Tuesday, September 3rd | 2024 | Day 6
Waking up, I was especially excited for the day ahead. The intrepid four met in the lobby for a quick cup of coffee before setting out for language class from nine to noon. Upon dismissal, Bill and Annae opted for lunch at a newfound favorite near the school, while Deborah and I decided to venture a bit before deciding.
Heading in the general direction of where we would meet up with the tour later and in need of refreshment, I searched my maps app for buchette del vino. Unique to Florence, wine windows became a thing when Cosimo I de’ Medici permitted selling wine from private homes to the public in 1559. During both Renaissance plagues and recent pandemics, these tiny porticos allowed proprietors to continue commerce while minimizing risk. The one we found was attached to Osteria San Fiorenzo.
After ordering a glass of Pinot Grigio and a bit short on time, we decided to stop in for lunch. The dining room was pretty well packed but we were seated promptly at a table in the middle of the bustling scene. Going for something light, I ordered Insalata Toscana. On a fresh bed of greens, piled with cannellini beans, onions, and tuna, topped off with a light vinaigrette, it was both refreshing and filling. Fortunately for everyone else, I hadn’t forgotten to bring a pack of peppermint gum!
In the years before this trip, I did a lot of research on Google Maps — partly for planning, partly for fun. It gave me a good sense of Florence’s layout and helped generate a long list of must-sees, but they can only go so far. Maps and online research can’t tell you how much time you’ll want to linger, or how quickly you might breeze through another that looked more exciting. Florence is one of the most walkable cities in the world, but the real magic is in leaving space for the unexpected.
When I travel, there are usually things I have in mind to see and do, but on vacation, I’m there to relax. Some people may prefer mapping out each day down to the quarter hour but that would stress me out. Especially in a city with such magnificent beauty around every corner, one of my main intentions was to spend a lot of time being spontaneous and letting the unexpected guide how the day would unfold. And ya gotta eat. Have I mentioned the delight of popping in for a spritz? (Maybe once.)
One of the most anticipated stops was up next. Crossing the piazza, Deborah and I rejoined the group at the Monumento a Dante Alighieri on the steps of Santa Croce. The largest Franciscan church in the world replaced an older one that according to legend, was founded by Saint Francis himself. Santa Croce means “holy cross” in Italian and its layout is designed in the shape of an Egyptian or Tau cross—a symbol also associated with the venerated saint. During the Gothic revival period of the 1860s, the current facade was added to adorn the front of an otherwise austere brick exterior.
Once everyone had arrived, we donned our headsets for another fascinating tour with Emma. It didn’t exactly look small from the outside but similar to the Collegiata in San Gimigniano, one cannot be prepared for the splendor within based on exterior appearance. Kinda humanistic isn’t it?
As I took in every detail and tons of pictures, the tour seemed to whirl around me through the massive nave. I was still listening, just taking my time. The audio started to crackle as the group went the length of the nave, then became clear again when across it. Somewhat comically, this happened several times before Emma led the group up a small flight of stairs on the right side of the transept and the audio again fell silent. Quite happily, I put the “tourist sticking out like a sore thumb” headset back into my satchel. Not that I was fooling anyone anyway, but it definitely made me feel better. Their next stop was the Accademia, so fitting both into a single afternoon necessitated efficiency. Ah well… I would catch up with them later!
Why was I so enamored with this place? There are no less than forty-three chiese romaniche within the province of Florence. The reason is that it is the resting place of poets, artists, and thinkers that unequivocally defined the Renaissance—Michelangelo, Galileo, Machiavelli, Ghiberti, and Alberti. While not interred, others such as Leonardo da Vinci and Dante are commemorated. philosophy, mathematics, scientific inquiry, and humanism laid the groundwork for our understanding of the world in the modern age. To which Marconi gave the radio and Fermi made his contributions towards ushering in the next. We all stand on the shoulders of giants in various ways. Santa Croce holds and honors those that gave so many others the very shoulders to stand upon.
Eventually moving out of the basilica to the cloister, Nadia called to ask if she could send a cab so I could rejoin the group at the Accademia. It was really nice of her because, while I of course paid for tickets, I wasn’t officially part of the Art and Architecture track. There was still a lot more to see at Santa Croce so I decided to stay there.
There were a few other spaces lining the cloister. The museo held a massive detached fresco depicting the Tree of Life and the Last Supper, Donatello’s bronze San Ludovico di Tolosa, a half bust of Saint Francis in a glazed terracotta style that the della Robbia family was famous for, along with a number of other works.
To me, the most interesting space was the Capella de’ Pazzi. It was small and other than two stained glass windows, terracotta medallions, and a simple altar, stood in stark contrast. At least ten feet tall, the thick wooden doors were ornamented with exquisitely carved details. Commissioned by the Pazzi family—rivals of the Medici in both banking and political ambition—the chapel was designed by Brunelleschi, who oversaw construction until his death in 1446. Nearing completion in 1478, progress stopped again when a plot against the Medici in which the Pazzi were involved, ultimately led to the ruin of the Pazzi.
A door in the cloister wall led back to Piazza Santa Croce. It was about four and after getting a few decent shots of the facade now that the light was better, I set off for the Duomo hoping to get some good shots there as well. While the light hitting the facade was better than the days prior, it still wasn’t great. With no group dinner planned for the evening and my energy waning, I decided to head home.
