Monday- LOST LUGGAGE= MADNESS
Newark, "Everyone out of terminal"
Brussels to Munich (Security wasn't going to accept my visa, then they "forgot" to return my tickets when I was finally dismissed)
Lufthansa- "Oh yes the plane will leave on time, but we've just received word that your baggage won't make it..."
Munich Airport attendant after I run through terribly late "You can sit down, it's late"
Florence, no baggage, but found my roomate Rob, who coincidentally, was on the same flight and ironically, knew no more Italian than myself!
Taxi ride to school- Bad american pop music...
Tuesday 5 - Duomo Tour
Today I went on a tour of Florence's Duomo. It was given by Laura, one of the cute Italian teachers at our school, LDM, who spoke only in Italian!
The duomo (duomo is italian for cathedral) is a massive building in the center of town directly across from the baptistery. The facade was made in the 15th century after the neo gothic style and inside the ceiling has high, but rounded arches which are meant to draw your attention to the altar and back of the cathedral.
The most amazing feature of the Duomo is Bruneleschi's dome which is huge and has an incrediblly realistic picture of the different levels of heaven and hell. When you look up you almost think the bodies might actually fall on you. Bruneleschi also designed the stained glass window depicting Mary in the front and he was buried beneath the old main entrance to the Cathedral.
Another intriguing work in the Duomo was a picture of Dante's divine comedy when you walk in on the left. Although Dante was often at odds with the church, the duomo was once a place where many cultural events were held. In religious places like this, the works of Dante and other great Italian writers would be read to the masses.
6, Wednesday La Benfana
3 Things today: Lunch with Peter, Ponte Vecchio, LA BEFANA PARADE with drumers and people in renaissance garb.
Today we went out to lunch on the Ponte Vecchio, with our Villanova group. The old bridge(vecchio=old) was beautiful, decorated with many stores selling leather and gold. After we left Peter we continued over the bridge towards the Piti Palace and ran right into the parade for the Benfana!
There were hundreds upon hundreds of actors, all dressed in traditional Florentine garb. The three wise men came riding in on horses; Flag twirlers/throwers and drummers followed close behind. Although it was lightly raining the parade went on. Once they reached the center of town they fired off a blank shot from a cannon, before returning later that night.
Thursday, January 7 Italian Market
After class we discovered the Italian market. To my horror I saw a a dead chicken looking back at me. I guess in Italy they don't care that this sight might scare the customers. My italian friend purchased a number of cold cuts which we served at dinner (the prosciutto was excellent).
Having had my fill of the market, I decided to venture off on my own. After grabbing my first Italian pizza I went in search of Dante's house. Turns out it wasn't to hard to find, there's a street named after him. The house wasn't the original; however, it was reconstructed in the 19th century in concurrence with the style prevelant in the 14th century. Today his house is a private museum, holding many pictures of scenes from his house. It also holds a reconstruction of Dante's bedroom(the bed was incredibly small).
Right down the street there was a tiny church where Dante was said to worship(Church of San Margherita dei cerci). Florence is full of little treasures and I find many of the churches speak more of the past than the museums. There's one cute one right down the street from us named Maratona Maridona, which I have been meaning to check out.
And the night was for tango! I heard about this great little place from www.faitango.it. across the Arno. All in all it was in exciting day!
Friday January 8th- Pallazo vechio e Piazza del Signora
Today I went to the Palazzo Vecchio(palace). I stupidly forgot my camera, but there were several interesting points I remember. The main hall you enter is huge. Very tall, with sculpture all around the edges. The sculpture portrays Hercules carrying out his 12 feats and Florence's personified victory over other nations. Michelangelo's Florence triumphing over the older Sienna is brutal.
From what I overheard on a private tour that I snuck onto, the roof is sagging because of the sheer weight. The ceiling serves a double function in that it is both holding the building up, and pulling the thing down. In the nineteenth cenury an architect saved the sagging roof from completely collapsing by talking the weight off half the supports.
Right next to the Palace is a really neat plazza with 2 huge lions. 1 is from Renaissance Florence and the other is from ancient Rome. They look like mere images of the other. Also, in the middle of the showchase is Menealus helping Perseus up. On the side is one of the many frightening images of the rape of the Sabine women. This image was also in the academia.
Saturday January 9th- Bargello & Academia
Today I ran up to the top of Piazza San Michelangelo. The view was spectacular! When we finally arrived we could see the last remnants of a beautiful rainbow. You could see the entire city, the Arno river and see the major edifices. The dome of the Duomo was the most visible and easily recognizable landmark.
Next, I went with the other Villanova students to the Bargello. The Bargello is a magnificent sculpture museum right down the street from our apartment. It has many great works including sculptures by Michelangelo, Donatello, and Verrochio. I managed to sneak into a tour group and we learned about the progression of the David sculpture. Donatello was the first to paint him nude and he shows him standing over the head of Goliath. Donatello's St. George was the symbol of Florence until Michelangelo David's came around(which was incredible). On the third floor was Verrochio's david, which showed him clothed once again, but stepping past goliath's head.
After this, we headed over to the Academia where Michelangelo's David is held. Giambogini also had a number of interesting works. The rape of the Sabine women is everywhere and it is the first thing you see when you walk in the door. In addition to David, there was an intstrument section. This was the first time I was able to visualize the difference between a piano and a harpsichord.
The harpsichord plucks the string on the way up, but goes silently back down because the feather bends the other way. The sound quality is bright and cheery.
However in the lates 1600s the pianoforte was invented by a hiree of the Medice. Although the piano uses a hammer, it has 3 parts which rise in unison. The strings then reverberate until the mallet is released at which point, the dampener returns to its position on the string.
Before heading beack to my room I took a detour to two beautiful churches. The first was Michelangelo's church and the second was the church of Santa Croce, which overlooks a larage piazza.
Oh, we also went to the accademia and saw Michelangelo's David, along with some of his unfinished artworks. This makes 3 of 4- Donatello 1430, Verrocchio 1470, Michelangelo 1501-4, Bernini 1623). This David is simple yet huge. He hasn't faced Goliath yet, like Donatello's, but he is getting ready to take ont the world. The left arm is against his side so the weight doesn't fall off. Michelangelo did a good job.
Also in the academia is Giambologna's plaster Rape of the Sabines(1582) this was his final exam, and in the other main room their are numerous busts from other famous artists' final exams.
Sunday, January 10th Bobboli Gardens
Today I went to the Piti Palace and the Boboli Gardens. The Piti palace is incredibly ornate and filled with the masterpieces of Fra De Lippi, Raphael, and Titian.
Lippi's work was one of the first circular paintings of the Renaissance. It was awash with gemotrical lines to create the right perspective.
Most of the artists portrayed different pictures of Mother Mary with Jesus. My favorite was the one where Saint Anne/Elizabeth tickles baby Jesus. Most of these pictures use triangles(like Da Vinci) to create order.
Titian's man was very imposing. He had gray/bluish eyes that seemed to look right at me. In fact, most of the images seemed to be looking out or sticking out, like Raphael's mother who rests her arm along the bottom of the frame.
After the palace there was the Bobboli gardens. It was quite a trek to the top but the view was pretty impressive. I could see the Duomo and Bargello. The gardens were incredibly expansive and steep, but I would love to go back if I have a chance. There was one really cool cave which had a number of images coming out of the walls (la giotta? unfinished Michelangelo sculpture?)I suppose they were made of sandstone, but they were frightening. In the middle was a marble statue of a man grabbing a protesting woman's hair.
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