City of the Arts

Hello again, friends!  Yesterday’s activity took me all around town in a fascinating Art History tour.  Now, I must confess, I didn’t retain much of the details behind the artifacts, but I can tell you a few things.  I’m really hoping that my Art History of the Great Masters class will help me more, because this stuff really is quite interesting.

Here is the Florence Cathedral, often known as the Duomo.  I mostly use this enormously tall building with distinct outside design as a landmark to get me to the center of the town.  The cathedral’s real name is Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore and the gothic style architecture is reminiscent of old European style.  Interestingly, the outer façade of the building is not the original.  The Medici, during their reign, decided to hold a competition (I’m told the Florentine love competition) to redesign the Basilica since the Grand Duke thought it was outdated. The winner stands today in a triumphant display of neo-gothic design for all to see at the heart of the city.

The dome that you see was actually the last part of the Cathedral to be finished. In the beginning of the 15^th century, nearly a hundred years since the rest of the Cathedral was built, a gaping hole still stood where the dome was supposed to be.  The numerous technical issues with creating a dome led Filippo Brunelleschi to hold a competition among engineers and architects.  The competition was to create a dome that would hold an egg in perfect balance at the top of the dome.  After nobody could create such a thing, Brunelleschi pulled a fast one on the competition.  By carefully cutting the bottom of the egg off to make a flat surface, he won his own competition and was commissioned to build the dome himself.  Genius, if you ask me.  Michelangelo has even been known to feel that he himself could not create a dome more beautiful than this, and often sited Brunelleschi as a great influence on his works. 

The doors of the Basilica all look like this, huge masterpieces made of bronze that tell the story different major religious events.  This door (pictured below) represents the story of St. John the Baptist.  I found the most interesting part of the doors to be the realistic three-dimensional pictures – I can only imagine how difficult the bronze must have been to work with for Niccolò Barabino to make such a magnificent entrance. 

The Ponte Vecchio (shout out to mah gurl Alexa!), a bridge lined with shops and stands to hopefully catch the eye of tourists, was another highlight of the tour.  The bridge stands over the Arno River and once there, you must check out all of the locks that line the banisters.  It’s tradition here, if you have fallen in love in the city, to place a lock on the banister (if you can find room, that is!) and then toss the key into the river.  I thought it was absolutely adorable and know that I will be placing a lock there at the end of April, for I have already fallen for this city.  

Along Via San Francesco d'Assisi all sorts of artisans and musicians are stationed because they know every tourist will be coming to the Ponte Vecchio.  We're talking the artists always portrayed in cinemas where they sit along the river painting or drawing the next post card you'll be buying.

 After hours of walking and learning, our appetites had grown hungry.  Our tour had finished on the opposite side of the Ponte Vecchio from where we live which meant that we got to try a new restaurant.  Gusto Panino was to be the next victim of an American invasion.  Interesting fact - whenever you say "panini" back in America, you are actually ordering more than one sandwich.  It's like saying, "I'd like a turkey sandwiches."  Not gramatically correct.  I will be taking a stand upon returning home to say "panino" since this is the singular form, and I urge you to join in.  POWER IN NUMBERS, WE CAN CHANGE THIS!  I am also considering running for a political position to change this, so if anybody is looking for a summer internship, please let me know - I'll be needing a campaign manager and PR rep.  Jus' sayin'.  Anyways, back to the panino.  For just 3 Euro, pronounced here as "eh-ooo-roh" not "yer-o" and don't get it twisted, you can enjoy a heavenly warm melty cheese panino with spicy salami or whatever you'd like.  I must confess, though, I preferred the sandwich from Antico Noe more and felt the meat was a lot fresher.  At Antico Noe, Italian for Old Noah, they shave the meats as ordered, none of that sitting out all day or store bought meats.  This is the good stuff.  At either place, you're sure you enjoy yourself, as evidenced by the two pictures below. 

Spencer enjoying Gusto Panino. You can just tell that is one DAMN good sandwich!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have no words to express the joy I felt eating this sandwich.  My mind has been blown and I will never be the same. 

Photo Credit to Teague Simoncic

And now, I must bring this entry to a close for a good reason.  Tomorrow starts the beginning of classes and I have never, in my entire school career been more excited to learn.  I'm sort of weirded out, but I'm sure my mom and dad are beaming with delight right now.  History of the Medici begins tomorrow and they seem to have been the big shots around here at one point.  This statue of Neptune stands in the Piazza della Signoria in front of the Palazzo Vecchio, a past residence of Cosimo.  Thought long since deceased, the ego of Cosimo de Medici is still dispersed throughout the city of Firenze and is seen in the face of this statue sculptured to resemble the Grand Duke himself.  Narcissists will be narcissists...