Community Highlights Europe Just some of the art in Florence

Just some of the art in Florence

The rain had stopped by the time we got up today, though the streets were still very wet when we went out after breakfast and remained so much of the day. However the weather steadily improved throughout the day.

We started our wanderings by heading down the Borgo Santa Croce in the opposite direction, away from the piazza. We followed picturesque Via dei Neri to the Piazza della Signoria.

Piazza della Signoria

This piazza is dominated on one side by the Uffizi gallery and on another by the Palazzo Vecchio. Although we didn't visit either we did spend some time here as there was lots to see. Most famous is the replica of Michaelangelo's David. The statue originally stood by the entrance to the Palazzo Vecchio, from when it was completed in 1504 to when it was moved to the Accademia in 1873. The replica that stands on the spot today dates from 1910. Although this isn’t the original there is something special about seeing him in the place for which he was intended.

On the other side of the entrance stands Bandinelli’s Hercules and Cacus, finished in 1534. A long article about the rather checkered history of its creation in Wikipedia suggests that Hercules is ‘the symbol of physical strength, which juxtaposed nicely with David as a symbol of spiritual strength, both symbols desired by the Medici’.

Next to the palazzo’s tower, the Torre di Arnolfo, (which we didn’t climb given that the poor visibility wouldn’t have justified the effort!) stands the Fountain of Neptune. Like the frescoes in the courtyard of the Palazzo Vecchio, this was commissioned by Cosimo I de’ Medici to celebrate the marriage of Francesco de’ Medici I to Grand Duchess Joanna of Austria. It also marked Cosimo’s gift of clean water to the city. It was created by Bartolomeo Ammannati to a design by Baccio Bandinelli. The huge figure of Neptune was modelled on Cosimo and is surrounded by satyrs, tritons, fauns, dolphins and more. Unusually he rides a chariot drawn by four horses. Two are in the usual white marble but two are of a then recently discovered coloured marble, mischio.

Loggia dei Lanzi

On the south side of the Piazza della Signoria is a raised terrace known as the Loggia dei Lanzi. This serves as an open-air sculpture gallery of antique and Renaissance art which anyone can admire for free without the cost and hassle of a museum visit.

My favourite piece here was Perseus, a bronze statue by Benvenuto Cellini which was commissioned by Cosimo I de’ Medici and placed here in 1554. It depicts the mythical Greek hero brandishing his sword in his right hand and holding up the Medusa’s head in the left. It is rather graphic in its realism; blood is gushing from the head and the neck of the dead Medusa.

Palazzo Vecchio

Although we didn’t pay for full entry to the Palazzo Vecchio we did go part way in as it's possible to do so without a ticket. The palazzo was built at the turn of the 14th century and originally called the Palazzo della Signoria, after the Signoria of Florence (the republic’s ruling body), hence the name of the piazza. The building has had several other names during its long history, as the use of the building evolved: Palazzo del Popolo, Palazzo dei Priori, and Palazzo Ducale. It acquired its current name when the Medici duke’s residence crossed the Arno to the Palazzo Pitti. This then became, naturally, the old palace, the palazzo vecchio.

The marble frontispiece above the entrance dates from 1528. In the centre is the Jesuit symbol, , flanked by two gilded lions. The Latin text, ‘Rex Regum et Dominus Dominantium’ (‘King of Kings and Lord of Lords’), was added in 1851.

The first courtyard was particularly impressive. In the centre is a fountain; the Putto with Dolphin on top of the basin is a copy of the original by Andrea del Verrocchio (1476) which is displayed in the museum upstairs. The walls are decorated with frescoes depicting cities in Austria, painted to mark the 1565 wedding of Francesco I de’ Medici to Archduchess Johanna of Austria. The ceilings were also richly painted and the columns, originally plain and smooth, were decorated with stucco at the same time. The sculpture of Samson and Philistine was carved by Pierino da Vinci, nephew of Leonardo da Vinci.

Outside again we searched for and found a little bit of Michaelangelo 'graffiti', etched on to the wall of the palace, tucked behind the statue of Hercules. This is the Importuno di Michelangelo (‘The Nuisance by Michelangelo’). The story goes that the artist was bored or irritated by someone he met here, so scratched the man’s face on the wall. More likely though it was carved with the permission of the city authorities.

Moving on ...

To the west of the Piazza della Signoria we came to the 16th century Mercato Nuovo. Under its arches today are rather tacky souvenir stalls, but we enjoyed seeing the bronze bear statue, Ill Porcellino. It is said that if you rub his snout you will return to Florence one day!

We walked north along the Via Calimala to the Piazza della Republica, but found this less of interest, apart from the traditional carousel.

A little beyond it, and in search of coffee, we stumbled upon a real treat. The unprepossessing Hotel Medici had a sign promising a bar with a view on its sixth floor. We had to wait about five minutes as it hadn't yet opened for the day but it was worth the wait as it really delivered on its promise of a view! From its terrace we had amazing views of the Duomo, its campanile and Baptistry, and from the other side the Palazzo Vecchio and Torre di Arnolfo, and the hills on the far side of the Arno. The seats were a bit wet to sit outside (though other people braved them) but we got an inside table by a window and enjoyed our macchiatos with a view.

By the time we’d finished there were some hints of blue in the sky. We continued our walk towards the cathedral to take the photos of the exterior it had been too wet for yesterday.

We continued north on the Via de' Martelli, stopping for a light lunch of piadini.

Palazzo Medici Riccardi

We then visited the Palazzo Medici Riccardi. I'd read it could be busy here but like the Bargello yesterday we found it pretty quiet and easy to tour. The palazzo is named for two families, the Medici and the Riccardi. It was commissioned in 1444 by Cosimo the Elder to be the Medicis’ main residence in the city. The design was chosen by Cosimo as being not too pretentious as that ‘might have aroused the envy of his fellow citizens instead of being an example of beauty and an ornament for the city or, more simply, a comfortable dwelling’. Some comfortable dwelling this is!

In 1494, when the Medici were expelled from the city, the palace and all the family’s assets, including Donatello’s bronze David, were seized by the Republic of Florence. But they regained power in 1512 and the palace became once again their official residence until 1540, when the Duke Cosimo I de’ Medici decided to move to Palazzo della Signoria (today known as the Palazzo Vecchio).

The residence was bought by the Marquis Gabriello Riccardi who deemed it too dull, even grim, by the flamboyant style of the times. He had the palace completely renovated, in particular its interiors, to suit Baroque tastes. By 1810 the Riccardi family had fallen on harder times so sold the palace to the state. It was converted into administrative and institutional headquarters and still houses local government offices today. But it is also a fabulous museum!

Perhaps the most precious work of art here is the La Madonna con Bambino, by Filippo Lippi, hard to photograph as it’s displayed in a glass box. The reason for the box became obvious when we walked around it, as on the reverse of the painting is a half-finished drawing by Lippi.

Two rooms here are especially spectacular.

Chapel of the Magi

This was where the Medicis came to worship in private. The altarpiece painting, Adoration of the Child (or Adoration in the Forest), was created by Filippo Lippi’s workshop. The frescoes by Benozzo Gozzoli depict some illustrious people of the time but also echo the journey of the Magi to Bethlehem.

La Galleria degli Specchi (Mirror Gallery)

This magnificent room was part of Gabriello Riccardi’s renovations. The vaulted ceiling was frescoed by the major Baroque painter of the time, Luca Giordano (1682-1685). At the centre is a tribute to the Medici family while around it are mythological scenes along the edges and depictions of the four Cardinal Virtues in the corners. I was happy to spot an elephant among the details, although I’m not sure which virtue he is helping to represent!

From here we walked to the Basilica San Lorenzo, which had an interesting outdoor modern sculpture exhibition, the work of Andrea Roggi.

Chapel of the Medici

Beyond the church is the attached Chapel of the Medici, which we paid to visit. These were the burial places of the Medici family and today have been declared a national monument. They were built between the 16th and 17th centuries as an extension to the Basilica of San Lorenzo.

There are two chapels, the Sagrestia Nuova (New Sacristy) and the Cappella dei Principi. The former is smaller and more understated, with the tombs and sculptural groups dominating the small space. It was designed as a whole by Michaelangelo who also created the monuments and four tombs, one on each wall. These house the remains of Lorenzo the Magnificent and his brother Giuliano; Lorenzo, Duke of Urbino; and Giuliano, Duke of Nemours, the last of the Magnificent family dynasty.

The Cappella dei Principi in contrast is huge and ornate, almost overwhelming in its use of multi-coloured marbles and semi-precious stones. The painting on the altar depicts the Supper at Emmaus, while the dome has a cycle of frescoes that detail scenes in the life of Jesus. There was perhaps too much dark marble for my taste but I liked the frescoes in the dome.

Back outside we found clear blue skies and sunshine. Retracing our steps we detoured again for yet-brighter cathedral photos before going in search of gelati. We found the best ones so far of the trip in RivaReno Gelato Firenze.

From there it wasn't too far back to the Piazza Santa Croce where, as with the cathedral, we stopped for sunnier photos, and played with reflections in the still-lingering puddles.

They were filming in one corner of the square, as they had been on Wednesday. We asked one man about the film, and he told us it was a short called Dinner with Dante. Looking at my photos later I realised that the older lady who appeared to be the star was the same one as the young one sitting at the same table on Wednesday. I later researched the film and learned that the story is of a woman, scarred mentally and physically by war, who comes each week to eat alone and hold conversations in her mind with Dante.

In the evening we had aperitivi as usual in the piazza, where local young people were dressed in costumes for Halloween and setting off fireworks in front of the church.

We then had an excellent dinner in La Buchetta, a few doors down Borgo Santa Croce from our accommodation. We shared a cheese board to start with, which I followed with ricotta filled ravioli while Chris had gnocchi. My dessert was a cannolo and he had fresh pineapple. We also had glasses of very good wine and complimentary limoncello - a lovely evening!

La Buchetta (taken earlier in the day)

This featured blog entry was written by ToonSarah from the blog Travel with me ....
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