May 21, 2013

Dan Brown's Inferno: Florence in Photos

Dan Brown's latest novel, Inferno, was released on May 14th, just in time for a rainy long weekend. It was hard to put the book down as I followed Robert Langdon on another thrilling chase through the streets of Florence and Venice. And it prompted me to look up my photos of some of the locations from the book.

Inferno opens with a mysterious character running north from the Arno River, behind a palazzo with a crenellated tower, through Piazza di San Firenze toward the spire of the Badia.




Palazzo Vecchio, Florence


Piazza di San Firenze and the Badia Spire


The action soon returns to the Arno River and the Ponte Vecchio. Running along the top of the bridge is the Vasari Corridor, a closed passageway that connects the Palazzo Vecchio with the Palazzo Pitti.


Ponte Vecchio and the Arno River


Segment of the Vasari Corridor between the
Palazzo Vecchio and the Uffizi Gallery

The Palazzo Vecchio is located on one of Florence's main squares, the Piazza della Signoria. A number of sculptures are displayed here, including the Fountain of Neptune by Bartolomeo Ammannati.



The Fountain of Neptune

The most famous statue in the square is a replica of Michelangelo's David, near the entrance to the Palazzo Vecchio. The original is at the nearby Galleria dell'Accademia.



David, Outside the Palazzo Vecchio


Michelangelo's David


Adjacent to the Palazzo Vecchio and the statue of Hercules and Cacus is the Loggia dei Lanzi with many more sculptures.



Hercules and Cacus (left)
Perseus with the Head of Medusa (centre)



Rape of the Sabine Women


Rape of Polyxena


Hercules Beating the Centaur Nessus


Not far from Piazza della Signoria is the Piazza del Duomo and the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, or Il Duomo, with its distinctive green, pink and white marble facade.



Il Duomo, the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore






The massive red dome of the cathedral, designed by Filippo Brunelleschi, dominates the skyline of Florence.



Brunelleschi's Dome


Next to the cathedral is the campanile, or Giotto's bell tower.



The Campanile, Giotto's Bell Tower


And across from the front entrance to the cathedral is the octagonally-shaped Baptistery of San Giovanni.



Baptistery of San Giovanni


The bronze doors on the baptistery designed by Lorenzo Ghiberti were referred to by Michelangelo as the Gates of Paradise. Each of the ten panels depicts a scene from the Old Testament. These doors are copies; the originals are in the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo.



The Gates of Paradise


Isaac with Esau and Jacob


Adam and Eve (left), Cain and Abel (right)




These photos and more can be seen on my Pinterest board Dan Brown's Inferno: Florence.

Related Posts:
Dan Brown's Inferno: More Florence in Photos
The Palazzo Vecchio, Florence
Dan Brown's Inferno: Venice in Photos
Dan Brown's Inferno: The Art

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