Subject: Saluti da Firenze No. 2!
Date: Sunday, December 28, 2008, 11:47 PM
Buongiorno tutti,
Two nights ago, after an extraordinary wine tasting, I paid the usual price for overindulging - a bout of insomnia from 1:30 am to 4...which made yesterday's adventure thrilling and exhausting...
Saturday
We've visited the fabulous Duomo Museum to see Etruscan marble, Donatello's eerie Mary Magdalene, Michelangelo's Pieta, Ghiberti's bronze Baptistry doors, and tools used by Brunelleschi to build the Duomo, watched over by his death mask. Following this museum, we ventured into the Davanzati Palazzo, a medieval merchant class house/tower - think Franco Zeffirelli's Romeo & Juliet - and then across the Ponte Santa Trinita to see how the poor class lived across the Arno. A long, southerly walk led a group of us to the Porta Romana - the Roman Gate - on a wild goose chase for a trattoria just outside the Porta San Frediano (to the west), only to realize that the mom & pop eatery would be closed on Saturdays!
A free afternoon led to window shopping, a lot more walking and then the evening of the wine tasting. For those interested:
- 2007 Le Bruniche Chardonnay di Toscana IGT paired with crostini and porcini mushrooms, bruschette with tomatoes, polenta and cinghiale (wild boar - LOVE it!), and crostini with fegato ~ chicken liver pate.
- 2006 Il Piccolo Borgo Chianti Classico DOCG with a selection of salame and prosciutto
- 2006 Morellino di Scamsano Il Grillesino with pecorino, parmigiano, taleggio and fontina cheese
- spaghetti with garlic and olive oil
- Vin Santo with cantuccini
Sunday
Today's early morning departure at 8:10am was a bit painful after all the lovely wine...but one must press on!
The San Marco museum - actually a religious cloister - houses many frescoes by Fra Angelico, and we visited the cells of Savonarola. Almost all of the religious art - Madonna and Child altarpieces - have considerable gold leaf to represent the light of God, and I imagine how it must have appeared - situated in a dark church interior (no electricity in the 1500's), illuminated by candles and oil lamps. The monastery's living quarters each have a single fresco for meditation. Savonarola, who ruled Florence from 1494 to 1498, champion of the 'bonfire of the vanities'' lived here, and I saw a bronze marker in the Piazza della Signoria where he was hanged and then burned to ashes before being dumped into the Arno.
Wandering around at lunch, I debated between a panino of porchetta with porcinin mushrooms or lampredotto - a cow's ruminating stomach. I chose porchetta. A few quiet moments in Dante's church before viewing the Casa di Dante Museum, and then off to meet at the Perseus bronze statue in the Piazza della Signoria for our afternoon tour through the Uffizi. With about 15 minutes to spare, I indulged in a much needed macchiato at Rivoire - sorry, Tina and Cheryl - I haven't tried the famous hot chocolate...yet!. Pausing for a few moments in the center of the piazza, it began to snow very gently and quietly.
In the last three days, I've been transported to the time of the Etruscans, Romans, through the middle ages and thrust into the Renaissance, which is the heartbeat of Florence. It seems that all the historical events that occurred that enabled Florence to thrive and become a major metropolitan city, also helped transform how humans viewed themselves and the world around them, which in turn changed the direction of so many facets of civilization: business, commerce, architecture, painting, sculpture, civic responsibility and religous thought.
Florence, upon reflection after days of wandering, is not so much about appearances. I have yet to find a green city park, yet it's the contents of the buildings and churches and cathedral that reveal layers and depth to the soul of the city. It\s not about the surface, but substance. Florence only reveals herself to those who seek ardently!
One quickly realizes that in pursuing a passion that there is an element of physical exhaustion required! Now that I am oriented to the city, I spend the majority of the day walking and on my feet...but brings some discomfort, especially lugging around my camera, which I'm convinced turns into a brick when I'm not shooting...
After the whirlwind touring yesterday (and i only covered half of it!), I'm very much looking forward to today's visit to Lucca. It was one of my favorite cities from my last visit, and I'm thrilled to return to this medieval walled city. A day of rest and then our final charge through the Bargello museum on Tuesday before our farewell dinner.
A note about the weather: at the Uffizi, I had to remove my hat, gloves, camera, scarf, messenger bag, jacket and listening device to pass through the metal detectors just to get in. This may be the most undressed I've been in public! The wind is ferocious and biting, and it feels quite cold. Standing in the Piazza della Signoria today, little snowflakes fell all around me. Brrrrrreathtaking!
Food Note: I regret to inform everyone that I have been in Italy for 5 days...and still have not had any gelato. It's that cold!
I am delighted to hear back from so many people, and I wish everyone a very Happy New Year!
Ciao!
Elisabetta
