Bye bye Firenze, Hello Siena

Yesterday marked our last day in Florence, but we spent our last few hours there well. We finally had the opportunity to head up the road a bit to the Galleria dell'Academia, more commonly known as the home of the statue of David by Michelangelo. In that setting, the statue is massive and as impressive as one would hope. In addition to the David, additional works by Michelangelo such as the four prisoners were also on display. In those sculptures, he attempted to evoke a feeling of the soul being trapped in the flesh, and though the statues are incomplete, the results are still intriguing to look at.

The Galleria is not just a tribute to Michelangelo, however, so we also the opportunity to enjoy works by many other extremely talented artists. An exhibition of the work of sculptor Lorenzo Bartolini was on display that included finished pieces, preparatory drawings, and the plaster models he used in preparation for some of his best work including a statue that now rests in the piazza by the Duomo in Florence. Most cool.

Following the Galleria, we visited the central market, which is a large building in the basilica style that houses numerous produce and meat shops. The streets around the market are lined with hundreds of booths selling crafts and clothing, of which the most common type was leather goods. Seriously, if you're ever in Italy and want a leather jacket, this is your destination. There were so many vendors selling leather items that in many places the street simply smelled like a leather factory.

With our time in Florence up, we collected our bags and took the bus to Siena, an easy 1.5 hour trip. Whereas our first hotel was up in the hills above town and our second was right at the heart, this one is slightly removed from the city center but still within a comfortable 15 walk. We took that walk yesterday evening, snapping photos of the main piazza, the Duomo, and some of the other sights. After making reservations for tonight's dinner, we headed back to the piazza and grabbed a seat at one of the many restaurants. Like good Italians, we relaxed, ate, and drank for a few leisurely hours while watching the clouds and crowds drift by. The food was simple and decent, but the company was perfect.


As a historical aside, the Piazza del Campo in Siena inspired the red brick and segmented nature of Red Square at the University of Washington. I knew I learned something in college!

A borrowed photo of the piazza: