FLORENCE, PISA & LIVORNO, ITALY


(Italy Flag)


(Italy Map)

SATURDAY, AUGUST 23, 2008:

All of the images below are thumbnails and can be clicked on for a larger image.

We sailed into Livorno, Italy shortly before dawn.
After disembarking the ship it was about a 90 minute drive to Florence.
The Basilica di Santa Croce is the principal Franciscan church in Florence.
It is situated on the Piazza di Santa Croce. It is the burial place of some of the most illustrious Italians,
such as Michelangelo, Galileo, Machiavelli, Foscolo, Gentile, Rossini, and Marconi.



The Palazzo Vecchio is the town hall of Florence, Italy.
This massive, Gothic, crenellated fortress-palace is among the most impressive town halls of Tuscany.
Overlooking the Piazza della Signoria with its copy of Michelangelo's David statue.
It is one of the most significant public places in Italy.



David is a masterpiece of Renaissance sculpture sculpted by Michelangelo from 1501 to 1504.
It is the statue of the young Israelite King David that almost certainly
is one of the most recognizable sculptures in the history of art.



The Uffizi Gallery is one of the oldest and most famous art museums in the world.
The Ponte Vecchio is a Medieval bridge over the Arno River noted for still having shops built along it.



The Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore is the cathedral church (Duomo) of Florence, Italy.
The basilica is notable for its dome designed by Filippo Brunelleschi,
its exterior facing of polychrome marble panels in various shades of green and pink bordered by white.

FLORENCE, ITALY VIDEO 11 minute video of my morning in Florence, Italy.

2013 FLORENCE, ITALY VIDEO 39 minute video of my brothers Dan & Kevin's visit to Florence in 2013.

After a nice lunch in a hotel in Florence it was about an hours drive to Pisa.
The Piazza del Duomo ("Cathedral Square") is a wide, walled area at the heart of the city of Pisa, Tuscany, Italy.
Recognized as one of the main centers for medieval art in the world, it is dominated by four great religious edifices:
the Duomo, the Leaning Tower (the cathedral's campanile), the Baptistry and the Camposanto.

PISA VIDEO 6 minute video of my afternoon in Pisa, Italy.

2013 PISA, ITALY VIDEO 14 minute video of my brothers Dan & Kevin's visit to Pisa in 2013.

It was about another hours drive back to Livorno after we left Pisa.
We sailed away a little before sunset on our way to the next port.

LIVORNO, ITALY SAIL AWAY VIDEO 8 minute video of my sail away from Livorno, Italy on the Sea Princess.

MY DAILY EMAIL SENT ON SATURDAY, AUGUST 23, 2008

Ciao, Today's port was Livorno, Italy. As usual we arrived as the sun was rising. This port definitely looks better in the dark. It's a commercial port and we were docked among the cargo ships and other vessels. My tour left at 7:00am and by 8:30 we were in Florence. Our first stop was on the Piazza di Santa Croce. Below is the Basilica di Santa Croce. We toured the cathedral and viewed the tomb of Michelangelo inside. Next we walked over to the Palazzo Vecchio (Town Hall). Located at the entrance to Palazzo Vecchio is an exact copy of the statue of David (the damaged original is in a museum here). Piazza della Signoria is the L-shaped square in front of the Palazzo Vecchio. Below you can see the Fountain of Neptune on the square. Next we walked past the Uffizi Gallery, one of the oldest and most famous art museums in the world. On the other side of the Uffizi Gallery is the Ponte Vecchio, a Medieval bridge over the Arno River noted for still having shops built along it. Next Our guided walking tour took us over to the Piazza del Duomo where we saw the 15th-century Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore which is the cathedral church (Duomo) of Florence. Florence is a beautiful old city with a lot of culture. But the large crowds in the city were unbelievable. You can almost see the famous statues in my pictures, they are mostly just other people's heads. Below is the other side of the Duomo. We had some delicious lasagna in a local restaurant for lunch and then drove over to Pisa. We were on our own for our visit to the Field of Miracles. The crowds were very large here as well. That's me below standing in front of the Basilica and you can see the Cathedral and Leaning Tower behind. Below is a better view of the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa. And below is a better look at the cathedral. From Pisa we drove back to our ship in Livorno and sailed away. Today's final picture looks back on Livorno as we are sailing toward Rome. More later, Tim

Click on email photos for the large full-size photograph.

I returned to Livorno in 2013. Click HERE to take a look.


Click on the arrow above to continue to my next adventure, ROME, ITALY.

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