The Checklist
Trip Start
Feb 07, 2008
1
32
35
Trip End
May 03, 2008
Florence,
Italy
Saturday, April 12, 2008
I downloaded a few audio tours from iTunes - the podcasts are free - and grabbed my museum pass and headed out the door. A short walk and I found the Accademia, my pass let me "cut" the huge lines, and soon I was standing in front of the most beautiful man I have ever seen...David.
He is fantastic.
The longer I looked it was hard to believe he wasn't breathing or blinking. At times I could swear he was moments from turning his head and walking off his pedestal
The Baptistery Dome
. I have no idea how long I stood there but at some point I realized the audio guide had finished and I had yet to move around to the sides or back of the sculpture. So I took a seat on one of the benches lining the apse David occupies and tried to find some proper music to commemorate the occasion - Chopin ended up working nicely. The veins in the back of his hands, the way his toes wrapped around the stone he stands on, and his knees (of all things) were the parts I thought made him so realistic. His gaze was at one point concentrated and at other times anxious, fearful, and at ease - as if he had made up his mind to complete the task at hand no matter the outcome. The tree stump behind his right leg seemed to be an extension of his youth and also served as a sort of anchor, physically and mentally. For someone who has never found a certain satisfaction when observing sculpture, this was an exception; I'm not sure if it was the artist, the subject, or the notoriety surrounding it all. At some point none of the above mattered. Yes Michelangelo completed this David from an abandoned piece of marble - dry stone is much harder to work with - yes it once sat in front of the Palazzo Vecchio, and yes its composition is often celebrated, but none of this affects you during contemplation. I wasn't standing in front of a sculpture because I was supposed to, I was standing in front of this man because I wanted to, I couldn't have looked away if I wanted to - he commands your attention. For once my gaze didn't wander to the adjacent niches or the other tourists, I was there for him and that was enough
One side of the Dome
. I walked through some of the other rooms at some point but couldn't really tell you what was in them. The "slaves/prisoner" sculptures - also Michelangelo's - lining the nave leading up to the David were also worth noting, the figures looked like they were emerging from the stone. Some had simple facial features, others only a torso twisting out of the marble. There is some speculation as to weather these pieces were finished or abandoned - I think they are finished. I finished up inside and went to the bookshop to try and find a post card capturing what I had seen in the David...to no avail. None of them did him justice.
Once outside I walked across the square to the Museo della Chiesa di San Marco to see the frescos of Fra Angelico and the cell where Savonarola developed some of the fanatical behaviors he is remembered for. The monastery was peaceful; the small frescos in every cell were done in flat colors and were the only focal points in any of the cells I looked in. Each had a small window but none had a view - clearly these men were here for devotion and concentration and nothing else. It was peaceful a little depressing at the same time so I wandered into the library where a few music books were on display along with the tools used to guild the pages. I finished up here and walked to the Baptistery in front of the Duomo.
From the Duomo to the Piazza Della Signoria
I guess I expected to see more frescos on the ceiling because the sight of the glorious golden mosaics completely took my breath away. They were the best examples I have seen this whole time, anyone who thought the Duomo had better displays of decoration/art because of it's size was mistaken, the Baptistery was so much better than the entire interior of the Duomo. After I was done admiring everything I wandered over the Piazza della Signoria - the area in front of the Palazzo Vecchio - to take some pictures I have been meaning to get for a while.First was the spot where Savonarola (and two other monks) was burned at the stake. Then on to the entrance to the Palazzo this time to find the face purportedly carved into the façade of the building by Michelangelo - with his hands behind his back no less. It was right where the tour book said it would be - to the right of the door - and just as intriguing as the book said it would be. I couldn't help but wonder how many people took a picture of this thing thinking they are in the know when it is probably just an urban legend; another excuse to attach a famous name to something simple...I took a picture anyway.
Pleased with my progress for the day, I decided to return to the apartment and maybe meet some friends for some appetizers and drinks before dinner. On my way back home I was approached by an older man - about 40yrs older - who refused to recognize I was choosing to ignore him (headphones in = I don't talk to people) and kept repeating "hello, excuse me, ciao, ciao, hello, hello, excuse me". Finally poking his head into my sight line, I turned and smiled then proceeded on my way. Apparently that was his cue to say the most common line I have heard so far - "where are you from?" Ahh, if only that were what I was waiting to hear; little do they know it is "Do you like Gucci?" Well that or "I have a castle", I have to admit when I saw how old he was the story from the winery crossed my mind. :)
