Firenze

I'm so fortunate to have a childhood friend studying just 2 hours away from me in Florence. Caroline came to visit me in Perugia last weekend, so I went to visit her in Florence this past weekend. I absolutely loved Florence. It has been a source of inspiration and intense interest in my Art History classes. I am fascinated by its history, and especially captivated with how intertwined the powerful Medici family is with the buildings and essentially most of the art in Florence. I've studied and written fairly extensively on the Medici, in particular, the Pitti Palace, and it was amazing to see the buildings they commissioned, moved into, and manipulated for their own political gains. Caroline is lucky enough to live right by the Uffizi and the Piazza della Signoria. She showed me around Florence, which is much larger than Perugia-it was nice to feel the energy of a larger city. Florence is so chic, considered a mini Milan, a name that was not given in vain. Shopping was out of control- designers everywhere, fantastic leather markets, and unique boutiques with clothes I would die for.

Palazzo Vecchio at night.

We also went to the Piazza Michelangelo, which is across the Arno and overlooks most of Florence. This is the view at night.

I know I will be spending more time in Florence as the semester progresses. I really enjoy the atmosphere and the beauty around every corner.