The Beauty of Florence
Trip Start
Mar 07, 2001
1
2
7
Trip End
Mar 18, 2001
Florence,
Italy
Friday, March 9, 2001
Few cities have affected more profoundly the course of civilization. In many ways, mankind has drawn its highest inspiration from Florence . Among the great poets, Dante was a Florentine, while Petrarch and Boccaccio were sons of Florentines. Among the great painters Giotto found in Florence patronage and a proper field for his genius. Fra Angelico (Giovanni da Fiesole) was a Florentine, likewise Masaccio and Donatello. Unrivaled sculptors, like Michelangelo and Lorenzo Ghiberti, architects like Brunelleschi, universal savants like Leone Battista Alberti, shine like brilliant gems in the city's diadem of fame, and mark in some respects the highest attainments of humanity. Florence was long the chief centre of the Renaissance.
The first place we toured was the Basilica of Santa Croce, one of the largest churches in the city and the largest Franciscan church in Florence. The construction of the new Basilica of Santa Croce was officially started on May 3rd 1294, when the architect, Arnolfo di Cambio, laid the first stone of what was to become a masterpiece of Gothic art. Work continued into the second half of the 14th century but the church wasn't consecrated until 1443.
It is difficult to imagine the vision it would take to build a structure which you knew not even your children would see to its completion. In today's world, we ensure that contractors finish the most outstanding structures in a period of years not even decades or, heaven forbid, centuries. Think of how long President Kennedy gave NASA to accomplish the unheard of task of putting a man on the moon.
A special guide met us to take us through the church. As in Venice, Sienna and later in Paris our own tour guide was not allowed to describe anything inside the church. He could have been heavily fined and lost his own license if he had been caught playing that role. Only the specially licensed guide was allowed to describe what we would see.
After winding our way through several gypsy beggars, we entered the church and were amazed with the immense size of the interior. Our second surprise was to discover that in the floor of church are buried a number of very famous people. The presence of a great many funeral monuments and tombstones (276 can still be seen on the floor alone) has led to the Basilica being thought of as the city Pantheon, the burial place of Florence's most illustrious citizens. The floor is covered with old tombstones for the entire length of the nave. The most famous funeral monuments are along the walls of the right aisle. These include the monument to Dante Alighieri by Ricci (1829); to Michelangelo, by Vasari (1579); to Alfieri, by Canova (1803); to Machiavelli, by I. Spinazzi (1787).
The first area to the right of the entrance is devoted to the funeral monuments of Michelangelo. At the foot of the beautiful sculptures is a marble rectangle in the floor under which lies his body. I must admit it was rather strange to be standing in a church and see a cemetery plot under peoples feet.
At the front of the church is a beautiful altarpiece is by Giovanni del Biondo (1379).Michelozzo's Medici Chapel, built for Cosimo the Elder, is at the back. It contains a magnificent bas-relief by Donatello and various works by the Della Robbias.
As our guide lead us down the left side of the church, we saw at the far end a striking sculpture of a man studying the heavens. We were soon to learn that this sculpture reigned over the tomb of Galileo. Remembering from university Galileo's trouble with the church, I couldnt believe they would allow his body to be interned in sacred ground, let alone this fabulous church. The guide told us that indeed many years passed until the church recognized his genius and allowed his body to be buried in the consecrated ground.
When we returned from our trip, I did a web search of Galileo to refresh my memory about this remarkable man, his contribution to mankind and the church's treatment of his heresy of believing the that the sun, not the earth, was the centre of the universe.
The following is quoted from the at Web site: http:www.galileo.imss.firenze.it/museo/b/egalilg.html
Galileo Galilei was born in Pisa in 1564. He studied at Pisa, where he later held the chair in mathematics from 1589 - 1592. He was then appointed to the chair of mathematics at the University of Padua, where he remained until 1610. During these years he carried out studies and experiments in mechanics, and also built a thermoscope. He devised and constructed a geometrical and military compass, and wrote a handbook which describes how to use this instrument. In 1594, he obtained the patent for a machine to raise water levels. He invented the microscope, and built a telescope with which he made celestial observations, the most spectacular of which was his discovery of the satellites of Jupiter. In 1610 he was nominated the foremost Mathematician of the University of Pisa and given the title of mathematician to the Grand Duke of Tuscany. He studied Saturn and observed the phases of Venus.
In 1611 he went to Rome. He became a member of the Accademia dei Lincei and observed the sunspots. In 1612 he began to encounter serious opposition to his theory of the motion of the earth that he taught after Copernicus. Galileo therefore went to Rome, where he defended himself against charges that had been made against him but, in 1616, he was told that he could not defend Copernican astronomy because it went against the doctrine of the Church. In 1632 he was summoned by the Holy Office to Rome. The tribunal passed a sentence condemning him and compelled Galileo to solemnly abjure his theory.
The sentence of the Tribunal of the Supreme Inquisition against Galileo Galilei was as follows:
"That the Sun is the centre of the universe and doth not move from his place is a proposition absurd and false in philosophy, and formerly heretical; being expressly contrary to Holy Writ: That the Earth is not the centre of the universe nor immovable, but that it moves, even with a diurnal motion, is likewise a proposition absurd and false in philosophy, and considered in theology ad minus erroneous in faith....."
Galileo recanted of his heretical ideas in the face of the church's opposition and he was sent to exile in Siena and finally, in December of 1633, he was allowed to retire to his villa in Arcetri, the Gioiello. His health condition was steadily declining, - by 1638 he was completely blind, and also by now bereft of the support of his daughter, Sister Maria Celeste, who died in 1634. Galileo died in Arcetri on January 8, 1642.
We had been told that after the trial Galileo daughters never spoke to him again. Our guide said that no one really knew if it was because he had caused such disgrace to the family name or because he gave in and recanted.
ADVICE
Roy's advice: If you go to Florence, you must see this magnificent church. If you are your own pick up one of the tape recording guide machines to aid you in appreciating the marvels you are witnessing.
Margaret's advice: Get a life and return to the real world. Drag your spouse out of the church and run don't walk across the plaza to The Gold Corner and get him to buy you some fabulous Florentine 18 caret gold jewelry.
