A Friday in Florence

The CET Siena painting class went to Florence today. The five of us took the 8:00 bus (not the 8:10, we made that mistake last week) from Piazza Gramsci, and met our professor at the SITA bus station. After a quick caffe at a bar near the station, we made our way through the cobbled streets to the Bargello Collection, where we drew from sculpture for the morning. Not too bad, right? We focused primarily on the collection of Michelangelo sculptures, and passed a couple of hours picking different vantage points from which to draw. When we needed a break from our work, we wandered through the other parts of the collection, looking at the old ivory pieces, the incredible building itself, and of course, Donatello's David.

We took a break for lunch around noon, looking forward to Italian cooking, as always. Danielle, a member of our group, led us to her favorite Florentine osteria. Each of us ordered an inappropriately large pizza. I chose the quattro stagioni, or "four seasons" pizza, with artichokes, prosciutto, olives and mushrooms. The pizza came with wine, water and a coffee. For eight Euros apiece, it may be the best deal in the entire city. We had enough time for some gelato, and then made our way to the Piazza Repubblica to meet back up with our professor.

We weren't sure where we were going, but soon realized that we were at the Uffizi. With our student cards, we were able to cut the line and get in for free. We made our way up to the main floor and continued to draw from sculptures that grabbed our attention. By 3:00, all of us were sitting on the floor in the same gallery of sculptures, each immersed in our own work. We didn't realize how much of a spectacle we were until large tour groups

began to take an interest in us. Though a bit awkward, it was quite amusing to have an audience while sketching.

It's not every day that one has the opportunity to spend hours drawing at the best museums in the world. I can add sitting on the floor of the Uffizi to my list of Italy highlights. Drawing Donatello's David in the morning, greeting Botticelli's Primavera in the afternoon. A typical day for the members of CET Siena.

All best,

Sean

Sean O'Hanlan

CET Siena Student Correspondent, Spring 2010