Tag: cities

Early in our stay in Florence, we had booked one of the coveted time slots for a walk through the Corridoio Vasariano, an elevated, enclosed passageway that connects the Palazzo Vecchio with the Palazzo Pitti. In 1565, the Medici family had court architect Giorgio Vasari build the 750-meter-long corridor so they could walk between their residence and the seat of government undisturbed and without running risks to their safety.

The Corridor’s unique route passes through the Uffizi Gallery, over the Ponte Vecchio, and through a church, offering panoramic views of Florence. The Corridor reopened to visitors in late 2024 after many years of restoration work.

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After morning language class and lunch at home, David returned to the school for a presentation on gelato by one of the teachers. Gelato–invented right here in Florence–is almost as important to the culture as pasta and wine. As the locals say, “it’s always time for gelato!”

We learned about the history of gelato, how it’s made, and how to distinguish “tourist gelato” from the good stuff. (And yes, there is a huge difference.) Because this was a school program, rather than one through Road Scholar, it was entirely in Italian.

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Road Scholar provided us with a unique learning opportunity this afternoon: a lesson on the history and evolution of Italian chamber music and opera, not by an academic in a lecture hall, but rather by musicians of Florence’s premier orchestra in a beautiful 500-year-old residence. C’era bellissimo!

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We slept in for a bit on Sunday morning after our long day in Siena on Saturday. In the afternoon, we returned to the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flowers complex (the Duomo) for a tour of the Baptistry and the Duomo Museum.

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Today schedule was packed, with a guided tour of the Duomo, another tour of the Medici Chapels, our weekly Road Scholar happy hour, and a long farewell dinner with some of our departing friends.

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After school, we took a fast train from Florence to Bologna. We met up with Cheryl’s sister Suzy and brother-in-law Doug for a food tour of this culinary paradise with Giuseppe, a local guide.

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Today we met Suzy and Doug for lunch and then toured the Florence Synagogue and Museum with them. World War II and the Holocaust wiped out most of the Jews of Florence, but since then the community has re-established itself.

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This morning we had language class, then in the afternoon we attended a fascinating lecture about Italy’s political landscape, followed by a delicious dinner with Cheryl’s sister and brother-in-law.

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Sunday morning, we checked out of our hotel in Volterra, and began the journey by bus back to Florence. On the way, we visited the medieval city of Certaldo, enjoyed a wine tasting and tour at Villa Le Corti in Chianti, and paid a visit to the Florence American Cemetery and Memorial.

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