June 14: Cupola

We had a busy day with the following places to visit: Cupola (Dome); Battistero (Baptistery); Museum; Bell Tower; and Cathedral.  

After a CBS workout and light breakfast, we walked to the Bell Tower for a brisk 200 step ascent that provided spectacular views of Florence including an amazing vantage point of the Cupola. From here, we visited the Baptistery and the Cathedral.  The Baptistery provided a great opportunity for some beautiful ceiling pictures. We waited a bit in line for the Cathedral to open at 10:15 am.  The views were Ok but gave us a peek at the Cupola.  

We took a break from sightseeing to eat.  First stop was Gilli’s for a Cafe Latte, cream filled croissant and a tiramisu — tasty treat before lunch.  Speaking of lunch, we ate at Gusta Pizza for an uninspiring pie — it honestly reminded me of Domino’s.  Next, it was the first gelato (mango) at La Strega Nocciola— it was good but didn’t compare to Gelataria Perche No! from yesterday. 

Back to our sightseeing tour — we visited the Museum, which did a great job of explaining the history and architecture of the Cupola. The Cupola is an “iconic Renaissance cathedral dome designed in the 15th century by Filippo Brunelleschi.” He used a simplified model of standing an egg on a marble table by smashing the bottom.

From the museum, we went to another Gelateria for some delicious lemon and salted Caramel gelato.