The Baptistery

 Quo vadis.

In English, it means “Where are you going?” But on the day we entered Italy after touring the principality of Monaco, it was the title cover of the audio CD that Dondi played on the bus to, again, set the mood.  Team Thomas was going Italian.

We started the ambivalent mood inside the bus with a succession of Neapolitan songs – the celebratory Santa Lucia (…Santa Lucia! Santa Lucia! Su Passegieri, Venite via!), the soulful O Sole Mio (…O sole mio…Sta ‘nfronte a te!), to the raucous Volare!

There was a lot of singing going on in the bus, some dancing and stomping of feet. Team Thomas was just too happy to be in Italy. It was the last country that we were going to visit as we retraced the foot trails of St. Thomas.

FIRENZE – THE CITY OF FLOWERS

Florence or Firenze is a Renaissance city in the heart of Tuscany. It was founded on a valley of flowers, thus its name. It has some of Italy’s best museums, beautiful cathedrals and churches, monasteries, art galleries and ateliers, and interesting streets and squares (called piazzas) with elegant buildings and shops. Florence’s most famous square is Piazza della Signoria, the heart of the historic center and a free open-air sculpture exhibit. The Loggia della Signoria holds some important statues including a copy of Michelangelo’s David. The piazza has been Florence’s political center since the middle ages and Florence’s town hall, the medieval Palazzo Vecchio, sits on the piazza.

Piazza della Signoria attracts millions of tourists each year and was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1982. Florence is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful cities in the world and its artistic, historic, and cultural heritage and impact in the world remains to this day. The city has a major impact in music, architecture, education, cuisine, fashion, philosophy, science, and religion.

Florence is arguably the last preserved Renaissance city in the world and is regarded by many as the art capital of Italy. It has been the birthplace or chosen home of many notable historical figures, such as Dante, Boccaccio, Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli, Niccolò Machiavelli, Brunelleschi, Michelangelo, Donatello, Galileo Galilei, Catherine de’ Medici, Antonio Meucci, Guccio Gucci, Franco Zeffirelli, Salvatore Ferragamo, Roberto Cavalli, and Emilio Pucci.

THE DUOMO

Florence’s most popular site is its Duomo (cathedral), the Cattedrale de Santa Maria del Fiore. The huge Gothic duomo was begun in 1296, consecrated in 1436, and holds 20,000 people. Its exterior, made of green, pink, and white marble, has several elaborate doors and interesting statues. Inside, Brunelleschi’s Dome is a masterpiece of construction.

The Campanile (bell tower) is in Piazza del Duomo. The first story was designed by Giotto and it is commonly called Giotto’s Campanile. Buy a ticket and climb the 414-steps stairs (no lift) for great views of the Cathedral and its dome and the city of Florence and surroundings.

The Ponte Vecchio (old bridge), built in 1345, was Florence’s first bridge across the Arno River and is the only surviving bridge from Florence’s medieval days (others were destroyed in World War II). The Ponte Vecchio is still lined with shops selling gold and silver jewelry. From the bridge, you’ll have a great view along the Arno River and beyond.

Santa Croce, in Piazza Santa Croce, is the largest Franciscan church in Italy and holds the tombs of several important Florentines including Michelangelo and Dante. The vast interior contains some exceptional stained glass windows and frescoes. One of Brunelleschi’s most important works, the Cappella dei Pazzi, is in Santa Croce.

THOMAS’ STOPOVERS TO NAPLES

Thomas was in the thick of his writings (and walking) and the cities he frequented in Italy were Naples, Orvieto, and Rome. He refused to be lured by the charms of Monaco but must have made brief stops in Florence on his way to Naples. Only his travel and walking companion – Albert Great - knew where they made jingle, food, and rest stops. But as for Team Thomas, Firenze was the perfect entry point to Italy. The carousing inside the bus made nightingales in Florence out of the Thomasian pilgrims.

Next Sunday: Peace in Pisa and charming Orvieto