In high spirits, our group traveled southeast out of the alps, passing rolling hills and medieval castles as we pulled into Florence’s central train station. We spent our first day in Florence reliving the Renaissance section of our world history textbooks by visiting the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore (the Duomo), the Uffizi, and the Accademia. The following day, the group set out on a scavenger hunt that led them through different areas of the city, discovering the history and unique stories of Florence’s many nooks and crannies. Florence has something for everyone — whether your thing is trying every gelateria’s pistachio gelato, walking the halls of the city’s many museums, practicing your regional Tuscan accent, or admiring Italian fashion. Our students have been refreshed by the history and cosmopolitan digs of the second stop on our trip through the cultural heartlands of western Europe.
Stay tuned!
– Alicia, Jonathan, and Tim
Boticelli’s Portrait of a Man with a Medal of Cosimo the Elder
The Tribune at the Uffizi gallery
Caravaggio’s Medusa
Madeline grabs the reigns and leads to the group to the promised land
Some of Florence’s amazing street art
Clet, a popular Florentine artist, has managed to alter practically every stop sign
Darby and Fiona buying snacks for a picnic at the famous Mercato D’Ambrogio
Jake, Jonah, and Maxwell haggling for sun dried tomatoes
Crowds in front of the David at the Accademia
View of the Pitti Palace from the Boboli Gardens
The incredible view from Piazzale Michelangelo
An amazing meal of antipastos, pastas, and Bistecca alla Fiorentina, among other things, at Florentine’s famous Il Latini restaurant