Seven days of Italy – Part 1

The highway was fairly empty so I reached Nova Gorica without any problems and just before the boarder I stopped at a gas station. A filled my car, for the Italian prices are significantly higher. Thus Zlatko and I were ready to cross the border and start the 7 day tour of Italy. The way down to Bologna was uneventful and very much alike our own highways with rest stops full of funny tourists and neat Italians. The straight and monotonous road made me drowsy so a stop and a taste of real Italian coffee was just the thing. It was also my first chance to use my Italian in practice. Italians like it if you show you know at least a few words of their language. They will be much more open and prepared to help you, regardless of their capability to speak any other foreign language. After a nice rest and catching some rays I’ve continued and reached Bologna after a six hour drive. Surrounded by the beautiful nature, the Youth Hostel San Sisto was my first destination (just outside Bologna).

After a warm reception I decided to rest a while and then stroll around the beautiful Bologna. With a map of the town and all the instructions I got at the Youth Hostel, Zlatko and I went to explore the town. At first we were slightly frightened and confused, as we were progressing through the dense traffic toward the center of the town. It was very confusing that the road marks disappeared and only appeared just before the traffic lights, so often I was unsure how to position myself. After a search for a parking space we got used to that (Zlatko and I). Unfortunately there’s not a real chance of finding a free parking space, so I paid 2€ and went on foot towards the old university city, that requires quite some time to see.

Bologna is the capital of the Emiglia-Romagna region and as many other towns in the area it developed out of an Etruscan settlement. Bologna is among the oldest universities in Europe, founded in 1119. The town flourished in the late medieval times with many churches, arches and palaces to prove it. The basilica San Petronio is definitely worth a look, for it is said its interior is one of the most perfect gothic creations. The brick leaning towers are the trademark of the city and HERE you can see them captured by my camera. After a long day it was time to rest, so I chose the most comfortable bed in my three bedded room and turned in for the night.

After breakfast I set forth towards Florence, but this time not across the highway. The back roads lead through beautiful nature, small towns full of nice people and always near the river of Savena, on banks of which Italians sunbathe and then cool down in the river. Many photo stops and a detour prolonged my journey, but I didn’t mind, for the beauty of the place really makes you forget about the time. Suddenly I realized I’m in Toscana, which made me feel all warm inside, for it’s the country of the Sun, hills with vineyards and olive trees, good food, excellent wine, art and culture. I arrive to the region capital Florence, on the banks of the Arno river, around three in the afternoon. The road lead me past a look out point, from where I saw the entire town and the view took my breath away and my enthusiasm grew rapidly. The huge city with marvelous buildings was drawing me like a magnet. I descended to my hostel, just a few kilometers from the city center in midst of a nice forest, that offers a refreshing cool on a hot summer day. The pictures I took on the way are awaiting you HERE.

I went to my spacious room with a bathroom to refresh myself and then anxiously took my camera and head for the town. I was able to park near the center for it was a Sunday. With the camera and a map in my hand I started discovering the magnificent town with renaissance buildings, rich history, elegant boutiques of Italian designers, magic cafés and romantic restaurants. Did you know that 350 out of 1000 most important European artists of the second millennium lived and/or worked here? Florence has been the capital of the kingdom of Italy between 1865 and 1870 and the town itself was a medieval trade center and the birth place of the Italian renaissance including the birthplace of Michelangelo’s David and Botticelli’s Venice. Here the fundaments of the Italian language was set and it began to flourish with Dante.  

I wanted to see the basilica Santa Croce, with the graves of geniuses such as Michelangelo or Galileo, but unfortunately it was closed due to an event held there. So I made my way through the narrow streets packed with tourists to the Piazze della Signoria, also called the living room of Florence and an open air art gallery with statues of renowned artist. From this square you can see the seat of the town council Palazzo Vecchio and the biggest renaissance art gallery in the world Uffizi. Exhibited there are the works of Giotto, Botticelli, Michelangelo, Rafael, Leonardo da Vinci, Tiziano all the way to Caravaggio and Rembrandt. I continued down a wide alleyway through the big gate where I saw the beautiful Ponte Vecchio bridge, which is one of the most beautiful bridges I’ve ever seen. Even the retrieving Nazis, blowing up bridges to slow down the allied advances thought this bridge was too beautiful to blow up and left it in tact. From the bridge (built in 1354) there are shops hanging down on each side in which the jewelers are inviting the tourists, although their prices are affordable only to a privileged few. Crossing the bridge I arrived at the palace Pitti, which was the king’s palace in the period when Florence was the nation’s capital. There are beautiful parks and seven museums around it, but I hadn’t the time to enter them. I was on my way to the next bridge, where I again crossed the Arno and saw the Ponte Vecchio from the other side and then went toward the heart of the city - the Duomo. There you see the Giotto’s elegant church tower with 414 steps, the heavenly gates, the Byzantine mosaic and the statues of Michelangelo and Donatello in the museum at Duomu. Above them is the dome by Brunelleschi, a true miracle of the renaissance architecture. It’s all so grand you can not capture it all on the camera, yet you can see some photos I made HERE.

After a long hike through the narrow streets Zlatko and I went to the overlook at Piazzale Michelangelo, where a statue of Michelangelo’s David stands. Michelangelo (aged 26) started to work on a huge block of marble that his contemporaries nicknamed the giant and chisled David out of it (1501-1504), a powerful young man thinking about his role in life, lake and true renaissance humanist would have done. David was suppose to stand at Duoma, but was first located in front of the Palazzo Vecchio. Later on it got damaged and there for put away in the Accademia.

The light grew dim and the view was even more breathtaking. Tourists were pouring in and flashing their cameras as the sun was slowly setting and drawing shapes on the buildings with its gentile rays. After dozens of photos I felt tired and returned to the hostel in the glow of the city lights. You can see some of these pictures HERE.

At breakfast I decided upon my route for the day. My destination was Pisa with its leaning tower, but I left the pleasure of this town for the end of the day. I traveled through three wonderful towns: Prato, Pistoia and Lucca. In Lucca I stopped for a delicious lunch, which, naturally, had to include pasta. I had the best lasagna of my life there. With a full and content belly I took a walk through the medieval streets of the town. Lucca (also known as the town of hundreds of churches) is the only remaining Italian town completely surrounded by a town wall. More then four kilometers of the wall has defended the town throughout the history, so the town center remained undamaged. Lucca in the city of opera, olive oil, roman period churches and hidden parks of the palaces where composers Boccherini and Puccini gathered their thoughts. Full of positivity and with a smile on my face I set forth towards Pisa. You can see photos of my daily route HERE.

It was a quick trip and soon I saw the leaning tower ahead in the distance and the dome that stood out from the landscape, attracting tourists. Along the river Arno’s many bridges I drove past the colorful houses and found a parking place, to continue on foot through the town center towards one of the most beautiful squares in Italy, which name translates to the Field of miracles. The green grassy carpet is surrounded by architectural jewels of the Duomo, baptistery, Camposanto and Campanile, one of the symbols of Italy better known as the leaning tower. The construction of the tower began in 1173 and it has started to lean already when the third level was completed, for it was too heavy for the flood planes on which it stood. In 1990 it already leaned 4.5 meters from the straight line, thus it was closed down and secured. The biggest Italian baptistery was built in 1153. It dates back tot eh Romanic period, but it has a gothic dome. The façade of the Duom with its arches and colorful marble decorations is the peak of the Romanic period in Pisa. The bronze gates decorated with gospel motives and swaying palms let us pass inside. Back towards the river there’s a jewel of the gothic architecture with typical staples, built between 1230 and 1323 by Nino and Giovanni Pisano, to hold the thorn which allegedly came from the thorny crown of Christ, and was brought here by a crusader. You can see my photos of this wondrous city HERE.

Just a few kilometers ahead was the coastal town of Livorno. It’s hard to believe it’s a part of Toscana, for almost has none of the spirit typical of this region. The main reason for that lies in the fact the town started developing rather late, for it was a fishing village until 1571, when the mud already started to threaten the port of Pisa. Today Livorno is the main port of Toscana. The long wide promenade along the seashore offers a gentle summer brease for walkers strolling along in moonlight and under the city lights. The hostel where I spent the night left a nice impression on me. It is an old villa just above the town, that takes you back to the days of knights and princesses. I stayed at a beautiful room with a gorgeous view. You can find some interesting photos from this town as well – HERE they are.