Day 5: Tuscany (Lucca, Volterra, Firenze)

Day 5 was devoted to Tuscany. Again, so incredibly beautiful but yet so different from what we had seen the previous days. 

Lucca

Our first stop was the walled city of Lucca.

We had a delicious lunch in one of the smaller squares...until we got attacked by ants.

Andrew found some bitters for us to drink. He has fond memories of drinking a bitter every night on his balcony before going to bed as a missionary. They taste exactly how you might imagine: bitter. But I actually really like them too. Despite being reminiscent of cough syrup, after you swallow you can't help but want to experience it all over again.

Marika was kind enough to be our personal photographer. It was so much nicer than spending SO much time setting up our camera for timed pictures (which is what we normally do).

After Lucca, we drove through the Tuscan countryside on our way to Volterra

The sky was moody

I really could just post picture after picture... the light was constantly changing and all the colors were so incredible. Hopefully you get the idea. Drive through Tuscany when you go to Italy.

Volterra

Tuscany is a huge area, sort of like a state within Italy. As you drive through you occasionally see a quaint little town built on top of a hill. Each one is likely charming, amazing, and well worth a visit. Especially since most of them see few tourists. We wanted to see them ALL but for lack of time we decided on a more well-known village, Volterra.

The view from the top of the hill

How do they make everything look so beautiful? Are Italian kids required to take horticulture, art and design classes in grade school? Or are Italians just genetically gifted at this stuff? 

"The Arch Gate" dates back to 5th-4th century BC

As we were leaving we were surprised to find this excavation of an old Roman theater. 

Firenze

To finish off the day, we drove to Firenze (known as "Florence" in America). I can't figure why we change the name of Italian cities. I LOVED FIRENZE.

When I was still in college, Andrew told me that the only way he would take me to Italy (someday) was if I took an art history class. He wanted me to appreciate the art in Italy. I took the class (and loved it) but I remember one time, the professor showed us a painting and said that the first time she saw it in real life, she cried. It was really abstract with different bright colored lines going in different directions. There was no identifiable subject as far as I could tell and no discernible quality (for me) that made it outstanding in any way.  I sat there thinking, "how in the world did this make you cry?" 

I was not being critical of the professor, because I know that I can have strong reactions to music that I can't always explain to people who don't appreciate music the same way I do. However, while I was in Italy, and particularly in Florence, I understood on a whole new level how art and beauty can create strong emotional reactions. 

Construction of the Duomo began in 1296. For many many years, it didn't have a roof because no one was sure how to construct such a massive cupola that would be architecturally sound.

In 1418, Brunelleschi won a competition to design the dome. Over 18 years he oversaw it's construction but he died right as construction began on the lantern at the top. It wasn't completed until 1461 and the facade wasn't completed until 1887. 

So to quickly review the timeline, that means it began in 1296 and wasn't finished, as we see it now, until 1887. Almost 600 years! Can you imagine spending your entire life working on a project that you would  never see finished? It is amazing to me that this wasn't the effort of just one generation or one brilliant mind. It was a project that was passed on from one generation to the next and what was once only imagined as a possibility, was made a reality as discoveries were made in structural engineering and architecture. 

Patience! Faith! These are the lessons I learned in a way I hadn't thought of before.  Look what can be born of patience, careful planning, constant effort, and faith that something amazing will come of all your work someday:

I can draw many comparisons to my own life. A friend of mine sent me a link to this article which articulates my feelings better than I can do myself.

Andrew was reading all the nitty gritty facts to us courtesy of Fodor's

Moving on to the Baptistery doors which are in the same Piazza across from the Duomo:

I'll let you read about Ghiberti's doors yourself. Michelangelo declared them so beautiful that they could serve as the Gates of Paradise. When you see them in real life (even though these aren't the originals) you will concur with those sentiments.

Ponte Vecchio

 

Walking around Firenze...everything was so alive and euphoric. We stood in Piazza della Signoria beholding the David (copy), drinking the most delicious hot chocolate in the world, listening to a street performer play "Time to Say Goodbye" on an electric guitar. We took it all in. Perfect.

But after this, Marika hopped on a train headed for the Milano airport and left us. We were so sad. She was the life of the party.

We did get to see a little of Firenze in the morning but unfortunately didn't have time for any museums. A true travesty! Next time :)