We had the day off from class because of the holiday Epiphany. From what I understood it celebrates the day the three kings visited the newborn baby Jesus. While out exploring we stumbled upon a huge celebration parade that reenacted the kings journey to Joseph and Mary. The parade stopped at the Duomo with a ceremony and continued across the Ponte Vecchio to the Pitti Palace (I think the Medici lived here at one point). The whole event took several hours. We explored the Ponte Vecchio where all the gold workshops are. The jewelry was beautiful and extremely pricey. Mid-way across the bridge there is a large collection of locks chained to the posts. Couples write their initials on a lock and chain it to the metal fence declaring that their love will never break. It is a very cute tradition and hundreds of locks remain.
