...it's v-i-a-g-g-i!

(i viaggi = “trips”)

Ciao tutti,

As I have begun to settle in to my new home and life here in Bologna (and before classes start), I have taken the opportunity to travel around Italy! The train system here, Trenitalia [treni (trains) + Italia (Italy) = Trenitalia], is a great and fairly cheap system of connecting the country, making it incredibly easy to visit other parts of Italy. I will admit that it is a little intimidating standing in the very crowded, very confusing Bologna train station for the first time trying to figure out how to purchase your tickets and which train you need to catch; but once you get the hang of it, it’s fairly easy to use.

So that being said, we BCSP students have mastered the system and done several day or weekend-long trips in small groups to various places throughout the country.

F I R E N Z E

The first trip I went on was to Florence (Firenze, in Italian). I had just confirmed my apartment earlier that week (thus relieving a large amount of stress and anxiety), so a group of us decided to book a hostel and take a train to Florence for the weekend.

We took a Saturday afternoon train and got to see the rolling hills of the Tuscan country side as we rode South to Florence. When we arrived in the city, we walked from the station through the beautiful streets to our hostel, which turned out to be right across from the Palazzo Pitti!

The River Arno, which runs through the city of Florence

A view from our hostel of the Palazzo Pitti right across the street!

A typical, beautiful Florentine street.

After settling in at our hostel, we walked across the Ponte Vecchio towards the Duomo (la Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore). Duomo in Italian is just a general term for “cathedral.” It was late afternoon at this time, and the Duomo itself was about to close for Saturday evening Mass preparation. We were a little bummed we weren’t going to be able to go inside, but we then realized that the stairs to climb the Duomo hadn’t closed yet. Thus, we were one of the last groups of people allowed up that day. We began climbing the over 400 steps of the Cathedral, which spits you out inside the actual church so that you are standing right under the Dome itself. You then walk around the inside of the Dome, where you have a beautiful view of the fresco painted there. This depicts The Last Judgment, with vivid and detailed images of God sending souls to Heaven, Purgatory, and Hell. Il Diavolo is particularly disturbing! It is incredible to see it up close. The theme of “The Last Judgment” is quite fitting, given that Dante Alighieri was from Florence and his work The Divine Comedy is one of the most epic depictions of Heaven, Purgatory, and Hell.

Il Ponte Vecchio ("the Old Bridge")
with its shops basically hanging off of it

Me standing on Ponte Vecchio with the River Arno behind me

Walking across the Ponte Vecchio, heading towards the Duomo

Entering the Piazza del Duomo, view of the facade of the Duomo (center),
the Bell Tower (right), and the Baptistry (left)

View of the inside of the Dome. The Last Judgment.
The depiction of God can be seen on the left.

Il Diavolo ("the Devil"). One of the perks of climbing the Duomo is
being able to get close-up views of The Last Judgement like this one.

After this brief viewing of this incredible fresco within the Dome, you continue climbing up the Dome itself. Brunelleschi’s dome is massive, and it is an incredible feat of engineering to be designed and built in the 1400s without any sort of modern technology. In these pictures I took while climbing the Duomo, notice the sloped walls within the Dome: 

As marvelous as the climb itself was, nothing could compare to the beautiful view of Florence from the top of the Dome. The sun was just about to set, and the sky over this beautiful Tuscan city was breathtaking. Everything worked out – thank God we arrived so late at the Duomo that afternoon!

A view of Florence from the top of the Duomo right before sunset.

The same shot, about twenty minutes later, as the sun sets.

The next day, a Sunday, we wandered the city some more. Florence is about the size of the Bologna, and both cities are very walkable. We admired the architecture of the Uffizi Gallery and the Palazzo Vecchio, walked by Dante Alighieri’s birthplace, and headed back to the Duomo to visit the inside of the cathedral and climb the Bell Tower. The 414 steps of Giotto’s Campanile (“bell tower”) are not as exciting to climb as the Duomo, but the view is just as amazing at the top. In fact, there are various stops throughout the climb where you can rest and get some great views of the Duomo.

The padlocks on Ponte Vecchio. There's a tradition of lovers
locking a padlock and throwing the key into the Arno,
as a sign of bonding eternal love.

Standing in the courtyard of the Uffizi, the two wings of the Gallery
on either side, with a view of the Palazzo Vecchio in the background

Dante's birthplace, now a museum

Il Campanile (the Bell Tower)

View of the Duomo from about halfway up the Bell Tower

"We could stay here forever."
My BCSP friends enjoying the incredible view of Florence from the top of the Bell Tower.

Before leaving this wonderful city, we went to the Basilica di Santa Croce (“Holy Cross”). This is a spectacular church. Inside there are various tombs of well known Italians, as well as some spectacular frescoes by Giotto covering the walls of various wings and side-chapels. Unfortunately, the main façade inside the church behind the altar is undergoing a massive renovation, so it is hard to appreciate the whole beauty of the place with all the scaffolding. Nevertheless, it was a spectacular way to end our trip to Florence.

A view of the Basilica from the Piazza di Santa Croce

The inside of the Basilica. Note the incredibly detailed wooden ceiling.

A view from one of the wings of the Basilica. Note the frescoes that line the walls.

Part of the robe actually worn by St. Francis of Assisi, on display
in the Basilica. I hope to take a trip soon down to Umbria
to visit the city of Assisi and see the Basilica of St. Francis!

The beautiful courtyard next to the Basilica.

I hope you enjoy! I'll post more on my other viaggi soon!

Ciao for now,

Augusto