5 Marzo 2010 Trip to Florence

Friday 3/5: Today, we left for Florence at 6:30 am. The trip was not bad; we boarded the fast train and the trip only took 1 1/2 hrs from Roma. Our hotel is an old villa not far from the train station. We will check in and head out to explore the city. The group is eating together tonight; Danilo is making the reservations for us. While Danilo is tending to his business, we explored the city; especially the Marcato di Lorenzo to shop for cashmere scarves and leather goods.

Saturday 3/4: We are going to the Uffizi Museum. While visiting the museum, I was able to see the actual pictures that we saw in our books in Intro to Art. The building's original use was as office for a duke; construction lasted from 1560 -80. A majority of the paintings in the museum were commissioned by the Medici family; Anna Maria Lodovica, the last of the Medicis bequeathed the collection to the people of Florence. In the early Roman and Gothic art, one can see the development of perspective from unrealistic or disproportionate characteristics to more human and realistic. For instance, The Ognissanti Madonna has a linear look about her and personally, I think her features are more male than female. The child's face appears to be that of an adult. The picture is noted for making an advancement in spatial depth. Some of my favorites are The Birth of Venus and Primavera by Botticelli and The Venus of Urbino by Titan. Titan dared to paint a nude woman reclining and looking at the audience. I also like the fact that she is voluptuous and unlike today's society, it is considered beautiful in early history. Even though I mentioned a very small number of paintings as my favorite, it is hard to to pick just one. Each has its own beauty, and this blog would go on and on and on. While at the museum, I picked up a book on the history of painting for mom to read to Michael and Madeesaun (my artistic babies:-).

Sunday 3/7: We attended Mass at the Santa Maria Fiore - the Duomo. The outside is marble facade with terracotta with bas-reliefs. Its floor is of marble pavement. Inside is very cold physically. Bessie, I remembered you while kneeling on the low, primative, uncushioned kneeler:-). From Mass, we went to a department store for espresso on the rooftop (Love on a Rooftop). After our espresso, we set out for Mercato Nuovo to visit Il Porcellino to rub his snout. If you rub his snout, you will return to Florence. I also dropped a coin from his mouth; the coins are used for the needy of Florence.