Location: Florence, Tuscany Weather: 20C, sunny sunny sunny! Steps: 12,488
May 2, 2019
One fast train ride later, and I was in Florence, Tuscany! At the very heart, and quite literally, at the very start of the Renaissance.
A centre for trade, commerce and banking, Florence’s leap into the spotlight of as a gem of culture & art thanks to one very powerful group, the ruling family of the Medicis. Although Florence or Firenze has long been a democracy, there existed a powerful ruling class that controlled the economy, the army and provided many patronages to those who would become the leading thinkers, writers and artists of the 15th century. Lorenzo Medici, or il Magnifico, provided patronage to Michelangelo, Leonardo Da Vinci and Botticelli, among others, igniting the Renaissance and providing posterity with a plethora of masterpieces.
Palazzo Medici Riccardi- home of the Medici family. At the time it was built by Cosimo Medici, it was against the law to flaunt your wealth on the outside of your house. He chose a si.istic but powerful design, utilizing three different styles for the arches. I highly recommend reading more on this family – their history is fascinating!
Continue down the cobblestoned street, one can’t help but be overcome by this history! Walking the same paths that the luminaries of the time would have walk; perhaps this is a spot where Galileo paused, suddenly inspired by one of his theories? Or perhaps that was the corner where Michelangelo spotted a rather handsome fellow and just knew how David ‘s nose should be?
For those of you that may not have had those thoughts, a short walk through the courtyard of the Uffizi Gallery will soon have you gazing upon the living monuments of the city’s most influential men.
As the centre of the city is very walkable, you soon find yourself at another important site, perhaps one of the city’s most recognizable : Cathedral of Santa Maria del fiore, Duomo of Firenze (cathedral of Saint Mary of flowers, the cathedral of Florence)
I’ve seen my share of churches and amazing ones at that: Westminster Abbey, Notre Dame (pre fire) and even the outrageous Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. However, I was not expecting this!
Its sheer size dominates the square and the mixture of pink, green and white marble bringing an otherwise cold stone structure to extraordinary life!
The showstopper, however, is the cathedrals dome. It called for an octagonal dome higher and wider than any that had ever been built, with no external buttresses to keep it from spreading and falling under its own weight (Wikipedia). The construction lasted over one hundred years, the original architect long deceased, with no formal plans as to how this groundbreaking roof would actually be built. Leave it to the Italians to start building something without knowing how to finish it! Luckily, an artist named Brunelleschi stepped up and completing the feat of ‘modern’ engineering!
Interesting fact: Michelangelo was originally commissioned to sculpt David to sit on top of the dome… More on that in a later post!
My walk through the Renaissance continued to the Palazzo Vecchio, the original and current seat of local government.
This is where Michelangelo ‘s David found its home for quite some time, proudly guarding the entrance along with his friend, Hercules. A replica stands in its place today.
Off to the side, along Plazza della Signoria, there is a sculpture gallery filled with impressive pieces. While some are copies of the original (like those by Donatello), other are genuine, having stood the test of time.
And let’s not forget, Neptune!
After walking along the city’s main shopping street, you come up to the Arno River and the famed Ponte Vecchio. The bridge used to be lined with butcher shops, as it was easy to get rid of the waste by dumping into the river below, however when the Medici decided to construct a passage, linking the Palazzo Medici to the Palazzo Piti, they evicted the butchers due to the smell (the passage, the Vasari Corridor) was built on top of the bridge) to replace them with jewelers. And they still stand there today. It is reported that Hitler loved the Ponte Vecchio and the view over the Arno, that he ordered it remain intact when the Nazi retreated, destroying all of the city’s other bridges.
What a truly remarkable city! And it was only just the beginning…