I had a relaxing train ride from Roma to Firenze. While we took the slow train and some people complained about the length of this trip, I never mind traveling for long periods of time. Even though I discovered my ipod was dead as a doornail the moment we sat down on the train, I was able to finish my book, which is always satisfying and little disappointing for me. Anyway, the train meandered through the Tuscan countryside, offering beautiful views of little towns perched on hills and sheep grazing in valleys below. After getting in to Florence, we walked to our hostel on a route that took us through pretty much all of the major areas in Florence. We saw the Duomo and the Ponte Vecchio just on the short walk to the hostel! We were greeted by Vladi, the sweetest guy and the owner of the Hostel. We became fast friends when he circled all the "must-sees" on a map for us and offered to meet us for drinks later!
I spent the rest of the day just walking all over the city, along the Arno, through the major piazze and down little alleys with a rotating group of friends. I got to enjoy Piazza Repubblica, Ponte Vecchio, the Duomo and even Michelangelo's house!! I also dipped into many little churches I discovered lining the narrow streets of the city.
Exhausted, we had an early night after meeting up with the group for dinner at the tiniest lid ristorante. In the morning, the 9 of us went to breakfast with Vladi and then ventured to our appointment at the Uffizzi gallery! We got to skip the ridiculous line because Tara had the foresight to make a reservation. Nice move Tara! I love how the gallery is set up; it starts with paintings from the medieval period with romanesque, byzantine and gothic, and works its way through renaissance. Being with Tara (reminder: art history major) was incredible because she was able to provide little tidbits that really helped me to appreciate more what I was seeing. She pointed out details that helped put each painting into context, such as the medieval use of gold backgrounds in comparison to the use of detailed backgrounds that began suddenly in the 1400s when people realized that not all art had to revolve around Jesus and the church. I learned that this is the time when people started commissioning art for their homes instead of artists just creating pieces for church alters. Very interesting.
After the Uffizzi, I decided that since a certain friend owed me money, I would make him pay the 8 euro for me to climb to the top of the Duomo. He graciously accompanied me, and we climbed the over 400 steps to the top of the massive dome, which overlooks all of Florence. Even if I had had to pay that 8 euro by myself, it would have been worth it. I never wanted to climb down. The day was perfectly clear and beautiful and I stayed up there, taking in the views from all 360 degrees for over an hour. Really special was being able to stand on the side of the dome that overlooks the piazza and having a perfect view of Giotto's bell tower.
After I reluctantly descended, I ventured over to the Church of San Lorenzo, where I was very excited to see the Medici Chapel and Biblioteca Laurentina, where Michelangelo's famous steps are located. Much to my dismay, the chapel and biblioteca were closed until march. This was a huge letdown and but me in a sour mood for a little while. However, when I met up with Tara in front of the duomo, my mood was brightened to discover that she had been coerced into buying a leather jacket she was not interested in keeping. I tried it on and it fit perfectly!! A leather jacket is the one item I told myself I was allowed to buy here, and I was able to buy the jacket off of her!! Not to mention she had gotten it for half price.
That night, we had a reservation at Il Latini, a restaurant where you pay a fixed price and they bring you food all night. It was basically a 5 course meal. About an hour before dinner I got a call from DANIELLE who had just arrived in Firenze. We dropped her stuff at the hostel and she joined the 9 of us for dinner! It was delightful; we had antipasti of pate on yummy bread and fried polenta bites, then three different types of soup, three different types of pasta and lots of MEAT!! After these courses we had an array of desserts and cappuccino. At the end of the meal, our server, Alessandro, brought us three bottles of Il Latini wine, per gratis!!! It was a wonderful experience, everyone at the restaurant was so friendly and we were in great company.
We spent the rest of the night exploring Florence, and woke up in the morning to go to the Accademia, which houses The David. He was pretty incredible. I wasn't expecting to see him when I did. We walked in to a room with some paintings, and then turned into another hallway which houses Michelangelo's prisoners. I LOVED these statues because they are unfinished sculptures of Michelangelo's, so the figures are literally imprisoned in the block on stone. Not to mention it was fascinating to see a preserved step of the creative process of one of the world's most renowned artists. As I was observing the prisoners, I lifted my head up to see David towering at the end of the hall. Was not expecting it, but I was pulled toward him and could not look away. He is MASSIVE and perfectly proportioned and Michelangelo perfectly captures the details of his body: veins, muscles, his broad shoulders, even his toes. I walked around him and around him, taking in each angle. I liked looking at him from all the way to the right of the hall; he is positioned so that no matter how hard you try, no matter how far against the right wall of the room you can't ever catch his gaze. It's very mysterious.
Back when I saw Bernini's David, I said it would be interesting to compare, and it was. Bernini and Michelangelo captured David at two very different moments, and each statue is therefore amazing in different ways. Bernini captures the tension and determination in David's face and body as he throws the fatal stone at Goliath. When I saw The David, I imagined Michelangelo had intended it to be in the aftermath of killing Goliath. He is pensive and calm, with his slingshot draped over his shoulder. It's almost as if he's wondering what to do next, now that his nemesis is dead. Not until later did I find out I had completely misinterpreted the piece. Michelangelo in fact depicts David before the battle, humbled before the task that lies ahead of him. Oh well, shows what I know about art.
After the Accademia, a few of us went and found the elusive "best gelateria in Florence". It did not disappoint; it was the best gelato I've had to date in Italy. We returned to the hostel to collect our belongings and say a somber farewell to Vladi, promising we'd be back, and I will be because I want to return in March or April to visit San Lorenzo and Piazzale di Michelangelo.
Overall, a very successful trip. It was a bit of a letdown to leave Florence. It is so small that after just a few days there I felt right at home and as though I knew my way around. However, it was very exciting to be able to return to Rome, which I can now affectionately call home.
Paris on Thursday!!!
A Presto-
J
No comments:
Post a Comment