The BYU women’s soccer team on Thursday moved its tour of Italy from the northern region of the country to the Tuscan mid-section, driving from Padua to Florence, where the players and travel party enjoyed getting acquainted with the “Birthplace of the Renaissance.”
A walk from the Arno River to the bustling Piazza Santa Croce was followed by noon-hour free time, allowing everyone to grab a bite do some shopping in a town known for its many leather-goods stores and gold merchants.
Of course, Florence is better recognized as the home of some of the world’s most renowned Renaissance artists and contributors, among them Michelangelo and Leonardo DaVinci. Paced by entertaining and educational tour guide and lifetime Florentine resident Bernardo (“you can call me ‘Bernie,” he said), the group was led through the Piazza della Signoria to the Palazzo Vecchio, outside of which are displayed more than a dozen Renaissance-era statues. Also pointed out was the workshop wherein Da Vinci painted the Mona Lisa, which resides at the Louvre, in Paris. Michelangelo’s workshop building was also a part of the tour.
The team continued on to the Piazza del Duomo and Duomo itself, formally known as the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, an engineering masterpiece that has as its centerpiece a 300-foot tall dome that was completed in 1436, after a 140 years of construction. The dome was built with four million bricks and weighs in excess of 35,000 tons.
Leaving the Duomo, the travel party trekked to the home of 13th-century poet and writer Dante Alighieri, known as the “father of the Italian language”; the team then walked on to the Galleria dell’Accademia, which houses one of the most famous pieces of art in existence, Michelangelo’s “David.”
The guided tour ended on that high note, followed by a bus ride south of Florence to the town of Arezzo, where a local restaurant hosted the entire BYU group for a lively dinner. The team will spend the night in Arezzo, then leave for Rome on Friday morning. Two days and nights in Rome will precede a trip farther south to Sorrento, near the Amalfi Coast, south of Naples. The Cougars will next play Monday night in Naples before a Tuesday-night match back in Rome concludes the playing tour.
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PLAYERS’ PERSPECTIVE--
Junior midfielder Bizzy Phillips:
Wow, what a day! We started with a three-hour bus drive where we shared and solved every riddle we knew; we then arrived in the beautiful city of Florence. The most amazing history and art was shown to us. We saw Ghiberti's “Doors of Paradise,” the Duomo of Florence, the workshops for Michelangelo and DaVinci, the Basilica of Santa Croce (the “Hall of Fame” of burial sites for Florence geniuses), the home of the famed Medici family, and lastly we saw Michelangelo's “David.”
We had an amazing tour guide, Bernie, who knew just about everything about Florence. Bernie was very passionate about Michelangelo and allowed us to see and understand things about the art work we wouldn't have otherwise known. Bernie was very personable and gave all of us American sports analogies so we were able to understand the history of Florence. The “David” is incredible. The museum that holds it has 3.2 million visitors each year. This sculpture is a timeless piece of work, and I'm pretty sure each member of our team is in love with him.
When we first arrived in Florence we were allowed free time. My family and I went and found a little restaurant and enjoyed Tuscany’s famous bean-and-parsley soup and pasta. It was delicious. Following lunch, we ran up the streets to see Brunelleschi's dome in the Duomo and then ran to see the "Hall of Fame" cathedral. We passed tons of shops with the best-smelling leather, and we saw all the wonderful bags my teammates were buying. I didn't have an extra minute to pick one out, but am hoping to get something awesome in Rome or Sorrento. I think I'd like to spend another three or four days in Florence. I will be back.
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Junior defender Steph Ringwood:
Today we went to Florence and to be honest, I did not know much about Florence at all before coming here, and it was not the city I was most excited for--but it was definitely one of my favorite days. I think the reason I liked it so much is because it was filled with so much history. I was able to go with my family and see Michelangelo and Galileo's tomb inside the church. I took a philosophy class last semester and realized I actually did like philosophy (haha) and consequently learned a lot about Galileo, so it was incredible for me to be able to see his tomb and then later on the tour see the building that he was in when he was put under house arrest. I felt like my day was a little chaotic trying to see all of the sites, shop for leather, and eat, but it was amazing.
Of course the highlight of the day was seeing the “David” sculpture by Michelangelo. I have seen so many pictures of that growing up and I was so excited to see it in person--to say the least it did not disappoint, it was stunning and the story behind it was even more intriguing. I am still in complete awe that Michelangelo could sculpt how he did with the passion that he had; it's a gift I can't even fathom. Florence enriched me more than I could have ever hoped with its Renaissance art and history; it was a beautiful experience that I will never forget.
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Stay up-to-date on the Cougars’ tour of Italy at BYUCougars.com and via the team’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.