John's "Medici Day" in Florence

John's "Medici Day" in Florence 

So there we were in Tuscany, all yellow and white houses, olive groves, cyprus pines, and carara marble, rolling down to Fironze, Florence, home of the Medici family. The family that not only developed double entry accounting and banks, but funded the Renaissance and the great artists of the time. 

If you have ever seen Florence and the Medicis on T.V or in the movies, you have some idea of what the city and the family are/ were like. Our visit last year gave us of a taste of what grandeur there was at this very important time in history. It was after this visit, that I realised just how rich and powerful the Medicis were and how much they influenced European art at that time by patronising artists who we now know as genius. 

Julie's excellent blog is a much better read and more informative than mine will be on this amazing city and family because, to be honest, Italy was becoming one big blur of churches, historical dates, and opulence by now. By the end of the day, I remember thinking and commenting to someone that, if you could put to the back of your mind that people where either plotting against you, trying to murder you, or both! It must have been wonderful to be a Medici. If you see a blank space, you could throw money and creative genius at it!

All I will do in my blog, is to show you a few items that took my eye in the two Medici museums which will take us through to lunch. Then after that my effective but shameful way of "examining" The Church of Santa Croce.

After visiting the Medici museums came lunch. The trouble with lunch in Italy is that it is so enjoyable, that one tends to linger which puts the afternoon's schedule way behind. By the time we entered Santa Croce, viewing time had been greatly reduced until it was time to catch the bus to go to Sienna. So how to see what needed to be seen and leave the rest. I resorted to the way in which a Hollywood publicist decides who to invite for a movie opening. If I recognised the person's name, I took a photo. If the name rang a bell, I took a photo to remind me to read up on the person later. If I didn't  recognise the name at all, I just ignored it. I'm sure I must have overlooked someone who was important in Tuscan and Florentine history. Whatever, here is my "A" list.

Our visit to Florence ended with a trip where as our guide said "You get the million dollar shots." 

He wasn't wrong. I think every tourist in Florence was up here. So were all the souvenir sellers, junk vendors, and get your Ferrrari drive here sprukers.

And this is what we were all looking at ........  Stunning.