Jenny's Thoughts: March 2010

February 19, 2008 (Tuesday)
We had a very full day today. We left Venice and headed to Florence by train. We got a taxi and went to our home for the next three days, Hotel Malaspina. The drivers here are crazy! So fast and they zip down the tiny streets. Don't get in the way!

Our room at the Malaspina was very simple but very nice and comfortable.

The view above is what we saw when we looked out our window.

After grabbing a bite to eat, we went to the Duomo. It was so big! And awe inspiring. I could just imagine the historical figures in the past walking by it to do their business and going inside to worship.

I love this shot. It includes Florence Cathedral (the Duomo), the campanile (bell tower), and the Baptistery.

We went to the Baptistery before visiting the Cathedral. Here are the famed "Gates of Paradise" by Lorenzo Ghiberti. In 1401, a contest was issued to the artists of the day to design panels for the doors of the Baptistery. The finalists came down to two men; Lorenzo Ghiberti and Filippo Brunelleschi. Ghiberti won the contest and it took him 21 years to complete the doors. Michelangelo thought these doors were fit to be the "Gates of Paradise", and the name has stuck to this day.

The Last Judgement

The ceiling in the Baptistery is made of beautiful gold and colored stone mosaic. ,

The facade of Florence Cathedral (facing the Gates of Paradise). The cathedral itself was begun in 1296 and was completed in 1436 by Brunelleschi's dome. This is where the name Duomo comes from. This is the largest brick dome in the world to this day.

Brunelleschi's dome. By1419 the cathedral was finished except for a large hole where the dome would be. No one could come up with a plan for a structurally sound dome of this magnitude. The Italians of the day didn't want to use traditional Gothic flying buttresses for the support (like at Notre Dame in Paris), thinking they were unattractive. So, in 1419 there was another contest. This contest was for a functional design for a dome for the cathedral. And guess who it came down to? That's right, Lorenzo Ghiberti and Filippo Brunelleschi. The dome was finally completed in 1436.

One of the details over a door of the Duomo.

The beautiful fresco covered ceiling of the inside of the cathedral.

The expansive inside of Florence Cathedral.

After seeing the Duomo and the Baptistery, we walked to Santa Croce. It was also awe inspiring. There were frescoes by Giotto, as well as the tomb of Michelangelo, Dante, and Galileo.

The lovely piazza in front of Santa Croce.

There are many points in Florence where you can see the dome of Florence Cathedral peeking out.

The Basilica of Santa Croce. Construction on this church began in 1294 and was completed in 1442. The facade of the church dates to the mid-1800's. This church houses tombs of many famous Italians including Michelangelo, Machiavelli, and Galileo.

In front of Santa Croce.

A statue of Dante Alighieri stands in front of Santa Croce. He is actually not buried at this Church.

The inside of the church is AMAZING! There are all these little niches that house frescoes, relics, and priceless worship pieces. Notice in this photo the "patchwork" floor. These are actually tombs. The whole church is filled with these on the floor.

This was a beautiful tomb. I do not know who this one belonged to, but it was very touching.

Dante's empty tomb

Marconi's tomb

The tomb of Lorenzo Ghiberti

The tomb of Machiavelli

The tomb of Galileo. The tomb is made of exquisite marble and shows Galileo looking up to the heavens.

Detail of Galileo. Notice the telescope in his right hand as his left hand rests on a globe set on an open book. Galileo was condemned because of his theory of the Earth revolving around the sun.

Another detail of Galileo's tomb. This shows a central sun figure with planet-like figures revolving around it.

The tomb of Michelangelo Buonarroti. This was so detailed and exquisite the picture doesn't do it justice.

Detail, bust of Michelangelo.

Three large female sculptures adorn the tomb of Michelangelo. These represent his roles as painter, sculptor, and architect (with each figure holding the appropriate tools for that job).

The courtyard outside Santa Croce. And below, the Gnome in that courtyard.

I love this shot looking from the courtyard of Santa Croce to the front of the church. It is interesting to see the "old" part of the church and then the striking difference between the "new" marble facade.

February 20, 2008 (Wednesday)

We woke up at 6:45 this morning. It was so hard to do but we had so much to see! Our first stop was the Accademia. There were several rooms of painting but of course, the masterpiece was Michelangelo's David. He was huge and the setting was spectacular. I wanted to take pictures but there was (once again) no photography allowed. His sculpture was so grand and detailed, you could see his marble veins under the skin!

Outside the Science Museum (with Duomo Gnome)

Next, we found the Science Museum. It was interesting but the Galileo rooms were closed so we didn't get to see his finger (it was removed from his body when his body was moved to the tomb at Santa Croce).

Detail of two different clocks located in the Science Center

We then went to the Uffizi Gallery and spent four hours. This was one of the places I was looking forward to seeing most of all. This museum houses numerous works of art by prominent artists such as Botticelli, Da Vinci, Raphael, and Michelangelo. We ate in the cafeteria here and had a spectacular view of the Duomo and the Palazzo Vecchio. My favorite things to see here were Leonardo's Annunciation and Fra Fillipo Lippi's Madonna and Child with Two Angels (this has been my favorite since my first Italian Renaissance art class).

After we left, we took a stroll on the Ponte Vecchio and looked at all the pretty jewelry shops. At the end of the bridge we got some chocolate chip gelato. Oh my goodness, it was delicious! We ended our day with a visit to the Piazzale Michelangelo. This was such a beautiful view up above the city.

Gelato, beautiful gelato

One of the views from Piazzale Michelangelo. This hilltop location looks down onto Florence below and offers beautiful views of the city. In this view, there is an old wall that seems to separate the hill country from the "city" of Florence.

Santa Croce at night

February 21, 2008 (Thursday)

Let me start by saying I officially became sick last night with a fever and a cough. Mom was so good to me and gave me every medicine known to mankind. Our first stop was the Duomo Museum (which we missed the other day). It was so wonderful. We got to see Michelangelo's Pieta (with his self portrait as Nicodemus), Donatello's Penitent Mary Magdalene and the original panels of Ghiberti's Gates of Paradise. That in itself was amazing.

Michelangelo's Pieta

Detail of Nicodemus, with Michelangelo's self-portrait.

Donatello's Penitent Mary Magdalene (carved from wood), 1454-55

Donatello's Habacuc

One of the panels of The Gates of Paradise

Another panel from The Gates of Paradise

Being silly next to a statue of Eve

Next, we went to the Bargello. The place itself was a work of art (as are most of the buildings we have visited). The Bargello included Michelangelo's Bacchus on the first floor. Again, no photography allowed inside. Inside, there were young artists everywhere with paper and pencil drawing the works of art. On the second floor awaited many of Donatello's work. I was pretty sad that his bronze David was under restoration. However, it was very neat that they were restoring him right there in the Museum. We actually got to see the restoration in progress!! Also here was Donatello's marble St. George and marble David. These artists talents were amazing and were truly deserving of the title "master".

The courtyard at the Bargello

After refueling, our next stop was the impressive Pitti Palace. The setting itself is so beautiful. It sits atop a hill and almost looks like a fortress. We visited the Palatine Gallery, which was exhausting with a collection of such masterpieces that almost rival the Uffizi. We got to look outside the windows at the beautiful Boboli Gardens (which we didn't have time to visit). My favorite work of art here was Raphael's La Dona Velotta. They also had two paintings by Artemesia Gentileschi, a female painter I liked. Photography was once again not allowed inside (but I did sneak a picture of these).

Enjoying a coke and a smile after visiting the Bargello.

Two paintings by Artemisia Gentileschi, at the very bottom right is Judith and her Maidservant and at the top left in the yellow dress is The Penitent Magdalen.