Today was the first time that I’ve ever been to a monastery. It is actually a pretty big complex, and apparently the Dominican friars still live there. I wasn’t expecting there to be see so much art throughout the corridors of the building. The frescoes were on the walls of the hallways and also inside the rooms that were once occupied by the monks. The rooms themselves were pretty small and very simple. I wonder how much stuff would actually be in any given room. It must’ve been a pretty rough life to live in these quarters since the monks took a vow of poverty and were more exposed to the elements. Yet still, it must have been awe-inspiring to walk by all the different frescoes any given day.

The Galleria Palatina was completely filled with art. In my opinion, it was too much art for me to take in during one visit to the museum. The size of the Duomo is astounding, the building is absolutely enormous and it’s completely overwhelming. The Baptistery doors were so detailed and intricate, not to mention shiny as well. Each scene of the door was so full of life that there should be no way that anyone shouldn’t be impressed. I considered our final trip to the Accademia to be the highlight of the day. I have always seen tons of pictures of Michelangelo’s David, but to see it in person takes it to a whole new level. I didn’t really have anything to think or say when I laid my eyes upon it because I was at such a loss of words in the presence of such a magnificent structure.