One night during orientation week, one of the professors took CAED students around a walking tour of other areas of the city at night.
Here is a tower (I believe may have been used for the old city walls) that detonates the steps that lead up to the Piazzale Michelangelo (the really famous view of the city.)
And there it is! The view is just amazing... Side note on the photograph. I started talking photos with standard program-mode. (Which most photos here are taken with.) However if I had time to set it up and had a good ledge to set my camera, I would use a 4 second shutter speed. I am quite satisfied with the result!
A rule of thumb I keep on my point n' shoot camera is NEVER ZOOM IN AT NIGHT. It always comes out blurry. But if I just set it on a ledge, and use the long shutter speed, you get the above photo :)
A statue of some guy who forgot to put pants on.
The view climbing up the hill.
San Miniato al Monte. The church at the top of the hill.
This is the interior of the church. At the halfway point, in section the church splits into two levels. The upper containing a choir area and a beautiful apse. Below was an area where some kind of ceremony/worship was occurring. A couple Monks were chanting. some people in street clothes were down there as well. (Photographs were prohibited. But one old guys cell phone started ringing down there.)
This is the apse, with stunning artwork on the half dome. If you zoom in on my original photograph, it is a little bit fuzzy but I believe it reads MCCXCVI, 1296.
This is where the level splits, looking towards the rear.
The detail of these churches is so rich. It is detailed on every level. As a whole, individual elements, and elements within those elements are given equal care. It is ridiculous.
Another view of the city from just outside the church.
We took a different road down. My most prominent thought would be how fast, fun, and scary would it be to ride a bike down. (but unfortunately it was a one way street going UP.)
Towards the bottom of the hill, we enter the main city
Through the old city walls.
Narrow sidewalk! Single file everyone!
Looking towards the Ponte Vecchio from the Oltrarno (south side.)
Some people went into a grocery store. Others followed. Myself being in the back of the group, thought we were being showed a grocery store for some reason. We lost the tour group for that reason. So Aaron and myself crossed the Ponte Vecchio to return home... Note: I did not use the flash. They have the bridge lit this way.
Here is another picture using the 4 second shutter speed.
We passed many cool sights as we made the way in the general direction of our apartment.
One of the wider streets we encountered in the city center.
And we stumbled into the Palazzo Strozzi.
Some cool installation art/architecture going on in here. Wooden nests around the old building.
Thissity just has a bunch of cool stuff that happens to be photo worthy.
Another cool church front.
A return to Santa Maria Novella.
Awesome!
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