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| Galleria dell'Accademia - Michelangelo's David - up close and personal. Unveiled in 1504, this marble statue symbolizes the defense of civil liberties embraced by the Florentine Republic and the powerful Medici family. |
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| Patti and Phoebe enjoying a moment during our Italian cooking class! |
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| Florence's principal palace was begun in 1299 and built as the seat of the Signoria, the fathers of the city's republican government. It's still in use today as a government facility! |
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| Piazza dell Duomo - it's massive! |
Venice
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| Ira and me on one of the many bridges crossing the Grand Canal. |
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| Considered the true heart of Venice, this landmark bridge, characterized by its 24-foot arch, is built on approximately 12,000 wooden pilings that still support the bridge more than 400 years after it was built. |
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| Venice's main water thoroughfare, lined with great Renaissance palaces, is a colorful and busy spectacle of gondolas and vaporetti. |
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| Neal and me at a cafe in St. Mark's Square (Piazza San Marco) - we decided not to stay given the excessive prices charged for food and beverages... |
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| Here's our buddy and trip leader Neal drawing a picture of our gondolier as we commute through the city canals. Gondolas have been the chief means of transportation in Venice for centuries! |
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| Venice's magnificent basilica was consecrated in 832 AD as an ecclesiastical building to house the remains of St. Mark. |
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Ira enjoying a moment on a Venice bridge.
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