A Renaissance Walk

Coming out of the Duomo, we had no major plans.  With appointments for the Bargello in the late afternoon and for the Uffizi the next day, we turned to our trusty audio guide, Rick Steves, to direct our path on a Renaissance walk.

Starting at the Duomo, the tour took us down the Via de Calziuoli, which has served as the main pedestrian walkway since the Duomo' dome was but a dream in Brunelleschi's head, towards Orsanmichele.  This impressive building served as a grain storage facility until it was renovated into a church during the Renaissance.  Evidence of its prior function, with covered slot openings for pouring out grain to bolts in the roof that secured hooks for raising bushels upwards, can still be seen, but again the true attraction is the artwork in situ.  The massive tabernacle encasing a portrait of Madonna and child is truly astonishing in its intricacy and beauty; it's considered one of the great works of art predating the Renaissance.

It costs nothing to enter the building, and was definitely worth sitting down to allow the profound stillness and gravity of the place fill you with reverence.  It became something of a ritual for Arthur to find a quiet place to sit down and look around, trying to feel the awe of a 13th century layman entering into sacred space; something that he found deeply moving and something that kept him fresh as we moved from location to place.

Outside, Oranmichele is ornamented with statues by some of the giants of the early Renaissance.  Donatello's St. Mark and St. George stand guard in marble; Ghiberti adds in a Matthew and Stephen in bronze, in face the first freestanding bronze statues seen in Europe; even Brunelleschi contributed.  These statues were all commissioned by guilds of different trades and symbols for the guilds can be seen carved into the niches where the statues reside.

At this point, we did stop for some sandwiches prepared in a small little shop on the other side of the street that had been in business for almost 150 years.  It was delicious, and we enjoyed watching the pigeons clean up after the customers.   Then it was on to the Palazzo Vecchio, the town hall we had been to the night before.  We got some much better pictures in daylight than the previous night, then it was time for the Bargello.

The Bargello, which translates to jail, makes no secret of its previous function, and its sturdy stone walls fit the part.  Today is serves as home to some of the most important statues and sculptures of the Renaissance.  We saw some early works of Michaelangelo and Donatello.  On the second floor, three Davids reside in a corner, illustrating the progression of sculpture from Medeival art to the Renaissance.  The entries from the famous contest for the right to create the bronze doors of the Duomo baptistry between Brunelleschi and Ghiberti were there.  It was fun to try to guess who won.

The Bargello hosts an impressive collection, from small figures dating back to the Etruscans to an armory of antiquated weaponry.  We happy took it all in until closing time.

After indulging in great art we decided to take a little bit of a break and indulge in some gelato.  We sat on the steps right outside San Croce, where Galileo, Michelangelo, and Ghiberti are buried.  We did not have time to look in, but it was amazing to think of so many amazing men coming in such a short span of time from the same town of 50,000.  We did make a quick stop at the leather school located behind the church and watched a few of the craftsmen at work.

We then made our way up the hill across the river to San Miniato atop the tallest hill in Florence.
The monks reside in a church overlooking the town and this made for some beautiful views of the city.  Inside, the chapel built in 1018 was pre-Renaissance, with a large 12th century  mosaic greeting you as you come in.  We were there to listen to the monks' nightly Gregorian chants.  We arrived early enough that we caught the end of mass as well.  The chants were held in the crypt of the church.  There were minimal windows in Romanesque architecture and since it was late afternoon it was fairly dark with just candle light.  The melodies were basic and without accompaniment which showcased the monks' voices.  After the hustle and bustle of being a tourist in Florence it was nice to sit and be mindful and contemplative.  Arthur enjoyed the concert thoroughly; Alex reached her max of contemplation headed outside a little early to catch watching sunset over Florence from the church's steps. 

We then meandered back through Florence to our "neighborhood", Piazza di San Spirito.  We then got some margherita pizza from the aptly named Gusta Pizza and enjoyed our pizza with the locals out in San Spirito square.  The highlight for Alex was when an Italian asked us where we got our pizza and she was able to reply in Italian.  Speaking Italian just seems to come a little bit easier if speaking with your mouth full of pizza. 

And finally, this day that has comprised the past three posts began concluding.  On our way back, we stopped by the Uffizi courtyard to listen to more street performers while enjoying our second cone of gelato for the day.  This time the musicians were a trio of two violins and a cello performing Vivaldi and Pachelbel.  Usually we aren't much for a nightlife but we had a hard time convincing ourselves we needed to head back to the hotel and go to bed.  There was just so much to drink in at night in Florence.

And with that, dear reader, we conclude day one of Florence.  It was a full day but one of our favorites on the trip.  Omnia Vincit Amour.