Florence

During my week in Tuscany, we traveled to many different cities as a group, but I would have to say that one of my favorite cities was Florence. My parents had gone to this city before and as soon as they returned to America they told me that I would love the city, and now I can see why. The city is easily one of the most beautiful and historic cities in the world and I loved learning all about it. Not only did the history or famous artwork peak my interest, but the atmosphere the city had made me want to return at some point in my life.

Along with all of this, the architecture has got to be some of the greatest I have ever seen, which I always find incredibly fascinating. Since I had already taken Michael’s history of the Italian renaissance first-year seminar, I had a lot of prior knowledge of the city, but learning and seeing it up close and in real life is very different. Some of my favorite things I saw included the Basilica of Santa Croce, the Cathedral di Santa Maria del Fiore, the Gates of Paradise, Piazza Della Signoria, and the Uffizi gallery. These were all places I had previously learned about, and it was crazy to experience them up and personal. The one thing I wish was different about my trip to Florence was that it was too short. There is just so much to see and do and it’s impossible to do it all in one day, but I understand the situation I was in due to the busy schedule we had. I learned so much nonetheless. I even got to see the Basilica di San Lorenzo, which holds the Laurentian library in which I did my research report on in Michael’s class.

Spending so much time researching a topic and then getting the chance to see it in person makes you appreciate the significance so much more. My awesome experience didn’t only occur during the day, though. For dinner, the Seamans took us out to a Florentine steak dinner and then to a high scenic view looking over Florence. It was an incredibly time and I will definitely be coming back.