Scenes from Siena

the Torre del Mangia    aka City Tower

lL Campo

Parks and fountains

Duomo on the hill top

and....

Siena

The Duomo in Siena...most impressive !!

Interior

....the colored inlaid + engraved  marble floor pix ! The entire cathedral floor is covered with intricate mural work which took over 200 years to install.

Illuminated hymnal detail ...note: my finger

and....this shows the entire page of the artist work.

the church library has 4 walls displaying books

The walls + ceilings above them were brilliantly colored. All the fresco paintings were done over 500 years ago +  have never been restored. This was just one room in the cathedral. 

Below is the Duomo Rose Window made 1288, and recently removed from the church + replaced with a similar duplicate. This fabulous stained glass is 20 ft across + is displayed in their Museum. 

Shops .... .....

In Florence, you can shop @ the side walks stalls, for leather belts....

or ...leather hand bags

Bright Pottery !

and always, the scarves

cashmere sweaters

or matching cuff links  + ties

....Northwest items

any color of leather gloves !!!

....there are "high fashion" shops

 .....and "personal favorite" shops !      :>)

Florence

Ponte Vecchio

Post card view of the Duomo ....and the traffic free city center

Front ....such an impressive structure

The side....and the usual line to enter

Giotto's Tower ..... pink + green + cream colored marble !

Duomo Dome interior....rivals the Sistine Chapel !

on to Florence....

                                            ......to Florence, Italy

Remembrances of ... Rome

I'll remember...... the Cobblestones !

cobblestones....

.... and cobblestones!

Never worry about traffic lights, just go..... when ever!   usually all moving across streets at the same time. I refer to it as "the street dance"

and just park ....where ever !  (this is a 2 way city street)

.......any where.

Dining....is everywhere !

.......just any where!

.....and just what ever !!  note: the size of the fungi

Yes...we sure do!

Big .....

Big!!   The Forum

Trevi Fountain

Big!  Statue carved from marble

Statue pieces ...compare to door height.

.......a fountain !!

Visit to Vatican

St Peter's

This is such a huge + impressive place...it is impossible to show in a pix.

We ....and a few others, are on the way to see the Sistine Chapel. Pix are not allowed in the chapel.

Then, we took the Rick Steves "short cut/fast way" to leave the S.Chapel.

Of course we are impressed with the artifacts we have seen in museums !!! Sharing just a couple with you. This is a Greek sarcophagus....carved from marble.

This is the carved work....up close.

This is a Greek mosaic picture.

...and this is the size of the colored pieces used.