From Livorno to Florence and Pisa

We got up early this morning and met Angelo, our driver/guide at 7:45.  Livorno, Florence and Pisa are all in the region called Tuscany.

Our first stop was at  Florentine Abby at the top of a hill.

 

The view from here was beautiful.

From here you can see one of the walls that surround the city.

This is the Church at the abbey.

Angelo took this picture of us with the city in the background.

Behind the church are many tombs.  This one is of a young man you was killed in WWII and his wife who died shortly thereafter.

 

We drove into the walls of Florence and right up to the 14th century church of  Santa Croce.    Here is Wayne outside in the square in front of the church.

Here is the church

This pulpit was carved by one of the famous Italian sculptors.

This beautiful bas relief was decorated with gold leaf.

Two of the great sculptors got into an argument over who could make the most beautiful crucifix .  Here is one of them in front of a beautiful stained glass window.

 

This is Michelangelo's tomb.  The three women’s figures represent art, sculpture and architecture all mourning his death.

    

This is Galileo's tomb.

 

We drove to a different square and saw this beautiful church.

And statue.

 

This square had many beautiful sculptures.  I think this was Neptune.

 

Here is a picture of Angelo and I in front of an area with many more sculptures.

Here is a fountain in the middle of the square.

Here is a copy of Michelangelo’s David.  Unfortunately we were in Florence on a Monday and all of the museums were closed.

This statue was on the opposite side of the doorway from David.

We next walked down between these beautiful buildings to the river.

Here we are with the oldest bridge in Florence in the background. 

Leaving Florence we drove to Pisa.  This is the church in Pisa.

 

Here is the leaning bell tower of Pisa.

And this is the baptistery.

This has been a wonderful day.