19: Florence, March 1932

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Arrived in Florence (A), Italian Firenze, afternoon of March 21st. Beautiful old palaces and art galleries and black and white marble cathedral, with Piazza del Duomo in front. Michelangelo’s statue of David prominent in another square.

Campanile and dome of the Duomo (Cathedral)

Florence

Campanile is from design by Giotto and was begun in 1334.  276 ft. high.

March 1932 

Florence Cathedral and Bell Tower, March 2026

Credit: Evan and Emily Farrer

David, now inside the Accademia Museum, is truly stunning

Credit: Evan and Emily Farrer, March 2026

Church of Santa Croce

(from 13th to mid 15th Centuries)

Florence

Contains tombs of Michelangolo [sic], Galileo, Rossini, et al. 

Church of Santa Croce exterior, March 2026

We were on an e-bike tour and unable to go inside. I showed the tour guide Fawz's interior picture, and he said that was one of the best he had ever seen because there was flooding some time after Fawz took his picture which caused damage.

Credit: Emily Farrer

Portion of wing of Pitti Palace. Boboli Gardens, and tower of Palazzo Vecchio.

Florence

March 1932 

An street-side wing of the Pitti Palace while on our e-bike tour, March 2026

Credit: Evan and Emily Farrer

Same tower that Fawz saw, but from the perspective at Michelangelo Point, March 2026

Credit: Emily Farrer

In Boboli Gardens

Pitti Palazzo

Florence

March 1932

In courtyard of Palazzo Ricardi, one of old homes of Medici family, now partly public offices, 

partly museum.

Florence.

March 1932

Entrance to Palazzo Ricardi, but the courtyard where Fawz went is inaccessible to the public now.

Credit: Evan Farrer, March 2026

18: Greece and Venice, March 1932

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We saw lots of porpoises in the Sea of Marmora (A) going out. They were very beautiful and playful. Arrived at Piraeus, Greece, (B) morning of March 14 and caught a taxi five miles to Athens (C) and the Acropolis. Beautiful hill and real architecture. Saw large groups of the "Ladies from Hell," elite Greek soldiers who wear kilts and shoes with pointed toes which curve upward. Sailed through Corinth Canal  (D) which is cut through stone isthmus near ancient city of Corinth. Ship has only a few feet clearance on each side from stone banks.

Ship next steamed into Adriatic Sea and north to Venice (E). Italian police and soldiers are picturesque. Some wear Napoleon-like hats, others with Robin Hood hats with feather and cloaks. We passed many sailing ships in Adriatic which on March 16th was fairly cool, misty and cloudy.

We see several leaning towers as we pulled into the dock at Venice. Went to nearby Pension Seguso and to the San Marco nearby. This is great cathedral erected supposedly over the bones of St. Mark, their patron saint who died in Alexandria, Egypt, but who had been promised by an angel that his bones would rest in Venice. The body was smuggled out of Alexandria under pork carcases and taken to Venice. The basilica seems all domes and gilt with a number of fine mosaics in beautiful colors and showing fine scenes in the arches below.

Piazza San Marco

Church and Companile.

Present building completed 1094.  First Ducal chapel on this site finished about 832.  St. Mark's remains brought to Venice in 828.

Venice

March 1932 

Sadly, I failed to get the same angle that Fawz had, but this is St. Mark's Campanile that we got to go up in (it was very cold), March 2026. Credit: Emily Farrer

St. Mark's Basilica, March 2026

Credit: Evan Farrer

Next east is the Doge's Palace, a beautiful structure with many huge beautiful historic paintings inside. Above the central arch of the San Marco, by the way, are four bronze horses taken as booty by Venetians when they captured Byzantium (Istanbul). I was in Venice for Palm Sunday, a great religious day for Catholics. Huge crowds poured out of the cathedral, each person carrying a small sprig resembling palms. Saw many fine museums and art galleries. I liked particularly the paintings of Tintoretto. To get very far in Venice you catch a motor boat. Gondolas were slow and expensive. Venice is on 100 islands separated by almost 150 canals crossed by about 380 bridges. Adjoining the San Marco, by the way is a high bell tower with a winged lion atop.

Doge Palace, March 2026

Credit: Emily Farrer

On Grand Canal

Venice

Taken from Gondola

March 1932

On Grand Canal Gondola, March 2026

Credit: Emily Farrer