (annual) that allow you unlimited entry to the Uffizi, Palazzo Pitti, and the Boboli Gardens. If it wasn't such a pain to get in (metal detector, etc.) this would be a terrific place to come for a morning constitutional. I saw a squirrel, I think the first one I've seen the whole time here!
The very structured layout makes me think of Versailles or something like that. I think I prefer my public gardens more in the English style (more natural feeling, less geometric) but maybe that's just because I'm so used to Frederic Law Olmstead parks.
Afterwards was a return to Palazzo Pitti!
Museo Nazionale del Bargello, 11/16/2025
Win some, lose some. Today's museums were a bit of a bust. This one is primarily focused on sculpture, and there's the usual collections of old school weapons and armor, china, and other rich people's stuff. Some of the statues here are legendary (Donatello, Michelangelo) so I'm glad I got to see them, but they don't grab me like an excellent painting does.
Oh, Giotto's final fresco is here in a private chapel they had built. What's left of it, anyway, which is about two sections. Unless you're a Giotto fanatic or are writing a book about him, go see his work elsewhere... Padua for example.
Museo Horne, 11/16/2025
A small museum with plenty of old paintings - but mostly early renaissance or in that style, nothing that great, and all of them really looking their age. Also includes rich person's stuff (furniture, etc.) that ALSO really looks its age.
Piazza Michelangelo, 11/16/2025
Recommended by a friend, it's atop a hill on the other side of the river, with some great views back over Florence. And a pretty nifty fountain and grottos at the bottom.
Palazzo Vecchio, 11/17/2025
Venice wins again. The great hall here is immense and magnificent but the one in the Palazzo Ducale in Venice beats it hands-down. However pretty much every room here features very good ceiling paintings and of course there's a Michelangelo or two.
The Medicis were apparently magnificient and yet more magnificent if one is to judge by their nicknames and the works of art in their honor. Here in the main hall the central ceiling panel is The Apotheosis of Cosimo the First! Can't get much more magnificent than that... I'm surprised the church let them get away with it. There are also a couple statues of him being blessed (?) and depicted as a Roman emperor or general. Anyone else thinking overcompensation?
Cenacolo (Last Supper) di Andrea del Sarto, 11/18/2025
Wow. I wasn't going to come - it's well outside of the center, the photos I saw online didn't look great, and while I like some of his paintings a great deal (enough so to include them here), I don't love any of them. But I ended up with an extra day and the weather was decent, so I said what the hell.
Good thing I did. This is definitely the best fresco I've seen on this trip, which is to say in my life. While I got over missing da Vinci's rendition in Milan, I now have my doubts that it would even compare, particularly given its condition. This one is amazingly well preserved, and because it's a fresco del Sarto couldn't go crazy trying to make everything super polished like his paintings. The figures have good energy, and the color remains vibrant.
To top it off, they have a small but very good collection of religious (of course) paintings by a number of very good renaissance also-rans. For less than the price of a spritz it's well worth the extra effort to get here. DO IT!
Time for art page to come...
Chiesa della Badia Fiorentina, 11/18/2025
Same old story - I passed by and it was open. Yeesh!
Not too bad a way to cap off the city, and the trip!