#7 "Florence"

 Florence

    Simply just walking around in Florence you are surrounded by the influence of art. It feels like a living museum with how much significant architecture there is around the city. From the churches, bridges, to the town hall you can simply get a feel about how significant this city is. After all Florence was the home to significant artists like Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and Donatello. This makes it a very big deal for Renaissance art enthusiasts and is very important in art history. They are also ninja turtles too so that's cool.

    The archeological impact this city had on me was very profound. Florence is very well known for the absolutely breathtaking Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, also known as Il Duomo. When I first saw this cathedral my jaw hit the floor. The architecture is so beautiful and had so many intricate details. While inside of the cathedral you also see many pieces of Renaissance art which brings me to my takeaways. This cathedral drew together many ideas of christianity and art into one building. This is what makes it such a noteworthy piece of Renaissance architecture.

    While touring through Florence we learned about the Medici family. Their influence is seen all throughout Florence like the Medici Chapels or Palazzo Medici Riccardi. All of these places are great example of their power and wealth all throughout the city of Florence. The Medici family funded many artists, architects, and philosophers which helped make Florence the center of creativity and intellect in the Renaissance. This family shows how strategic leadership can help shift an entire city or culture into being amazing.

    Overall Florence had a huge impact on me even though we only spent 2 days there. It helped me learn so much about the Renaissance art and the lifestyle of the Renaissance people. It is now a city I can cross off my bucket list because ever since I was a kid I wanted to see it in person. I think the main difference between Arezzo and Florence is the pace of the city. Florence is a booming city, many people everywhere and filled with tourists. Arezzo on the other hand is relaxed with very few tourists. This makes me kind of prefer spending my time in Arezzo because it is less populated and more relaxed.

Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore
Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore View of Florence

The David by Michelangelo

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