“The David, Uffizi, and the Art of Waiting in Line”

After the week end trip to Florence, or Firenze, I now officially feel like a world traveler. Exploring a city as large and unfamiliar as Florence was daunting. Navigating the one way streets, narrow sidewalks, vespas, taxis, trains, the bus system and the maps (which I am still positive are not completely accurate) without supervision was exhilarating. In only three short days I was able to visit all the major museums and sites that I originally wanted to. Since my return my list of “must see in Florence”has grown exponentially, and I can only hope that I can squeeze in another visit before I return home.

Florence is referred to as the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance. Judging from the incredible artwork, impressive architecture, and rich cultural history I would agree. After emerging from the train station I was struck with the hustle and bustle of Florence. Men stood on corners trying to sell small umbrellas and cheap plastic ponchos, portable wood and metal carts displayed touristy goods, and most impressive of all the hint of churches, bell towers, and domes peaked over the tops of the surrounding buildings. On the trek to the hotel I was given a taste of all Florence had to offer. Walking through the leather market my eyes were captivated with the beauty and diversity of the goods offered, and my nose tingled with the warm rustic hint of real leather. It seemed that every street I turned on had something new and exciting, the Florence Cathedral, Campanile, Baptistery, Orsanmichele, large piazzas full of people despite the slight cool drizzle, and more gelato than I could keep track of. After this “taste” of Florence I was ready to explore.

Florence, the largest city in Tuscany and its capital, sprawls around the banks of the River Arno. A former Roman City, Florence is home to some of the world most well known and appreciated works of art. I was told by my Art History Professor that almost every great artist of the renaissance was from Florence or spent time in Florence. Brunelleschi, Donatello, Masaccio, Ghiberti, Filippo Lippi, Leonardo da Vinci, and Michelangelo are just a few of the artists who graced Florence with their artwork, and their influence on the city is obvious. Just take the Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral, better known as the The Florence Cathedral or just The Duomo,which is the icon of Florence. Being one of the largest landmarks in the city, it is beautiful to behold as well as an important site to me, the map reader, in order to locate my precise location. My role as the navigator was fondly referred to as the “navigation station”. I found that when I could not see the Duomo I was more likely to stray further away from my intended destination.

The Uffizi gallery was built in 1581 by Granduca Francisco de’ Medici son of the famous Cosimo I Medici. The Gallery was constructed to connect it to the Medici Palace. This was achieved by using the Ponto Vecchio which extends over the Arno River connecting the two Medici buildings. Originally it was built for offices, to host bureaucratic meetings, but some parts used as laboratories, a pharmacy and a garden. Before I was actually allowed to enter the Uffizi I had to wait in line outside the museum. This was the first time in Italy I had waited in an organized line, most of the time it is whomever can get to the door, or counter, first. To pass the time, I watched men and women have their caricatures drawn, living statues pose with tourists, and street vendors attempt to sell their wares.

Once I was finally able to enter the Uffizi I was overtaken by the architecture, grand staircases, painted ceilings, and vast expanses of windows. The ceilings depicted sea scenes, portraits, elegant flora and fauna. Then I was able to turn my attention to works of art. The Botticelli’s paintings The Birth Of Venus and The Primavera were impressive in size, talent and elements of the painting. Botticelli was born to a Florentine tanner in 1445. He first apprenticed with a goldsmith, but also studied the works of Fra Filippo Lippi and Verrocchio. Botticelli not only excelled at a young age but also knew some of the day’s most revered men including Leonard da Vinci and the Medici family. He was well educated in science, literature, and the arts. I was able to see that The Primavera contains not only examples of the human figure but also five hundred different species of plants. The thought that was put into just the background of the painting is astonishing. Even on my best day and after an entire semester of Plant Biology I know for a fact that I could not name, let alone paint, such a wide variety of plants.

The Accademia was another surprise. The actual building of the Accademia was not nearly as impressive on the outside or the inside as the Uffizi, but what it lacked in general appearance it made up for in actual art. Although The Accademia is known for Michelangelo’s statue of David, it contained countless other works. The unfinished works The Prisoners by Michelangelo stood in stark contrast to the highly polished and detailed David. The contrast between the two works allowed me to see the creative process behind the artwork. The chisel marks, sharp corners of marble, and rough outlines made the four unfinished statues haunting, and they lingered in my head. The Four Prisoners were designed for the tomb of Pope Julius II. They were never finished due to the death of Michelangelo. The David is indescribable in words. All the studies I completed in art and art history classes could not prepare me for actually seeing it in person. The David is seventeen feet tall though in person it seems even taller. It was original made in 1504 to be placed on the facade of the Florence Cathedral but was so well received that it became a free standing statue. Since Michelangelo’s David was constructed to be viewed from far below he sculpted the head larger than normal so that it could be seen from the street below. The attention to detail cannot be missed. This is all seen in the veins visible on David’s hands, elongated muscle on his legs, the definition of the ribs, and the evidence of a skeleton under the marble skin. It was all enhanced, on my visit, by the sunlight streaming in from the dome perfectly situated just above The David.

Florence was an adventure, from the waiter who refused to let me order my food until I said it in perfect Italian, to the nice man at the train station who directed me to the faster train back to Arezzo. It was a lot to soak up in one weekend, but I thoroughly enjoyed every minute included being bone tired at the end of the day. Until later, Ciao!

La Cucina

Italy is known for its beautiful scenery, amazing artwork, friendly locals, and good food. I don’t think that “good” is the correct adjective to describe the food here. When I think about it, words cannot come close to describing the taste, texture, and smell of everything I eat. The closest thing I have is pictures that accentuate the description. So here is a blog post fully devoted to some of the food I have eaten so far!

Lunch in the plazzo is at least an hour ordeal that involves three to four anti-pastas, at least one pasta, a soup, two or three vegetables, meat course, salad, and desert. When I arrive in the dinning room around 12:30 on weekdays the table is laid out and the anti-pastas are waiting to be devoured. Suddenly breakfast seems much longer than four hours ago. The anti-pastas range from caprice salad (fresh tomato, basil, and mozzarella), Parmesan cheese drizzled with thick balsamic vinegar, bean salad, phyllo dough filled with cream sauce, tomato tarts, crackers with a tuna spread, tiny sandwiches, and fresh beets with corn and chives. Then pasta comes out steaming hot, ragu meat sauce, pesto, cream sauce, tortalinis, ravioli just to name a few. While eating the pasta, some days a soup or puree is served, so far I have had pea puree, a few types of vegetable soup, and the Italian version of chicken noodle. The meat course is served next. Chicken and pork are the usual meats but have been served on kabobs, topped with apples, and seasoned to perfection. Although desert is not served everyday when it is, the only word to use is exquisite. Tiramisu, panna cotta, chocolate cake, and seasoned fruit are just a few of the sweets that finish off the meal.

The amazing part about everything I have eaten is that it is homemade. Margarita, the cook here at the plazzo, cooks everything from scratch and you can tell just by how fresh everything tastes. It is all so healthy that I have put my mind at ease just a little about gaining weight. But again when in Italy.... Enjoy the food!

Noontime Bells

Here in Sansepolcro time is not of the essence. People casually stroll along the streets enjoying the fresh air, warm smells of coffee, and the occasional whiff of pizza right out of the oven. But if you would like to know the time, all it takes is the chiming of the multiple church bells to let you know what hour, or half hour it is. I have become accustomed to hearing the melodic chiming of the bells and I cherish the fact that I can hear them out of any open window. They give vitality to the town and enhance its old world charm.

On Sunday a little before noon I was able to climb up the bell tower in the Cathedral of Sansepolcro, otherwise known as the Duomo. The Cathedral, dedicated to S. Giovanno Evangelista, was built in the 1300’s, and currently resembles the original Cathedral after renovations restored it to its original state. It is located just off Piazza Torre Di Berta, the main town square.

 

 I don’t use the word climb lightly. This was not the activity for the faint hearted. In the United States climbing towers, buildings, and monuments mainly consist of fairly wide stairs and spiraling staircases accompanied with handrails, warning signs that stress the health risks, and sometimes an elevator for those not up to the challenge. This medieval church and its bell tower were not built with this in mind. The staircases were narrow with open stair treads that opened out on to small landings that lead to the next staircase. Just like many other events the stairs were a fun new experience that gave a similar rush to extreme sports, and the feeling of not knowing what would come next. This pattern was sometimes interrupted by low over-hangings, sharp turns in the stairs, rope handrails, and the creaking of ancient wood. After about what I guess to be about four or five of these stairs, I arrived at the final one which lead up to an open trap door that even for my five foot, six frame required some maneuvering to fit through. All this seemed nothing compared to the view; three hundred and sixty degrees of burnt sienna mission tile roofs, church steeples, rooftop gardens, and the distant hazy hills that surround Sansepolcro. While I was looking at the landscape drums and trumpets could be heard from the streets announcing the Palio della Balestra, or the festival of the crossbow.  All during which a breeze streamed through the chicken wire protecting me from a terrible fall to the street and church roof below. I cannot even begin to describe the exhilarating feeling of staring out over the city and marveling at the landscape.

If the view from the bell tower wasn’t enough I was also able to hear the noon bells ring. The sound of the bells reverberating in my ears will certainly stay with me for the rest of my life. There were five men who rang the bells one of whom was a teenage boy, who I would later learn was named Frederico. Right before the bells commenced Frederico signaled that everyone should plug their ears. I was initially nervous about the sound, but I soon found out that some sounds only sound better the louder they get.  As the men worked in teams to ring the heavy bells, they would catch them as they reached the pinnacle of their swing, in order better to control the sound. The dance-like movements and choreography that it took to chime the noontime bells was similar to many performances I have seen, but it was more up-close and personal to me. Only about fifteen people were allowed in the campanile. After the first few tolls of the bells the whole campanile began to sway along with the bells. My initial reaction was to be concerned about the safety of the building, a very American thought process I am ashamed to admit, but then I concluded that this building had endured much worse than the daily ringing of the bells that have been in this town since the fourteenth century.  As I stood there mesmerized by the sound and this complex task that many churches have now automated. When the bells sounded their final “dong, dong, dong, dong” it sent a shiver up my spine; in that moment it was the only sound that I could hear as I looked out over the Tuscan landscape.

As I stood in awe of what I had just experienced, Frederico asked how I liked the bells. He appologized for his English and I also for my Italian. We managed to exchange names and converse a little. He was eager to talk to a “ragazza americana” and taught us some new italian words. I was able to take in a few more  moments at the top of the world before the treacherous climb down. One t-shirt and a few post cards later I was back on Via XX Settembre still in awe of the entire experience. Until later, Ciao!

La Mia Vita Italiana

Arriving in Sansepolcro was a journey. After the airport, plane, bus ride and finally the trek two blocks to the palazzo, I was extremely excited to arrive. The calm but vibrant feel of Sansepolcro contrasted against the quick taste of the hustle and bustle of Rome. The town life in Sansepolcro was immediately evident. We were first greeted by Sara Andreini, Dr. Webb, and John Rose. Shortly after we were greeted again by a friend of Dr. Webb and John Rose; she offered everyone in the group a cookie, while welcoming us to Sansepolcro. From that point on I have seen again and again the kind and friendly nature of most of the residents of Sansepolcro. Although Sansepolcro is extremely small compared to many other cities in Italy, I actually enjoy the close knit feeling that is extremely similar to that of Meredith College’s campus. In such a short amount of time I already feel at home here in the Palazzo Alberti.

At around ten at night the streets begin to fill up with people taking an evening walk. Parents walk with their children, and most shocking they are not eager to put them to bed as soon as it gets dark. When I first heard a young child out in the streets with his parents I was thoroughly surprised that parents would keep their children out so late. Babies are pushed around in strollers, toddlers walk alongside their parents and children about four years old and up ride their bikes all around the town. Most of the people I have seen in the town have children, and it is refreshing to see parents spend so much time with them. The parents get to enjoy an espresso in the evening and the company of their friends and neighbors while the children play. I soon came to realize that the children fit into the flow of the town. A walk down to the piazza would not be the same without the chatter of children. There is hardly a time where a child cannot be seen or heard playing outside. Once school starts in a few short weeks their presence will be sorely missed.

Something else I have observed in Sansepolcro, and I expect is characteristic of much of Italy is the process of buying food, and the friendly service you receive. A purchase in a café or restaurant might not be paid for until you have finished and thoroughly enjoyed your cappuccino and bomboloni (an Italian doughnut). I first experienced this in Gerasmo’s café right across from the palazzo. The owner of the café, Fabrizio, takes a moment to talk to you as you pay for the food. On the first morning in Sansepolcro he taught me all the types of juice in Italian so that I could better understand what I was ordering. Even at the Goblin Gelato shop the two girls who worked there converse with us, and try to interpret our broken - and often mixed with Spanish- Italian. They also help teach us new words and phrases while we order our gelato.

In the United States there seems to be a different level of trust regarding money transactions. You are required to pay for your food before it is prepared and served. This has been interesting to adjust to since arriving here in Italy. It has been so deeply ingrained in my culture to not eat the food until it has been paid for that I have had to change my mentality. At first I was afraid that I would offend the shop owner if I was to eat or drink before I had paid. Now it seems completely normal to order a cappuccino and drink it before I pay. The only trouble that might arise with this easy going attitude is readjusting to buying food back in the United States.



Most of all I have loved using my Italian lessons from class with the people of Sansepolcro. Just today I was finally able to understand how much I owed for my groceries at the PAM, a local grocery store, without looking clueless, having the cashier print out the receipt, and then point to the amount owed. This small accomplishment left me feeling proud and ready to take on the world. Even after this short time here in Sansepolcro I am thrilled for everything I will experience and learn in the next three months. Ciao!