melissa grace kreider

I have a favorite monument in Florence.

      It is part of Florence's Cathedral Complex (see below!) 

Far left, Florence's Baptistry. Middle: Florence Cathedral. Far right, Giotto's Campanile. 

     I am partial to Giotto's Campanile (in English: Bell Tower). Why? Simply because it's beautiful to look at. 

     Giotto's Bell Tower was completed in 1359 BCE and has been standing strong ever since. After a month of admiring it while walking past to class every morning, I finally dropped the six euro on it to climb the 414 stairs to the top. 

     The view from the top of the Campanile is pheonomenal. Florence and I had a moment when I saw it. I could pick out streets and buildings I pass every single day and laugh because they look so miniature! I felt as if I was sitting in the Italian version of Beetlejuice (You know-the tiny town, the fake grass-the setup in the attic?! No? Oh, alright..). 

      If you ever come to Florence, I highly reccommend Giotto's Campanile over the top of Florence's Cathedral. The lines are often shorter, not to mention two euro cheaper than the Duomo. 

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     For a small update, on Sunday, March 18th I'm going to begin collecting your travel photos for a contest! More details then! Keep your eyes peeled for that and photos from Paris!

Ciao for now!

-m.