For the first couple of weeks I was living here I walked by this church multiple times every day, not knowing what it was, let alone that it is one of the largest, most beautiful churches in Florence! As you can see from the outside, it looks pretty unimpressive, but when I walked inside I was shocked to see how incredible it really is. Goes to show, you can't judge a book by its cover. Many of the important buildings here in Florence are the same way, the outside bland, but the inside totally stunning. The Basilica of San Lorenzo is also the burial place of 40some members of the Medici Family, so it is pretty important because of the connection with the family. It is arguably the oldest church in Florence, having been consecrated in 393. We saw the burial place of Cosimo de' Medici (suuuper important guy) and Donatello (very influential artist of the Renaissance, and yeah, one of the ninja turtles.) Brunelleschi, who was the leading Renaissance architect of the first half of the fifteenth century, (he did TONS of other stuff, most importantly the dome of the Duomo which is still a total phenomenon) was commissioned to design the Basilica of San Lorenzo. Michelangelo also did a lot of work on it. I won't go into any more detail because I know most of you are like, this is so boring who caresssss, but seriously, when you come here and study it, you just start to care. Its pretty awesome actually :) So anyway, that was that.
Then we went and saw the inside of the Duomo which is pretty cool. I had been inside before, but like most of the stuff here, I could go back again and again and again and still find it interesting. I've posted pictures of the outside before, it's still the most impressive building to me here. At least visually, from the outside. Every time I walk by it, which is multiple times a day, I am just in complete awe. It is impossible to describe in words. The inside is different. While the outside is so intensely intricate and colorful and almost mesmerizing with all its patterns and details, the inside is quite, well, plain. I have to say, when I first stepped inside I was actually disappointed. But the second time I started to appreciate it more. It is HUGE first of all. Everything is huge. The columns and Gothic arches make me feel so small and insignificant. I think that's the whole point of it though. At the time God was seen as the all powerful important one, and people were just little blobs who were supposed to do whatever he said. So the architecture is meant to make you feel like that. My pictures aren't great, but I'll put one up anyway so you can at least have a little idea about what I'm talking about.
Then we went underneath the church where the remains of the ancient Roman cathedral of Santa Reparata are. It was pretty interesting. We were tired after all that so we got some gelato and went grocery shopping, made some dinner and then baked the BEST CHOCOLATE CAKE EVERRR! I made it in my cooking class, but making it in my own kitchen was quite satisfying.
And that was my day! :)
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