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Journal and Photos by Dan Skinner,
President of Texas Public Radio 11/01 (Monday) – Our group of travelers left the San Antonio airport in the late morning, made a connection in Atlanta and flew overnight to Rome. 11/02 (Tuesday) – We arrived in Rome at 6:30 in the morning, and were taken by bus to the Hotel Diana to check in. It had been raining prior to our arrival and we saw a beautiful rainbow along the way to the hotel. The Hotel Diana, circa 1939, is typical of vintage European Hotels in that the rooms are small and the beds both narrow and hard. I guess that’s part of the charm, right? We met our guide Marta Adamo at the hotel before we set out to explore the city. Most of the TPR group walked to the Roman Forum, and stopped for lunch along the way. The Roman Forum is located next to the Coliseum. The Forum is situated in a valley between Palatine hill and the Capitoline hill. It was a center of political and social activity that served as the marketplace, business district and civic center of Rome.
Next we walked to San Pietro In Vincoli (Saint Peter in Chains) church to see Michelangelo’s famous statue of Moses. The church dates back to the 4th century, and the statue of Moses dates to 1515. (Low light in the church made it hard to get sharp pictures.)
We also stopped at the Basilica Papale di Santa Maria Maggiore and marveled at the ornate ceiling which is gilded with Incan gold brought back by Christopher Columbus. There have been various contructions over time, but the current basilica dates back to 431 AD. The statue of Pius IX, the Pope of the Immaculate Conception, was sculpted by Ignazio Jacometti and placed in the crypt by Leo XIII.
We made it back to the hotel in time to take the tour bus to Ristorante Re Degli Amici for our official tour “Welcome” dinner. Along the way to the restaurant we stopped to see the Spanish Steps in the Piazza di Spagna. 11/03 (Wednesday) – In the morning, we visited the Coliseum and learned about its history and innovative intricate construction. Completed in 80 A.D., it was the largest ampitheatre ever constructed in the Roman Empire. It could hold 50,000 people and is considered one of the greatest feats of Roman engineering. It’s partially ruined condition is due to earthquake damage and stone robbers.
Our bus tour also included views of the Arch of Constantine, Circus Maximus and a stop at the famous Trevi Fountain. The fountain was completed in 1762. Legend holds that if you throw a coin into the fountain you are guaranteed to return to Rome. The majority of the group traveled to the Vatican for a brief tour of the Vatican Museums including the galleries of maps and tapestries, and artifacts from Egypt, Etruscan Italy and cultures from around the world. We had lunch in the Vatican museum cafeteria.
A highlight of the tour was a visit to the Sistine Chapel, where no photos were allowed. Two years ago a10 year renovation of the paintings was completed, and the results are stunning. We also visited St. Peter’s Basilica, a late Renaissance structure which has the largest interior of any Christian Church in the world and is regarded as one of the most holy places in Catholicism.
We concluded our tour in St. Peter’s Square. The ancient Egyptian obelisk in the square was originally located in the Circus of Nero where tradition holds that St. Peter was crucified. It was moved to the square where it is revered as a “witness” to St. Peter’s death.
In the evening, many of our travelers opted for a special “Rome By Night” tour and dinner. The meal, at La Tana Dei Re, included a live performance of arias from various operas and some popular traditional Italian songs. The bus took us around town to see many sites illuminated giving them a different look from what we had observed during the day. We visited the Spanish Steps and also stopped to see St. Peter’s Square where we observed that the light was on in the Pope’s private quarters. 11/04 (Thursday) – This morning as we attempted to leave, our bus could not pull up to the hotel because someone driving a black Mercedes had taken the bus parking space and refused to move. As other busses arrived for the surrounding hotels, they discovered their spot had been taken so they stopped in the street to pick up passengers, which created a major traffic jam and many unhappy drivers who freely expressed their displeasure via their horns. When the driver finally returned to move his car, he was greeted with “boos” from the gathered crowd. After that unforeseen delay, we left Rome and traveled to Assisi, the birthplace of St. Francis. The bus had to park down below and we took escalators up to the city plaza where we had lunch on our own. A local guide led us on a walking tour of the city including the Basilica of St. Francis. No photos were allowed inside the Basilica. The guide told us the story of St. Francis as depicted in the murals inside the church which were painted to communicate to the population that was unable to read. The lower level of the Basilica contained chapels with even more impressive murals, and the resting place of St. Francis.
Next, we traveled to medieval Perugia, the historic capital of Umbria and checked into the Sangallo Palace Hotel. The original settlement of Perugia was first mentioned in historical records from approximately 310 BC. Near the hotel is a series of escalators and hallways that transport people up through what remains of the Rocca Paolina renaissance fortress which dates back to 1540. It was partially destroyed in approximately 1849 and what remains of the underground fortress rooms have been frequently used for movies set in that time period. The escalators bring you up out of the building and onto the grand Piazza IV Umbria above. When we arrived, a market festival was going on with well lit tents lining the town square offering food, arts and crafts.
We arrived in the late afternoon and the sun was setting as we explored the square which included a medieval fountain Fontana Maggiore. Across from the fountain is the Palazzo dei Priori, a government hall constructed around 1303. The Priori was open to the public so I took a few minutes to appreciate the ornately painted interior. There were many other historic religious and secular buildings but unfortunately there wasn’t time to explore them. 11/05 (Friday) - I took the escalators back up to the town square to quickly take some pictures in daylight before the bus departed Perugia. I arrived back just in time to retrieve my luggage and board the bus for a scenic drive through Tuscany to Siena. We were taken on a walking tour of Siena with a local guide. The historic city center has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The settlement that would eventually become Siena was founded in the time of the Etruscans (900-400 BC) when it was inhabited by a tribe know as the Saina. The city is famous for its Palio de Siena, a traditional medieval horse race, which is run around the Piazzo del Campo twice a year.
Our walking tour included a visit to the Duomo di Siena or Cathedral of Siena. Records show that daily masses were taking place in the church as early as 1215. Additional construction and ornamentation came over the course of later years including the large bronze central door added in 1958. No photography was allowed inside the church. On the tour we saw the Basilica Cateriniana from a distance and some of our travelers went there during their free time to see the Basilica dedicated to St. Catherine. Although Siena is known for being a well preserved medieval city, it is also Italy’s most connected city. It has the distinction of being Italy’s first city to be completely wired with fiber optical cable.
Between Siena and Florence, we stopped at the family owned Pierotucci Leather Factory for a tour. A guide took us through their workshop and we saw the leather workers in action. The tour concluded, of course, back in the retail shop were a number of our travelers took the opportunity to purchase some high quality handmade leather jackets, bags, gloves and other accessories. We continued on to Florence, arriving late in the afternoon. Because of bus parking restrictions, we had to depart and walk with our luggage to the Residence Palazzo Ricasoli hotel. In the evening, we traveled to Ristorante Le Lance for dinner. 11/06 (Saturday) – This morning, a local guide took us to the world famous Academy Gallery to see the paintings and sculpture exhibited there. The most famous sculpture there is Michelangelo’s David and it is indeed impressive. The statue stands 17 foot tall and is exquisite in the detail of its carving. To protect the original, it was moved from the Piazza della Signoria to the Academy Gallery in 1873 and in 1910 a replica was placed where the original previously stood. The gallery also contained a display of instruments including historic harpsichords, pianos, and orchestral string instruments, which I also found quite interesting. No photography was allowed in the Academy Gallery. Our tour also included the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore. It replaced a previous cathedral that was deemed to no longer be adequate. Construction started in 1296 and took 170 years to complete. Located in Piazza del Duomo, the cathedral complex includes the Baptistry of St. John and Giotto's Campanile.
We also saw the Palazzo Vecchio, the town hall of Florence where the replica of David now stands to one side of the main entrance. The hall overlooks the Piazza della Signoria which is also home to a large Fountain of Neptune.
Adjacent to the piazza is the Loggia dei Lanzi. It is a building with wide arches that are open to the street, creating an open air sculpture gallery. Works contained there include the famous white marble statue Rape of the Sabine Women completed by Flemish Sculpture Jean De Boulogne a/k/a Giambologna in 1583 and Benvenuto Cellini’s 1554 bronze statue of Perseus beheading Medusa. Our walking tour concluded with a visit to the Basilica of Santa Croce, which was consecrated in 1442, and is the largest Franciscan church in the world. It replaced an earlier Santa Croce church which legend says was founded by St. Francis. It is the burial place of Michelangelo, Galileo, Gioachino Rossini, Machiavelli and many others. Although buried elsewhere, funerary monuments also exist there for Dante Alighieri, Guglielmo Marconi, and Enrico Fermi.
After the walking tour, we had time to explore the city on our own. Here are just a few photos taken while I wandered around the city. Ponte Vecchio is a Medieval bridge over the river Arno. Several bridges have existed at this location, the current version was rebuilt in 1345 and is home to numerous merchants. Florentines call Mercato Nuovo/Straw Market "Il Porcellino" (Little Pig) because of the wild boar fountain located at the market’s south side. The statue was created in 1612 by Pietro Taccas. Tourists rub the pig’s snout and toss a coin in the fountain in hopes to insure a return trip to Florence. Due to the damage inflected by the tourist's rubbing a replica has been put in statue's place and the original is now housed in the Museo Bardini.
In the evening, most of our travelers opted for an additional tour of Le Certosa Monastery located in nearby Galluzzo. The monastery, which was constructed in 1341, was once home to 100 monks, but today only a few remain. They live in near total isolation, even from each other, and once a year they are allowed to have visitors as a group in their dining hall. The Church of Saint Lawrence located in the monastery complex is filled with frescos and an impressive marble altar from the 16th century.
After the tour, we traveled to a restaurant were we had a special dinner which included entertainment in the form of a variety of music performances from opera to popular tunes. The dinner The featured Tuscan food served family style with local wines and concluded with a group sing-along and dancing. On the way back to the hotel in Florence we stopped at Piazzale Michelangelo which was designed in 1869 by Giuseppe Poggi. At this time of night, it presented a great view of the lights of Florence below. The Piazza also features a full sized brass replica of Michelangelo’s David. 11/07 (Sunday) – Today we traveled from Florence to Venice. Up until this point of the tour we have been blessed with exceptionally nice, warm weather, but today it turned cold and rainy. However, our spirits were not diminished. It’s been a great tour and we are looking forward to what lies ahead. As our guide, Marta Adamo, frequently said “We are embracing” the challenges along the way. Along the way, we stopped for lunch and a tour of Castello Del Trebbio. The Castle of Trebbio was built in 1184 by the Pazzi family. It is surrounded by olive groves and vineyards. We were given a tour of the wine cellar in the basement/dungeon of the castle. There are still rings attached to the low ceilings in the dungeon section where prisoners were once tied up. The wine is stored in large wooden casks after being fermented in an area which was not part of the tour. In addition to wine, they also make olive oil. We received a tour of the living quarters above the cellars that is the home to the owners of the castle. Our lunch included wine from the castle’s vineyards. Having lunch in an ancient castle is just another of the once-in-a-life-time experiences we’ve been treated to on this adventure.
It was raining and the sun was setting as we arrived in Venice. The bus dropped us off and we walked with our luggage in tow to the Hotel Principe, a four star hotel, on the Grand Canal. Our hotel rooms were very small as you would expect, but if I leaned out of the window in my room I was actually able to see the Grand Canal and hear the sound of the waves and boats passing by. Wow! We are in Venice! Tonight dinner was on our own. 11/08 (Monday) – This morning, the rain continued. We were taken by private boat to Murano. In 1291, all of the glass makers were forced to move from Venice to Murano for fear of fire hazard. Murano is a series of islands linked together by bridges. There are many glass makers on Murano. We visited the Ferro & Lazzarini Fornace, where we were given demonstrations on glass blowing and a brief talk on how the various glass colors are created before given free time to browse the multiple showrooms and make purchases. I picked up a few items as gifts so that I could vouch for their authenticity as being “real” Murano glass.
After returning to Venice, we connected with a local guide for a walking tour which included a visit to the Doge’s Palace. The palace was constructed between 1309-1324.The court and prisons were originally located in the Doge’s Palace. One of its most famous prisoners was Giacomo Casanova, who managed to escape. A new prison was built across a side canal and was connected to the Doge’s Palace by what became known as The Bridge of Sighs.
Our tour also included seeing Piazza San Marco which is adjoined by St. Mark’s Basilica and St. Mark’s Clock Tower. The rain continued through much of the day, which led to some flooding. However, Venice is used to this happening often, so elevated walkways were quickly assembled so that tourists could reach their destinations. Later in the afternoon, the rain stopped and the water receded fairly quickly. These frequent low level floods are referred to as “acqua alta” or “high water.” Over time, Venice has slowly been sinking and the first floors of some buildings are now unusable. The sinking seems to have stopped for now, but the state of alert over sinking has not been cancelled. Tomorrow, a higher level acqua alta is expected, so it is probably good that we will be leaving Venice.
We had the afternoon to explore the city on our own. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed visiting and photographing Venice. A highlight of the day was purchasing a ticket to ride the elevator up St. Mark’s Campanile to the observation deck. The structure is the bell tower for St. Mark’s Basilica. The original Campanile was built in the 9th century and Galileo demonstrated his telescope to the Doge of Venice there in 1609. The Campanile collapsed in 1902 and was reconstructed in 1912. It stands 323 feet tall. From the observation deck I had a great time taking pictures of Venice below.
After leaving the Campanile, I walked to the Rialto Bridge and then took the Aqua Bus back to the hotel. I stationed myself at the back of the boat, which was open-air, so that I would have an unobstructed view to take photos. We had a group dinner at the hotel in the evening. It’s been a wonderful day in Venice. I figure anyone can see Venice on a sunny day, seeing it with a little flooding underway makes it even more memorable.
11/09 (Tuesday) – This morning before we departed, the acqua alta siren sounded in Venice, warning people to prepare for flooding. It continued to rain as we walked back to our buses to depart. Today was mainly a travel day as we made our way from Venice to Milan Malpensa. We crossed the boarder for a brief visit to Lugano, Switzerland on the shores of Lake Lugano. We were there for just a few hours, which was time enough to have lunch, buy some Swiss Chocolate, and wander around the city for a little bit.
Next, we crossed back over into Italy and paid a short visit to Como on Lake Como. Some of us had signed up for a Lake Como Cruise, but it was cancelled because of the continuing rain and fog. Despite the rain, I walk around and took some photos including images of the Como Cathedral. Construction started in 1396 but it wasn’t completed until 1740. It is one of the most important buildings in the region and is referred to as the last Gothic Cathedral built in Italy.
We continued on to Milan Malpensa where we checked into the Crowne Plaza. Tonight we had our farewell dinner and shared our favorite memories from our Italian adventure. 11/10 (Wednesday) – Our flight left at 10:30 a.m., connected through Atlanta and delivered us to San Antonio at 7:09 p.m. local time. We lost seven hours due to the time difference. The total flight time was about 16 hours. It will take time and contemplation for me to absorb all that I’ve experienced during the course of our whirlwind tour of Italy. One thing I know for sure… I’m very grateful to have undertaken the journey in the company of our Texas Public Radio travelers. More information about future trips being offered by Texas Public Radio, please visit our travel page.  |
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