Uffizi Gallery in Florence~ Travelin' Tuesday

Staying with our Florence theme this week,

the above is located outside the famous Uffizi Gallery

which began construction in 1560 

by Georgio Vasari for Cosimo I de Medici 

and continued until 1581.

(Behind it stands the tower of the Palazzo Vecchio (the old palace)

which has two small cells

and at one time held both

 Cosimo de Medici (the elder) and Girolamo Savonarola. )

Uffizi means offices and it became the offices for the magistrates 

and one of the first public museums

being one of the oldest. 

It houses works from the likes of 

Botticelli, da Vinci, Michelangelo, Filippo Lippi, 

Raphael, Titian, Caravaggio and Rembrandt. 

And this little cutie stands nearby. 

Love these amazingly ornate columns. 

Oh to be wandering the galleries of artworks today

standing in the beauty of such greatness. 

(Photos copyright: Kirsten Steen)

Details from Wiki

Lunch overlooking the David in Firenze

I'm coming to the end of my writing retreat 

and I've decided we need a little more of Florence this week

since that's where I've been in my head. 

This little place is preparing for lunch on the famous square,

the Piazza della Signoria,

the entryway to the Uffizi Gallery and

home of the famous statues you see in the background. 

That is a reproduction of Michelangelo's David on the left of course,

and on the right is Bandinelli's Hercules and Cacus.

And between them is the entrance to the Palazzo Vecchio (or Old Palace). 

Now the Town Hall for Florence

and the home of the Mayor's office and City Council,

it was once the home of Cosimo I before he moved across the Arno River

to the Palazzo Pitti.

That's when Cosimo began calling it the Old Palace. 

And speaking of old,

there's one other photo I just have to share:

In case you are wondering what I will look like when I'm aged,

this is it. 

Permanently bent over my writing

and possibly sound asleep, 

though I cannot guaranty my socks will match anything. 

Can you tell I'm getting punchy?! 

Until we meet again...

ciao.

(Photos copyright: Kirsten Steen)