Day 9

Buongiorno,

While we were in the Basilica de Santa Croce, Grandma wondered “where were the Medici family buried?” We asked Google, and Google said Cappelle Medicee. Which just happens to be stacked with more masterpieces by Michelangelo. So off we went.

The Medici family were seriously rich and powerful. They were bankers who built Firenze into one of the most powerful cities in the world. As the power of the Medici family grew, there was constant feuding with various popes in Rome who tried to tell the Medici’s what they could and couldn’t do.

So, we expected the basilica where they are all buried to be amazing, and we were not disappointed. Cappelle Medicee looks rather plain on the outside (not unlike Palazzo Vecchio), but inside is incredible.

Entry is via the crypt, where all the bodies are buried. The crypt is basically the basement of the church. The building is an octagon, a shape that is important within the Catholic Church for reasons we can’t remember.

Upstairs the main room was incredible. It was completely lined in marble, apart from the painted ceiling. But the marble wasn’t just marble tiles. Oh no, marble of different colours and patterns and shades had been hand cut, polished and used to create incredible

designs. The time, let alone the expense, would have been enormous, which tells you how much money and power the family had.

Off to the side was a sacristy designed by and started by Michelangelo. Like many of his projects the sacristy remains unfinished, as part way through the project Michelangelo accepted a commission from the Pope in Rome to design the dome of Saint Peter’s cathedral.

The works he did finish are, as you would expect, all masterpieces.

From here, we walked to Mercato Centrale, which is a large indoor food market. You could order any type of food from all over the world. People were drinking wine at 10.30 a.m.in the morning. Tracey you would have been proud!

From the food hall we found the shop where we purchased our leather jackets during our last visit. Try as the gentleman might, he could not persuade Grandma to part with her money and buy another leather jacket. To be honest nothing appealed.

It is funny listening to the banter from the merchants selling their leather goods, jackets, bags, shoes and other items. “Madam, this jacket is €480, but today you are my first customer, you bring me luck, and also you are a nice lady, so I do for you for €280”, and from there the price kept going down to €200.

“Sir, 90% of the stalls in this market are selling jackets made in China, but not ours sir, no, ours are hand made in Italy, in our own factories”.

We then headed of towards the bridge across the river famous for all the jewelry shops, Ponte Vecchio. Despite all the jewelry shops, Koro dragged Grandma quickly through the throngs of tourists, making sure to keep Grandma away from the shop windows.

We followed the banks of the river towards the hills over looking Firenze and made the climb up to Palazzo Michelangelo. The view of the city and the surrounding hills of Tuscany are well worth the climb.

We have said before that the Duomo is a building you never tire of looking at. The same can be said of the view of the whole city of Firenze.

We had some lunch, beautiful panini in a very Italian sandwich shop. Complete chaos, lots of shouting and everyone talking at once, very

cramped, amazing food and great fun. All for €15.

Grandma had another little nap while Koro went for another wander. This time Koro was looking for a beer in a location where he could hook into the free Firenze WiFi. He found it in Piazza di Santa Maria Novella, yet another location we hadn’t visited before.

It is amazing just how big Firenze is. We have been here twice now, and still have not seen everything. The problem is there is so much, that if you tried to do everything your mind would just be overloaded with art and stories and history and the markets and the people and the food. Around every corner is yet another renaissance masterpiece. At night, the streets are very well lit and feel safe. The shops are still open and there are lots of people about.

We have already decided that we are coming back again.

Love to you all from Grandma and Koro and Firenze Bee. XXX OOO.