It’s our last day in Florence and we spent most of it in church. We visited two churches, both monumental (and official monuments); they are both in use as churches (with small areas reserved for praying), but they’re owned by the State and are historical sites.

The first church was Santa Croce, notable for its permanent residents, including Dante, Galileo, Ghiberti, Machiavelli, and Rossini and its monuments to many other famous Italians like Marconi and Fermi. There’s a lot of other noteworthy art, too, and the place is enormous. It was badly flooded in 1966, with the polluted waters of the Arno filling it to a depth of more than five meters, damaging historical artifacts and requiring years of work to restore them.

The church also has sponsored a Leather School since 1950. Originally, it helped war orphans learn a trade and make a living; now, it trains a broader range of people needing help, and makes most of its money by selling their products (leather jackets, purses, cases, and more). I bought a belt – and I’m confident it was really Made in Italy.

Our second church visit was to Santa Maria Novella, just down the street from our apartment. It, too, is massive and ancient. I didn’t take as many photos there (I think I was tired!).

We came back to the apartment to pack up for the next stage of our adventure, which starts with a morning train to Milan. Tune in tomorrow to find out where we end up!