Wednesday, St. Patrick’s Day, Last Day, 2010

Our last day in Firenze! Weather wise, it was another perfect day. Sunny. The morning was spent admiring the Brancacci Chapel and the incredible work of Massacio, Filippo Lippi and Masolino. Highlights included the fresco cycle of the Life of St. Peter, The Expulsion and the Tribute Money. We stayed Oltrarno—it’s nice south of the Arno—next visiting Santo Spirito, just west of Pitti Palace and about a half mile south of the outer Roman wall, Porta Romana, of the old city.

Lunch today was at Palazzo Capponi. Mr. Ferragamo gave the boys a warm welcome to his and Chiara’s home, and told the story of the difficult but important restoration of the palazzo and the Nazi bombing of the Ponte Trinita, adjacent to the palazzo. The boys were enthralled by this story. We then enjoyed a guided tour of the grand ballroom frescoed from floor to ceiling by Poccetti in the late 1500s/early 1600s depicting the history of the Capponi family. A delicious lunch followed before the boys left to make their way across the “new Ponte Trivita” to the Baptistery to view the South (Pisano, 1333, stories of St. John the Baptist) and North doors (Ghirbert’s first, 1424, stories from the New Testament).

Our final visit of the Italian Study Tour was the Uffizi.

Final festivities have just concluded at Hotel Kraft. The boy’s have had their last meal together. Tommy R. led the boys in celebration of their experience. It was a fun night for all.

Ciao.

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