FLORENCE'S DUOMO

I remember the first night that I arrived in Florence for the first time...

I was a college student, between my sophomore and junior years... and was on a school trip to Italy... where I would study the language and conversation at a school just 3 doors down from the Duomo... and live with a local family in the city for a month during the courses.

Going to Italy was a dream come true. Truly. I had always wanted to go to Italy... see the country... see where my dad's side of the family is from... and learn the language. (The fact that I have lived in Italy for almost a year now is still beyond me at times!)

The very first night that I arrived in Florence (after having spent a couple days in Rome... and tearing up as I walked into the Colosseum)... another girl from the group and I decided to find our way to the school where we would begin the next morning. We were armed with a map of the city and it was beginning to grow dark.

After walking for 25-30 minutes or so (I lived about a mile and a half from the Duomo)... it was like I turned a corner into Alice's Wonderland! There was a HUGE, HUGE cardboard building in front of me... or so I thought...

We had found the Duomo - Florence's cathedral at the center of the city. What I thought was patterned cardboard - giant sized... was really this church (below) when the city was growing dark... and I didn't know my way around. It was almost as if I had turned into a cartoon or something... the huge structure seemed that fake. It was awesome.

I walked closer and realized that this was real and it was the Duomo! Not only was I laying eyes on this magnificent structure for the first time... but I had also successfully found school! Ha!

It felt great to come up to the Duomo again this past weekend. I really love this city's Duomo. (The last time I was here was with my family during our visit the summer of 2007.)

Walking through the city... sometimes you are between tall buildings but will turn a corner and spot the towering Duomo! I love those moments... and you can always situation yourself in the city at those points. (It reminds me now of living in Denver and always knowing that the mountains... they are to the West.)

Also... I recommend this book about Florence's Duomo's dome... very interesting! -->

Brunelleschi's Dome: How a Renaissance Genius Reinvented Architecture