Florence: City Blossoming in Stone by Daphne Beames
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The River Arno rises on the slopes of Monte Falterona in Eastern Tuscany and snakes inexorably westwards towards an age-old rendezvous with the Ligurian Sea. It is both the raison d’être and the glistening lifeblood of the ancient cities and towns that cling to its timeless banks.
Whether you fly directly into Firenze’s Amerigo Vespucci Airport, drive south from Milan, or approach through Chianti land; the first indelible image of Florence will be the magnificent, red-brick cupola of the Duomo Santa Maria del Fiore - set against an ancient backdrop of low, blue-green hills. (Completed in 1434, Brunelleschi’s colossal dome is one of the largest in Europe - after the Vatican and St Paul’s.)
Like a massive, ‘macadamised moat’ a ring-road circumnavigates the museum-city - effectively keeping non-essential vehicles at bay. Heading for our goal (the Porta Romana on the southern side) we were swept so far from the historic heart that, in panic, we took the first available road leading towards a red dome still faintly visible on the horizon. Arriving at last in the centre we found ourselves caught in an unholy traffic snarl, sans ‘sat nav’, and well and truly lost.
Volunteering to venture into a swanky boutique in search of directions was another mistake. Too late did I realise that cycle shorts and trainers are not the acceptable dress code demanded by snobbish Florentine sales staff. (Only my ‘South Africaness’ saved the day: when the frosty glances eventually alighted on my ostrich leather handbag and diamond ring!)
Located just south of the Boboli Gardens, amidst lush, green forests and on hills ‘with a view’ we found our Florentine pied-à-terre: the lovely Villa Belvedere - highlighted by ‘Eyewitness Travel’ as one of Florence’s finest hotels. This lovely 1930’s villa comes highly recommended and will not disappoint. Relax in the pretty park or plunge into the inviting pool before venturing out on the town.
The riches of Florence are best seen on foot (although tour buses are an option). The earliest Etruscan settlements in Etruria (Tuscany) date back to 900 BC; but the architecture and monuments – damaged by bombs during World War II and ravaged by the floods of 1966 (watermarks are still visible) - remain undeniably Renaissance.
Begin in the Piazza del Duomo, north of the river - this square is totally dwarfed by the vast dome of the towering Cathedral - built to hold 20,000 people. The cool, overpowering interior is awe-inspiring and the visitors’ checklist should include the 15th-century, 24-hour Duomo Clock – uniquely decorated and running counter-clockwise; the high viewing platform under the dome - offering spectacular views over the city; the octagonal marble sanctuary around the High Altar and the superb stained glass by Ghiberti.
Alongside is the unforgettable, slender and beautiful, 14th-century campanile or ‘Tower of Giotto’ - tessellated in three exquisite shades of Italian marble: white (from Carrara), green and red.
The third partner in the famous, ecclesiastical triad is the exquisite, free-standing Baptistry (Battistero) where Dante was christened; constructed during the 11th-century, the first known reference to the site is seven centuries earlier. It proudly displays the celebrated Golden Door of Paradise portraying biblical scenes on ten golden panels - commissioned in 1401 to mark Florence’s deliverance from the plague.
The panels are replicas of the originals which are now housed in the near-by Museo dell’Opera del Duomo together with the pièce-de-resistance: Michelangelo’s stunning Pietà depicting the hooded figure of Nicodemus (thought to be a self-portrait of the artist).
Walk north to Piazza San Marco, the home of the Accademia of Fine Art, to view the larger than life statue of David - sculpted by a youthful Michelangelo (age 29). With minute attention to detail, the artist shows the slightly too large, right hand of the adolescent boy – symbolising strength and determination.
David has become ‘the Giant’ and - more than any other - his is the ‘face of Florence’! The gallery contains many of Michelangelo’s unfinished gems, among them ‘St. Matthew’ and ‘The Bearded Slave’. These incomplete works give a rare glimpse of their method of creation: the sculptor appears to be wrestling with the emerging figures – to free them from the stone. Completion is left to the imagination: thereby bestowing perfection.
The vibrant heart of Florence beats in the Piazza della Signoria – or political centre. Look up. You are surrounded by the Pallazzo Vecchio with its marvellous campanile; the loggia of the Uffizi (meaning ‘offices’) and the indomitable Bargello (National Museum). Look down and the ancient cobbles of the square, oozing history, tell tales at your feet. The Square contains the statues of Grand Duke Cosimo I, the Rape of the Sabines, Bernini’s Persius with the head of the Medusa and the Neptune Fountain.
Long queues coil round the loggia of the Uffizi so it is advisable to pre-book tickets - but do not allow the gallery’s treasures to blush unseen. This is a magnificent collection ranking alongside the best in the world and the chiaroscuro technique and jewel-like pigments - for example lapis lazuli - used by the Renaissance artists create unsurpassed masterpieces.
The artworks are housed on the top floor of the building that is famous for, among others, the Botticelli Rooms, the Leonardo da Vinci room (he learnt to paint in Florence), the Rubens Room and the Titian Room. My personal favourites include Botticelli’s triumphant ‘Birth of Venus’ and Michelangelo’s only extant easel painting, the Mannerist, brightly coloured ‘Holy Family’. There is also an octagonal, red and gold room – the ‘Tribuna’ – commissioned by Francis I to display the Medici Venus by Bernini and other special pieces from the Medici art collection.
From the Uffizi Gallery there is a spectacular view of the Ponte Vecchio – one of the six bridges spanning the Arno. Small restaurants have mushroomed around it and today, this keystone bridge – supported by its three, Middle-Age stone arches - draws sightseers like a charmed magnet. Jewellers and goldsmiths still practise their age-old crafts in small, character-filled workshops, buskers play to the crowds, painters ply their trade and colourful street stalls complete the captivating scene.
Running the length of the bridge is the elevated Vasari Corridor. Over 1000m long, it was built to connect the Palazzo Pitti with the Palazzo Vecchio and now houses a collection of important paintings. The Mannelli Tower keeps watch over the southern side, a statue of Cellini stands in the centre and near the northern end is the vibrant Mercato Nuovo or straw market. Popular with tourists and souvenir hunters, this covered emporium exudes atmosphere and offers everything from antiques, leather goods and woven-ware to collectors’ prints, silk scarves and marbled paper.
On the left bank, the Palazzo Pitti, originally built for the banker Luca Pitti and later purchased by the Medicis, dominates the Oltrarno District. (The name means ‘beyond the Arno’.) This massive, lavishly decorated palace is surrounded by Florence’s largest public park - the magnificently stylized Boboli Gardens and contains several important museums - among them the Palatine Gallery, the Galleria del Costume and the Galleria d’Arte Moderna. (Open to the public Tues –Sun.)
Across the street is a literary landmark, the Casa Guidi – home of poets Elizabeth and Robert Browning from 1846-61, after their secret marriage, and where many of their major works were conceived and written.
A delightful, guided walk leads from the bustling heart of Firenze along countrified, hillside lanes – fringed with pines and flame-shaped cypresses - towards the church of San Miniato al Monte and to the Piazzale Michelangelo. From both these venues, stunning panoramic views over the city can be enjoyed.
The Benedictine Church of San Miniato, standing proudly at the top of a flight of steep steps, is an outstanding example of Romanesque architecture. The imposing façade dates back to the 11th-century and is richly ornamented in alternating grey, green and white marble - an eagle surmounts the prominent, triangular pediment. In the ornate interior an intricate, inlaid floor mimics the design of eastern carpets. (Open to the public daily.)
Stroll down the Viale Galileo Galilei to the Piazzale Michelangelo: a famous, hill-top square strewn with souvenir stalls and distinguished by copies of Michelangelo’s best-known statues. From this bird’s eye perspective, an eye-catching monument is the Gothic spire of Santa Croce, rising protectively above the tombs and cenotaphs of noble Florentines – among them Michelangelo, Macchiavelli, Galileo, Dante and Rossini. Enjoy a sundowner as you watch the rose-pink glow of sunset bathe the ancient rooftops - before dining, of course, at Soztanza Troila Trattoria near the Piazza Carlo Goldoni on the Lungarno Corsini: a quay north of the river. Florence is one of the great cities of the world and, like an enchanted casket, she reveals a shining jewel in every cranny.
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