Leaving Rome On High Speed Train - Underground Crypts Of Florence / Climbing Top Of Cathedral Dome
Florence Italy Nov 2025
Transcript
0:03
Today's adventure begins as the
0:03
recording of this Wednesday, November
0:05
26th,
0:07
2025. I am departing Rome,
0:13
grabbing a train, heading northward a
0:16
bit
0:18
to Florence
0:24
from the train station,
0:24
which is located right over there.
0:33
went in Rome. Have some good times, see
0:33
some sites, and then get a train
0:37
to the next destination,
0:40
Roman terminal. Roma Tony. Also, I will
0:44
say there are a lot of officers out
0:47
here.
0:57
Heading in. Welcome everyone. Adam the
0:57
Woo here. I'm inviting you to join me.
0:59
See where the day leads. Rome to
1:01
Florence.
1:03
Stay in there for a night or two. Join
1:04
me. Shall you?
1:12
All right. I have booked the 1055. It is
1:12
a highspeed. Should be there by 12:30.
1:15
Very, very quick. 10:55 to Florence.
1:19
Also, fun fact, I've been mentioning
1:22
National Lampoon's European vacation
1:23
spots. This is where this is the same
1:26
section where they arrive to Rome in
1:30
that film. The Griswalds walk right
1:32
through here. I mentioned the Griswalds
1:34
a lot, but yeah, you kind of have to,
1:35
right? Classic.
1:38
This shows a lot of the different
1:40
destinations you can go through to all
1:42
around Italy.
1:48
The options are almost endless. Well,
1:48
the options are are vast.
1:57
This is really interesting how there's
1:57
this ancient Roman architecture of the
1:59
ruins right outside the glass wall of a
2:03
train station.
2:05
Take a look at that.
2:11
Had a little time, so I went ahead and
2:11
ordered a latte. It's interesting. They
2:13
put the latte here with milk inside a
2:16
glass. It's not in a coffee cup. It's in
2:19
like a a regular glass. So, that's kind
2:20
of interesting. over here at the
2:29
coffee stand. Got a couple minutes. Just
2:29
received notice that I need to go to
2:31
platform 8, which is right here. There
2:34
are multi- stops on this route that I
2:36
will be getting off at the destination
2:38
that I have paid for.
2:44
They only give you about 7 minute
2:44
warning on which platform you're
2:47
supposed to go to.
2:50
You have to wait in front of a big
2:51
screen and it tells you, "Oh, get over
2:53
to platform 8 right now." And you got
2:55
about five, six minutes to run over
2:58
>> These are the recycling bins. Different
3:00
color codes. You got aluminum.
3:04
Can't tell what that is. Plastic.
3:07
And I can't tell what that one is
3:08
either. So, this one here is not the one
3:11
I'm going on. The one I'm going on is
3:14
pulling into the station. a high-speed
3:18
train. I'm sitting in section three
3:27
pulling into
3:27
the station.
3:29
Section three, seat
3:33
prepared and paid for.
3:42
All right, departing now. There's a
3:42
magazine shows where I'm going. I'll be
3:45
there. Hour and a half highspeed train.
4:00
Welcome on board Italo 89 10 from
4:00
Salerno to Venetia Santaia.
4:04
The train will stop in Roma
4:07
Santa Mara Bolognia.
4:44
right, made one stop.
4:44
>> The next stop is my stop.
4:55
Next stop should be where I get off.
4:55
Welcome on board 89 10 from Salvia
5:00
Santaia.
5:03
The train will stop in.
6:03
Looks like the highway runs parallel to
6:04
us through this section.
6:21
237 km an hour currently.
6:21
Keeps going faster.
6:32
And some nice little rolling hills in
6:32
the countryside here.
6:34
Even past a few farms.
8:16
15 minutes I'll be there.
8:16
Speeding right along.
8:18
>> Staying hydrated.
8:24
I think this is the this is the this is
8:24
the train company right here.
8:27
Supposed to be a rabbit. Fast as a
8:29
rabbit.
8:56
>> We invite travelers to prepare and
8:56
collect their luggage. Thank you for
8:58
traveling with Italo. Goodbye.
9:30
We arrived
9:30
in Florence.
9:36
Every time I think of Florence, I think
9:36
of Vini from Princess Bride, the sworn
9:39
enemy of Florence. I don't know if these
9:41
are talking about this place or not, but
9:43
that's what I think of when I think of
10:04
You can already tell it's a few degrees
10:04
chillier here than it is in Rome. Even
10:06
inside the station.
10:08
15 minutes to 1 Italy time. Like this
10:11
mural here.
11:56
arrived at my hotel. Have to get inside
11:56
of an elevator to go up.
12:01
All right, I'm all checked in. Going to
12:03
show the quick little room tour, if you
12:05
will. I'm very I'm located within short
12:07
walking distance to the basilica, the
12:10
Duomo I believe is what it's called,
12:12
which is a chapel. And I've also
12:14
purchased a ticket to go up into the
12:16
dome on the roof and also into the crypt
12:18
section and see the cathedral
12:22
today. So I'll be doing that today as
12:24
well and just kind of pan around and
12:26
show show the room here. This is the
12:29
accommodation. This is the bed.
12:32
Got a nice window here. Nice breeze.
12:37
This is going to be a good spot. Nice to
12:39
have a little breeze here. The hotel I
12:40
had in Rome. It was a nice place, but
12:43
they put me in a spot that was in the
12:45
basement. A lot of a lot of basements in
12:47
Rome. I didn't have a window. I would I
12:49
probably would never stay there again.
12:51
It wasn't It wasn't bad, but I like the
12:52
fact that this has a little fresh air,
12:54
unlike the one that I had in Rome, which
12:57
was really close to where the coliseum
12:59
was. But also, you got to be really
13:01
careful here. Whatever you do,
13:04
don't look down. [sighs]
13:06
Look at these old school antennas right
13:09
there. TV antennas or some sort of
13:12
antennas. All right, heading down. I'm
13:14
on the
13:16
fourth floor. So, just going to walk
13:19
down. Obviously, I'll take the elevator
13:21
back up. This is easier to walk
13:22
downstairs than it is to walk up. This
13:25
is really kind of neat staying here. You
13:27
got the old tiny elevator
13:29
>> which is located right there.
13:32
>> All right, making my way over into this
13:34
courtyard.
13:36
Very beautiful. Got some restaurants
13:39
over here.
13:45
Noticing a lot of bikes through town as
13:45
well.
13:47
And they're putting up the Christmas
13:48
tree. Not well, the tree is up, but
13:50
they're putting up the lights. Now, as
13:52
they're putting up the lights on the
13:53
tree, it sounds as if there is an opera
13:55
singer. I can't tell if it's a recording
13:57
or a real opera singer around the
14:00
corner. I think it might be a real
14:03
singer hitting those notes.
14:17
Oh my gosh. He was just right there in
14:17
the middle of the street just belting it
14:19
out.
14:24
I
14:24
>> also bought a little Italy pin. for my
14:26
bag for my over the shoulder fanny pack.
14:31
>> And take a look at this. No ticket
14:33
required to get inside the cathedral,
14:36
but did have to get a ticket to go up to
14:39
the bell tower, which is 414 steps
14:42
adjacent.
14:43
600 Oh, no. 463 steps to the dome. Kind
14:48
of looks like a key, right? It's in the
14:51
shape of a key.
14:56
So, ticket to go to the top and not just
14:56
ticket to go in the and also the ticket
14:59
is required to get into the the crypt.
15:02
>> So, right now I'm just waiting
15:05
in a line. Really, there's no
15:07
information on how many people are going
15:09
to let it in at once, but waiting to get
15:10
inside.
15:11
>> She chooses to bring other people up to
15:13
bear the
15:15
right.
15:20
I'm just saying you got to quit choosing
15:20
things to bling. Oh,
15:23
>> pretty long.
15:24
>> One of those.
15:25
>> I could never do it.
15:32
>> Maybe they make a big like 4 in screen
15:32
for people.
15:35
>> Okay.
15:36
>> All right. So, walking up here towards
15:38
the front
15:40
with the pipe organ, crucifix, etc.
15:43
And if you look up to the top, that is
15:47
the dome that I'm going to be walking
15:50
400 plus steps to later on.
15:54
Oh, that looks amazing.
16:18
Wonder if that helps the acoustics.
16:18
Hello.
16:20
I don't want to I don't want to do
16:22
anything more than a gentle whisper.
16:38
Okay. down into the crypt
16:38
which is located
16:53
This is below the cathedral. This is
16:53
Giovani Deisi who passed away in 1352.
17:03
It's right here below the church. This
17:04
is right here in this box is where he
17:06
remains.
17:16
It's a really interesting setup here how
17:16
they have the new railings where you can
17:18
walk through and you can see the
17:20
original foundation and rock work below
17:24
basilica.
17:51
dating back to 1344.
17:51
Look at this exposed tomb here. I'm
17:54
guessing that this is the top portion of
17:56
it here. Really fascinating though. You
17:58
see the carvings and the etchings there.
18:01
You can see it's like a body almost like
18:03
an angelic figure there carved into the
18:07
carved into the rock.
18:10
Obviously someone was there but they
18:12
have since removed it but they still
18:14
have the dirt to kind of simulate
18:18
how it was and they removed the body.
18:42
And this is not included with the free
18:42
admission to the chapel. This is part of
18:45
the ticket that I got to go up to the
18:48
the dome. These also date back to the
18:50
early 1300s.
19:19
showing where all the different
19:19
different people are. They're laid to
19:20
rest here.
19:22
scale model.
19:58
Almost looks like this is the original
19:58
rock staircase
20:00
that would go up into the cathedral
20:03
itself and then down into the basement.
20:05
They've left it here. You got the
20:07
makeshift ceiling now and they've
20:09
replaced it with a more stable and
20:11
durable staircase for all the tourists
20:13
to walk up and down.
20:19
The Roman chancel area of the building
20:19
was covered as the rest of the church
20:21
with a lively fresco decoration.
20:25
As time went on, they ended up finding
20:29
this work here.
20:32
And you can see
20:34
right there, and that's what it looked
20:36
like before they put the drop ceiling
20:37
in.
20:39
And that is still here to this day.
20:43
Torso of Jesus.
21:01
And it looks as if this is not where I
21:01
don't think there's anyone underneath
21:03
here. I think these were elsewhere and
21:04
they've moved them over. But just look
21:06
at the etchings and the the carvings in
21:09
the rock like that.
21:58
Now, I'm not really familiar on who he
21:58
was,
22:00
but he was born in 1377, according to
22:03
that placard. Passed away in 1446.
22:18
Says the original inscription says the
22:18
body of a man of great genius.
22:27
And I would imagine before he passed,
22:27
he had no idea that
22:30
he would exit his tomb and then enter
22:34
into a gift shop.
22:43
Yes. Exit. Exit the tomb.
22:43
The tomb exit through the gift shop.
23:04
>> All right, stepping out. This is the
23:04
queue for the bell tower.
23:09
I got to choose which one I want to go
23:11
to. It looks like I think both the views
23:12
will be good. The bell tower would be
23:15
interesting, but I don't know about
23:16
climbing 400 plus stairs
23:19
and then climbing back down and then
23:21
going up 460 stairs to the dome. So, I
23:24
might just wait for the dome. All right,
23:26
over into the museum now.
23:30
Scaffolding around this.
23:33
The museum, the opera,
23:37
delopera
23:40
delmo.
23:47
Luigi Dell Morrow really had quite an
23:47
impressive
23:49
quite an impressive stash. This is an
23:51
old sarcophagus.
23:57
And here in the museum museum's got a
23:57
lot of sculptures. What I can tell this
23:59
is probably supposed to represent Jesus
24:01
here or maybe one of the apostles
24:04
perhaps. This is interesting. This older
24:07
gentleman is holding like a little
24:08
cherub
24:10
little cherub woman here. Then you go up
24:13
and then there's a another older
24:15
gentleman holding like a it's like some
24:18
sort of a like a plaque. What do you
24:20
call that? Like a tablet of sorts. And
24:22
this one's this one's lost its head.
24:25
This kind of reminds me of the Ark of
24:27
the Covenant here where you just have
24:28
the poles on either side and the top
24:30
that they took off. There are multi
24:33
levels to this museum. Four floors in
24:35
total. All right. This says that Baruna
24:38
Lei was the architect of the dome
24:40
itself. And here is his death mask here.
24:43
This is what this is a mold of what when
24:47
he was is a funeral mask right down
24:50
here. So that is where earlier right
24:52
next to the gift shop where they had his
24:55
tomb. And here are some of the building
24:57
tools that he would have used when he
24:59
was building the dome dating back to the
25:02
19th century. That kid just fell. It's a
25:05
silver altar from 1367.
25:15
It's massive. Uh, this is the second
25:15
level. So, earlier I was down there one
25:17
level and this is up on the little ledge
25:19
on the second level with all these
25:21
carvings and sculptures. So many of
25:23
them.
25:29
All right. These are huge. These are
25:29
like 12 feet tall, right? It's like 12
25:32
feet tall. My my head comes up to like
25:35
right here. really intricate carvings or
25:38
etchings to make these. See the size of
25:41
the book? His hand there. He's reading
25:43
the inscription.
25:50
Yeah, my head my eyes are facing right
25:50
here. That's my eyes. That's my eye
25:52
level.
25:54
All right. The fourth floor is the
25:56
terrace view.
25:58
Now it's labeled the third floor because
26:01
here
26:06
the second floor is the first floor.
26:06
First floor is not the first floor.
26:22
There's little apartments up here
26:22
or maybe offices or something.
26:26
Yeah, in the US the fourth floor would
26:28
be four levels up. That here the third
26:31
floor is the fourth floor. Look at that
26:34
tower over there, too. That's pretty
26:36
cool.
26:38
Getting a nice pre-dusk.
26:45
Sun's right there. It'll be setting in
26:45
less probably about an hour
26:48
or so. There's the dome.
26:51
I'll be climbing up there
26:54
soon. 6 o'clock is my reservation to
26:58
climb to the top of the dome. This is
27:00
really cool up here.
27:02
Very cool.
27:05
That'd be a cool place to live right
27:07
there.
27:18
Ah, the church bells. Well, the church,
27:18
the very intense church bells, not even
27:21
chise, more like heavy bells [music]
27:23
are ringing here at the scaffolding at
27:25
the exit [music] of the museum.
27:39
>> Oh, check it out. They have brought in a
27:40
holiday
27:42
little Christmas merrygoround over here.
27:44
I see Santa on there. And you also got
27:46
some Christmas lights up underneath this
27:48
massive Roman columns.
27:51
It's just a almost like an outdoor flea
27:53
market of sorts. All kind of outdoor
27:56
vendors have taken over. This relic of
28:31
Check out this bridge. It completely
28:31
>> it well it goes over the river, but then
28:33
it's also built up to be little stores
28:36
and maybe even living accommodations.
28:39
Here's a closer angle
28:41
>> of the bridge there. The elevated
28:43
bridge. It goes vertical above where you
28:45
can walk across. Probably no probably no
28:48
cars are allowed across there. It's just
28:49
a pedestrian walking bridge.
29:54
>> Like see the balance tower and [snorts]
29:54
then up in the hills up there.
30:21
really beautiful with the clouds there
30:21
right here along the river in Florence.
30:37
Starting making my way back now over to
30:37
the dome.
30:39
Got a lot of steps to climb. We at the
30:41
top of the dome, but cutting through
30:42
this neighborhood as well on the way
30:45
back from the bridge.
30:53
It's amazing at night here in Italy.
30:53
And the weather's nice. Good light
30:55
hoodie weather.
31:56
>> [music]
32:08
>> All right, back in the cathedral now.
32:08
Getting ready to walk up a lot of steps
32:10
to the dome.
32:22
All right, I feel like I've already
32:22
climbed probably halfway, a couple
32:23
hundred steps, and I'm up here in what
32:26
I'm guessing is the halfway dome. The
32:29
cupulo cup dome, restoration of six
32:32
saints on the Northwest Tribune, state
32:35
of a conservation before
32:38
the restoration. Here are the six saints
32:42
that are still currently being restored.
32:46
And you can see this is like the first
32:48
portion of one dome, but there's still a
32:50
lot more steps to go. I mean, it's you
32:53
definitely uh put you in perspective on
32:58
climbing stairs. You go straight up
33:01
through the through the dome. So, yeah,
33:03
went up I don't know how many stories so
33:06
far and going up. Getting ready to
33:08
continue even further. The first section
33:11
was just standard stairs. Now it's
33:14
turning it into
33:20
>> turning into a spiral
33:20
style.
33:21
>> Can I hold on to this?
33:40
>> I want to take a break before everyone
33:40
falls.
33:42
We're here.
34:02
All right, I'm up at this portion of the
34:02
dome.
34:04
They do have this plexi
34:16
Yeah, this is a hike up here.
34:16
Especially cuz they're traditional style
34:18
big steps.
34:29
They told me supposed to just keep
34:29
moving. I guess
34:31
I guess that's it. They want you like in
34:34
this portion.
34:34
>> All right. Deep up in the tower now.
34:37
About 150 more stairs to go from what
34:39
I've heard one of the workers saying.
34:41
Going straight up above the dome to the
34:44
top of the basilica
34:48
all the way to the top. Rooftop view.
34:50
Yeah, this looks pretty cool. Zoom way
34:52
in. Got the bottom of the neck different
34:54
sections but going up the top of this
34:57
section here. And still more. Looks like
34:59
people are coming back down though. Is
35:01
the exit the same as the entrance? I
35:03
think it might be. All right. on the
35:06
home stretch to the top. Going down is
35:08
going to be way way easier, but this
35:10
thing this is no joke. This is not for
35:14
not for the week of Lex. All right, I
35:16
have reached the top of the tippy top of
35:19
the dome. At least as far up as you can
35:21
get where you can stand on the ledge out
35:27
That was uh that was something
35:36
that
35:36
There's definitely something.
35:39
>> Yeah, this is definitely up here. And
35:41
you can see
35:43
considerably higher than the bell tower.
35:46
So, this would be the two options if
35:49
you're going to climb something. If you
35:50
want to get up a little higher than the
35:51
bell tower, this is at the dome. There's
35:53
another church building right down
36:02
Looks like the river's down there also.
36:02
Pretty
36:14
good first view of Florence.
36:14
Look at that right there.
36:17
>> Oh, so glad I climb climbed up to the
36:19
top. I thought about giving up at the
36:20
just the initial dome part and then the
36:23
worker said 150 more steps. I was like,
36:25
I don't know. But going down will be
36:28
easy. Going down's always a lot easier.
37:01
the steps.
37:01
>> No, try. Just try.
37:04
>> No. Is it better? Isn't it?
37:07
>> Yeah.
37:24
>> All right, back at this portion now
37:24
>> in the dome.
37:27
>> We are way up there.
37:37
>> This plexi makes it very difficult to
37:37
get any photos down there.
38:52
That was something. I got my cardio for
38:52
the day. That is for certain.
39:09
>> All right, definitely worked up an
39:10
appetite. I'm going to continue my Italy
39:12
tradition the last few nights by
39:14
grabbing some pasta and an Italianesque
39:17
dish as this street Zamboni goes by
39:30
and get a view of an iconic spot
39:30
while I have a little salt a little
39:32
almost said salsa while I have a little
39:34
pasta andor Italian food. And I'm
39:38
thinking right over there with the domo,
39:41
I think it's Domo is how you pronounce
39:43
it. Basilica,
39:45
church,
39:47
etc. behind me, the Bruna Lei
39:52
restaurant, Beastro, which is the man
39:55
who built what I just climbed. So, this
39:58
makes a lot of sense
40:01
to sit there and eat at his tables,
40:03
inspired by him. All right, this is an
40:04
amazing view. So, I have really got some
40:07
good views. I'm loving the Italy outside
40:10
dining experience where the weather is
40:12
great. You just grab a meal, grab a
40:15
beverage, grab a, you know, entree
40:20
and just chow down in front of a iconic
40:23
spot in Italy. And this, look at this. I
40:26
can taste with my eyes while I taste
40:29
with my taste buds right over here. This
40:32
has been here for a while. or they may
40:34
just this they made that picture look
40:36
really really old. But I'm going to go
40:39
back through and get something I haven't
40:41
got. I've tried to get a different meal
40:43
each night and a different appetizer. So
40:46
I'm going to see see what I can find.
40:48
Definitely something of the pasta, the
40:50
Italian pasta persuasion.
40:54
Man, I love this view. It's hard to
40:56
pick. I think this is my fourth night in
40:58
a row eating in front of a just an
41:00
iconic
41:03
spot and this is no exception.
41:08
It's been a good week so far. Frame of
41:10
reference, I'm staring where I was just
41:12
standing top of the dome, the bottom of
41:16
that pyramid.
41:28
Time for time for some Italian food.
41:28
I think I've decided what I want. I
41:30
think I'm going to get something called
41:32
pharaoh soup, which is an Italian soup.
41:41
I'm going to get some olives.
41:41
I'm going to get some lasagna.
41:47
Maybe something else. All right. They
41:47
were all out of the soup I wanted. So,
41:48
they brought a vegetable soup that they
41:51
said is made specifically in the town
41:53
I'm in here in Italy. Went with some
41:56
olives for an entree. Coca-Cola. I've
41:58
been on a Coca-Cola kick. For some
41:59
reason, Coca-Cola is insanely popular in
42:03
the places I've been around Italy. So,
42:04
I've been getting the bottled Coke and
42:06
then I pour the bottle in the glass. And
42:08
that's my appetizers. And I have my
42:10
entre arriving soon. Listen to some an
42:13
opera singer over there. Yes, this is
42:16
full-on veggies. It almost has like some
42:17
greens in here, like a spinach or a
42:19
collard or something. You got the
42:21
carrots. You got the bread down here
42:24
that's sapping up all of it. I guess
42:26
this is something that's just
42:28
specifically, you know, specifically
42:31
applies to the area. When I said the
42:33
other soup, he said they're out of it,
42:34
but they said, "Let me bring you
42:36
something that we make here specifically
42:37
in Florence." So, brought out some soup
42:40
with lots of greens in it. Look at that.
42:44
Warm. All right, the main course has
42:46
arrived. I went with the lasagna here,
42:48
which looks amazing. I had to get a
42:50
refill of another Coke people riding by
42:52
on bicycles. You got the Duomo over the
42:55
Domo or the Duomo off in the distance.
42:57
I'm not sure exactly how to pronounce
42:59
it, but I went with a little sweet
43:01
little Italian
43:03
cooked lasagna right here. Look at all
43:05
the different layers. All right, that is
43:06
the inner workings of my lasagna. Also,
43:08
the sauce that's on here is ragu sauce,
43:11
which I don't know if there's any
43:12
correlation to the ragu sauce they sell
43:14
in the grocery store. All right, a
43:15
successful day traveling from Rome to
43:19
Climbed a ton of steps the top. Got a
43:21
really good view.
43:23
Really nice to be in a different spot in
43:25
Italy. Had a good time in Rome and now
43:27
I'm here
43:29
in Florence. Had a great meal, had a
43:31
good day having a good time in Italy.
43:34
That's going to do it for today. Thanks
43:36
for watching. I'll see you in the next
43:38
video. The vlog