Florence

7/7
In the morning we began with our docent guiding us though the Uffizi Gallery. The Gallery housed many medieval works of art that centered around the virgin and Christ. Other pieces from the renaissance such Bernini’s the Birth of Venus were also on display. It was interesting to see the connection between those works of art that centered around Mary and their pagan counterparts such as Venus.

Next we walked to the Academy where Michelangelo’s David is on display. I was impressed to see several other unfinished works leading up to the David. These unfinished pieces gave you an idea of how Michelangelo created his beautiful works of art. Some of the unfinished works looked as if they were crawling out of the marble.

The David was impressive. Looking at the statue it seems to convey a David in victory after having slain Goliath.

After the museum visits, our professors took us to sketch a few different parts of the city. We hiked the hill on the south side of the river that had spectacular views of Florence.

Most the pics do not correlate with what I have written largely because no cameras were permitted inside these galleries and museums where these works are held. The David in front of town hall is an exact replica of the original and stands where the original masterpiece once stood. The other shots include the Duomo, Baptistery, and Baptistery ceiling.

Florence

7/6
Time in Rome went quickly and early in the morning we took a train to Florence. Florence gave rise to the great masters Michelangelo, Donatello, Rafael, Bernini, and Leonardo DaVinci. We started the day with an orientation tour of the city. You can quickly get to where you need by walking. Our hotel was minutes from the Medici Chapel, Uffizi Gallery, and the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore.

We learned some of the history of Florence and its influence in Italy and the world. Florence is known as a center for art and learning. Even their old coin, the gold Florien, I recognize from stores.

Hadrian's Villa

7/5
In the morning we stopped by the pantheon. This is the oldest roof in Rome. The hole in the top of the dome called the oculus provides a beautiful shaft of light that lights the interior.

Our day trip to Hadrian’s Villa was bitter sweet. Hadrian, an emperor of Rome created a get away about 30 kilometers outside of Rome in what is now the town of Trivoli. The ruins that we saw of this escape were incredible. The villa, in its day, would have been very grand and beautiful to see.

What we thought was part of Hadrian’s Villa was actually not. We had come to Travoli to see the ruins, manicured gardens and amazing fountains. We saw the ruins, however the gardens and fountains were located in the Villa de Estate. While still in Travoli, the fountains were up in the center of town on top of a hill. We made an attempt to get there, but when we arrived, Villa de Estate was closed. Trivoli was a neat town to see. It offered excellent views of the surrounding area.

The Vatican

7/4
In the Vatican we visited St. Peter’s Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, and the Vatican Museums. According to our guide, the marble used in the floors of the long museums that lead to the Sistine Chapel were made using marble form ancient roman structures. The museums contained many statues, tapestries made with silver and gold threads, and ornate maps of the various parts of Italy.

The Sistine Chapel was amazing. Every inch of the place was painted, even the faux drapes! Michelangelo had been forced into painting the ceiling and other artist had done murals that covered the walls. The paintings portrayed various scenes form the Bible, the last judgment, and other religious stories.

Most impressive was St. Peter’s Basilica. It is the largest catholic church and it is beautifully decorated. The basilica is home to Michelangelo’s Pieta. Under the dome a large bronze canopy designed by Bernini helps designate the location of the alter in the huge church.

The dome is higher than it looks. Upon climbing up to the top of the dome and looking down, you get the perspective of how high it really is. On the top of the copula, amazing views of Rome and the Vatican can be seen.

Rome

7/3
An organized tour lead by an wonderful English woman, took us to several churches in Rome. Among these were the church of St. Clemente, the church of St. Peter in Chains which housed Michelangelo’s statue of Moses, the church of Maria Maggiore, and the church of Via 4 Fontane which contained Bernini’s sculpture of the Ecstasy of Maria.
After the tour of the churches, we were able to see the changing of the guard at the Presidential Palace. The Palace is home the President of Italy. As we walked away from the changing, the guards took the same road we had and we were able to see them close up as they marched back into the palace.

Rome

7/2
We stayed at the ATA Villa Pomphilli Hotel. The rooms were nicely appointed and there was a really nice pool where you could swim. After getting settled into our rooms we headed out to see a few sites in the city. The first stop was the Coliseum, home to the gruesome roman gladiator events. The ancient structure sat in the middle of the city and right off a busy street.
Near the Coliseum, the Roman Forum consists of a large group of ancient ruins from Rome’s distant past. On the way there we were caught in a thunder storm with hail. I would call it more of a downpour, and by the end of it, few of us had any dry spots left on us despite the use of umbrellas and rain gear.
Due to the poor weather, our plans changed and we visited the Capitalini Museum that housed statues of ancient Rome. Many of the statues were magnificent and bespoke of the grandeur of the ancient capital.

Rome

7/1
It was a long day of travel to get to Rome. The day began at 4:00 am in Utah and traveling continued into the next day. We touched down in Rome around 10:00 am on the second.