Florence

We spent an entire week in Florence while I attended my seminar on "The Romantics in Italy: Dante, Italian Culture, and Romantic Literature." This event was hosted by the Fondazione Romualdo Del Bianco in Florence. There were daily sessions of academic papers, keynote lectures, meals, and visits to museums: a unique and richly rewarding time.

Saturday morning we returned our little red GM Aveo and walked back to our hotel through the narrow streets of Florence. Suddenly, like a vision, the Duomo, Bell Tower, and Baptistry came into view:

My favorite panel from Ghiberti's Doors of Paradise on the Baptistry--the espousal of Mary and Joseph.

The banks of the Arno with the Ponte Vecchio

and the view from our 4th floor hotel room...

The Florence Synagogue

We attended an amazing concert of Mozart and Schubert in the Galleria dell'Accademia: a string duet, trio, and quintet, played on period instruments from the 1700's belonging to the museum's La Collezione del Conservatorio "Cherubini". The concert took place beneath the imposing figure of Michelangelo's David and the four Prisoners, fighting their way out of the solid marble: what a setting! This was a rare opportunity to photograph the sculptures, which is forbidden during the museum's normal opening hours.

The group walked to a very cold afternoon excursion at the Pitti Palace, with this view of Tuscan hills beyond the Boboli Gardens:

Beautiful porcelain from a museum in the Bob0li Gardens

The Duomo from the Gardens

Casa Guidi, home of Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning. The conference-goers attended a poetry reading here.

Palazzo Strozzi, where a conference session was held in the Gabinetto Vieusseux.

Ponte Vecchio

Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale

The private library of the Uffizi Gallery, where our conference met for another session.

Delightful musical children--in the Museo dell'Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore.

Courtyard of the Bargello Museum

Beautiful nudes

and lovers

Scenes of the city and river:

The Hill Towns

This is our last night in Italy, near the Milan airport. We're trying to catch up, so here are a few glimpses of some of the places we have visited. We loved these Umbrian hill towns and wish we could have visited many more.

Todi--Sam's summer town for clarinet

Sam's favorite cafe in Todi

The mother and daughter who work in the cafe were so happy to learn we are Sam's parents

The elaborate fountain in Perugia

Old doors are so inviting.

Perugia's unusual San Michele Arcangelo church - built in the VI century (with the only lawn in the ancient center of town).

Gubbio: a perfect Medieval town

Huge Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi

Arezzo

Sienna

The synagogue in Sienna
San Gimignano, with a few of its many towers

Three days in Cortona

After reading only a brief reference to Cortona in a guide book, we decided to set our trusty Tomtom to lead us there. We found the old (Etruscan walls!) hill town with no trouble, parked our little red rental car, and hiked UP to check out the hostel which is in a former convent. But Sergio, the friendly manager, insisted that he must put us in an apartment nearby which he saves for grown ups (ie not rowdy students), for the same price of 20 euro per person per night. Further up and around some more tiny twisty streets, we were pleased to find the apartment included a kitchen, large living/dining room, bedroom, a TV to watch news, and bathroom with a washing machine in the corner. The only thing lacking was internet - so we did without. Turns out Cortona is pretty perfect. Here are a few photos to prove it:

Cortona with the valley far below.

The front door of our apartment--notice the steep street.

The oldest street in town.

The piazza in the center of town.

"Le Celle"--hermitage where St. Francis lived for a while.

Rome

Rome was overwhelming. So much to see and absorb and ponder. Here are a few of our visual impressions after three days exploring the city.

St. Peter's is huge.

Michelangelo's gentle pieta

Sistine Chapel ceiling

Raphael - School of Athens, in Vatican museum

Nice touch of inlaid stone

Double spiral staircase in Vatican

Trevi Fountain

He refused to toss a coin

Pausing for pasta at Campo di Fiori

Original doors from the Roman Senate, now part of St. John Lateran Basilica

Michelangelo's Moses

Lloyd's Romantic pilgrimage - Keats died here.

Felix, the guide, lecturing Italian students about Keats.

Cemetery for non-Catholics who must be buried outside the city walls, as was Keats.

No label needed

In the old Ghetto, where we enjoyed fried Jewish artichokes just down the street from the old synagogue which the Pope visited two days later.