Wishing you a happy Christmas from a world famous capital of fashion, Milan!
Buon Natale from Florence!
For my family, Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan
Never before, in any church, have I seen colored votive candles. These are exquisite, providing warm colors throughout this dark, chilly church.
For Mother, Marian Brum, Oscar H., Grandmother Lauretta, and dad. RIP.
Buon Natale a tutti voi! Merry Christmas to all!
Buon Natale a tutti voi ::: Merry Christmas to all of you! ::: From the heart of Florence!
Leonardo’s Last Supper, Milan
Dear Fellow Former Met Girl,
So, I think you will enjoy this. I had a ticket to visit the Last Supper for 15 minutes on Wednesday at 5 pm. That’s how they do it nowadays. You buy your ticket online if you want to be sure to get in. No more dropping by anything interesting in Italy anymore; sure, you can try, but you will most likely be disappointed.
My visits to the Scrovegni Chapel were 20 minutes long. Didn’t realize I was spoiled with that!
Anyhoo, I have a new iPhone and it has a mind of its own. Typically when I take a video, the light doesn’t come on. So, I was making a video of the last supper when I heard this screeching coming from somewhere in the refectory. I knew right away somebody had made a faux-pas.
I kept filming until I realized, when 2 Italian matrons were bum-rushing me, that the faux pas was mine. My camera light was on and that was a huge no- no.
I turned off my camera and apologized profusely, explaining that I didn’t know the light was on. Finally they stood down, but only after telling me I had to delete the video. I promised to do so and acted like I was.
But, I kept it and here it is for all the world to enjoy!
This is how a former Met girl goes to Milan. Just like a bronze foundry in Brooklyn!
xx, L
The tabernacles of Florence
On many, many street corners in Florence you will encounter an early mode of “street art.” Of course, they are religious. Most art from these periods was religious.
I love seeing them all over the city, these combinations of painting and sculpture:
Procacci, Florence
Right in the heart of Florence, on its famed Via Tornabuoni, sits Procacci, one of the city’s oldest delicatessens and a lovely meeting place. The decor maintains its vintatge appeal. Procacci was founded in 1885, and quickly became acclaimed among Florentines, especially for its culinary specialties with truffles and its famous sandwiches.
It’s a heavenly little spot for a prosecco of an afternoon, with a truffle sandwich on specially made, fluffy buns. What a treat!
Patrizia, one of my favorite Florentines!
Pietro Tacca’s fountains in Piazza della Santa Annunziata, Florence
Here’s an eerie image taken in Florence on a stormy day.
I love this sculpture and its matching partner created by Pietro Tacca (1577-1640) and now installed in this major piazza in the center of Florence.
Tacca was born in Carrara; he joined Giambologna’s Florentine atelier in 1592. Tacca took over the workshop of his master upon the elder sculptor’s death in 1608. He finished a number of Giambologna’s incomplete projects and succeeded him almost immediately as the court sculptor to the Medici Grand Dukes of Tuscany.
These bronze fountains were originally destined for Livorno. Fortunately for Florence, they were installed here instead. Created in the Mannerist style, Tacca was inspired by Flemish goldsmith’s work, from which he borrowed the grotesque masks and shellwork textures.
In the center of this grand piazza stands this equestrian statue:
It is Giambologna’s equestrian bronze of Ferdinando I de’ Medici (Grand Duke of Tuscany), which was completed by his student and assistant, Tacca.
Tacca also contributed the bas-relief panels on the base for Giambologna’s equestrian statue of Cosimo de’ Medici in the Piazza della Signoria.
Telling time and other things: the Palazzo Medici
A quick visit on a winter’s Sunday afternoon; what could be better? Not much, to me.
Strolling through a few galleries, I noticed this timepiece on the wall. A way to time an hour, I suspect?
Milan, random beauty shots, December 2019
I got to enjoy a few days in Milan this week and here are some random pictures of things that caught my eye. Some are just fun, some are quite lovely!
Milan has a lot of stunning architecture:
Italy has an endless kaleidoscope of decorative iron work:
I was happy to learn that Santa really exists!
Aww….Merry Christmas!
Hello, Leo! Everyone is celebrating the 500th anniversary of your death this year! Gone but not forgotten.
In Milan, college graduates wear the corona too. Auguri, young scholar!
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, you are ever so lovely:
My vote for prettiest antique bakery goes to Pasticceria Marchesi, founded in 1824. I love anything from this shop (and I think there is a little something something from here under my tree at home?).
Piazza del Duomo:
Other places:
T’is the season:
From the grand train station, one of the most impressive in the world:
get back, lauretta! 
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