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.
x x x
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.