For a DIY tripper, I was definitely unprepared for the trip to Florence. What I really had in mind was visit THE Uffizi ( Gallerie degli Uffizi ) and David of course and that was it!
While walking around though, you would always know special points of interest when you see people with their cameras are jockeying for the best position to take snaps, not to mention the tour guides waving flags around. And this was one of the numerous in Firenze ( i.e. Florence) – the baptistery doors, that is.
Lorenzo Ghiberti ‘s Gates of Paradise was just jaw dropping in terms of detail that if I were not pressed for time, I could spend hours just looking at them. These are gilded bronze doors of the Baptistery of San Giovanni that depict stories from the Old Testament. While the ones currently in the Baptistery are now replicas, they are testament to what mankind can do if and when talent is nurtured and given the opportunity to grow.
The 2 bronze doors are composed of 10 reliefs and are renderings of significant Old Testament stories including Adam & Eve, Jacob & Esau and David.
This is a definite must see when in Firenze.
Florence Baptistery: Long & Lat (43.7731° N, 11.2550° E)
my take 