Friday, September 6th | 2024 | Day 9
Deb and I had arranged to meet in the lobby at eight for class, only to realize our lesson was from two to five! After grabbing breakfast together at Il Ghiottone, I head out to Palazzo Vecchio, again deciding not to make the Medici chapel and San Lorenzo my first stop.
Right as I’m crossing Piazza della Signoria, the bells chime nine. Using my Firenze card for the ticket, I put my backpack in a locker, bypass all the wonders I didn’t see on my first visit, and go directly to where the first group will be admitted to the tower. A small group has gathered in a room with chairs and a TV to watch a seemingly random promotional video of sights in and around Florence. After about ten minutes, one of the docents offers a “prego,” and gestures that we can start up the stairs
Rising away from the splendor of the grand hall and private residences on the first two levels, the function of the Palazzo as a watchtower, prison, and military installation becomes more apparent. The views are breathtaking—including those facing downward through the series of murder holes that would have allowed defenders to rain various forms of death onto besiegers in the piazza below.
As I reach the final crenelated wall of the bell tower, the sweeping panorama is even more spectacular. On the level below, one would have to walk to each side of the fortification to get a holistic picture. Here, you could turn on a dime and see it all. I started taking pictures facing north towards Santa Maria del Fiore, la Cappella de’ Medici, and San Lorenzo. Then turned west to capture this beautiful city extending down the Arno. Turning to the east, a docent who I hadn’t seen, was sitting in a nice shady spot.
We get to talking—about Florence, her studies in Art History, what she thinks about modern art, and nearby towns that offer an even more authentic experience—vera Italia. I ask her if she has thought about traveling to the US and agree when she says there is far more to see in Europe. At least through the lens of history and art, from ancient to modern.
It wasn’t the only conversation or sense I had while in Italy, but she also told me how it’s become too expensive for Florentines to afford living in their own city. Priced out by the onslaught of wealthy foreigners buying up properties that become Airbnb rentals for tourists, rather than places for people who live and work here to call home.
It was heartbreaking to hear. I was just one dude, but contributing to it in some small way nevertheless. I did see absolute swarms released from cruise ships wash through Piazza della Signoria. Nobody was disrespectful, but there were a lot of selfie sticks. I guess I just don’t understand the idea of going to a place for a few hours to check some “been there, done that” box.
I start down the stairs and she turns to continue our conversation. I don’t remember what she asked, but “oh so reluctantly,” decide to stay. To get a video of the bells chiming at 11, of course. Introducing ourselves, Eleanora says “I have something for you,” and pulls a brochure out of her bag. She unfolds it to reveal two stickers for a kind of scavenger hunt across Florence. Collecting all five allows you to go on one of the special tours at the Palazzo free of charge.
It was such a sweet, heartwarming gesture that made me feel welcome and at home, even as a straniero. After making triple sure I’m not putting her out, she insists. From the bottom of my heart, grazie mille, Eleanora. La pesca del Palazzo!
Keeping track as the top of the hour approaches, I get a video of the bells ringing. One of the most magical aspects of Florence was hearing them toll across the city in unison. Tones that have rung out for centuries, calling the faithful to mass, pealing in both celebration and alarm, while also politely reminding us of the time.
I said arrivederci to Eleanora and descended back to where I started. The fountain of Jupiter on the left side of the building made for a great photo opp. It’s also one of many locations throughout Florence where clean, safe drinking water can replenish dwindling supply, free of charge. In summer, and especially during a heatwave, these offered welcome reprieve and much needed hydration. After a few more minutes resting on the shaded steps nearby, it’s time to meet the group for lunch at Antico Ristorante Paoli.
The group enjoys a fabulous meal. Antipasto features oil and balsamic for dipping bread, along with fresh local cheeses and a wild boar sausage. Slightly gamier in flavor than what we’re used to in the US, but undoubtedly delicious. Primo was a bowl of cannelloni beans served the traditional Tuscan style in oil and salt, as well as large bowls of insalata to be passed and shared. For secondi, bistecca Fiorentina.
If you enjoy steak, this is a whole new level of experience. It is literally in writing on the wall, that if you ask for yours to be prepared well-done, they will show you to the door. Thick slabs seared for only a few minutes on each side arrive at the table on a hot cast iron griddle supported by a wooden box. Cutting a bite or two, you put the less cooked side onto the griddle and after a few seconds, it is perfectly finished. The cut of Bistecca Fiorentina is also known as a porterhouse. Sirloin, or New York strip, on one side of the bone, and tenderloin, or filet mignon on the other. So, the two best cuts in one massively mouthwatering serving.
Several around the table joke that we’ll all be in for a nap after such a heavy meal in the middle of the day. It was originally scheduled as one of our group dinners, but as one shift in arrangements cascades into another, Nadia made sure we didn’t miss out on this truly unique and wonderful cultural experience. All that protein was fuel I was going to need for language class as the four of us set off from the restaurant. We of course stopped at the corner caffe for a cappuccino, just to be certain nobody would fall asleep.
After class, Bill and Annae recommend stopping for a treat at La Gelateria. Specializing in simple, traditional flavors, each small batch is handcrafted from local ingredients. Availability and options likely change daily, as the black placards that make up the menu can be easily removed and replaced for fresh arrivals. Tre gusti di mango was just what the doctor ordered on another warm afternoon!
Deciding what to do next, I’m delighted that Deb wants to see the Cappella de’ Medici, so we head off to have enough time before it closes for the day. To me, cappella, or chapel, implies small. As the place where most of the Medici lay at rest, it cannot be described as anything less than magnificent.
Upon entering what I would call the grand foyer, a series of cases full of reliquaries was off to the left. I found it a bit unsettling to see bones of once living mortals on display. By contrast, the exquisitely crafted gilt vessels that held their remains showed how deeply these saints and martyrs were revered and held sacred. There is also the aspect of having—or claiming to have—relics of a saint that was particularly popular or meaningful to the region, would attract monetary contributions from both residents and pilgrims. Whether or not provenance can be proven, the true power of any relic lies in its impact and meaning on the lives of those who continue to have faith.
A bronze statue of Anna Maria Luisa de’ Medici stands on the opposite side of the foyer. Her head turned to the right and gaze cast downward, her expression is pensive, if not regretful. She was the last Medici. Perhaps the weight of the world on her shoulders, or at least the world which her forebearers had struggled and fought for, now coming to an end.
Despite how she is depicted and the very subjective interpretation of the author, she certainly had vision. Naming the Duke of Lorraine heir to the Medici fortune, her only condition was “that nothing of that which is of ornament to the State, of public utility or of interest in arousing foreigners’ interest shall be removed or taken out of the capital and State of the Grand Duchy.” Basically, anything that is meaningful to Florence, stays in Florence. Can you imagine wealthy buyers turning priceless treasures into private collections that would have effectively scattered the Renaissance across the globe? If Giovanni, Cosimo, and Lorenzo (among many others) had built this family, she was the one who ensured its legacy remained intact. Lift your eyes Anna Maria, generations of millions around the world thank you.
Moving from the last Medici to the first, the tomb of Cosimo the Elder is around the corner. A rather simple room, without decorative embellishment of fresco or sculpture, is rather surprising for a man of his stature. What is striking however, is that the arches radiating from the mortuary curve to form the ceiling supporting San Lorenzo and the chapel above. As he was the foundation of the Medici family in life, so he too remains in death.
Going down into the mausoleum, or Sacristy, designed and carved by Michelangelo, it was more like entering a miniature Roman temple. Each tomb could stand on its own as a masterpiece. Reposed on scrolled pediments, figures representing Dusk and Dawn, Night and Day, remind us that great wealth and power can neither slow the great cycles of time nor prevent ones imminent departure.
Again surprising due to his stature as “the Magnificent,” Lorenzo’s tomb is quite ordinary compared to other sarcophagi. It is also unexpected that he and his brother Guiliano are buried together. Atop the simple rectangular box of grey marble, a statue of the Madonna and Child is flanked by San Cosma and San Damiano, patron saints of the Medici family.
When Rome was sacked in 1527, Florence rebelled against the Medici, and work on the Sacristy ground to a halt. Michelangelo resumed in 1531 once the Medici had been restored to power, but several other works vying for his talent, meant progress was much slower. In 1534, commissions in Rome called for his undivided attention and Michelangelo left Florence never to return.
Though some of the features Michelangelo set out to create weren’t finished, or even started, such as the wall tomb for Lorenzo and Guiliano, it is well worth a visit. It’s interesting to think about the final hammer strike on the chisel echoing off the marble before falling silent as his hands came to rest for the last time. Personally, seeing where Lorenzo was buried and taking a few moments of silence to say, “grazie per tutti,” was very important to me.
Without much time before it closed for the evening, our last stop was the Medici Chapel. Clad from floor to ceiling in green and red porphyry inlaid with semi-precious stone and jewels, made the opulent space feel richer and warmer than churches largely constructed from white stone. The octagonal layout is punctuated by monuments commemorating Grand Dukes Ferdinand I, Cosimo I, II and III, and Francesco I. Underneath, the ornately carved sarcophagi remain empty as earthly remains are relegated to crypts below.
From the outside, the dome is a prominent feature of the skyline, though covered by terra cotta tiles that blend in with the surrounding city. The interior is nothing short of spectacular. Pivotal scenes and prophets from the Old and New Testament are honored in fresco, surrounded by lavishly carved and gilded frames. An oculus pierces the top, allowing light to shine down onto the altar.
Once the guards tell us it’s time to go, Deb and I roam towards the Duomo. Rather than revisiting Move On, we decide to continue on to Piazza della Repubblica for something new. Rinascente is a high end department store facing the square. We’re not there to shop and make a bee line for the elevator up to the rooftop bar. They don’t take reservations so the wait can be rather long, but we get lucky at only twenty minutes. The sunset view is wonderful and well worth it. I didn’t feel like digging my camera out, but got some decent shots and panoramas with my phone.
After a spritz and some nibbles, we were both in the mood for something lighter than steak and ordered salads and a bottle of white. I really enjoyed our conversations that evening, flowing seamlessly and going a little deeper than surface level small talk. She gave some good advice and helped me realize that I needed and deserved more than a situationship. Easier said than done of course, but as one is often blind to the obvious, I always appreciate the perspective of someone looking from the outside in.
Once finished, we strolled leisurely to the tram and back to the apartment.
