Parking Italian Style

Just a brief post. Ever have one of those days when the last available parallel parking spot just isn't quite long enough? Not a problem in Florence.

Perpendicular parking! (...or maybe your vehicle just isn't quite short enough.)
Ciao.

Charity at the Badia Fiorentina

On this Sunday morning I walked over to the Badia Fiorentina (Florentine Abbey) for Mass. The Badia was begun in 978 by Willa, Marchioness of Tuscany, and remodeled and added on to over the centuries. Dante grew up very close by, and referred to the Badia in his Divine Comedy (Paradiso, Canto XV, Longfellow translation). He would have marked his days by her bells.
"Florence, within the ancient boundary
From which she taketh still her tierce and nones,
Abode in quiet, temperate and chaste."
Here's the Badia's beautiful hexagonal campanile.

The Badia has a main door, but once inside there is only one narrow entrance into the church.

The interior is old and magnificent, with its best-known art treasure being The Virgin Appearing to Saint Bernard by Filippino Lippi (1486). 
The church, which seats perhaps 150, was not crowded when I arrived and sat near the back. Shortly before Mass a fellow carried three crates of bread rolls in and set them near the altar. As people entered, it seemed that many, if not most, were dressed humbly, at least compared to the fine Sunday dress of many churchgoers. As the Mass progressed, the area behind the pews continued to fill until it became quite crowded. It was evident that many were in need. 
Following Mass a few people left quickly, but soon those in the back pressed so closely together there was no leaving. Only a narrow pathway remained open in the direction of the altar. A woman spoke for several minutes from the pulpit, then a handful of workers carrying cloth bags and the bread rolls made their way through the crowd to the narrow exit. Now people pressed against each other to begin to file out and apparently for many to receive coins, distributed from the cloth bags, and bread.
I waited until the church was nearly empty before attempting to leave. At the exit, one of the men with a coin bag momentarily held it up to kindly ask if I was in need, to which I politely replied no before taking leave.
Much to think about. While the pros and cons of complex welfare programs can be debated to no end, there is clear beauty in works of charity, gathering from those who have and giving to those in need. Rather like what Saint Francis was doing eight hundred years ago. If Dante were still near the Badia, I suspect he'd find room in his Paradiso for both its poor and those serving them.
Ciao.

Walking Up to San Miniato al Monte

Went out early today to hike up to San Miniato al Monte. When the name of a church includes "al Monte", that's a hint. I'm not sure when the first stair was invented; probably around the time of the wheel. In any event, during the Eleventh Century when the Church of San Miniato al Monte was built, they were still in fashion. After walking up a steep street, one is greeted with the following flight:

 Which leads to...

However, the views higher up make the trek worth it.

That's the Palazzo Vecchio on the left, Giotto's Campanile near the center, the Duomo on the right and dark clouds above. Turning back to San Miniato al Monte, there are a few more stairs.

However, the climb has its rewards. The facade is in white and green marble, topped by a bronze eagle placed there in 1401 by one of Florence's guilds. At the behest of Michelangelo, during a 1530 seige of Florence the campanile, or bell tower, the top of which can be seen above over the church on the left, was wrapped with mattresses for protection from enemy fire. Here's the top of the facade.

The interior contains much beautiful mosaic work.  Below is just a glimpse; search on line for brighter pictures of the apse and altar. Gregorian Chant is sung here. 

Saint Minias was an Armenian Prince, an early Christian convert who was persecuted by the Roman Emperor Decius. Legend has it that Minias returned to his hermitage here following an unsuccessful attempt to feed him to a wild beast, which left him unharmed, and an ineffective decapitation, from which he miraculously recovered.
On the way back down I stopped at another church, San Salvatore al Monte. It's under the care of Franciscans, as one may have guessed simply observing the fine side entry doors.

Ciao.

Catholic Churches of Florence

An integral part of Florence's faith, hope and history has been her Catholic churches. Santa Maria del Fiore, the Duomo, marks her skyline. The Badia Fiorentina, with its six-sided tower, was near Dante's home. Ognissanti was the church of Amerigo Vespucci's family. Michelangelo and others are interred in Santa Croce. San Lorenzo was the church of the Medici.
This morning I went to mass in a chapel in Santa Maria Novella.

Those are a few of the well-known churches, but there are many others with wonderful histories and art treasures. There also are small parish churches. Later in the morning I went searching for San Leonardo in Arcetri, and found it down a narrow road on the outskirts of town.

Follow the road and you can see its bell tower. Today the church was closed, but a sign indicated a Sunday morning mass. Hope to be back.
Over the years I've seen numerous short lists of Florence's main churches, and at least one long list including historic churches, many of which have been deconsecrated, destroyed or otherwise closed away. The following is a list of churches, ranging from the very large to the very, very small (oratorio), that can be visited, or at least have been accessible at certain times in recent years. They are all within about a one mile radius, as the crow flies, of the center of Florence.
Duomo di Santa Maria del Fiore * Battistero di San Giovanni * Basilica della Santissima Annunziata * Basilica di Santa Croce * Basilica di San Lorenzo * Basilica di Santa Maria Novella * Badia Fiorentina * Ognissanti * Orsanmichele * Sant'Ambrogio * Sant'Apollonia * Santi Apostoli * San Barnaba * San Carlo dei Lombardi * Sant'Egidio * San Filippo Neri * San Gaetano * San Giovannino dei Cavalieri * San Giovannino degli Scolopi * San Giuliano * San Giuseppe * San Marco * Santa Margherita de'Cerchi * Santa Margherita in Santa Maria de'Ricci * Santa Maria Maddelena dei Pazzi * Santa Maria Maggiore * San Martino del Vescovo * San Michele Visdomini * San Paolino * San Remigio * Santi Simone e Guida * Santa Trinita * Basilica di San Miniato al Monte * San Felice * San Francesco di Paola * San Frediano in Cestello * Santa Maria del Carmine * Santa Maria al Pignone * San Niccolo sopr'Arno * San Piero in Gattolino * San Salvatore al Monte * Santo Spirito * San Leonardo in Arcetri * Santa Lucia dei Magnoli.
Each is a gem, especially when one stops in for a prayer. This is the top of the campanile, or bell tower, of the Badia Fiorentina.

Pace e ciao.

Rainy Days in Florence

Rain and more rain has been sweeping across Italy, and the forecast for the days ahead isn't too promising. Throughout Florence one sees high water marks from 1966 when a terrible flood ravaged the city. Thankfully that isn't about to happen again. However, a little Tuscan sunshine would be quite welcomed.
During periods of respite from the rain, it's interesting to just walk about the city and observe things more closely. Here's some detail work on the main entrance to the Duomo, Santa Maria del Fiore.

This is a larger section.

The full doors are much larger.
In an earlier post I mentioned the Medici's were careful not to flaunt their wealth. This was their humble abode prior to moving to the Pitti Palace.

A peek into their nondescript courtyard.



For a bit of brightness, at a piazza near the Arno one can take in some of Florence's fashion scene. Pucci anyone?

 How about Ferragamo?

In need of jewelry?

For something a little racier, there's the Ferrari store, where the sales agents dress in red gear. I suppose it helps to have a full-size racing car on display.

However, some of us would prefer looking in the windows of shops preparing for Easter.

Ciao.

Michelangelo Day

Went early this morning to the Galleria dell'Accademia, the oft-crowded home of Michelangelo's David. According to the art historian Vasari, this work, "put in the shade every other statue, ancient or modern, Greek or Roman." Completed in 1504, it stood for centuries in front of the Palazzo Vecchio (Old Palace). More recently (1873) it was moved indoors.
The early hour (before 9:00 a.m.) on a Tuesday in early March resulted in a very short wait. The Galleria dell'Accademia's works include several treasures by Michelangelo and other artists, among them an Annunciation by Alessandro Allori. In this interesting version of an oft-painted story, Mary is surprised from her reading and sewing work, and turns with her hands raised toward the viewer.  (One can find these works online, with the understanding that no reproduced image approximates seeing the original, but rather gives a fair impression.)
By the time I exited the wait to enter was more than a few minutes.

After a delicious pizza margherita lunch at Gusta Pizza, I walked to the Cappelle Medicee (Medici Chapels), a part of the church of San Lorenzo, to view more works by Michelangelo and others completed at the behest of the Medici family. One can hardly find adequate superlatives to describe the art of Michelangelo. Especially dear in these chapels is a Madonna and Child over the tomb of Lorenzo (the Magnificent) Medici and his brother Giuliano.
As I've talked of art without showing it in this post, I'll finish here with a rather famous street corner in Florence. To the left you can see a replica of David in front of the Palazzo Vecchio, through the arches in the center can be seen a corner of the Uffizi, and on the right is the Loggia dei Lanzi with its sculptures. The area in front is the Piazza della Signoria.  

Ciao

Fiesole Walk

With rain in the forecast, I decided to take advantage of today's sunshine to go on an uphill walk to Fiesole. As long as Florence has been around, Fiesole has been here longer, going back to about 700 B.C. My hopes for some fine views of Florence all but disappeared when it became clear (or unclear) that this was a Tuscan "burn day". There weren't many fires going in the valley, but those that were gave off billowing clouds that soon settled in a haze over the region.
Still, it was good to walk out of the city up through an area of vines and villas and on to Fiesole, with all of its charms. Here's a fairly clear view (except for the smoke) on the way up.

Although Fiesole draws many tourists with its views, old churches, very old ruins, and contemporary restaurants and lodgings, it's still a nice place to explore and discover.  Here is perhaps the most manicured park one could ever hope to see.

And a Fiesole street scene, as depicted above someone's mail slot.

I'll spare you any of the wonderful-but-very-hazy views of Florence.
As for the round trip walk, about ten miles total, with a good map one can at least avoid some of the traffic and still go a fairly direct route. My trek lasted about five hours.
On the main road one passes through a town with a beautiful Dominican Church. Not surprisingly, the name of the town is San Domenico. At one time Fra Angelico lived here. Here's just a section of the church ceiling.

Re-entering the city, Florence has an outer traffic artery to handle the flow of vehicles, especially important as access to the inner city is limited. However, when the roadway was built its designers had a problem. On a rise right in the middle of things there was an old English cemetery. How were they to address this challenge?

The old English cemetery is now a traffic island, a peaceful oasis encircled by the commuter flow. Fortunately, the rise and walls do seem to set the traffic apart. Here is the resting place of one of the English community's notables.

The "E-B-B" stands for Elizabeth Barrett Browning. 
Ciao.

Pala Nerli

Finding humor in religious art is perhaps an idiosyncratic trait. However, sometimes in Florence one can be both inspired by the beauty of a work of art and amused by its details. For example, today in the Basilica of Santo Spirito (a creation of Brunelleschi) I was admiring the following oil painting (internet photo copy) by Filippino Lippi.

It is called the Pala Nerli and was painted around the time Columbus was sailing the Atlantic. A longer title is Madonna and Child between Saints Martin of Tours and Catherine of Alexandria and the Patrons. I suspect the original has been restored, as it is vividly colorful and stands out among the masterpieces of Santo Spirito, along with a precious crucifix by Michelangelo.
The little one below the Madonna and Child is undoubtedly a young John the Baptist. Standing on one side is Saint Martin of Tours, and on the other Saint Catherine of Alexandria.
So, who might be the two individuals in black kneeling in the lower corners? Why, they are the patrons, Tanai and Nanna de' Nerli. As Tanai funded Lippi's sacred work, one can perhaps understand a desire to appear in it, although it seems almost presumptuous that Tanai would be brought forward by the hand of Saint Martin and Nanna would be personally introduced by Saint Catherine.
In any event, we now have a scene from the beginning of the First Century, with two saints from the early Fourth Century, along with a patron and his spouse from the late Fifteenth Century. Much in Florence does seem to transcend time. Also, the arched gate in the background of the painting is of interest, as I walked under it just the other day, in the San Frediano section of Florence, close to where the Nerli's used to live, over five hundred years ago.
In fairness, the Nerli's were probably very devout, and the inclusion of family members in art works was fairly commonplace during the Renaissance. Today's visitors to Santo Spirito can still be spiritually inspired by Lippi's masterpiece, even with the Nerli's being right there.
Ciao.

Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens

Before and during the Renaissance the Medici family gained much wealth and power through its banking interests. Back then, there were those who wished "to keep up with (or surpass) the Medici", among them another banker, Luca Pitti. Now, the Medici were wise enough to not flaunt their wealth (it was obvious enough); however, Luca Pitti was not. Legend has it he decided to outdo the Medici by building a very grand palace. Thus, in the mid-Fifteenth Century, construction of the Pitti Palace began.  Pity poor Pitti: this was probably not the first time an ambitious home builder got in over his head, and certainly not the last. Being in banking, you'd think he would have known better. Here's the front entrance.

Really not much to look at when compared with other Florentine architecture. Pitti moved forward for several years until he had financial difficulties. He eventually died, though the palace remained in the Pitti family until the mid-Sixteenth Century when a willing buyer appeared on the scene, none other than the Medici family. Actually, the new owner was Eleonora di Toledo, Duchess of Florence, wife of Cosimo I de Medici, who wanted a place for visiting guests to stay. In time the palace became the Medici residence, was more than doubled in size, and the Boboli gardens were developed as a rather opulent back yard. The view behind the palace:

The interior of the palace now houses several museums, with a wealth of art and other Renaissance treasures.  During winter the Boboli Gardens appear as most gardens in winter, with the exception of some rather substantial garden ornaments.  Here are some water statues.

Here they are from a distance.  Neither the statues nor the bird seem to move very much.

Here's a nice cypress lined walkway.

 

A rear view of the palace.

Even on a chilly day, at least one visitor was having a grand time with so much room to run about.  A plus of a winter visit is the absence of crowds.

Behind a wing of the palace a couple of lions appear to be staring at each other, each with a paw over an orb, perhaps a globe, and perhaps reflective of the concerns that weigh on those with wealth and power.

Finally, leaving behind the treasures of the Pitti Palace, one finds across the way a pleasing contemporary discovery.

A shop specializing in teas and chocolates.  On that bright thought...ciao.

Bellosguardo

Over many centuries Florence has developed to the east and west along the Arno. However, to the north and south one can still find rural areas rich with natural beauty and history. To the north is Fiesole, high on a hill and well known for its charm and a past extending to Etruscan times. Many ride cars or busses or go on five mile treks to take in this pre-Florentine town.
Less visited but with comparable views is Bellosguardo, a small hill community south of Florence. On a hazy, overcast day limiting those views, I decided to walk up through Bellosguardo. The road started to rise passing through a nice neighborhood.

Nice for the most part; not sure how the neighbors must have felt when this corner room was added.  Perhaps it was there first.

Soon, the wall-lined road narrowed and started to curve sharply.  This is a two-way road, in theory.

Early on I noticed cars honking, then realized, as they approached each sharp turn, they would sound to warn drivers coming from the other direction. While the countryside here is lovely, when a few cars would appear simutaneously the experience of enjoying the (honk) scenery and the villas and gardens and the distant (toot) mountain views would fall a bit short of customary rural Italian tranquility (beep beep). Still, it's a good climb.
Florence could be seen through the haze.

One can discern the Duomo on the left and the Palazzo Vecchio on the right, but it was not a day for picture taking.
There is a small hamlet atop Bellosguardo, a hill with much history. Among the persons to have resided on Bellosguardo were Nathaniel Hawthorne, Henry James, Florence (named after the city of her birth) Nightingale and, perhaps most notably, Galileo Galilei, who lived near this piazza.

So, for future reference, Bellosguardo is best visited on a clear day. It is a modest uphill walk from the city, on a narrow, winding road. Those choosing to go there by car or Vespa are forewarned to drive cautiously and to you-know-what before every sharp curve.
Ciao.