Architecture

Charmed by the late Medieval carvings at the Museo dell’opera di duomo, Firenze

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Taking full advantage of the open door policy for residents, today I happily visited the cathedral’s Museo. I’m a greedy little art historian: tomorrow I will pay the museum another visit. Because I can! Oh, the luxury of living in Florence! I feel so blessed.

I was beguiled by the carvings for the cathedral, created in the 1330s, by Andrea Pisano and his workshop.  Please join me in enjoying their naive loveliness:

God creating Adam:

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Can Eve be far behind? No!

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You know what follows. Eventually Adam is going to have to go to work.

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Jubal: the beginning of sheep herding.  Complete with his tent and little dog.

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Jubal: the beginning of the art of music:

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Tubalcain, the beginning of the art of metal work:

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The Drunkenness of Noah: the beginning of wine making:

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The art of building:

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The art of medicine:

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The art of weaving:

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The beginning of law making:

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Perhaps, since I spend some time teaching English online to children in China, I really liked “grammatica”

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Here’s “architecture”

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And here is Phidias, who was the first famous sculptor:

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The sacrament of baptism:

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Appelles, the art of painting:

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And an image that soothed my soul: “Reconciliation”

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But, today, of all the stunning things I saw, I like this one best of all.  The Madonna and Child by Andrea Pisano’s workshop:

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I love, love, love the way the madonna seems to genuinely enjoy the humor of the Christ child, as she tickles him??!!

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When in Florence, you must go see these charmers!

 

The medieval baptistery in Florence in open once again

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As if to thank the residents of Florence for enduring the 2 month long lockdown, the government has given us free admission into the complex of the duomo.  As the 4 buildings of the baptistery, the bell tower, the cathedral and the museum reopen, we can, with reservations made online, visit these sites for free. Hallelujah!  I am seriously in  need of some artistic nourishment.

I was one of the first people to enter the baptistery on May 22 and, for a period of about 10 minutes, I had the entire place to myself.  Wow.  That’s an exceedingly rare experience and I’ll remember it forever.

 

 

 

 

 

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This town and the baptistery are both dedicated to the patron saint of St. John the Baptist.

The next few pictures are of the ceiling and the altar itself in in the altar niche in the baptistery. First, Christ in Majesty in mosaic.

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opposite: The Virgin and Child.

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Below, the central medallion over the altar.

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I really love the simple, medieval decoration of the back wall. It has not been “Renaissanced” up.

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The exterior of the baptistery is so wonderful, with the striped patterns made up of creamy white and dark green veneers of marble:

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Back inside, the tomb of Pope Paul XXIII by Donatello is under cover for the moment.

 

Below, more details of the altar space:

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And now, for the outstanding mosaic cycle in the domed space above. I’ll never forget confronting the face of Jesus when I made my first visit to Florence when I was 27.  I wasn’t prepared for this Byzantine visage, thinking Florence would be all-Renaissance, all the time.

 

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A statue of St. John the Baptist above and below:

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The eye wanders up to the dome again and again:

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A sarcophagus that looks like it might be a recycled Roman era object, with a lid that clearly relates to Christianity.

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I love looking at the gallery space, especially the inlaid ceilings:

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The ceiling in the gallery space below is treated with mosaics as well.

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And once more, looking up at the dome:

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It is also worth looking down. The many-patterned pavement in this august building is superb:

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And now for the font, the building’s raison d’être:

 

 

 

And now, one last look at the Baptistery with no one in it but Byzantine Jesus and me.

 

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Re-opened Florence

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Little by little, she is coming back to life.

The Uffizi is still closed to the public, but I was reassured that Cosimo I, il Pater Patriae, is still waiting for me, as is Lorenzo il Magnifico.  Very nice to know!

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Together these Medici gentlemen guard the Uffizi, even during a pandemic.

 

The nearby Palazzo Vecchio, is partially open.  The museum and tours are not yet ready for visitors, but the elegant and lovely cortile is ready to be admired again.  And, I am a very willing supplicant.

 

 

 

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And a quick stop for a real cappuccino served in a real cup at the bar at Scudieri.  Life is good!

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Things are so much clearer now

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Oh, the pleasures of Florence without the crowds!  It was almost worth enduring the pandemic.

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The familiar places in this open-air museum speak to me in a new language without the tourists and hordes. The buildings appear smaller without the crowds.  I don’t know why that is true, but I notice it all the time.

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But also, I see things I didn’t see before.  For example, Verrochio’s golden ball was knocked off the top of the duomo in the 1600s. It was struck by lightening and fell to earth.  I had read that the spot where it landed in the piazza has a marker, but I’ve never found it even though I have asked lots of Florentines if they know where it is.

 

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And then yesterday, approaching il duomo from the east, I saw it!  The white circle marks the spot.

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“The golden ball of Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral was built by Andrea del Verrocchio in 1468. Placed on the Cathedral on 27th of May in 1471, the ball immediately became a symbol for Florence citizens.

In particular on 8th of April in 1492 when, almost as premonition, of Lorenzo de Medici’s imminent death, lightning struck Verrocchio’s work.

On the night of 17th of January, 1601, when the golden ball, with its 2.30 meters in diameter and 18 tons in weight, was struck by lightning and fell down from the Cathedral. In order not to forget the danger and damage of lightning on the Cathedral and in the square, in the exact spot of the fall was marked by a slab of marble, still visible today.” http://www.manetti.com/en/2014/04/02/golden-ball-santa-maria-del-fiore/

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And then, check out the house nearby where Donatello had his studio. The plaques and bust mark the spot.

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Now, go back 3 pictures and look at the reflection of the beautiful duomo in the window above Donatello’s bust. Cool, right?

Florence, wonderful Florence!

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Oh, how I have missed you! Your hidden secrets and outward beauties!

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The Albizi family headquarters; they were the mortal enemies of the Medici family:

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The Valori Altoviti Palace was built in the 15th century by the Albizzi family. The palazzo was taken away from the family after the exile of Rinaldo Albizzi, who had opposed Cosimo il Vecchio in a frantic struggle for power.

The palazzo was purchased by the Valori, and the humanist Baccio Valori had a new palace constructed at the end of the 16th century, bringing together this palace, a Strozzi palace, and another residence.

On the new façade, Baccio Valori had the stelae painted by Giovan Battista Caccini with the busts of 15 illustrious men, but little known by the people, who called it the Palazzo Visacci  (nasty faces). The palazzo was restored in the 18th century, and later became the property of the Altoviti family.

 

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Vault of the blind.