Italy > The Pitti Palace

The heat of the day lingers in the room overnight. The window is wide open. Because of this, we hear how the nightlife gradually quiets down. The fan in the room tries to blow a slight breeze through the space. Because of the heat, it’s difficult to get a good night’s sleep. The outside temperature doesn’t drop below twenty-five degrees. In the morning, this is a pleasant temperature as we have breakfast at our little table by the open window. To avoid the crowds at the museums, we decide to go first to the Palazzo Pitti on the opposite side of the Arno. We walk over the Ponte Vecchio. Only a handful of the gold and silver shops on the bridge are open. At the palace, luckily, there is no long queue. At the ticket office, we get a pleasant surprise. Tickets for the Pitti Palace and the Boboli Gardens are free today. Probably because it’s the first Sunday of the month. This saves 22 euros per person. The Medici family had the palace built in 1458. Later the palace came into the hands of the Habsburgs, and later Napoleon Bonaparte stayed there. Today, the palace is a museum furnished with paintings and interiors from the time of the Medici family.

Italy - One of the rooms of the Palazzo Pitti

Right upon entering the first hall, we are surprised by the beautiful decorations. The ceiling painting is especially impressive. With each room, the decorations seem more beautiful. Sometimes we doubt whether the ceiling decorations are real or painted. A museum guard helps and confirms that all the folds on the canvas on the ceiling are painted. Among the paintings hang works by Titian, Raphael, and Botticelli. We even encounter a few pieces by the Flemish painters Van Dyck and Rubens. Behind the palace lie the Boboli Gardens. A large garden laid out in the 16th century on the orders of the Medici. We walk through the garden, trying to take paths with plenty of shade to avoid the harsh sun. Today again, temperatures of 39 degrees Celsius in the shade are predicted. Near the palace, on the same square where we ate yesterday, we order something to drink at a restaurant. In many restaurants in Italy, you also pay for the service. That this is charged even for just a drink feels somewhat absurd. This makes the cola 7 euros per drink. Despite the heat, we walk along the Arno to the Piazzale Michelangelo. The path climbs steeply. From this square, we have a view over the city of Florence. The cathedral towers high above the buildings. We also see the Ponte Vecchio. From the viewpoint, we conclude that we have seen most of Florence’s highlights.

Italy - View from Piazzale Michelangelo over the city of Florence

We cross the Arno again and walk once more to the cathedral. We visit the Opera del Duomo museum. This museum shows artworks from the Duomo and the Baptistery. The original bronze doors of the baptistery hang here. Sculptures by Donatello and Michelangelo are in the museum. Also on display is the unfinished Pietà Bandini sculpture. Michelangelo was working on this piece when he died in 1564. On the upper floor, a video explains how in the 15th century it was possible to build such a large dome on the cathedral. The dome was completed in 1436. At the end of the afternoon, we return for the last time to the terrace next to our lodging. A beer tastes wonderful. In the room, a new fan has been installed — a ceiling fan. The fan is a good addition, but the built-in light looks more like a construction lamp with bright LED light. Quite uncozy. In the evening, we find a nice terrace to eat. “Did you make a reservation?” No. There is still one table free for two. Soon, all the tables inside and outside are occupied. A good sign for the restaurant. When we go to bed, we open the window and turn on the new fan.