Pisa and Florence, Italy

The day started with a rain shower and cold cutting wind. We are apprehensive to say the least. We disembark and find our guide Elizabetta awaiting us. She is a perky redhead with uncontrolled curls, soft brown eyes, elfin chin, Georgia peach complexion, a ready smile, and terrific sense of humor. She is from Pisa and loves her job. She lives about 10 minutes from the leaning tower and I told her that next time we came we wanted to stay with her. She took my jest in stride and said why not! She speaks English with that same lilting accent I adore to hear and starts right in with information about our port, Livorno.
 Developed in the 16^th Century it flourished thanks to the Medici family. In 1590 Ferdinand I, Grand Duke of Tuscany, made it a free port and opened it to all religious and political refugees. In this city you will find small churches with several different altars and confessionals representing the different orders who shared the building so as to be able to support their preferred priest and/or sect. The city was badly damaged during WWII.
Our first stop, Elizabetta’s hometown of Pisa, is very close to Livorno so we are there in a matter of about a half hour. On the way she gives us commentary and history.

Our first view of The Leaning Tower is from the highway. The sun is shining by this time and we are looking forward to a beautiful day for this adventure. The pictures I have seen of Pisa do not do justice to the actual site. First the entire base of the tower is recessed down about 10 or more feet. It is constructed of white marble and is very stark, smooth, clean and beautiful. The cornices, arches, columns and carvings stand out in deep relief. My expectations were surpassed indeed.
The cathedral and baptismal are massive and also impressive but the definitive highlight here is the tower.

Onward now to Firenze, Fiesole, Florentia all have been the name for Florence. There was no Florence in the Etruscan world. Their hilltop city of Fiesole, the most powerful in their realm, served as the kingdom’s capital. After the Roman community of Florentia was established just eight miles away in 59 AD, Fiesole thrived. Florentia expanded as river traffic increased and roads were built linking it to the Roman capital. It was a “normal” Italian city until local merchants banded together behind local political figure Cosimo de’ Medici (MEH dee chee). The Medici family continued to lead and control Florence until the last male heir died in 1737. This family did not come from royalty they married it. Their fortune was made in the trade and production of the finest of wool. The family’s legacy is a surfeit of art and elegant architecture.

We have about an hour drive to reach the outskirts and then perhaps another half hour to reach our first stop overlooking the city to take wonderful pictures of Brunelleschi’s Duomo, Ponte Vecchia, Santa Croce, and the Jewish synagogue at the center of the city.
Elizabeth brought us here first so we could get pictures with the sun at our back for the best effect. Smart girl our Elizabetta.
Upon leaving I ask to see the home of Galileo, which is quite near, up an extremely steep narrow street that a regular tour bus could never come close to. I hop out, while she turns around, and take several pictures of his door and balcony. Imagine! I am standing at the front door of one of the most famous men in history. Is it here that he developed some of his theories about the moon, stars, sun, planets, and the galaxy?  Not far away is an ancient observatory he used and it is still in use today. This stop helps me complete the journey started in Rome last year at a little known basilica in Piazza della Repubblica. Galileo was instrumental in designing its floor and apse that contain a meridian line and an astrological clock that has stayed within mere seconds of Greenwich time over a period of several centuries. Perhaps being a bit silly I touch the door and wonder who else might have passed this way over the centuries, Michelangelo, Da Vinci? My pictures complete and Elizabetta holding up traffic for me, I hop back on and away we go bumping over the cobbled street back down the hill.
Back down the hill we go, crossing the Arno River to the central historic area of Florence. Here we get an up close view of the subjects of our hillside photos.
The Florence Bishopric was reassigned from San Lorenzo to the 16^th century Santa Reparata Church during the 17^th century. The older structure was enlarged and modified until Sienese architect Arnolfo di Cambio began his Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore (Saint Mary of the Flowers) on the same site in 1296. It took 173 years to complete. Dominating a double square (Piazza del Duomo and Piazza San Giovanni), it is the 4^th longest cathedral in the world and has capacity for 20,000 people. Lorenzo Ghiberti began the stunning bronze doors of the Baptistery of San Giovanni in 1403.
Before we go to our museum stop we spend a few hours wandering thru the Ponte Vecchia (old bridge) area with it’s expensive jewelry shops crowded and stacked one on top of another across the Arno. This most famous bridge by the way was the only one in Florence that was spared during the devastation of Florence in 1944.
We seek sustenance since it is past our usual lunch time. Down a side street, around a corner and down an alley we find a doorway marked Bar Lambertesca. Inside are locals eating, no one speaks more than a few words of English and we know this is the place for lunch! Through a combination of our limited Italian, lots of smiles sign language, and their few words of English we order a pizza, sandwich and bottle of house red for a total of E8.50. We think the lady charged us for glasses of wine instead of the small bottle we consumed but no she assures us. I wrap the empty bottle in the paper placemat from the table to take home and use for holding vinegar as I did with one from our restaurant in Rome last year. We take our time eating our little feast and watching Florence pass by. Time to reconnect with our Elizabetta and the rest of our group.
Florence has more than 30 major museums. We will have time to visit only one, Galleria dell’ Accademia, to see David. This is Florence’s most famous work and they continue the age old feud with Rome to keep them from taking him.
He is magnificent! Muscle, sinew, blood veins that actually depict the purples of flow. Nail beds, knuckles, you can imagine the whorls of fingerprints and the underlying bone of cheeks and skull. Only the eyes are not lifelike but then you remember you are looking at one single block of Carrara marble. In the same room are the four unfinished Slaves the artist meant to adorn Pope Julius II’s tomb at St. Peter’s Basilica. There are also paintings by masters, however they are rendered almost unimportant and invisible in the shadow of David. He dominates the entire long rectangular room. Michelangelo began his human sculptures at the abdomen and never made smaller patterns beforehand. It is said he could look at a block of marble and see the finished carving. This statue originally stood in the Piazza della Signoria but was moved to the Accademia in 1873 to protect it. There is a replica in the Piazza and many don’t realize they are looking at a copy there.

We are running short on time and we have a 90 minute drive back to Livorno so we scramble back to Elizabetta to complete our tour driving past Palazzo Pitti, Galleria Uffizi, Santa Maria Novella Church and Opera del Duomo. These wonderful landmarks have to wait for our next visit.

We say tearful goodbyes at our ship. Our Elizabetta hugs me tight and is very humble in acceptance of our praise for her wonderful tour. We inquire if we can specifically request her again next year and she says with humility that she has no other repertoires. I tell her we will love a repeat and she blushes
prettily with a promise to find at least one new thing to show us. Arriviederci Italia…Goodbye.