David: Climbing the Duomo

Since the Duomo Cathedral hosts the largest dome in the world (I think it can still lay claim to that) we knew we just had to climb the 463 steps to the top of it, and see the remarkable views of Florence.The Cathedral, built in the Middle Ages, was designed before they even knew how to build the dome, and it went without one for nearly 100 years! (Can you imagine your church or home not having a roof for about 100 years? And furthermore, to have more than one architect because it would take hundreds of years to complete it?) Finally in the 1400's, Filippo Brunelleschi figured out how to build the dome. He ended up building a smaller dome first, and the larger outer dome was built on top of it. So to get to the top, we would be climbing a set of stairs sandwiched in between the two layers. It sounded daunting and thrilling at the same time. As we stood in line to start the climb, I talked with a nice gal from Sydney, Australia. She was on a month long vacation in Italy--much like we were--but she was seeing pretty much the entire country, stopping in each place for just a day or two, sometimes longer as time allowed. She thought it peculiar that we would stay in one location, but did admit that it is really the only way to get the feel of a place. Allan and I have called it "Slow Travel", to borrow the catch phrase used to describe the Slow Food Movement. (Where food is cooked the old fashioned way, by hand with fresh ingredients, not microwaved, and you actually sit down and take a long while to enjoy it rather than eat it in the car on the way to somewhere else...)

Once we started the climb, I was surprised to find that it was easy, and actually quite fascinating. They had the foresight to build the passageway with windows, so one could see natural light and views from the outside almost the entire way up. At the half way point, we entered the cathedral on a catwalk that is at the base of the dome. This was a great vantage point to see the inside of the Duomo, looking down. (We had toured the inside of the Cathedral a few days earlier.)

The passageway went back inside, and we were now climbing between the dome layers. I touched the inner layer, thinking about the frescos that were painted on the other side. I looked out an opening that appeared to be a rain spout, and I could see the bell tower. I knew I was close to the top!

Soon I was popping my head out into the sunshine, where Allan was waiting for me, and snapped my picture.

We slowly walked around to see the panoramic views of the city. It was amazing!

(Lots of pictures can be found on our picassa website.) I normally do not like heights, but for some reason, I felt completely calm. My only disappointment was that once again, even up here on a historical building, there was graffiti everywhere.

When I sat down to relax and focus myself, I noticed this bit of scrawl, which seemed to indicate

just what goes on in the mind of someone that defaces a historic building... On the way down, as we stopped to walk around the interior perimeter again, I snapped a few pictures of the fresco that was painted on the inside of the dome--how they painted it, I just can't imagine!

It was a garish display of hell at the base, and as the painting traveled upward, so did the mortals to heaven. I might make mention that the majority of beings in hell were men, which makes sense, considering the mess they have made out of this Earthly existence with war, rape, and environmental degradation....This picture I took also shows a huge crack going all the way up the dome. Not the most comforting sight!Oh, and sorry to have taken this picture from an angle that looks right up between a naked-man-in-hell's legs....All of the men in hell were naked.

A day or so after climbing the Duomo, we went to the Duomo Museum and were able to view many artifacts of the original structure and facade, and many original statues that are now housed indoors to protect them. (Replicas are now on the exterior.)

While it was wonderful to view the city from the top of the Duomo, it has been extra special to see the city from our very own terrace! Here's a little movie, "James Blunt" style (he did a video for "Same Mistake" holding the camera on himself...) of our apartment and the view we have of Florence.

This apartment has really made our stay here so much more enjoyable. We have great views, are walking distance to everything, and yet far enough away from the center of town to feel more like locals than tourists.

Ciao!