summertime goes south

Our 4 days in Pisa were followed by 5 in Florence. What can I say about the art, architecture and sheer abundance of culture that hasn't been said already and by more perceptive visitors than me?
We had a great hotel room right on the river Arno, a stone's throw from the Ponte Vecchio, so we were right in the centre of the action. We visited a number of the palaces and museums, including the Uffizzi Gallery. The collections are truly unbelievable as are the highly decorated interiors. These guys, the Medici's, lived in style - they had it and certainly knew how to spend it!
Our greatest pleasure came from the unexpected. One evening whilst dining al fresco, we could hear a series of operatic arias being sung, a capella, by a woman with a beautiful voice. I initially thought it was an open air concert but it turned out to be Beatrice, busking and drawing a very appreciative audience. Quite rightly they were very generous with their applause and contributions, presumably to help pay for her musical education. She sang beautifully. Next we chanced upon a Dutch Youth Orchestra giving a free concert, again drawing appreciative crowds. The music, performed amidst the architecture and statuary created a wonderful atmosphere giving an added dimension to the whole chance experience, beautiful music in a truly romantic setting.
Serendipity struck again when we visited Santo Spirito church where we chanced upon a recently discovered wooden sculpture of Christ on the Cross. Attributed to a teenage Michelangelo, it was magnificently displayed in a circular side chapel. This was a real surprise as we knew nothing about it before our visit.
We had one more surprise, the Santo Spirito was hosting a free concert that evening, to be given by the Leaconfield Singers from Sussex.
We returned to hear the amateur choir give a wonderfully professional performance of a number of sacred pieces including a Vivaldi Mass. Once again the setting was absolutely magnificent with the choir singing in front of the glorious Renaissance High Altar and highly decorated interior. It was quite an experience to hear sacred music sung in such an appropriate setting, particularly for a heathen like me!