ROMA, Italia
How’s everybody doin? I’m finally catching up on everything now that I’m back from my adventures. As you can see, I traveled to Italy for an amazing, incredibly busy 5 day journey. This trip worked out perfectly, because I only dreamed of maybe getting to Florence and seeing Brunelleschi’s Il Duomo, but I ended up seeing so much more. The whole trip expansion began when I found out Florence didn’t have an airport, so I would have to fly into Rome, and since I was already in Rome, I thought I might as well see the sites, and I also stumbled across a bus that went from Venice to Praha weekly, and saved money by bussing back instead of flying again (also didn’t have to find a way back to Rome). So, I flew into Rome, saw so much of the amazing history of the world for 2 days, and the amazing thing about Rome is, I saw nearly every building that was to be on my History of Architecture examination in person, before returning to Praha to take my test! After Rome, I took a train to Florence, saw and climbed Il Duomo and its Companile, and stayed for nearly 3 days. After Florence, I tried and failed to find Carlo Scarpa’s Brion Tomb and Cemetary, and after giving up headed to Vicenza, home of Palladio. After a night in Vicenza, I went to see Villa Rotunda before heading off to Verona, where I finally found a work by Scarpa, Museo del Castelvecchio. After Verona, I only had a few hours left before my 11:00pm bus to Prague, and I spent a measley 3 hours in Venice, so sad, but so beautiful, and I will be sure to return and give a visit to Venice some justice. In the end, I saw so much more than I planned or expected, and Italy treated me very well, although my wallet is much lighter after now. I had three days after Italy to recover before I headed to Barcelona for 3 days, and I will continue my story there.
My first palm trees, so cool.
Barberini’s SAN CARLO della QUATTRO FONTANE
Interior of SAN CARLINO
Barberini’s SAN IVO alle SAPIENZA, so sad, I missed my chance to go inside by 10 minutes.
Palazzo Venezia
My first look at some genuine Roman ruins, FORO TRALANA.
IL GESU
Inside IL GESU
PIAZZA NAVONA
Outside the legendary PANTHEON!
Inside the PANTHEON, first time I came in, was sad and cloudy, this time, hooray for sunlight!
My first encounter with FONTANA di TREVI, at night, so beautiful, prolly my favorite site
TRINITA dei MONTI (The Spanish Steps), construction again, ugh
On my last day in Roma, I went to BASILICA SAN PIETRO and its PIAZZA PIO XII.
The Baldacchino inside SAN PIETRO.
Interior of SAN PIETRO
The great debate between PLATO (left center, pointing up to the heavens and supreme knowledge beyond us) and ARISTOTLE (right center, pointing down, seeking the answers here on this earth, thru our own understandings and experiences)
My forbidden picture of Michelangelo’s Ceiling at the Sistine Chapel, tisk tisk.
Some sites on the visit to Roman Forum and Palantine Hill.
BASILICA OF CONSTANTINE
Me in front of COLOSSEO.
Inside the Colloseum!
Arch near end of Palantine Hill
Brunelleschi’s IL DUOMO in Firenze, my core reason for coming to Italy in the first place.
Giotto’s CHURCH TOWER at BASILICA di SANTA MARIA del FIORE (aka IL DUOMO)
GALLERIA UFFIZI, one of two huge art museums, near my hostel, but the line to get in on my first day was too huge, so I was off to see the original ‘DAVID’, notice the fake, second from the right, but don’t worry, I returned to see the ‘Birth of Venus’, etc. at UFFIZI the next day.
GALLERIA UFFIZI
The original ‘Rape of the Sabine Women’ in the right archway of the LOGGIA dei LANZI by UFFIZI.
I actually saw the copy of this first, in Galleria dell’ Accademia, whereas I saw the original David before the copy, even tho the copy was right next to my hostel and I passed it twice on the way to the true one.
Don’t believe it, even tho its the exact same dimensions and everything as the real one, its a phony!
What up Poseidon, how’s the sea treatin ya?
Michelangelo’s ‘DAVID’ at GALLERIA dell’ ACCADEMIA. Don’t worry, I bought some much more flattering postcards.
VILLA MEDICI-home to some of the most prominent art collectors of Italy, the Medici’s, duh
CASTELVECCHIO (Old Bridge) near my hostel, full of shops and eateries.
Hello happy lady. Watching the shops open in the morning was amazing.
Across the river lies PIAZZA dei PITTI (I did not enter)
Ghirlando’s Fresco of the Last Supper by OGNISSANTI church, back on the DUOMO side of the river.
SANTA MARIA NOVELLA, another Brunelleschi Masterpiece.
Oh yes, its the original pig of that copy at Kansas City’s Plaza entrance, small world, huh.
Last day, sun’s out, time to climb IL DUOMO and the tower.
Ghiberti’s famous doors on the TEMPIETTO, he actually beat Brunelleschi in a competion, so Brunelleschi moved on from metal work to become the revered architect he is remembered as today.
Views from atop Giotto’s Church Tower.
Inside IL DUOMO!
The climb begins.
Almost outside and on top!
The straight vertical climb of the actual dome, super steep, super cool.
Yup, I made it, its true, take that cloudy day and closed admission, I broke thru.
SANTA CROCE, home to the tombs of Michelangelo, Galileo Galilei, and Dante Aligheri.
MICHELANGELO”S TOMB!!!
I wasn’t sure if it was okay to step on these, but in some spot, they covered the entire floor, eeek.
City symbol of FIRENZE, this was everywhere, but here it is in its most beautiful state I believe. Well, on to VICENZA!
VENETO Province – Vicenza, Verona, and Venezia
Original entrance to the town of VICENZA, Palladio’s hometown.
One of the many works of Palladio in town.
Scarpa-eque anyone?
There he is, ANDREA PALLADIO, in the stone, right beside his basilica.
Another famous Villa on the way to VILLA ROTUNDA.
VILLA ROTUNDA . . . what you see is what you get, admission only on Wednesdays.
VERONA – finally, I find a Scarpa work!
Scarpa’s Bank, I found it on accident, but hooray!
VENEZIA – so sad but true, I only had 3 hours here before my bus back to Praha, but still so beautiful.
Palladio’s IL RENDENTORE, which of course lies across the grand canal and I didn’t find until my last 10 minutes on the island-half of Venezia, so far from me, so sad.
