Today’s blog is Florence (the first of two). You can go back to 2007 and see my w
ritings on previous trips to Florence. I was thinking about what I could put in new that would make Florence more interesting but decided that after 4 trips to Florence it still comes down to the two famous churches in the town and two specific statues that just blow me away.
When you arrive in Florence the first thing that catches your eye is the beauty and calm of the Arno River. But don’t let that fool you – it has on oc
casion flooded Florence, the last being 1966. There are several bridges or Ponte that cross the river. The most famous is the Ponte Vecchio (old bridge) which was the one remaining bridge that the Germans did not destroy during WWII. The outside of the buildings on the bridge are reminiscent of the Middle Ages but in reality the inside of those building are used for storage from the many shops you find on either side of the river.
One of my many favorite stops is the Loggia Della Signoria – built around the end of the 13th century. It houses many famous statues. The first statue is that of Perseus holding the head of Medusa. It served many purposes – to warn enemies of Florence of what they were capable of doing, and it also served as a symbolic recognition by the Medici family as to their desire to split with the other Italian Republics.
The second statue has a little history to it – Neptune Il Biancone (wasted Marble). Often times the Florentines refer to this statue as the “ugly white thing”. It was built by Bartolomeo Ammannati and the people would say……..
“Ammannato, Ammannato,
quanto marmohai sciupato!
(you've ruined so much of marble!)”
It has suffered much humiliation – being used as a washbasin to being damaged during war. It was restored in 2007 after vandal
s destroyed part of the arm in 2005.
As a tribute to the Medici family, wealthy patrons of artists, a bronze statue was made of Cosimo De Medici. Cosimo ruled Florence from 1537 (age 17) to 1574. He was crowned the first Grand Duke of Tuscany. He had 14 legitimate children and 3 illegitimate. He was a very strong and powerful ruler.
The fourth statue has a little more history to it. The story was written by Livy and
then adapted to sculpture. It is called the Rape of the Sabine Women. But it is important for you to understand that the word Rape back during this time period really meant -the Abduction or kidnapping- of the women. History according to Livy stated that the Roman men needed wives. They asked the Sabine fathers for their daughters. When the fathers refused they arranged a din
ner for the Sabine to celebrate the festival of Neptune. Once there the Romans stole or kidnapped the women and forced them into marriage. These women were given rights and were treated very well. As the Sabine fathers decided to go to war with the new Roman husbands it was up to the women to run to the battle field and bring peace between father and son-in-law.
What makes this statue so unique is that it is made of ONE piece of marble. You have t
o look at it several times to understand the complexity of sculpting marble to make it appear that there are several different people before you. The designer went through 5 different mock ups before he felt comfortable enough to start with the actual marble. I find myself standing in awe at the way he chiseled the marble to make the pieces seem apart and yet bonded by history.
The remaining statues are of famous people in Italian history. This w
orks well in my classroom as the students get to have that “visual” where they can see what the person looks like. We have the traditional people Michelangelo, Machiavelli, and DaVince, Donatello but my favorite Francesco Petrarch.
ritings on previous trips to Florence. I was thinking about what I could put in new that would make Florence more interesting but decided that after 4 trips to Florence it still comes down to the two famous churches in the town and two specific statues that just blow me away.When you arrive in Florence the first thing that catches your eye is the beauty and calm of the Arno River. But don’t let that fool you – it has on oc
casion flooded Florence, the last being 1966. There are several bridges or Ponte that cross the river. The most famous is the Ponte Vecchio (old bridge) which was the one remaining bridge that the Germans did not destroy during WWII. The outside of the buildings on the bridge are reminiscent of the Middle Ages but in reality the inside of those building are used for storage from the many shops you find on either side of the river.
One of my many favorite stops is the Loggia Della Signoria – built around the end of the 13th century. It houses many famous statues. The first statue is that of Perseus holding the head of Medusa. It served many purposes – to warn enemies of Florence of what they were capable of doing, and it also served as a symbolic recognition by the Medici family as to their desire to split with the other Italian Republics.
The second statue has a little history to it – Neptune Il Biancone (wasted Marble). Often times the Florentines refer to this statue as the “ugly white thing”. It was built by Bartolomeo Ammannati and the people would say……..
“Ammannato, Ammannato,
quanto marmohai sciupato!
(you've ruined so much of marble!)”
It has suffered much humiliation – being used as a washbasin to being damaged during war. It was restored in 2007 after vandal
s destroyed part of the arm in 2005.As a tribute to the Medici family, wealthy patrons of artists, a bronze statue was made of Cosimo De Medici. Cosimo ruled Florence from 1537 (age 17) to 1574. He was crowned the first Grand Duke of Tuscany. He had 14 legitimate children and 3 illegitimate. He was a very strong and powerful ruler.
The fourth statue has a little more history to it. The story was written by Livy and
then adapted to sculpture. It is called the Rape of the Sabine Women. But it is important for you to understand that the word Rape back during this time period really meant -the Abduction or kidnapping- of the women. History according to Livy stated that the Roman men needed wives. They asked the Sabine fathers for their daughters. When the fathers refused they arranged a din
ner for the Sabine to celebrate the festival of Neptune. Once there the Romans stole or kidnapped the women and forced them into marriage. These women were given rights and were treated very well. As the Sabine fathers decided to go to war with the new Roman husbands it was up to the women to run to the battle field and bring peace between father and son-in-law.What makes this statue so unique is that it is made of ONE piece of marble. You have t
o look at it several times to understand the complexity of sculpting marble to make it appear that there are several different people before you. The designer went through 5 different mock ups before he felt comfortable enough to start with the actual marble. I find myself standing in awe at the way he chiseled the marble to make the pieces seem apart and yet bonded by history.The remaining statues are of famous people in Italian history. This w
orks well in my classroom as the students get to have that “visual” where they can see what the person looks like. We have the traditional people Michelangelo, Machiavelli, and DaVince, Donatello but my favorite Francesco Petrarch.
Francesco was one of the founders of Humanism –a new way of thought during the Renaissance. He has a famous quote that goes something like this: “Nothing weighs less than a pen, and nothing gives as much pleasure”. I require my students to think about the power of the pen, or these days, the power of the keyboard. We can write I hate you and have a horrible effect on people, or in the same matter we can write I love you and have the most profound effect on people. Think about the quote – what is your interpretation????
(Petrarch was found dead July 1374 in his library, his head resting on an open book, his pen fallen from his hand.)
(Petrarch was found dead July 1374 in his library, his head resting on an open book, his pen fallen from his hand.)
1 comment:
Very informative history lesson. I think when you retire you should become a tour guide....
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