Pietra Dura in Florence

Mosaic and related arts has been a partial theme of our trip in Italy. A visit to the Opificio delle Pietre Dure in Florence was a must-see and did not disappoint. It is a small museum/gallery of the finest works of Pietre Dure - inlaid stone. Most of the pieces belonged to the Medici family. The seashells are in the middle of a porphyry stone table top. Each color is a piece of different stone. Pietre dure is a variation on the mosaic theme. To prove we were in Florence, an obligatory photo of the Duomo.