Ciao! My name is Emma Rae, and I am a Junior studying Civil Engineering.

Today our group traveled to Florence, Italy. Our day started right away with a 9 am train from Roma Termini to Florence. Riding the train was a very unique experience. It is similar to a plane, yet some seats face each other with a table in between, allowing for fun conversations and games to be played, along with gorgeous views of the Tuscan countryside.

Engineering and Artwork

When we arrived in Florence, we saw beautiful works of art and engineering. First, we saw Michelangelo’s sculpture, David. David is a 17-foot-tall sculpture made of marble, and it was created in the 1500s. Next, we toured the Florence Cathedral. It was engineered by Filippo Brunelleschi in the 1400s. The dome on the cathedral is the largest masonry dome in the world. Next, we visited one of the oldest buildings in Florence, The Baptistry of St. John. The baptistry has an octagonal shape which represents the Octave of Easter also known as the eight-day period that begins on Easter and ends on the following Sunday.

Shopping

Florence has many great places to shop. Today, I shopped at was a jewelry store called Torrini that has been open in Florence since 1369. Torrini is my mom’s maiden name, so I had to check it out. They had many beautiful pieces of jewelry to choose from and so much history to share!

Viaggi sicuri!