Florence

Hi and welcome

Beautiful Florence.

The first time I came here was 1978. It takes my breath away every time I come back.

I hope you enjoy the photos, and if you have never been, go!


Piazza Santa Maria Novella A lovely square
just behind the railway station
















The Church is the first great basilica in Florence,
and is the city's principal Dominican church






















Silhouettes against the late
afternoon sky






















Il Duomo di Firenze.
This eye-stopping Cathedral is
called Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore
Its construction was started in 1296!






















It's a hard one to photograph. The
Duomo is vast but the space in
front is small. It encourages
you to find interesting angles!






















There are three huge bronze
doors which date from 1899
to 1903. They are adorned
with scenes from the life of
the Madonna






















A statue to the side of the door.
An archbishop, I guess
















A section of the east door of the Baptistry called
"The Gates Of Paradise", crafted by Lorenzo Ghiberti
in 1400s.
The name was given after Michelangelo referred to
these doors as "fit to be the "Gates of Paradise"
















A lovely building to the left of the Duomo






















The central door. The mosaic
above depicts Christ enthroned
with Mary and John the Baptist.
Above in the niches are the apostles
and in the middle the Madonna
with Child
















Fabulous facade on the corner of the square,
it is called La Loggia del Bigallo. Built around
1352, the Loggia was used as a shelter for lost
children and unwanted infants who were
abandoned to the care of the Company of Mercy






















The Dome of the Duomo and
a small section of Giotto's Bell Tower
















The Duomo was completed structurally in 1436
with the dome engineered by Filippo Brunelleschi.
It remains the largest brick dome ever constructed






















Giotto's Campanile. It has a side
of 14.45 meters (47.41 ft), and
a height of 84.7 meters (277.9 ft)
The Bell Tower has seven bells






















Piazza della Signoria is named
after Palazzo della Signoria,
which is also called Palazzo Vecchio























Neptune cuts a fine figure on
his fountain

Perseus with the head of Medusa

David by Michelangelo






















Il Palazzo Vecchio is the Town
Hall of Florence
















And in the lovely narrow streets of Florence
you can find so many beautiful works of art.
The original graffiti perhaps?

Next time: grand panoramas of Florence from Piazzale Michelangelo