This was the day we planned to do the major tours. We had guided “skip-the-line” tours to the Accademia Gallery, the Uffizi Galleries, and the walk to the top of the Duomo. Before we started, I wanted to stop by a pharmacy because I had a few cold symptoms I wanted to treat before I developed a hacking cough. In Florence, there are pharmacies just about every block. I described my symptoms to the pharmacist. He asked a few questions, then offered me a few different options.
We then walked to the Accademia – which was a very unassuming yellow building from the exterior. The crowds were manageable, but our guide took our group of about eight people right inside past the lines. She walked us through the galleries, giving a brief history of the Medicis and showing us their musical instruments on display. Then we progressed to the artwork and she described the important revolutions of the Renaissance artists. She connected some of the sculptures to other pieces scattered throughout the city as well. She then guided us to the gallery where Michelangelo’s David is on display. She paused us at the far end of the gallery (perhaps 30 yards away) to discuss the piece. This area of the gallery also contains unfinished Michelangelo sculptures that show figures still just emerging from the marble. These “slaves” captured his process in a unique way.
We then walked closer, stopping where the crowds grew heavy – about 15 feet away. Here she pointed out more elements that were visible at this level of detail, before she guided us around the sculpture, stopping several times during our circle. Obviously, David is a remarkable piece, but I also appreciated the way it is displayed at the Accademia. The gallery is designed in a way that truly shows off the sculpture yet also allows the crowds to appreciate it.
From here we at a quick lunch then joined our tour at the Uffizi Galleries. Our guide walked us through several of the highlights (the Roman sculpture collection, the Tribuna, Botticelli’s Primavera and Birth of Venus, Michelangelo’s only non-fresco painting, Doni Tondo, …) then we were able to explore the gallery on our own. Which we did for a couple of hours.
From there, we had to hustle to make our appointment at the Duomo to walk up the dome. The stairs are strenuous, and once you make it to the top we had about 20 minutes before they ushered us back down. The view is spectacular, but I was thrilled to see the interior of the dome where this feat of early engineering was painstakingly assembled. We enjoyed a dinner of Florentine steak at another street side cafe. It was huge (and pretty rare) with a distinctive aged flavor. When we made it back to the hotel, our phones said we’d walked 25,985 steps, 6.65 miles, climbed 25 flights, and burned 2,969 calories.