Florence Day 3 (updated)

Visited the Duomo. The third largest Cathedral (After St. Peters, Rome; St. Paul’s, London).  We started early today and climbed to the cupola at the top of the dome.  Beautiful view of the entire city of Florence.

Looked around inside the church and at the excavations under the church.  The church’s exterior is very ornate; the interior much more plain.  This is the ceiling in the transept of the church (the dome). 

In the 1966, excavations under the church found the remains of the previous church located here St. Reparata’s from the 1200’s and 1300’s centuries.  Much of this is now open to the public.  The mosaic floors here are from the 400’s AD.

Visited the Galileo museum.  Mathematical tools, nautical tools and astronomy tools and our favorite, a reliquary of Galileo's fingers and tooth.

 

 

Visited the Baptistery next to the Duomo.  The ceiling is a beautiful mosaic of many scenes from the bible.  The tiles glisten and after a few minutes of looking at the scenes and interpreting them, you neck is stiff and sore.

 

Shopped in the street markets.

 

 

Florence at night!