firenze is florence

Firenze (Florence) is a town crawling with both history and American tourists. And a month ago you could have counted us among the throngs. In fact, the one minor unpleasantry about this gorgeous and enchanting city is that everyone agrees it is just that - and therefore you will never (ever) be in Florence without at least a billion of your closest friends.

There is a positive side to these numbers: if you're in Italy and just want someone to understand you, just want to hear that comforting American accent in a country far from your own, simply step into the streets of Florence, grab the next passerby, and have them start to speak. You will most certainly have before you a compatriot. (And if not, truth is, many Europeans speak English with aplomb and in a tourist center like Florence you'd be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn't speak at least a little English.)

In Milan there just isn't the same tourist influx. In fact there's actually quite the opposite. Milan empties of its residents nearly every weekend as they seek finer climes and greener pastures. So not only are there far fewer tourists, there are fewer people in general. For an urban center the lack of people trolling Milan's streets on a Sunday afternoon would surprise you. And don't even get me started on the surreal experience that is August in Milan.



Truth is, Milan doesn't have the infinite historical glories of Florence. It's not wall-to-wall art and centuries-old masterworks showcased in a historical playground untouched by war. Florence is all of these things.

The Duomo is a towering extravaganza of pink and green marble, outfitted with buckets of ornate sculpture and an interior filled with fresco. There's also the unique opportunity to climb up into the dome and emerge at the top, looking out onto one of the best views in town.

There are several hundred steps up to the top of the dome and the route is neither for the weary nor those unnerved by small enclosed spaces. It is, however, certainly for those individuals who appreciate a healthy bout of profuse sweating.



The amazing thing about the climb is that the path you take is literally between the exterior dome and the painted interior dome that you see from the church floor. You move through a hidden space acting as the human filling in a dome sandwich. It's well worth the climb - not just for the resulting views of the city but also for the experience of walking through a space that few would imagine exists.

As you journey to the top there are two landings where you actually step out into the dome inside the church. You move along a balcony of sorts and then duck back into the internal passage. But being at that height, and being that close to the frescoed ceiling, is something to savor. These immense and haunting images that are usually seen from the church's floor, and were painted to best be viewed from that vantage point, are in close proximity even more disturbing and visceral. All I can tell you is that on the way to the eternal inferno I don't recommend going anywhere near the giant frog wielding a flaming poker -- because you won't like what he's going to do with it.



Not every Florentine masterpiece requires a steep climb. The David is on display at ground level and is a wondrous giant standing at the end of a long gallery. The most famous nude in the world is bathed in diffuse white light and is shockingly smooth and detailed.

I couldn't carve a blob of mashed potatoes into a snowball let alone take a giant chunk of marble and turn it into a beautiful man. But Michelangelo, that miracle maker and undoubtable genius, came along and took a heft of mountain and created a figure that glows with life and strength. There are geniuses and then there are the rest of us - and it's painfully easy to recognize which side you're on as you stand gazing up at this masterpiece.

Here's to the rest of us!