Today we found ourselves whisked away to a rainy Villa Medici in Fiesole.
While the rain may have dampened the Villa our spirits were up by the end of
the visit. The sun came out and revealed the town of Florence. Villa Medici
belonged to the same Medici family that you read about as part of our Rome
visit a few days ago. We explored the terraced garden which had a variety of
spaces including lemon and orange trees and arbor covered walkway. While it
exists as one of the smaller gardens from the Renaissance Era, it was important
because it represented gardens which were a respite for owners who sought to
escape the business of the city life.
Following the visit of the Medici Gardens we drove to the Chianti region
which makes the world famous Chianti wines. Here we viewed the small gardens
and had a tour of the wine making facilities. Before and after this tour we
were able to drive through the hillsides and see all of the vineyards which
supply the farmers with liquid gold.
Our evening was filled with free-time in Florence. We broke out into small
groups and explored the town. Some people visited Piazzale Michelangiolo. Other
groups visited the Accademia di Belle Arti Firenze which hosts many groups
works of art from a variety of historical periods. One such great work is the
statue of David. Some of the students visited the tower of S. Maria Del Fiore.
Again we were astonished with great views, great food, and great people today.
Tomorrow we will be visiting the Biboli and Bardini Gardens here in Florence.
Until then Ciao!
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