The Triangle

After a very long walk across the Arno up some very steep hills and sets of stairs the group was rewarded with the most amazing view of Florence and its surrounding Tuscan countryside. After reaching a large overview (at which point we thought the view could not possibly get any better) we walked even further up to the actual church of San Miniato. San Miniato is a quiet, quaint church with terracotta tiled roof and vaulted, mosaic ceilings. Its small catacombs and enormous cemetary can only add to the MAGNIFICENT view of Florence from its steps. Needless to say, dozens of photos were taken before we began the long trek back to dinner and sleep.

On the left in this picture is the Duomo of Florence with Giotto's Campinile and Bunelleschi's dome proudly rising above the city. On the right is Santa Croce, a beautiful church which houses a crucifix by Cimabue, an altarpiece by Fra Angelico, and several frescoes by Giotto. The church also has monuments (originally tombs) to Niccolo Machiavelli, Dante, and Michelangelo.

During a day trip to Sienna, Ben Darby and Lorna Douglas admire a fountain in the Piazza Il Campo. Il Campo, or the Town Hall of Sienna, is one of the largest museums in the city, featuring several famous works by Early renaissance artists Ambrogio Lorenzetti and Simone Martini. Its tall tower looms over the beautiful red-brown rooftops of Sienna, (the namesake for the color "burnt sienna") and the large Piazza below. The Piazza itself is a brick playground for children and adults alike, where sunbathers lounge or visitors take advantage of the several restaurants or gelaterias around its edges. The marble fountain, which still works, is a pilgrimage spot for the tourists and the ever present pigeons. The group also visited the beautiful Duomo of Sienna, taking advantage of the cathedral, baptistry, crypt, museum, and overlook that it has to offer.

The Academy is the second-most visited museum in Florence next to the Uffizi, famous for housing six Michelangelo sculptures, including four of his unfinished "Captives," an unfinished "Pieta," and the widely reproduced "David." Michelangelo's "David" was breathtaking, but sadly the Academy does not allow for pictures to be taken inside the museum. However, the Academy also holds a handful of paintings, other sculptures, and an interesting musical instruments collection. While the exterior of the building is unassuming, the long wait in line for tickets (if you don't have reservations, which we didn't) is somewhat heightened by the mass amounts of graffiti drawn, carved, and painted by those standing in line before.