Renaissance Italy

This morning after a continental breakfast at the hotel we had an 8:30 a.m. appointment at the Uffizi gallery.  Our guide, Antonio, was incredible.  We spent nearly two hours walking through the galleries, getting lessons and anecdotes about the Italian Renaissance.  We began with a look at pre-Renaissance paintings of the Madonna and child.  We moved on to works by Brunelleschi, Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Raphael.  It was fascinating to see examples from different stages in Italian art (in person!) and learn how the artists influenced one another.  My favorite pieces were Leonardo’s Annunciation and Michelangelo’s The Holy Family.  Both are just incredible, breathtaking pieces of art.  Leonardo’s command of geometry and perspective is awesome, and I love how Michelangelo used bright colors and sculpturesque painting to bring the holy family to life.

After touring the Uffizi, a friend and I went to the Palazzo Davanzati, which is a museum of the Davanzati family’s 14^th century home in Florence.  I was amazed at the decadence and comfort available during the 1300s.  This family had at least 4 indoor bathrooms.  They had a system to collect rainwater in the courtyard of their home for domestic uses.  Their rooms were meticulously hand painted in repeating patterns that resemble contemporary wallpaper.  They had beautiful art dishes, and furniture, including beds.  We really enjoyed looking around.

After that Palazzo, we continued on to the Pitti Palace, where the Medici family once lived.  We bought tickets only to the gardens and surround outdoor museums.  The view from the gardens was breathtaking – truly gorgeous.  We also got to visit a porcelain museum, which was really cool.  It made me think of all my tea sets . . . but these were much prettier than most of mine.  They also had an outrageous chandelier, which we assume was original to the palace.

Chandelier, complete with blown glass flowers, at the Pitti Palace

View from the Pitti Palace Gardens

This afternoon, we took a “backstreets” tour of Florence with a local guide.  She took us to the church of Santa Maria Novella, which is a Dominican church with tons of history including the Medici family scandals and Michelangelo as a young man.  There is so much mystery and scandal surrounding the Medicis that I am fascinated.  I've already downloaded a book about them to my "Kindle" on my phone!We also went to the Santa Maria Novella perfumery, which was originally run by monks using herbs to create different apothecary treatments.  

Lastly, we visited an artisan who creates Florentine mosaics.  The mosaics are amazing.  Masters take tiny pieces of Italian stone, cute them into shapes, and glue them from the back (using a special glue made from beeswax and pine sap).  They then polish the front.  The result is a work of art that looks just like a painting.  It takes them several years to complete each piece, and it seems to be a dying art, which is sad, because it is obvious that it require much talent and patience, and the result is gorgeous.  

Tomorrow we are moving on to the Cinque Terre.  Ciao!