Florence: Bell Tower and Boboli Gardens

We started the day by climbing 414 steps to the top of “Giotto’s Bell Tower” (in the final 100 steps we got very friendly with other visitors!). The colored marble tower was begun in 1334, paused for two years between 1348 and 1350 because of the Black Plague, and finally completed in 1359. The views from the top made the climb worthwhile!

We kept checking on the lines to visit the cathedral, but they just weren’t moving, so we had to skip it.

Darryl visited the Galileo Museum while Diane rested from a bit of a cold. It contained a collection of scientific instruments that the Medici family had collected. Galileo did not invent the telescope, but he made big improvements on it and made 50 of them before he sold the design to a local merchant. The museum has an example of his telescope there.

Later that day, we visited the Pitti Palace, which dates from 1458 and was built for Luca Pitti a powerful banker. The palace was bought by the Medici family in 1549 and became their chief residence during their rule of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. We visited the royal apartments (even the “anterooms” were lavishly decorated. The Boboli Gardens are on the palace grounds, and afford beautiful views over Florence.Read more