Vernazza, one of the five towns that make up the Cinque Terre region on the Italian Riviera.Narrow streets in Vernazza.The beach at Monterosso al Mare (one of the other five towns that make up Cinque Terre).Closeup of the Monterosso Giant carved into the rock.Another view of the beach at Monterosso al Mare.Street in Monterosso al Mare.Terraced vineyards on the mountainside above Monterosso al Mare.Looking down on the east part of Monterosso al Mare from a terraced vineyard.Tomb with its writing being washed away, found in the cemetery at Monterosso al Mare.Another view of the east part of Monterosso al Mare.Bike parked in a street in Monterosso al Mare.Stepped street in Monterosso al Mare.Colorful buildings in Monterosso al Mare.Church of Saint John Baptist in Monterosso al Mare.Riomaggiore (another one of the five towns that make up Cinque Terre).Entrance to the beach (through this natural tunnel) south of Riomaggiore.Boats propped up in Vernazza with the bell tower of Santa Margherita di Antiochia Church visible.Vernazza seen from the quay.Colorful buildings in Vernazza.Walking down Via Roma in Vernazza.Corniglia (one of the other five towns that make up Cinque Terre), seen in the distance from the trail between Vernazza and Corniglia.Closer view of Corniglia – unlike the other four towns in Cinque Terre, Corniglia is not directly adjacent to the sea and sits 100 meters high.The stone path leading to Corniglia.Corniglia during sunset.Looking north, toward Monterosso al Mare (seen in the far distance), from Corniglia.Manarola (the last of the five towns that make up Cinque Terre – that is, the “last” one that I saw on my first day in Cinque Terre) in the distance, seen from Corniglia.Riomaggiore, seen from the rocks by the sea.Via Colombo in Riomaggiore.Via Colombo, looking the opposite way, toward the sea.Another view of Riomaggiore.Riomaggiore and the surrounding mountains.Boats lined up along the ramp next to the sea in Riomaggiore.Another view of Via Colombo in Riomaggiore.Via Renato Birolli in Manarola.View of Manarola and the steps leading to the sea.Corniglia and Monterosso al Mare (just barely visible), seen from Manarola.A nice view of Manarola.Another view of Manarola.Rock-stepped trail leading up the mountainside above Manarola.Manarola, terraced vineyards, and the Ligurian Sea.Church of San Lorenzo in Manarola.Vernazza, seen from the mountainside.A miniature monorail used to transport harvested grapes in the terraced vineyards.The stepped path back down to Vernazza.Looking up from a street at the gap between buildings in Vernazza.Children walking along the quay in Vernazza.Vernazza at night.Terraced vineyards near Corniglia.Statue in front of the Oratory of St. Catherine in Corniglia.Inside the Oratory of St. Catherine.Another view of the Oratory of St. Catherine.The interior of St. Peter’s Church in Corniglia.Path leading up the mountainside from Corniglia.Corniglia seen from the mountainside.Another view of Corniglia.Idyllic path through olive trees.Cross covered in objects from the Passion.Manarola on a rainy day.Via Colombo in Riomaggiore.Buildings in Riomaggiore.Wall painting next to the Riomaggiore train station that depicts the labor that went into building the terraced vineyards in Cinque Terre, as well as the work carried out during harvest.Some of the wine I enjoyed while staying in Cinque Terre.The Arno River in Pisa.Entrance to the Cittadella Nuova (“New Citadel”), which dates to the 15th-century AD; now it serves as the entrance to Giardino Scotto (“Scotto’s Garden”), a public garden.More of the old wall from the Cittadella Nuova.Buildings and trees across the Arno River.San Michele in Borgo; the church was built in the late 10th- to early 11th-century outside the walls of the city, over an ancient temple dedicated to Mars; its façade dates from the 14th-century AD.The Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Cathedral at the Piazza del Duomo (also known as the “Piazza dei Miracoli” or “Square of Miracles”).Another view of the Leaning Tower of Pisa.Courtyard of the Archbishop’s Palace in Pisa.Martyrs of Liberty Square.Ponte Di Mezzo over the Arno River.Walking along Lungarno Antonio Pacinotti.Colorful buildings on the other side of the Arno.Another view of the Arno River with the Ponte Di Mezzo in view.The Arno River with Santa Maria della Spina in view – the tiny church, which was erected in the 13th-century AD and supposedly has a thorn from the Crown of Thorns (which is where its name comes from).Knight’s Square (“Piazza dei Cavalieri”) with the Palazzo della Carovana (on the left) and the Church of the Knights of the Holy and Military Order of St. Stephen (on the right).Statue of Cosimo I de’ Medici in front of the Palazzo della Carovana.Bar Duomo and the Leaning Tower of Pisa.The Pisa Cathedral with the Leaning Tower of Pisa.The Pisa Baptistry, Cathedral,and Tower all in view.Another view of the Cathedral and Leaning Tower.San Paolo a Ripa d’Arno (“St. Paul on the Bank of the Arno” – locally, it is known as “Duomo Vecchio”); this church dates back to the 10th-century AD.Guelph Tower and the Cittadella Vecchia (“Old Citadel”).Façade of Santa Maria della Spina.The Leaning Tower of Pisa in the Piazza del Duomo in the morning.Looking up inside the Leaning Tower of Pisa.View of Pisa from the Leaning Tower.Columns on the Leaning Tower.The top of the Leaning Tower of Pisa.The Pisa Cathedral and Baptistry, seen from the Leaning Tower.Looking up at the façade of the Pisa Cathedral.The interior of the Cathedral.Another view of the interior of the Cathedral.The Pisa Baptistry.Looking up at the dome inside the Baptistry.Looking down at the baptismal font from the second level inside the Baptistry.The façade of the Pisa Cathedral (with the top of the Leaning Tower visible behind it), seen from a window on the second level inside the Baptistry.The Leaning Tower of Pisa seen from the second level of the Museo dell`Opera del Duomo.The interior courtyard of the Camposanto Monumentale (“Monumental Cemetery”), a cemetery supposedly built around a shipload of sacred soil from Calvary, brought back to Pisa from the Fourth Crusade.Grave stone on the hallway floor inside the Camposanto Monumentale.Detail of a fresco on the wall inside the Camposanto Monumentale.Statue inside the Camposanto Monumentale.Hallway in the Camposanto Monumentale in the Piazza del Duomo in Pisa.Bell tower and apse of San Sebastiano Church in Venice.One of many canals in Venice.A gondola traveling down a canal.Two gondoliers talking to each other.Statue of a crouching, naked hunchback supporting a small flight of steps (named the “Hunchback of Rialto”) that was sculpted by Pietro da Salò in the 16th-century AD and used as a podium for official proclamations.San Giacomo di Rialto – the oldest church in Venice, supposedly consecrated in the year 421 AD.Inside San Giacomo di Rialto.More gondolas traveling down a canal.Facade to the Santa Maria Formosa Church.Four bridges over a canal.San Giorgio dei Greci Church next to a canal.Gondolas docked on the south side of Castello.Bridge over the Rio del Vin, east of the Doge’s Palace.The Doge’s Palace, seen from the Piazza San Marco.The Campanile at the Piazza San Marco.Sculpture of the Winged Lion of Venice over the entrance to the Doge’s Palace.Portrait of the Four Tetrarchs (a porphyry sculpture group of four Roman emperors dating from around 300 AD), located on the corner of St. Mark’s Basilica.Another view of the Campanile.St. Mark’s Basilica.Another canal in Venice.Yet another canal in Venice.A grotesque sculpture above a doorway, called a “scacciadiavoli” (or “scare-demon”); it was used to keep bad spirits away.Santa Maria Formosa Church and its bell tower seen on the other side of the piazza.A narrow canal with gondolas going both ways.The Basilica di San Giovanni e Paolo, a Dominican Church that was built in the 1430s.The interior of the Basilica di San Giovanni e Paolo.Chapel inside the Basilica di San Giovanni e Paolo.Another one of Venice’s many, many canals.The Rialto Bridge (one of four bridges that span the Grand Canal).The Grand Canal with the Rialto Bridge in the background (being renovated).Gondolas docked along the Grand Canal.More gondolas and docking posts in the Grand Canal.Motorboats docked along the Grand Canal.Closer view of the docked motorboats.Looking southwest at the Grand Canal.Reflection of the sky and the narrow gorge of buildings in the canal.The Grand Canal seen from the Ponte dell’Accademia (one of the other four bridges that spans the Grand Canal).Looking east at the southern end of the Grand Canal from the Ponte dell’Accademia.Buildings along the Grand Canal.More buildings along the Grand Canal.The Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute (built in 1681 AD).Docking poles and gondolas next to the Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute and the southern end of the Grand Canal.Gondolas docked at the southern end of the Grand Canal with the Campanile in the distance.And yet another canal in Venice.The Grand Canal at twilight.The Piazza San Marco at night.Closeup of St. Mark’s Basilica at night.View of the Piazza San Marco with the two columns in view (St. Theodore is on the left column and the Winged Lion of Venice is on the right column).Another view of the Piazza San Marco at night.A canal at night (it looks unreal like a studio set).Another canal at night.Yet another photograph of a canal at nighttime.Bottle of Italian Cabernet Sauvignon.The Scuola Grande di San Rocco (on the left), which contains a number of masterworks by Tintoretto).‘The Flight in to Egypt’ by Tintoretto (1582-1587 AD) – inside the Scuola Grande di San Rocco.‘Adoration of the Magi’ by Tintoretto (1582 AD).The Sala Superiore (“Upper Hall”) inside the Scuola Grande di San Rocco.‘The Crucifixion’ by Tintoretto (1565 AD).The interior of the Church of Saint Roch (“Chiesa di San Rocco”).The Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari (known as the “Frari”).Interior of the Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari.A photographic reproduction of Titian’s ‘Pesaro Madonna’ – it was being restored at the time.Monument to Antonio Canova in the Frari (it was originally designed by Canova for the tomb of Titian).Canal and piazza outside of the Frari.Another canal found in Venice.A courtyard with a well.A gondolier making his way down a canal.A serene looking canal.A gondola shop.A panel from the ‘Altarpiece of the Apocalypse’ by Jacobello Alberegno (14th-century AD) – in the Gallerie dell’Accademia.‘Pieta’ by Giambattista Cima da Conegliano.‘The Annunciation’ by Giovanni Bellini (1500 AD).‘Creation of the Animals’ by Tintoretto (1550 AD).‘The Beheading of John the Baptist’ by Callisto Piazza.‘The Miracle of the Slave’ (also known as “The Miracle of St. Mark”) by Tintoretto (1548 AD).‘Rinaldo and Armida’ by Francesco Hayez.‘Meeting of the Betrothed Couple and the Departure of the Pilgrims’ by Vittore Carpaccio (1495 AD).‘Martyrdom of the Pilgrims and the Funeral of St Ursula’ by Vittore Carpaccio (1493 AD).‘The Lion of St. Mark’ by Giambattista Cima da Conegliano.‘The Penitent Mary Magdalene’ by Carlo Saraceni (1614 AD).Part of the Ponte dell’Accademia, a wooden bridge over the Grand Canal.A narrow canal in Venice.The Church of Saint Moses (“Chiesa di San Moisè”).Doge’s Palace (“Palazzo Ducale”).The courtyard inside the Doge’s Palace.The Campanile seen from the Doge’s Palace.The Piazza San Marco and the two columns, seen from the Doge’s Palace.The ceiling in the Sala delle Quattro Porte (the formal antechamber to more important rooms in the palace).The Council Chamber inside the Doge’s Palace.The Senate Chamber.A basinet (Italian, ca. 1480 AD).Mace firearm (Venetian, early 16th-century AD).A chastity belt (15th-century AD).A historic Venetian battle depicted on the wall inside the Chamber of the Great Council.The Chamber of the Great Council.Another view of the Chamber of the Great Council.The Chamber of the Scrutinio.Detail of ‘Inferno’ by Herri met de Bles (looks like he drew inspiration from Hieronymus Bosch).The Bridge of Sighs; built in 1614 AD to link the Doge’s Palace to the New Prisons.Looking at the canal from within the Bridge of Sighs.Corridor in the New Prisons.The Grand Staircase in the Doge’s Palace.Looking up at the Campanile.View of the Clock Tower and the northwest corner of St. Mark’s Basilica.Looking north from the Campanile with the Clock Tower in view.The domes of St. Mark’s Basilica.San Giorgio Island and the Piazza San Marco, seen from the Campanile.Looking west from the Campanile at the Piazza San Marco and the southern end of the Grand Canal.A gondola passing under a bridge.A narrow stream of sky reflected on a canal in Venice.A nice looking canal seen in the late evening.Another canal seen in the late evening.Candy-colored docking poles along the Grand Canal.Ponte degli Scalzi (“Bridge of the Barefoot Monks”) – another one of the four bridges over the Grand Canal.Four bridges connecting with each other in the canals near the Hotel Arlecchino.Italian red wine made from Raboso grapes.The leaning campanile of Chiesa di Santo Stefano (“Church of St. Stephen”).A canal in the morning.Another canal in the morning.The Clock Tower and St. Mark’s Basilica seen from the Piazza San Marco.The Clock Tower seen from the loggia of St. Mark’s Basilica.The Campanile seen from St. Mark’s Basilica.The replica Horses of Saint Mark on the loggia above the porch, of St. Mark’s Basilica.The Piazza San Marco with its three tall flag poles (the Venetian flag of St Mark used to fly from them in the time of the Republic of Venice), seen from the Basilica.The Doge’s Palace and the two columns in the Piazza San Marco, seen from the Basilica.The Bridge of Sighs, seen from the Ponte della Paglia.The entrance to the Venetian Arsenal.Towers flanking each side of the canal to the Venetian Arsenal.A canal with colorful buildings in Venice.Canal in the island of Murano.‘Comet Glass Star’ by Simone Cenedese (2007 AD), with a campanile standing tall in the background.Murano’s “Grand Canal”.Ancient glass artifacts on display inside the Glass Museum.‘Coppa Barovier’ – blue blown glass painted with polychrome enamels and gold (Venetian, ca. 1460 AD).Crystal stem glass with a flower’s shank and stem (Venetian, 17th/18th-century AD).Glass skylights in the shape of animals (Venetian, 17th-century AD).Chalcedony glasses with stains of avventurina glass inside (Venetian, 17th/18th-century AD).An enameled “milk glass” – an opaque or translucent, milk white or colored glass (Venetian, 18th-century AD).Chalice with a decorative stem and flowers (Venetian, 19th-century AD).A glass cock.“Zephyr” crystal bottles slightly fume tinted with spots shaded of ruby, amber, and aquamarine (Murano, 1982 AD).‘Tall Drop Vase’ and ‘Short Drop Vase’ by Alfredo Barbini (1962 AD).The Church of San Michele in Isola, located on the Isola di San Michele which houses Venice’s cemetery.Another pleasant canal in Venice.The Church of Santa Maria Assunta (“known as I Gesuiti”), which was built in 1729 AD.A lovely canal with warm colored buildings.Pistachio-flavored Pan del pescatore.Yet another fine canal.San Geremia Church.Carnival masks.Candy-cane docking poles in the Grand Canal.Closer view of the Ponte degli Scalzi (“Bridge of the Barefoot Monks”).The Grand Canal with San Simeone Piccolo Church visible.Boats running up and down the Grand canal.A picturesque cafe.Looking at the intersecting canals from where the four bridges meet, near the Hotel Arlecchino.My dinner of Spaghetti al Nero di Seppia (i.e. spaghetti with cuttlefish ink and chunks).Italian red wine made from Negromaro grapes.Piazza San Marco in the morning (before the crowds arrived).A slightly different view of the piazza in the morning.Chairs and tables set outside of a cafe in the piazza.St. Mark’s Basilica with the three flag poles in front.The Piazzetta dei Leoncini, north of the Basilica.The two columns and the Piazza San Marco in the morning.Doge’s Palace in the morning.Unique capitals on the columns around the Doge’s Palace.Gondolas docked near the Piazza San Marco.A street in Venice (a welcome change from all the photographs of canals).And another canal photograph with a nice bridge spanning it.Docked boats and a wooden bridge over a canal in Venice.Ponte Vecchio (literally, “old bridge”), the oldest and most famous bridge in Florence that spans the Arno River.A street in Florence with a high bridge connecting two buildings.The Palazzo Vecchio (the “old city palace”).Detail of the Florence Cathedral (“Duomo di Firenze” or “Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flower” or “Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore”).Giotto’s Bell Tower (the Florence Cathedral’s campanile).Via Maggio street in Florence.The painted facade of the Palazzo di Bianca Cappello.Santa Trinita (“Holy Trinity”) Church.Street in Florence with the Museo del Bargello in the center.Sculpture of Niccolo Machiavelli outside the Uffizi Gallery.The east side of the Ponte Vecchio.‘Purification of the Virgin’ by Ambrogio Lorenzetti (1342 AD) – on display in the Uffizi Gallery.‘Madonna and Child with Two Angels’ by Filippo Lippi (ca. 1460-1465 AD).‘Portraits of the Duke and Duchess of Urbino’ by Piero Della Francesca (ca. 1472-1475 AD).‘The Birth of Venus’ by Sandro Botticelli (ca. 1484-1486 AD).‘Primavera’ (also known as “Allegory of Spring”) by Sandro Botticelli (ca. 1477-1482 AD).‘Pallas and the Centaur’ by Sandro Botticelli (1482 AD).‘Crucifix with Mary Magdalene’ by Luca Signorelli (ca. 1502-1505 AD).‘Sacred Allegory’ by Giovanni Bellini (ca. 1490-1499 AD).‘Disputation of St. Stephen’ by Vittore Carpaccio (1514 AD).Bust of the Emperor Trajan, sculpted in the 2nd-century AD.‘Hercules and Nessus’, sculpted during the Roman Age.Looking out of the Uffizi Gallery from the top floor with the dome of the Florence Cathedral and the Palazzo Vecchio in view.The Ponte Vecchio seen from the Uffizi Gallery.‘The Holy Family with the Infant John the Baptist’ (also known as “Doni Tondo”) by Michelangelo (1507 AD).‘Saint Sebastian’ by Sodoma (1525 AD).‘Portrait of Gabrielle d’Estrees and One of Her Sisters’ by the Fontainebleau School (late 16th-century AD).The Palazzo Vecchio seen from the Uffizi Gallery’s terrace.‘The Return From Egypt’ (also known as “The Panciatichi Holy Family”) by Bronzino (1540 AD).‘Portrait of Pope Leo X with Cardinals Giulio de’ Medici and Luigi de’ Rossi’ by Raphael (1518 AD).‘Portrait of Eleonora Gonzaga’ by Titian (1536/1537 AD).‘Venus of Urbino’ by Titian (1538 AD).‘Testa di Medusa’ by Caravaggio (1597 AD).‘Judith Slaying Holofernes’ by Artemisia (1620/1621 AD).‘Bacchus’ by Caravaggio (1597/1598 AD).‘Roman Charity’ by Bartolomeo Manfredi (1610-1620 AD).Looking up from the courtyard in the Palazzo Vecchio.A painting depicting Florence around 1490 AD.The Florence Cathedral seen from the Palazzo Vecchio.A corridor inside the Palazzo Vecchio.Looking north toward the Florence Cathedral from the Palazzo Vecchio.Looking east toward the Basilica of Santa Croce from the Palazzo Vecchio.Looking west at the Arno River from the Palazzo Vecchio.The ceiling of the Hall of Lilies (part of the Apartments of the Priors in the Palazzo Vecchio).The Audience Chamber in the Apartments of the Priors.The barrel-vaulted ceiling of the Chapel of the Priors.The Chapel of Eleonora.The Great Hall inside the Palazzo Vecchio, seen from the upper level.‘The Gods of Water Pay Tribute to Venus, Born of Saturn’s Seed Spilled in to the Sea’ – a painting inside the Room of the Elements.Ceiling found inside the Palazzo Vecchio.A ceiling inside the Apartments of Leo X.Standing in the Great Hall inside the Palazzo Vecchio.The Studiolo inside the Palazzo Vecchio.A street in Florence.The facade of the Basilica of Santa Croce.Inside the Basilica of Santa Croce.The Tomb of Galileo Galilei (inside the Basilica of Santa Croce).Another view of the interior of the Basilica.The Tomb of Michelangelo (inside the Basilica of Santa Croce).The robe of Saint Francis of Assisi (a relic found inside the Basilica of Santa Croce).Castellani Chapel inside the Basilica of Santa Croce.The First Cloister with the Pazzi Chapel in the background (at the Basilica of Santa Croce).The interior of the Pazzi Chapel.Inside the Refectory of the Basilica of Santa Croce.View of Florence from the Piazzale Michelangelo.The Torre di San Niccolo (“San Niccolo Tower”).The Florence Cathedral and the Palazzo Vecchio seen from the south side of the Arno River.Forte dei Belvedere.The Tuscan countryside seen from the fort.Another street in Florence.The Arno River and the Ponte alla Carraia.The Arno River and the Ponte Vecchio at sunset.Closeup of the Ponte Vecchio at sunset.Crossing the Ponte Vecchio at sunset.Italian white wine made from Vernaccia grapes.A bottle of Chianti.The facade of the Florence Cathedral with Giotto’s Bell Tower behind it.The Interior of the Baptistery of San Giovanni (i.e. the “Florence Baptistery”).The mosaic ceiling inside the Baptistery.The other side of the mosaic ceiling.Detail of the mosaic ceiling with a depiction of Hell.Looking up at the center of the mosaic ceiling.The southern side of the Florence Cathedral.Closeup of the design on Giotto’s Bell Tower.Another view of Giotto’s Bell Tower.Looking southwest from Giotto’s Bell Tower, with the Piazza della Repubblica in view.Looking south at the Palazzo Vecchio.The Florence Cathedral seen from Giotto’s Bell Tower.Looking northeast from the Bell Tower.Looking northward at Florence and the surrounding hills.Looking down at the Baptistery (which was under renovation).Looking down the interior of the Bell Tower.Closeup of the exterior of the Florence Cathedral, seen from a lower level inside the Bell Tower.Looking up inside the Bell Tower.Looking down at the High Altar inside the Florence Cathedral (during my ascent to the cupola on top of the dome).The frescoes on the dome inside the Florence Cathedral.Another view of the frescoes adorning the interior of the dome.View of Giotto’s Bell Tower from the cupola on top of the dome.Looking south at the Palazzo Vecchio from the cupola.Southeastern view from the cupola with the Basilica of Santa Croce in sight.Northward view of Florence from the cupola on top of the Cathedral.A closer view of the frescoes painted on the dome.Detail of the frescoes of the dome.Looking up at the dome from the ground floor inside the Florence Cathedral.The interior of the Florence Cathedral.A design on the floor of the Cathedral.Frescoes on the wall inside the Cathedral.Floor mosaic from Santa Reparata (the former cathedral in Florence that was erected in the 5th-century AD; the remains are underneath the Florence Cathedral).The Piazza della Repubblica.Street in Florence with a column topped with a Cross.The Basilica di Santa Maria Novella, which was consecrated in 1420 AD.The interior of the Basilica di Santa Maria Novella – the first great basilica in Florence, and is the city’s principal Dominican church.Restoration being done on a fresco inside the Basilica.‘Holy Trinity’ by Tommaso Guidi detto Masaccio (1424/1425 AD).The Tornabuoni Chapel with frescoes painted by Domenico Ghirlandaio (inside the Basilica di Santa Maria Novella).‘Scenes From the Life of the Virgin’ by Domenico Ghirlandaio (on the left side of the Tornabuoni Chapel).The stained glass windows (designed by Domenico Ghirlandaio and made by Alessandro Agolanti) in the Tornabuoni Chapel.‘Scenes from the Life of St. John the Baptist’ by Domenico Ghirlandaio (on the right side of the Tornabuoni Chapel).‘The Birth of Mary’ from the ‘Scenes From the Life of the Virgin’ by Domenico Ghirlandaio.Another view of the interior of the Basilica di Santa Maria Novella.Detail of the ‘Representation of Paradise’ by Nardo di Cione (found on the left wall inside the Cappella Strozzi di Mantova).‘Allegory of the Active and Triumphant Church and of the Dominican Order’ by Andrea di Bonaiuto (1365-1367 AD) – inside the Spanish Chapel.‘The Triumph of the Christian Doctrine’ by Andrea di Bonaiuto (1365-1367 AD) – inside the Spanish Chapel.‘The Road to Calvary’ from ‘Scenes From the Passion’ by Andrea di Bonaiuto (1365-1367 AD) – inside the Spanish Chapel.‘Reliquary bust of St. Ursula’ by Mariano di Agnolo Romanelli (end of the 14th-century AD).Reliquary of the Thorns, the Robe, and Purple Cloth of Christ – crafted by a Florentine goldsmith in 1622 AD.Reliquary of St. Sebastian – crafted by a Florentine goldsmith in 1616 AD.Cloister of the Dead (part of the Basilica di Santa Maria Novella).The Basilica di Santa Maria Novella seen from the Piazza Santa Maria Novella.A column standing in a street in Florence.Ponte Vecchio in the morning.The Arno River at night.Ponte Vecchio at night.A costumed parade on the morning of the feast day for Florence’s patron saint, St. John the Baptist (June 24th).A procession leaving the Florence Baptistery and entering in to the Cathedral to celebrate mass on St. John the Baptist’s Feast day.The Basilica di San Lorenzo (“Basilica of St. Lawrence”).The interior of the Basilica di San Lorenzo.‘The Annunciation’ by Filippo Lippi (1450 AD).‘Martyrdom of Saint Lawrence’ by Bronzino (ca. 1565-1569 AD).A relief on the Resurrection Pulpit (sculpted by Donatello) – inside the Basilica di San Lorenzo.Coats of Arms on display inside the Museo del Bargello.More Coats of Arms on display inside the Museo del Bargello.The courtyard in the Museo del Bargello (one of the oldest buildings in Florence, dating back to at least 1255 AD).Replica of the Fountain for the Sala Grande – the original was sculpted by Bartolomeo Ammannati in the 16th-century AD).‘Flying Mercury’ by Giambologna (16th-century AD).‘Diana and Actaeon’ by Francesco Mosca (ca. 1554-1564 AD).An Italian plate from the 16-century AD.An ivory sculpture from the 15th/16th-century AD.‘David’ by Andrea del Verrocchio (ca. 1466-1469 AD).‘David’ by Donatello (1440 AD).‘Love/Attis’ by Donatello (1440 AD).‘Jason’ by Pietro Francavilla (1589 AD).Street with the Museo del Bargello on the right.The Palazzo Pitti (“Pitti Palace”).Statue of Athena from the Roman Age – inside the Pitti Palace.‘Madonna and the Infant Jesus’ by Filippo Lippi – in the Palatine Gallery in the Pitti Palace.The Sala di Prometeo inside the Palatine Gallery.Napoleon’s Bathroom in the Pitti Palace.‘The Golden Age’ by Pietro da Cortona (1637 AD) – inside the Sala della Stufa in the Palatine Gallery.The Sala dell’Iliade – during Medici times, this room was used for a game called “Trucco” (similar to billiards).The ceiling in the Sala di Giove.‘Lamentation’ by Fra Bartolomeo (1511/1512 AD).‘The Woman with a Veil’ by Raphael (1515 AD).‘The Four Philosophers’ by Peter Paul Rubens (1611 AD).‘View of the Cathedral Square with a Procession’ – painted in the 17th-century AD, before the exterior of the Florence Cathedral was completed in 1887 AD.Portraits in the Salotto Celeste (in Medici times, this was a music room).The Camera della Regina (in Medici times, this was part of the quarters of the Grand Prince Ferdinando).The Sala del Trono (during the Medicean Period this was the audience room of the apartment of the Grand Prince Ferdinando).Doublet that belonged to Cosimo I de’ Medici (16th-century AD).‘La Ehma’, sculpted by Salvino Salvini (19th-century AD).‘Joys of a Mother’ by Gaetano Chieric (1866 AD).‘Livorno Fountain’ by Adolfo Belimbau (1888 AD).‘First Birthday’ by Plinio Nomellini (1914 AD).‘La Corallaia’ by Antonio Mancini.‘Ovate with a View of Grand Ducal Square’ – one of the many luxury items in the collection inside Pitti Palace.A sculpture in Pitti Palace.Boboli Gardens – the gardens behind the Pitti Palace.Statue in the Boboli Gardens.The fountain and garden behind the Casino del Cavaliere.Part of the porcelain collection inside the Casino del Cavaliere.Neptune Fountain inside the Boboli Gardens.Statue of Braccio di Bartolo riding a turtle (he was the court dwarf most loved by Cosimo I de’ Medici).The stadium stands set up for the Calcio Storico Fiorentino finals in the Piazza Santa Croce.The Palazzo Vecchio.A open air market in Florence.Four panels from the ‘Gates of Paradise’ – the east doors on the Florence Baptistery (these are replicas, the originals are being preserved).The Florence Cathedral at sunset.The Ponte Vecchio during the fireworks show for the Feast Day of St. John the Baptist (June 24th).An equestrian statue in the Piazza della Signoria with the Palazzo Vecchio in the background.‘David’ by Michelangelo (1501-1504 AD) – on display inside the Galleria dell’ Academia.‘St. Zenobius Raises a Boy from the Dead’ by Ridolfo del Ghirlandaio (1516 AD).‘St. Matthew’, an unfinished sculpture by Michelangelo (1503 AD).Plaster model for the ‘Rape of the Sabines’ by Giambologna (1582 AD).‘Resurrection of Christ’ by Raffaellino del Garbo (ca. 1500-1505 AD).‘Deposition from the Cross’ by Filippo Lippi (ca. 1503-1507 AD).‘Saint Mary Magdalene; Saint John the Baptist’ by Filippo Lippi (1496 AD).‘Saint Stephen between Saints James and Peter’ by Ghirlandaio (1493 AD).‘Annunciation’ by Filippo Lippi (ca. 1475-1480 AD).Closeup of a violincello crafted by Nicolo Amati (ca. 1650 AD).A pair of hurdy-gurdies crafted by Jean Nicolas Lambert (1775 AD).An upright piano built by Domenico del Mela (1739 AD).‘Venus and Cupid’ by Jacopo Carrucci (1532-1534 AD).Many plaster models inside the Galleria dell’ Academia.Plaster model for ‘Monument to Adam Albrecht Adalbert, Count of Neipperg’ by Lorenzo Bartolini (ca. 1829-1841 AD).Plaster cast for ‘Monument to Sofia Zamoyska’ by Lorenzo Bartolini (ca. 1837-1844 AD).Plaster model for ‘Penitent Magdalene’ by Luigi Pampaloni (after 1847 AD).Plaster model for ‘Nymph of the Scorpion’ by Lorenzo Bartolini (before 1837 AD).Plaster model for ‘Juno’ by Lorenzo Bartolini (ca. 1823-1830 AD).Plaster model for ‘Reclining Venus, after Titian’ by Lorenzo Bartolini (1821/1822 AD).Plaster model for ‘Daphne and Chloe’ by Ulisse Cambi (1834 AD).‘Tree of Life’ by Pacino di Bonaguida (ca. 1310-1315 AD).‘Annunciation with God the Father Blessing Surrounded by Angels and Saints’ by Giovanni del Biondo (1385 AD).‘Coronation of the Virgin Between Angels and Saints’, an altar front on linen and embroidered with silk, gold, and silver threads – by Jacopo di Cambio (1336 AD).‘Christ as the Man of Sorrows with Symbols of the Passion’ by Maestro della Madonna Straus (ca. 1400 AD).‘Coronation of the Virgin with Angels and Saints’ by Rossello di Jacopo Franchi (1420 AD).‘Perseus With the Head of Medusa’ by Benvenuto Cellini (1545 AD) – on display in the Piazza della Signoria.‘Spoon – I Eat Earth’ by Simone d’ Auria and located on the Gallery Hotel Art in tribute to Expo 2015.The Ponte Santa Trinita.The Ponte Santa Trinita with the Ponte Vecchio behind it, seen from the Ponte alla Carraia.The Chiesa di Santa Maria del Carmine, a church of the Carmelite Order.The Brancacci Chapel inside the Chiesa di Santa Maria del Carmine.‘The Tribute Money’ (top) and ‘The raising of Theophilus’ Son; St. Peter Enthroned’ (bottom) by Masaccio (on the left wall in the Brancacci Chapel).‘The Expulsion from the Garden of Eden’ by Masaccio.The right wall of the Brancacci Chapel with ‘The Healing of the Cripple; The Raising of Tabitha’ (top) by Masaccio, and ‘The Crucifixion of St. Peter; St. Peter and Simon Magus before Nero’ (bottom) by Filippo Lippi.A street in Florence.The exterior of the Cappella dei Principi (“Chapel of the Princes”) – one of the Medici Chapels (“Cappelle Medicee”).Exterior of the Sagrestia Nuova (“New Sacristy”) – the other Medici Chapel.A crown for Our Lady of Tears – designed by Alessandro di Bastiano Lamberti (1601 AD).The interior of the Cappella dei Principi (“Chapel of the Princes”).The altar inside the Cappella dei Principi.Looking up at the dome for the Cappella dei Principi.Crown for the Grand Duke – designed by Bartolomeo Follini (1737 AD).The altar inside the Sagrestia Nuova (“New Sacristy”); the two candelabras were designed by Michelangelo.Statues of St. Cosmas, Madonna and Child, and St. Damian inside the Sagrestia Nuova (‘Madonna and Child’ was sculpted by Michelangelo).Tomb of Giuliano di Lorenzo de’ Medici with Night and Day, sculpted by Michelangelo.Closeup of the sculpture ‘Night’ on the Tomb of Giuliano di Lorenzo de’ Medici.Tomb of Lorenzo di Piero de’ Medici with Dusk and Dawn, sculpted by Michelangelo.Street vendors selling leather products near the Mercato Centrale in Florence.Vegetables being sold inside the Mercato Centrale (the “Central Market”).Various meats, cheeses, and olives on sale inside the Mercato Centrale.Monument to G. Mazziri, next to the Piazza Corvetto in Genoa.The Mazzini Gallery.The Porta Soprana – the most prominent gate on the Walls of Genoa.The ruins of the cloister of San Andrea.The Porta Soprana up close.Street in Genoa.The Church of Saints Ambrogio and Andrea.The Genoa Cathedral (also known as the “Cathedral of Saint Lawrence”).The interior of the Genoa Cathedral.A prayer candle tree lit up inside the Cathedral.The Sacro Catino (the “Sacred Bowl,” also known as the “Genoa Chalice”), which some believe is the Holy Grail; it is a hexagonal green Egyptian glass dish that the Crusaders had mistaken for being emerald and brought back with them after the conquest of Cesarea in 1101 AD.The Cassa Processionale del Corpus Domini – the ark used during the Corpus Domini procession.A chalcedony platter that is believed to be the platter that John the Baptist’s severed head was placed on when it was brought to King Herod.A ceremonial casket which supposedly contains the ashes of St. John the Baptist and is used during processions.The Neptune docked at the Port of Genoa; she is a replica of a 17th-century AD Spanish galleon that was built in 1985 AD for Roman Polanski’s film ‘Pirates’.Street crossing in Genoa.The Palazzo Tursi (a 16th-century AD mansion).Mansions lining Via Garibaldi in Genoa.Lawn chairs and other outdoor ornaments found outside of an art gallery in Genoa.The facade of one of the mansions on Via Garibaldi.Another street in Genoa.Fountain at the Piazza de Ferrari.The Doge’s Palace (“Palazzo Ducale”) in Genoa.Inside the Doge’s Palace in Genoa.Looking down Via XX Settembre.Neon lights over the pedestrian walkway along Via XX Settembre.Beer, bread, and fish ravioli with shrimps and arugula’s pesto – part of my last dinner in Italy.
