It's a state of mind, a living museum where it seems possible that Michelangelo or Leonardo might just walk across the piazza. Florence hasn't changed much in the last 500 years. It hasn't been bombed or pillaged, destroyed by fire or been the victim of urban renewal. Florence was the birthplace of the Renaissance and seeing the paintings and sculpture of the day makes it feel like we are in the midst of the rebirth.
We spent two full weeks in Florence, the longest we have stayed anywhere on this trip, partly because of the holidays, but mostly due to the immensity of things to see and do. We went to the Academia to see David a few times, visited the Ufizzi Gallery twice, the Pitti Palace three times and a wealth of other museums and churches, getting full value for our Pitti Pass. How tourists can spend only three days in Florence is beyond me. It has been a hands-on course on painting, sculpture and architecture, probably too much for me to absorb. But I can trace the development of painting from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance, both in the change of subject matter from biblical to sensuous neo-classical and in the style. It's easy to see how this change offended traditional religious leaders like Savonarola who incited Florentines, including Botticelli, to destroy so much in the "Bonfire of the Vanities." When he went too far, accusing the Pope of being soft on traditional religion, he was hanged and burned on the same spot in the Piazza della Signoria.
Not surprisingly it is cold in December, but it really keeps the crowds down. There are still a lot of tour groups between Christmas and New Years but nothing like the mobs in summer. We walk everywhere, probably 5 miles a day, not so much to save money but to soak up the atmosphere. We are happy with our lodging and it will be difficult to leave. The only downside is the cost of meals. Italian food is wonderful but $12 for a bowl of pasta seems steep, especially after the Balkans. And they add a $5 service charge per table, just 'cause.
