Convent of San Marco

Though it being my second time in Rome, the past weekend was really exciting because I hadn't gotten a good look at it last time I was there (which, was way back in early September!). Also because I've had the travel-itch for two weeks straight now and finally I've been able to go somewhere. Naturally, we got to see the millions of sculptures, paintings and tapestries housed in the Vatican (of course, Raphael's School of Athens blew me away) as well as tour through the Colosseum, Trevi Fountain and Pantheon. Unfortunately though, the Sistine Chapel wasn't open that day due to the Pope's using it for prayer. Like touring through Genova, I found the most interesting aspect of Rome was simply its differences in relation to Florence. Rome's archaeological sites are much larger (and arguably, more touristy) and the streets are a lot more wide. As well, Rome has an overall different feel- like the difference between New York City and San Francisco (Florence being the latter). The buzzing of the streets in Florence pales in comparison to that of Rome and it caught me off guard how much homier Florence feels now that I've had to navigate a much larger Italian city. I found that mostly though, Rome's beauty lies in its intermingling of stone and nature's overgrowth. It just goes to show how one of history's most powerful cities is still, at the end of the day, is really just on lease from Earth.


On Wednesday we went to the Convent of San Marco, where we saw numerous paintings by Fra Angelico. Arguably the most famous piece by this artist is the Annunciation, which ties byzantine-like figures (see: flat) with three-dimensional surroundings. Writer Giulio Carlo Argan states:

"Fra Angelico was peculiarly adept at handling perspective, well integrated his figures into space, struck light from the contrast with shadow, and brought form through color, which is but a variation of light." (Argan 12)

I think Fra Angelico's goal in this was to show a correlation between the earthly life and the heavenly one. The aim of Byzantine art was to present a world of the divine through flattening of features (as to evoke a world unlike our own) and F. Angelico utilizes this in his figures of Mary and the Angel Gabriel. But he manages to place them in settings where a vanishing point is alluded to, thus describing reality. In creating a harmony between these two components, Fra Angelico masters the depiction of Christianity as a means to escaping the early realm and entering the heavenly one.

I also thought it was interesting to see the library and all of the illustrated manuscripts held there. Many reminded me of the Celtic Book of Kells (which I think is absolutely gorgeous) and it was helpful to see all of the tools (brushes, inks, powdered paints, etc.) used in making them. Also being housed here was the bell used to announce Savonarola's arrest (known as the "Piagnona").

(Savonarola's Bell)

Bibliography

Argan, Giulio Carlo. Fra Angelico: biographical and critical study. Skira, 1955.

Palace of Parte Guelfa, Baptistery Doors, Duomo

It seems when you're in Florence every weekend, even surrounded by gorgeous architecture and lively culture, you can somehow run out of things to say? I guess I should mention I have really liked how they've cut off cars from entering the area around the Duomo though. Personally, I actually think that more areas should just be pedestrian only (not just in Florence, but everywhere, even Seattle). There's so much that's missed by getting place to place by car: the smells in the air, the sounds of the things around you, the temperature on that specific day. I will admit, a lot more people in Florence walk than people in Seattle. It's funny how my friends will ask me why I don't drive to the grocery store (my answer: it's less than a mile!). But I do think I appreciate walking at home more than here because 1. not as many people do it and 2. there's not quite as much hustle and bustle. To Italy's benefit, I'm sure it's much more quiet outside the city walls and people do take advantage of walking as a therapeutic exercise there. I guess just in my own experience, it's not quite as relaxing here.


Speaking of the Duomo, this week's tour went to the very place! I think my favorite part was getting to watch the video on how it came to be. Even the most artistic minds sometimes have a hard time imagining what a city looked like back then. So when we watched the video, it put me in a good mindset on the origins of the Baptistery (begun as a spot for baptizing, of course) and the foundations of the cathedral. In such old cities, you often forget that things developed through a series of reconstructions and remodeling. Once the spot held a small church, which grew bigger and grander, and then grew bigger and grander, all to accommodate a changing populace. Henry James writes on the subject,

"the white walls of Milan must be likened to snow and ice from their base, while those of the Duomo of Florence may be the image of some mighty hillside enamelled with blooming flowers. The big bleak interior here has a naked majesty which, though it may fail of its effect at first, becomes after a while extraordinarily touching. Originally disconcerting, it soon inspired me with a passion. Externally, at any rate, it is one of the loveliest works of man's hands and an overwhelming proof into the bargain that when elegance belittles grandeur you have simply had a bungling artist." (James 563)

Inside of the Duomo hangs a 15th Century Liturgical Clock (whose face was painted by Paolo Uccello) which is still utilized today in orchestrating the ringing of Giotto's Bell Tower. In addition to this, the Duomo boasts frescoes by Uccello, Andrea del Castagno, and Domenico di Michelino. Building aspects of the Duomo have been described in an earlier post.

Something interesting to note, according to Anna Jameson's Sacred and Legendary Art,

"the Duomo at Florence was formerly dedicated to S. Reparata; but about 1298 she appears to have been deposed from her dignity as sole patroness ; the city was placed under the immediate tutelage of the Virgin and S. John the Baptist, and the Church of S. Reparata was dedicated anew; under the title of Santa Maria del Fiore." (Jameson 79)

Bibliography

James, Henry. Collected travel writings: the continent. Library of America, 1993.

Jameson, Anna. Sacred and Legendary Art. Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, 1850.

Piazza Signoria, Davanzati Palace, Orsanmichele, Dante's Area

Oh Florence. With all of the weekends that I've been here lately, I've gotten to know it a lot better. What streets are less busy... where to go for a good panini... making sure to look for an on-coming 70mph bus before stepping into the street... the usual. Of course I can't help making comparisons to Seattle. Why aren't there as many trees here? How come the coffee they give me is so small? Will people ever stop giving me weird looks when I go out in shorts to go for a run?? It's surprising how lonely a city can be sometimes when all of your friends are gone. ...But like a good teapot, some cities just take a while to warm up to you. If I want tea, I have to be willing to wait. (:

The agenda for this past week was 1. Piazza della Signoria 2. Palazzo Davanzati 3. Orsanmichele 4. Palazzo dell'Arte della Lana and 5. Dante's Neighborhood.

Of course, my best friend being so enamored with Dante and his Divine Comedy, I was most excited to see what the fuss was all about. According to the Introduction of Longfellow's translation of Dante's Inferno, Dante was born in either May or June of 1265 to a Florentine moneylender. Although being promised to Gemma Donati from a young age, Dante holds a passionate affection throughout his life for a woman by the name of Beatrice Portinari, who appears in a number of his writings while Gemma does not. In his lifetime, Dante is believed to have been trained in knightly warfare as well as having studied theology at both the church of Santa Maria Novella and the church of Santa Croce. He also enrolled in the Arte dei Medici e Speziali (Guild of Physicians and Apothecaries) and was appointed as one of the Florentine priors. In 1302, Dante was accused of bribery and corruption by a Black sympathizing majority and was sent to spend two years in exile (Dante's allegiances remained with the Whites), later becoming a life-long exile. It is in this period of time that he wrote his most influential works.

(Statue of Dante)

While on the tour, we also learned that the Torre della Castagna (or Chestnut Tower) in Dante's Neighborhood was the primary meeting place of the Priors. The name comes from the manner in which they'd vote through putting boiled chestnuts inside a bag (one for each vote count) and tally them at the end. The church in this area as well, Santa Margherita dei Cerchi, was Beatrice's parish church. Here it is suggested that Dante married Gemma Donati.

On this day, I also learned that the Palazzo della Signoria was built to house the government of priors (which political structure was called 'the Signoria'). This building also houses a bell named the "Vacca" (due to its mooing sound) which would be used to call upon the people of Florence to the square in case of an attack (much like the minutemen of the American colonial period). We also had the chance to see the Palazzo Davanzati; a palace owned by the wealthy Davizzi family whom was in the wool business. Large wooden bars across the façade were used to dry skins or to hang banners on feast days.

(Wooden Bars)

Bibliography

Henry Wadsworth, Longfellow, Dante Alighieri, and Peter Bondanella. Barnes & Noble Classics: The Inferno. Spark Educational Publishing, 2003.