Today Giuditta joined us for a full day of Firenze intake. First we went to the Museo Dell’Accademia where, of course, the David is the main attraction. However, I also enjoyed Michelangelo’s Prisoners, which lead up to the David. Even though there were paintings in this room, the prisoners dominated them all. I know that these were meant to be finished (Michelangelo only finished about 1/3 of his full volume of work in his lifetime) but for some reason these statues seem more alive and complete than most of the sculptures I saw during this entire trip. Anyway--- moving on down the hall or nave if I may say so, to the David.
David is placed in an apse like setting of a church, and I feel like this is the most suitable setting for him. I think that under a dome is the perfect setting for him because his stance evokes you to move around him… His views are also terraced- you start with the contrapposto feet and then move up to his highly intricate back, and then eventually make it to his curly head and furrowed brow at the top and opposite side from which you started, thus he spirals you around him and up into the dome. Anyway, enough art and architecture speak,,, moving on.
Today we saw Ponte Vecchio (which also reminded me of Erfurt, Germany because of all the shops along the edges of the bridge), Palazzo Pitti (which was only memorable because of the gardens behind), Chiesa di Santo Spirito, Palazzo Rucellai (another significant family in Firenze whose coat of arms is a sail as opposed to the dots of the Medici), Chiesa di Santa Maria Novella, the train station of Santa Maria Novella which we came in on, and the Stadio Comunale Berta by Pier Luigi Nervi (who is famous for his use of concrete in a completely structural manner that results in highly sculptural buildings). On the way to the Nervi building we were all crowded in this bus, and unfortunately Giuditta (basically the only Italian on the whole bus) was pick-pocketed so she lost her wallet and passport, slightly putting a damper on the day. After this we went back to the hotel and went out for guess what? Dinner and Gelato!
David is placed in an apse like setting of a church, and I feel like this is the most suitable setting for him. I think that under a dome is the perfect setting for him because his stance evokes you to move around him… His views are also terraced- you start with the contrapposto feet and then move up to his highly intricate back, and then eventually make it to his curly head and furrowed brow at the top and opposite side from which you started, thus he spirals you around him and up into the dome. Anyway, enough art and architecture speak,,, moving on.
Today we saw Ponte Vecchio (which also reminded me of Erfurt, Germany because of all the shops along the edges of the bridge), Palazzo Pitti (which was only memorable because of the gardens behind), Chiesa di Santo Spirito, Palazzo Rucellai (another significant family in Firenze whose coat of arms is a sail as opposed to the dots of the Medici), Chiesa di Santa Maria Novella, the train station of Santa Maria Novella which we came in on, and the Stadio Comunale Berta by Pier Luigi Nervi (who is famous for his use of concrete in a completely structural manner that results in highly sculptural buildings). On the way to the Nervi building we were all crowded in this bus, and unfortunately Giuditta (basically the only Italian on the whole bus) was pick-pocketed so she lost her wallet and passport, slightly putting a damper on the day. After this we went back to the hotel and went out for guess what? Dinner and Gelato!
~Heather
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