5/24 Firenze
Today was a day for museums, and since they didn't allow us to take any pictures, we'll just have to tell you what we did. We got up early to beat the rush to the Uffizi Gallery. It was full of paintings and sculptures from the Gothic period through the 19th Century. After that, we headed for the Science Museum here in Florence. There we saw scientific instruments from the Gothic period through the 19th Century again. Some highlights were seeing some of the instruments Galileo used, including some of his first telescopes, seeing the surgical equipment from the 18th and 19th centuries, and all the different tools people used to make measurements such as the first "calculator", thermometer and other devices. After that, we went to the Duomo to climb over 400 stairs to the top of the dome to look out over Florence. In the afternoon, we took in Michelangelo's David and some of his unfinished sculptures at the Academy.
Inside the Duomo's dome.
Climbing the stairs toward the top.
A view of the floor.
Another view of the floor.
Giotto's Campanile is adjacent to the Duomo.
The reason there aren't even more pictures today...
Michelangelo's David.