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Day 4 - Sept. 17th -
We caught an early morning train to
Florence where we
spent the day checking out
museums, churches and buildings. (text from
The Rough Guide - Tuscany & Umbria 1998) |
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Florence - Under the rule of the Medici family - the greatest
patrons of Renaissance Europe - Florence's artists and thinkers were
instigators of the shift from the medieval to the modern world view, and the
churches, galleries and museums of this city are the places to get to grips
with their achievement. The development of the Renaissance can be plotted in
the vast picture collection of the Uffizi, and charted in the sculpture of the
Bargello, the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo and the guild church of Orsanmichele.
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The gang in search of the Galleria dell'Accademia,
home of Michelangelo's
David. |
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While wandering the streets
we came across this bike wreck -
someone had apparently run into this rack of bikes.
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Galleria dell'Accademia
Florence's first academy of drawing was founded in the mid-sixteenth
century. In 1764 it was transformed into a general arts academy. Twenty
years later the Grand Duke Pietro Leopoldo founded the Galleria
dell'Accademia filling its rooms with paintings for the edification of the
students. Later augmented with pieces from suppressed religious
foundations and other sources, the Accademia has an extensive collection
of paintings, especially of Florentine work of the fourteenth and
fifteenth centuries.
Yet the pictures are not what draw the crowds in numbers. The real
attraction is Michelangelo, and more specifically his sculpture
of David- symbol of the city's republican pride. |
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Some of us just aren't
cultured enough. |
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The Duomo - Santa Maria del Fiore |
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In the 13th century it was decided that a new
cathedral
was required
to do
justice to
the wealth
of the city
and to put
the Pisans
and Sienese
in their
place. The
plan was
drawn up by
Arnolfo di
Cambio in
1294, and
was to be
the largest
church in
the Catholic
world.
Arnolfo died
8 years
later and a
succession
of
architects
took over
the project. |
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Filippo
Brunelleschi
was also
given the
task of
devising a
way of
building the
dome. On
March 25,
1436 -
Annunciation
day, and the
Florentine
New Year-
the
completion
of the dome
was marked
by the
consecration
of the
cathedral.
It wasn't
until 1446
that
Brunelleschi
completed
the top
lantern- the
gilded ball
and cross
were hoisted
into place. |
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The Exterior |
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Marble quarried from three different sources was
used to clad the exterior of the duomo (left) - white from Carrara, red from
Maremma and green from Prato. The colors of the patterned exteriors make a
startling contrast with the dun-toned buildings (below) surrounding the cathedral
and other buildings. |
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Stained glass inside the
cathedral. |
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The marble floors
are as impressive as the paintings
in the cathedral. |
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Top views
of the city from the clock tower. |
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MOVIE: Florence sky line |
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Heading
towards the Piazza Della Signoria and the Uffizi. |
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Piazza della Signoria- Florence's main civic square. |
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Ammannati's Neptune Fountain, a tribute to Cosimo's prowess as a naval
captain. This was one of a few statues on the Piazza. |
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The Uffizi |
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The Uffizi is housed in what was once a government office block, built by
Vasari for Cosimo I in 1560. After Vasari's death, work on the elongated
U-shaped building was continued by Buontalenti, who was asked by
FrancescoI to glaze the upper storey so that it could house his art
collection. Each of the succeeding Medici added to the family's trove of
art treasures, and the accumulated collection was preserved for public
inspection by the last member of the family, Anna Maria Lodovica, whose
will specified that is should be left to the people of Florence and never
be allowed to leave the city. |
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After an exhausting
day in the big city, Roy and I ducked out early and caught the train back
to Camucia. We had more important things to do. |
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Every day should end with a refreshing dip in the pool, cold beer and a
book. |
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Shift into gear for
Day 5 |
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