Day for the Duomo!

The last full day of the family visiting we spent seeing one of Florence's most famous sites, Santa Maria del Fiore, better know as the Duomo! There are about a million and one reasons why I love the Duomo the first is because its an architectural marvel and so stunning you could honestly look at it forever. More importantly I love the Duomo because it helps me find my way home, and you can see it from just about anywhere in the city! Thank you Duomo! This cathedral was build on top of Florence's previous cathedral Santa Reparata. Remains of Santa Reparata are located under the Duomo and can still be seen today! Construction on the Duomo began around 1300 and took about 170 years to complete! The most impressive part of the church is the Dome constructed by Filippo Brunelleschi.

We started our visit to the Duomo by checking out the Campanile or the Bell Tower, and got super ambitious and climbed all the way to the top, all 412 steps! 

This climb let us see over all of Florence and after climbing the Bell Tower we saw the inside of the Duomo and checked out the underground remains of Santa Reparata!

We checked out the Baptistery, which is the oldest building in the plazza. This was once a pagan church and was converted for the church's use. The most impressive parts of the Baptistery are definitely the mosaic on the ceiling and  the Gates to Paradise. Lorenzo Ghiberti's golden doors located on the East side of the Baptistery. The doors depict scenes from the Old Testament and were referred to by Michelangelo as the "Gates of Paradise," which they are still called today! The originals are located inside the museum along with a Pieta by Michelangelo intended for his own tomb. Overall a pretty incredible thing to see and an absolute must if you find yourself in Florence! After cramming all this in I headed to my first class of the day and my family headed off to lunch at La Prosciutteria, which I've been dying to go to, its really local and not technically a restaurant so you have to set the table yourself or eat outside! Its all fresh meats and cheeses and all very Tuscan! Here's my family enjoying Florence, without me!

After class I met back up with them for dinner at another famous Florentine hot spot, Acqua Al 2! The really cool part about this restaurant isn't just that it has amazing Tuscan cuisine, but it's a totally unique dinning experience. They're known for their blueberry steak which is insane and of course we tried it! They're also know for their tastings! We ordered their pasta tasting where they bring out five different small servings of pasta like courses all chosen by the chef. Depending on the time you order, the day, and the mood of the chef, you can have something different every time! Also their table wine is amazing!

So how do you end a visit to Florence? Back to Gilli for espresso of course! To make the most of our culinary experience I also ordered their cioccolata calda (hot chocolate), which is so rich you have to split it! It literally tastes exactly like melted chocolate and is served from the coolest golden spout. I also made everyone try crema di caffè, which is like coffee, ice cream, and caramel blended to perfection. If you ever make it to Gilli, you can't leave without it!

Overall an incredible first European family vacation!