The weekend before my break, we took a class trip to Florence. I absolutely loved it. It's a smaller city than Rome, but that combined with the easy orientation that the river Arno gives makes it very easy to navigate. It's the seat of the Italian Renaissance, and it lives up to the title. From climbing Brunelleschi's Duomo, to gazing at Michelangelo's David and Botticelli's "Birth of Venus", to meandering along the Arno at sunset and bartering at the massive network of markets, it was a fantastic weekend.
I can't hope to summarize this entire weekend, but I'll put my favorite shots/memories here... warning: this is a long post with lots of pictures--feel free to skim, but go ahead and read in-depth if you like art and pretty European cities!
We arrived and strolled across Ponte Vecchio (literally "old bridge") which is (shockingly) the oldest bridge in the city. It's lined with old shops and unaffordable jewelry, and was possibly my favorite spot in the city. At night it was so picturesque that it didn't seem real.
This is a replica of the David in front of the Palazzo Vecchio, seat of the Medici family. We couldn't take pictures of the actual David, but let me tell you... it's about three times as tall as I thought it would be, and it's just a masterpiece. The tourist industry with its tacky t-shirts and mini-David-replicas had prepared me to be unimpressed, but I was amazed by it. (warning: skip if you are bored by art!) Michelangelo was an incredible perfectionist who worked with a massive piece of marble that had imperfections and had previously been abused, and created a masterpiece. It has every muscle, every vein, and captures the moment before David attacks Goliath... he is tense, determined, and prepared to take down a giant. The only thing out of proportion We've seen a lot of art, but this was a masterpiece (I may have mentioned that a few times in this paragraph...). I could have sworn he was about to breathe and take a step off the pedestal.
Fountain o' Neptune.
The Duomo!! This cathedral was so awesome. I remember learning about this (and Ghiberti's doors) in 4th grade (thanks Mommy!) so it was pretty stinkin' exciting to see it in person.
Stained glass from inside!
Front door of the cathedral, with a 24-hour clock...
...and, boom. Cathedral interior. Such a high, vaulted ceiling... the interior of the dome was an awesome fresco, but my pictures didn't turn out too well. More on that later...
Inside the baptistry! This little building is directly opposite the cathedral, and houses Ghiberti's famous paneled bronze doors. The interior is awesome--the entire domed ceiling is this golden mosaic depicting narratives of Scripture, and as they ascend to the top they start to depict more and more of heaven. The imagery here is layered and symbolic... I just sat and stared for a long time.
As with most church art, there's loads to interpret and soak in... Mosaics covering every inch of this building. Ironically, it's no longer in use as a baptistry... it makes me wonder how the original architects and builders would feel if they saw their work today. In general I've been disappointed by the fact that many churches have become tourist centers. I'm obviously not against everyone seeing such beautiful things, but there's a way to do that without turning it into a money-making scheme...
Florence at sunset with the Tuscan hills in the background....
River Arno with the Palazzo Vecchio tower to the right of it...
Duomo!!!
Loved the city. :)
River Arno at sunset... this is taken from Ponte Vecchio.
Again. I'd like to paint this, but there's a great chance that I can't do this justice. Just play "Bella Notte" and look at this picture... it was breathtaking.
The next morning we got up early and climbed the Duomo before we went to the Uffizi Galleries as a class. We climbed up and around a ring on the interior of the dome, and got to see the stained glass up close...
Little windows dotted the staircase and gave us little tastes of the view to come.
At the top!!! Early morning was the best time to climb--not too many crowds, with bright sunshine and fog just lifting from the valleys.
I loved the red clay roofs spreading in every direction.
My climbing buddies!
Interior of the Dome... It was inspired by the Pantheon. (which I've seen... say what?!)
Close-up of the interior frescoes... Huge. Bonaiuto compensated for the curvature of the dome when he painted the fresco (which illustrates Dante's Divine Comedy... which I've read... say what?!). I took a ton of pictures of it, but I figure you can google that, and I'm already posting a million pictures.
One of my favorite things about Italy is all the artists--painting stands are everywhere. I liked this guy's little fluffy dog, and his oil paintings.
With our tickets to the climb the Duomo, we got a discount off the Museo del'Opera, which contains this beauty--Michelangelo's second Pietá. He actually intended this to be placed over his tomb, but in his later years he grew increasingly critical of his own work. He actually smashed this with a hammer, and so an artist from his workshop finished it. That's why Mary Magdalene is out of proportion, and Jesus only has one leg.
What made it especially meaningful is that the Nicodemus figure is actually a self-portrait. Here's a blurry picture of Michelangelo himself... It seemed fitting because Michelangelo (nerd-alert) was a Neo-Platonist who tried to reach for higher beauty and capture reflections of God's glory in his art. When you understand that, you can understand why he grew so frustrated when things weren't perfect... Michelangelo was a genius, but since he was appreciated in his own time, he was incredibly overworked. To be frank, I think he simply burned out in his old age. The Sistine Chapel (which we'll be seeing in a few weeks!!) was a serious trial for him in his later years, and started his eventual blindness. The multiple commissions he received prevented him finishing some of his private projects, and landed him in a serious backlog of work. He worked with an insane drive and seemed in some ways to be trying desperately to save himself by producing perfect art.
Donatello's Penitent Mary Magdalene. It stands in stark contrast to a beautiful statue like the David. I think it's a beautiful picture of Christ loving us when we're hideous in our sin. Symbolic that she is covered with her hair, representative of her previous life of sin...
I liked her feet somehow.
Ghiberti's doors themselves. Each panel is a continuous narrative of a story from the Old Testament...
Arno. :)
Arno at sunset...
You get a little haywire after a long day of exploration...
Shelly and I rode the carousel in one of the town squares... It was pretty magical. I loved me some roommate bonding. :)
Friends in Florence! Taken on Ponte Vecchio...
This little old lady was just so precious. It was 70 degrees outside, and like most Italians, she was bundled up against the "cold."She had sweaters, a wool winter coat, and Uggs... I couldn't help but take a picture.
While we were in Florence, my dear friend Kate received the sad news of her aunt's passing. It was (and still is) a privilege to grieve with her and hear about the incredible impact that this woman had on the people in her life. We spent Sunday afternoon by the river... as this stork waded through the river, we were reminded of one of my favorite passages in Isaiah, which has been a comfort in the past. Since Kate's aunt endured a long battle with cancer, it's comforting to know of God's presence and support in the midst of suffering. Even in the midst of all the beautiful art, architecture, and Italian culture, it doesn't compare to the "peace that passes understanding" that only God's grace can bring. Here's the verse, in memory of Anne Kane:
"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,Nor shall the flame scorch you.For I am the Lord your God,The Holy One of Israel, your Savior"
~Isaiah 43:2-3
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