Fiesole, Italy – Monastery Garden – There is no doubt that peaceful contemplation takes place here. Separated by a iron rod gate, this is one of the gardens in the monastery of San Francisco. So quite here.

Fiesole, Italy - Holy See - In the courtyard of the monastery of San Francisco, you can look down this pathway and see Florence in the distance. After escaping the chaos of Naples and the peak tourist season of Florence, this was a very relaxing place.

Fiesole, Italy – Holy Water - The word “Sanctuary” can mean many different things to different people. This was truly a sanctuary. By the time I reached the monastery of San Francisco, I had already left the busy street through the center of Fiesole onto a sun drenched mountain top with other tourists. Inside the sanctuary, all was calm. All was quiet. I had the place mostly to myself. Here is the sacrarium containing Holy Water. With the blue light pouring in from the sunlit side of the church, I knew this would be a great HDR shot. The light on the floor got a little on the extreme end, but a beautiful image none the less.

Fiesole, Italy – View of Florence – In the distance, you can see Florence. Not a sole in sight. A perfect afternoon of exploration in the Tuscan region.

Fiesole, Italy – Secluded Park – I walked down a pathway while leaving the monastery of San Francisco. This winding pathway eventually took me back into the village. The time spent on this walk was well worth the time exploring it.

Fiesole, Italy – Pair of Trees – You have to omit, these trees have a nice view. So does the couple sitting underneath them. Those two are a retired couple from New Zealand. They encouraged me to bring my wife to their country someday. They said Italy is beautiful, but wait to you see our home. Being retired, they were in no hurry (Their grandchildren were another story). I can’t wait until I get to bring Debbie here to enjoy this view.

Fiesole, Italy –Quiet Charm – Here, inside the sanctuary on the monastery of San Francisco, the light coming through the stained glass gives this little church a dream like charm. I was in here for about a half an hour enjoying the peace before I began my descent into the noise of the village.

Fiesole, Italy – Up High – What is striking about many of the buildings in Italy is that if they were in American, few would want them. The inside of these buildings may be as modern as any wealthy American home, yet the outside is in disrepair. The Italians view the inside as what they own, but not the outside. Yet here in Tuscany, this lack of exterior maintenance gives them a certain charm.

Fiesole, Italy – Sanctuary – With no noise other than the sound of my own breathing, this was peace. Inside the sanctuary of the monastery of San Francisco, the monks let us explore a small portion of their world. I do not know the age of this room, but I’m sure it dates a long way back. A little disappointed in the glare on the floor. I was too busy enjoying the moment that I did not pay attention to my light meter.

Fiesole, Italy – The Alter – This is the alter in the sanctuary of the monastery of San Francisco. One thing I discovered about Italians, they know how to build churches.

Fiesole, Italy – The Sanctuary – It is amazing what a little stained glass can do to the light in a room. To my left is two small stained glass windows. Inside the Gothic arch over the alter is bathed in natural light. The two different light sources help to define the different spaces of this room.

Fiesole, Italy – Private Garden – This is one of the gardens that the monks at the monastery of San Francisco has open to the public. It is just outside the sanctuary and allows entry to the museum. They had a very impressive collection of artifacts from, china and Egypt. There was even a mummy in a wooden sarcophagus. Not quite what I was expecting, but then what would be the fun in that? I had to take a few minutes to enjoy the shade of this garden.

Fiesole, Italy – Bottle of Wine – While walking through Fiesole on Via Marini, just off of Piazza Giuseppe Garibaldi, I found this out door restaurant preparing for the day. Obviously this bottle of wine caught my attention. I regret that I did not have the time to sample any of it. Next time I need to come here for pleasure instead of work. How much longer until I retire?

Fiesole, Italy – Sacred Gate – This iron gate is simply temptation to any explorer. Inside was a private garden for the monks. Truly a place to silently contemplate or read. For tourist, this was the closest that we would get to this part of the monastery. When processed in HDR, the rich colors of the brick came out.

Fiesole, Italy – Side Street - I do not know why this side street was calling me. I’ve heard that angles are all around us whispering in our ears. This side street lead me to some beautiful overlooks of Florence and to the monastery of San Francisco where I spent most of my time in Fiesole. Thank you to the one that told me to walk up this hill.

Fiesole, Italy – Tuscan Building - Here is an example of the architecture of Tuscany. Even though this building is not very remarkable as a whole, you have got to love the location.

Fiesole, Italy – Florence from Above - In ancient times, Florence and Fiesole did not get along all that well. If I was a Florentine, I would be jealous of the view Fiesole has.

Fiesole, Italy – Tuscany - Another view of the Tuscany hills and Florence far below. One thing that I do not like about these trips is my limited time in any one location. It makes me feel to rushed. I did take the time to talk with a retired couple from New Zealand before continuing my trek up to the monastery.