On Sunday, the Villa scheduled a trip for us into the city. My roommates and I woke up around 8:30 to get to breakfast by 9, and then we all boarded a charter bus at 10 to head for Florence. The Art History teacher, Professor Mariotti, led us on a two hour walking tour. We saw everything from Brunelleschi's Basilica di Santa Maria, known for its dome, to the outer walls of Florence, to the Arno River. Professor Mariotti is probably the most knowledgeable person I have ever met. Listening to her talk about the city was such a treat, and it made me really excited to be taking her class this semester. The art history class meets twice a week: one discussion at the villa, and once in Florence to see the museums, churches, and other landmarks.
Once the guided tour was over we were given the rest of the day to explore the city on our own. Me and four other girls decided to have lunch at this little cafe that looked out at the Duomo, and then walk around to see the shops and more of the town. Around 5 oclock we headed towards the bus station to catch the bus back to the villa. Public transportation here is great. There are two buses from the city to Sesto, that drop off within a block of the villa. There is also a train that has a stop right near the villa.
Here are some more pictures from my trip into the city:
View of the city
San Miniato al Monte (church that sits on the higher point of Florence)
The Arno
The Duomo
how fabulous! i love florence - such a beautiful town! i can't believe you will be studying art history there... have fun! looking forward to hearing about classes.
ReplyDeletehi Dan i cant believe you are in Italy. Hope you have a great time with lots of stories to tell us. How beautiful it looks .Have fun talk soon
ReplyDeleteMom
Firstly, I'm super jeal you're in Florence.
ReplyDeleteSecondly, I loved my art history class in Rome, enjoy dat. Also, make sure you watch a sunset at Piazzale Michelangelo (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piazzale_Michelangelo), bring a bottle of wine.