A prolonged stop in Milan delayed my Florentine dreams by a few hours, but upon arrival I hit the ground running with a walking tour of the city with Walks of Italy.
I met Paul, the Walks of Italy guide, in front of the Accademia di Belle Arti. Even though I’d postponed the tour for two hours, Paul, an American, was eager to show me the city he’d called home for the last twenty years. Born and raised through his early teen years in Florence, he spoke Italian fluently and had a firm grasp of all things Florentine. After studying art history in the United States, Paul returned to Florence. I knew I was in superior hands.
The Accademia di Belle Arti, home of Michelangelo’s famous David statue, was not as crowded as I expected. Given that it was late on Saturday afternoon in the low season probably contributed to that fact. Paul gave me the Cliffβs Notes version of Michelangeloβs life and his role in politics and religion in Italy.
Head and shoulders above even the best artists, Paul explained that Medici family plucked Michelangelo from art school and used him to create countless masterpieces, some of which reside in the Accademia di Belle Arti.
Michelangelo started his art career at an early age and lived to be 88, thus there are more of his works than other artists of that time. In addition to working for the Medici family, pieces were commissioned by the pope of the moment. Michelangelo saw many popes come and go and was a master of doing just enough work to buy more time. Michelangelo was a very rich and wanted man, even the mayor of Florence commissioned many pieces from Michelangelo, including David.
In the grand hall of Accademia di Belle Arti, David dominates. After the short history lesson, Paul and I moved closer to the famous statue. Iβve seen photos of David, and although impressive, I hadnβt really given it a second thought. Itβs safe to say that Paul and I looked at the hero who defeated Goliath for at least thirty minutes. Paulβs passion for the history and techniques behind creating this masterpiece was evident. His speech became more rapid, his hand gestures more prevalent, and his face more expressive. Paulβs excitement was contagious. I wanted to know everything.
The mayor of Florence commissioned and gave Michelangelo about a year to complete David. It would have taken a year to get a piece of marble from the quarry to Florence, so he used marble that other artists rejected due to the veins present. He stared at the chunk of marble for two weeks without sketching anything then simply began sculpting. Much like the Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo didnβt have any help and wouldnβt let anyone see his work until it was finished.
Credit
Paul talked about how brilliant and multi-talented Michelangelo had to be in order to create David. Weighing as much as five cars, the statueβs mass had to distributed evenly or it would break. That takes knowledge in math. To depict the muscles accurately on David, Michelangelo had to know about anatomy, which he learned by paying priests to let him dissect bodies at night.
My curiosity was fed by Paul’s stories and I soaked it up like a sponge. More than just a piece of rock, David has a storied past. Paul told me that the statue was outside for many years until the mayor of Florence decide that the city needed to attract tourists and their money, thus David was cleaned up and brought into the museum. Millions of people have seen Michelangelo’s masterpiece, but I would imagine few saw it like I did…through the eyes of someone with a true passion for art and its history.
Paul and I left theΒ Accademia di Belle Arti and continued our walking tour. The sun was down and the city looked differently from when I first went into the museum. Gone were the hoards of tourists following their guides and out were the Florentines. We made our way to the Duomo, the fourth largest church in the world. Paul again peppered me with facts and stories about the crown jewel of Florence.
We looked at the doors on the Baptistry and Paul explained that it was one of the first examples of perspective during the Renaissance. He talked about the biblical stories depicted within the panels and the history of the statues above the doors.
Rain started to lightly fall, and we continued to walk to Piazza della Republica and Piazza della Signoria. Stories of the Medici family, Florentine history, and works of art poured from Paul’s mouth. I could tell that he’d forgotten more about Florence than most people will ever know.
Before I knew it, we’d arrived at the Arno River and the famous Ponte Vecchio. Paul explained that the bridge filled with priceless works of art by the Medici family was spared during WWII. Hitler had previously seen and enjoyed the art in the private passage way and didn’t want to see it destroyed. We didn’t walk through the corridor, but I could imagine why it was spared without even stepping foot inside.
I could have stayed with Paul for hours more. I’d only scratched the surface of the city and its offerings. My fervor for Florence had grown exponentially with just three short hours of listening to Paul. The tour might have ended, but the education had just begun. We said our goodbyes and I made the short walk back to my Go with Oh apartment. I couldn’t think of a better start to my Florentine trip.
I was a guest of Walks of Italy, but as always, these views are my own. Seriously, if you’re looking to get something more than a few pictures from your trip to Florence, I’d totally recommend taking the Florence City Stroll tour, but I’m not even sure I’d call it a tour. It was more like an education. Thanks, Walks of Italy and Paul!
Jenna
November 20, 2012Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get a tour with Walks of Italy while I was there. We emailed back and forth, but in the end, my week covering Florens2012 was just too packed for me to spare even a couple of hours. I have heard that their tours are great, and I think they really add to a place like Florence where the history is so important to understanding what you’re seeing.
Leah Travels
November 22, 2012You really missed out! Walks of Italy is the best tour company I’ve ever used. I know how you feel about having so much packed in. It’s really hard to get everything in. I can’t wait to go back and learn more.
thelazytravelers
November 20, 2012true story: my gram likes david’s “bum” so much that she keeps a picture of it on her fridge. beautiful pictures of the duomo and ponte vecchio! xo, the wino
Leah Travels
November 29, 2012I think David’s bum is pretty hot myself. Your gram has great taste.
Francesca
November 21, 2012I’ve seen David in person and am even more impressed now that I know Michelangelo dissected bodies to learn more about human anatomy! It is a sight to behold.
Leah Travels
November 22, 2012Yeah, he only did a few small places at a time. Like if he was about to work on the leg, he’d pay a priest to let him dissect it at night. He’d get in BIG trouble if caught.
@mrsoaroundworld
November 22, 2012I loved Florence, and sadly have only been once. I need to go back again – loved following your trip there!!
Leah Travels
November 22, 2012Perhaps we go back together. There’s so much more I’d love to see.
Fiona
November 22, 2012Really enjoyed reading this piece Leah. I visited Florence over the summer and didn’t pick up half as much information. How lovely to be accompanied by such a knowledgeable guide!:)
Leah Travels
November 26, 2012Thank you, Fiona. I think it takes either a guide or a great audio tour to really get the most out of a city. I’ll look to do something like this again. And in reality, I’d like to see another part of the city with Paul the next time I visit Florence.
The World Wanderer
November 24, 2012I have heard great things about Walks of Italy, and plan to walk with them on my next trip to Italy – whenever that may be! I have yet to visit Florence, but I am dying to get there. In college, a few friends spent a month there during the summer. I still regret not going along with them! Oh, well, I will see David sooner or later!
Leah Travels
November 26, 2012Yes, you must. The staff at Walks are as helpful as they are nice. They really went out of their way to make Lauren and I feel welcome. Their guides are nothing short of spectacular. π
Paul Costa
November 24, 2012Hi Leah,
I’m VERY happy that you enjoyed the tour! Happy travels and all the best!
Paul
Leah Travels
November 26, 2012Oh, I loved it and then some. Your passion shines through and that’s what made the tour so special for me.
D.J. - The World of Deej
November 25, 2012Can’t think of a better way to see a city than with someone with Paul’s passion. Great stuff.
Leah Travels
November 26, 2012I agree 100%, DJ. It’s rare that you find that in a guide.
Pola (@jettingaround)
November 26, 2012Great piece of info about Ponte Veccio. I knew Hitler had liked Krakow and spared it because of that, now I know he felt that away about Florence too. I see our Texas gal is getting used to walking a lot! π
Leah Travels
November 26, 2012Yes, Pola, Hitler had walked through the passage and admired the art. He didn’t tell his troops why to spare it, he just gave strict instructions not to destroy it. Thank goodness he had some sense about him. π
Fidel
November 27, 2012Beautiful shots Leah! You didn’t try to sneak any pics of David while in the Accademia?
Leah Travels
November 29, 2012I didn’t’ sneak any. I think Paul would have slapped the camera from my face!
Craig Zabransky
December 7, 2012Florence… someday, I hope to walk the streets and soak it up like a sponge too… thanks for sharing.
stay adventurous, Craig
Leah Travels
December 11, 2012Soak on, Craig. You’ll love it, especially if done with Paul. He’s awesome.
Nicole @ Suitcase Stories
February 20, 2013This post and your amazing photos have got me very excited about our visit to Florence later in the year! This looks like an amazing city and this tour looks great. Will bookmark this post so we can refer to it once we get there!
Leah Walker
February 21, 2013How exciting! Florence is a fabulous city. I want to go back, like yesterday. Look into Walks of Italy. The walking tour was one of the best I’ve had. Enjoy!
Craig McBreen
May 11, 2014Ah yes, Florence! Some day very soon, but for some reason I have Barcelona on the brain π
I have not done much traveling at all in my life, but that’s about to change in a very big way. In the meantime I can experience parts of Europe vicariously through your site.
Leah Walker
May 19, 2014Barcelona is lovely, but I prefer Florence for the architecture. Both are great cities, however. You can’t go wrong with either.