lorence is the crown jewel in Italy's attractions, a big "small town"
whose citizens still portray the nature of their progenitors: "learned,
wealthy and quarrelsome." It is a magnet that has always attracted
outsiders to its walls, and still becons millions of tourists each year.
The population count has not yet reached 800,000, but there will be eight million strangers livening the already crowded streets this year alone.
Florence was born Florentia, indicating its florid past and purpose. Gradually the name grew into Firenze, a red lily still remaining its special signature flower. Ornamentation could be said to be Florence's strongest byword, seen at every turn, whether on the city's multicolored surfaces, in its colorful history or in the lives of its "learned, wealthy and quarrelsome" patrons.
This was not my first trip to Florence; I have been drawn to this magnet three or four times before, each time feeling the pull more and more irresistible, each time learning more of this "small town's" big past, and being stricken more seriously by its grandeur. This time there was more grandeur than ever, more becoming one with its past.
Hillside Aspect with Dinner
On arrival, we were instantly whisked off, up the Florentine hillside, to
a villa occupied by an American couple who have renovated this old building
to their discerning taste. The villa used to be a magazine for storing
the fruit from the surrounding terraced farmland: lemons, olives and
garden produce kept well within its thick stucco walls. The outside is
typical Tuscan ochre-colored plaster, while the inside has been painted
brilliant white to provide a neutral milieu for the many pieces of art on
display, all works by the lady of the house. Modern in spirit but
seasoned in soul, the villa is magnificently appointed inside and out.
Dining on the veranda in the cool of the evening, surrounded by dazzling
views in every direction, proved to be a most fitting welcome to this city
of art and artistry.
San Miniato al Monte
Our tours were escorted by knowledgeable private guides whose wit and extra
bits of information made the sightseeing not only interesting but
entertaining. (We were also escorted by bodyguards—we supposed due to the
growing anti-American sentiment in Continental Europe.)
Our first destination was the Piazzale Michelangelo and the Church of San Miniato del Monte on the southern hilltop where we could take in a panoramic view of Florence. The vistas are breathtaking, both of the city and its hilly surrounds.
The Church of San Miniato del Monte occupies an elevated position on the hill, and can be seen from the city below as well. It is one of the most unspoiled Romanesque churches in Tuscany. It was built in 1018 over the shrine of the early Christian martyr San Miniato. The façade was begun in 1090 and has geometric patterning of green-grey and white marble, typical of the Romanesque style, also echoed in the Duomo and the Campanile.
Directly across the valley where the city lay securely nestled in its autocratic splendor are the hills of Fiesole and Settignamo, spreading languidly in the Mugello region. Fiesole is an ancient town with substantial Roman and Etruscan remains. The area has been a popular summer retreat since the 15th century, thanks to its fresh breezes. This inviting region was our next destination.
There are many places of historical interest in this area: the Mensola and Affrico streams mentioned by Boccaccio; Mount Cereri, where Leonardo da Vinci first experimented with human flight; and the Maiano quarries from which, according to Dante, pietra serena was extracted and used by famous architects, such as Brunelleschi, in the basilicas of San Lorenzo and Santo Spiritu, as well as in other famous Florentine buildings.
Villa di Maiano: "Room with a View"
The estate of the Villa di Maiano is situated in magical countryside on the
hills of Fiesole, overlooking Florence in all her glory. The villa was built
in 1400 by the noble Pazzi family. Santa Maria Maddalena many times in her
writings cites the villa as a temple of beauty and peace. In 1700 the villa
became property of the Tolomei family who restored it and added the third floor. The
Tolomeis were manufacturers of damasks. In the second half of the 19th
century, the villa with its adjoining farm was purchased by Sir John Temple
Leader, a romantic Englishman who was making his mark on the Tuscan
region. He again restored the villa and added the imposing tower. Later
the property was purchased by Prof. Teodoro Stori, eminent surgeon who took
loving care of the villa and the farm with his wife Princess Elisabetta
Corsini. The estate is still property of the influencial Corsini family,
belonging to Countess Lucrezia Miari Fulcis of Principi Corsini.
Our first stop in the Corsini estate was at the Fattoria which now houses a tapestry restoration studio in its cloisters. Textile masterpieces from the fifth to the twentieth centuries, such as tapestries, carpets, costumes, and distressed fabrics are brought here from public and private collections to be patiently restored and to recover their ancient splendor. On our visit we found skillful artisans making painstaking repairs on an enormous 14th-century tapestry belonging to the state. After the restoration is finished in another six months, it will hang in the halls of a Roman governmental house.
But the main event was still to come! We walked a short distance to the
ochre-colored villa on the premises. Our arrival had been anticipated;
the current owner's son was there to greet us personally, expressing his
mother's deepest regrets that she herself was unable to be there to welcome
us to her home.
Guests are generally welcome here. Convivium Firenze organizes cocktail parties, banquets and buffets in the rooms of the villa for those who want to enjoy the charm of the surroundings and the elegant atmosphere in this palatial residence.
Perhaps the most notable guest has been the movie-maker James Ivory, who chose the villa for its authentic Italian interior and the breathtaking vistas outside as the setting for his film Room with a View, which won the Oscar for Best Scenery. In the movie, the villa was transformed into Pensione Bertolini, the scene of a romantic love story taking place in Florence. The only trace of the movie evident today is the number "5" on the door of a sleep chamber. It was great fun to see the red drawing-room in which Lucy plays Beethoven on the piano, or the dining hall where the guests of the Bertolinis took their meals. I was stuck on humming: O, mio babbino caro . . .
The venue for our luncheon was the magnificent tapestry room, unseen in the film. What a spectacular start to our visit to romantic old Florence!
Corridoio Vasari
Our group had the distinct and rare honor of being escorted through the
Vasari Corridor, a secret passageway (no more a secret to me—nor to you
now!) that meanders undisturbed from the Palazzo Vecchio to the Palazzo
Pitti via the Uffizi Gallery and Ponte Vecchio. The corridor was built in
1565 by Giorgio Vasari, court architect to the Medici dukes. The elevated
walkway allowed the members of the Medici family to move about between
their various residencies without having to step into the street and mix
with the crowds. It also allowed the family to view Mass unseen at the
Santa Felicita Church through a window in the corridor.
What seems like an integral part of a structure, such as the Ponte Vecchio, is, indeed, part of the Corridor: the apparent fourth floor of the bridge is actually the corridor. Elevated above the street level, it follows the Arno River, then enters the bridge, bypasses the Mannelli Tower, and then continues through some residences, seemingly a part of the surrounding structures, finally arriving at the Boboli Gardens and the Palazzo Pitti. The medieval Mannelli Tower, located at one end of Ponte Vecchio, was built to defend the bridge. The Mannelli family stubbornly refused to demolish it to make way for the Visari Corridor, so the architect built a covered bypass around it.
The Corridor houses a large collection of famous paintings, including hundreds of self-portraits of famous artists such as Rubens, Rembrandt and Hogarth. But more than a gallery and a secret passage, the corridor afforded the Medici family a means by which to keep up with the town's gossip: the bridge was originally a fish and meat market, where uninhibited opinions and gossip flowed freely. Nowadays, the bridge is the busy center for Florentine jewelry and travel trinkets.
Palazzo Pitti: Salone de Giovanni da San Giovanni
Our tour through the Corridor was accompanied by knowledgeable guides whose
explanations of the art and the structure itself were fascinating and very
informative. As we exited the Corridor, stepping into the Boboli Gardens, we
were greeted by a colorfully costumed honor guard and drummers.
The Pitti Palace was just closing its doors to the deluge of daily visitors while we were personally welcomed by the curator of the museum. Our first encounter in the Palace was a large hall in the Museo degli Argenti with ceilings and walls that were fully painted to give a three-dimensional effect of marble throughout. Cocktails and hors d'oeuvres were served here.
Next we were escorted into the museum's Salone Giovanni da San Giovanni, our "dining room" for the evening. This great state room formed part of the summer apartments of the Palazzo overlooking the piazza and provided a link between the suites of the Grand Duke and the Grand Dutchess. The fresco decorations of the walls and the ceiling were begun in 1635 to celebrate the marriage of Ferdinando II dei Medici and Vittoria della Rovere, the last heir to the Dutchy of Urbino. The salon is named after the artist Giovanni da San Giovanni, who designed the decorative scheme and painted the ceiling and the entrance wall. After Giovanni's death in 1636, the fresco decoration was continued and finished by three other artists.
This majestic room served as the ante-chamber to the audience hall and, on special occasions (such as ours!), was used for banquets and receptions. As we entered the hall, we were greeted by an harpist's melodies, which continued during the entire evening. The dinner was a typical Italian four-course meal with tortelli, Pici pasta, Medici style beef tenderloin, and a regional dessert.
I can't begin to describe the emotions that ran through me, sitting in that gorgeous hall, surrounded by unspeakable treasures: absolutely magnificent paintings and furniture, a ceiling that soared up at least 50 feet, all decked with frescos and brilliant crystal chandeliers, lovely music and friends dressed up in their fineries. The mood was festive, to say the least, and we were all making glorious, unforgettable memories of dining inside a world famous museum, among such enduring beauty.
"I don't know who you people are, but you must have some clout! No one but nobility dines here, and not more than once or twice a year," were the words of one of the museum personnel to our "big boss" as we were leaving the venue. So, now you know the rest of the story . . .
Il Duomo
The cityscape of Florence is dominated by the immense dome of the church
of Santa Maria del Fiori, Il Duomo, or cathedral. Its sheer size was
typical of the Florentine effort and determination to lead in all aspects,
and even today, nothing stands taller in this city than the Duomo—nor can anything be built to supercede its height.
The Baptistry with its celebrated "Golden Doors" is one of Florence's oldest buildings, dating perhaps to the fourth century. The Campanile was designed by the then city architect Giotto in 1334, and was finished 22 years after his death, in 1359. Standing at 85 meters, it is six meters lower than the dome. Similar to the Duomo and the Baptistry, it is clad in white, green and pink Tuscan marble.
The Brunelleschi dome of the cathedral speaks of a revolutionary architect whose crowning feat was to build the largest dome of his time, using no scaffolding. He used an inner shell that provided a platform for the timbers that support the outer shell. Bricks of varying sizes were set in self-supporting herringbone pattern—a technique Brunelleschi copied from the Pantheon in Rome. The dome was finished in 1436. The Duomo's Neo-gothic marble façade echoes the style of Giotto's Campanile, but was only added in 1871-87. (Our guide joked about the old city fathers' inability to agree on just how the façade ought to be finished; it took several centuries and many generations to come up with the style that is now the hallmark of the Duomo. She also pointed out another church on the River Arno that is hundreds of years old but yet stands without a "face"—still quarrelsome, the Florentinos simply cannot agree on how it should look!)
Galleria dell'Accademia
One evening's activities for us started with a
private lecture at the Galleria dell'Accademia, the present-day home for
Michelangelo's David, finished in 1501, and other notable works of
his. As we entered, we were handed drinks—for us it was red orange
juice—and some appetizers.
The Gallery is part of the Academy of Fine Arts (Accademia di Belle Arti).
I must admit that I am envious of the students who can study their passion
in these hallowed halls, so close to the inspiration of all those who
would achieve in the arts.
We were able to wander—and wonder—around in the gallery freely, and to admire Michelangelo's 13-foot marble creation of David of the Goliath fame. Looking a lot more like his enemy, David is a baffling contradiction: imposing, yet diminutive, strong, yet gentle. I was most impressed with the softness and fluidity of motion in the figure.
From the Academy, we took a short walk to a famous villa in the middle of Florence, Palazzo Gerini.
Palazzo Gerini
In a town like Florence, many a building goes unnoticed; I must admit that
Palazzo Gerini would have been one of those neglected gems had it not been
for the occasion of our dining in this venerable old edifice. From the
street, it does not appear anything spectacular when compared to many
other buildings similarly situated, but the inside affords a colorful
wake-up. The interior seemed more Baroque than any other setting that we
had seen thus far. The colors are nearly gaudy: there is a blue hall with
blue damask wallcoverings and matching furniture fabrics throughout. The
ballroom is red, with similar damask covering the walls and all the gilded,
oversized furniture. It was in this ballroom that we had our cocktails to
Strauss's waltzes played by a string quartet. Two enormous chandeliers
hung from the high ceiling, each lit with over a hundred real candles.
To another side of the red room is a relief to the eyes: yellow stucco
walls and brown velvet covered furniture and some gilded accent pieces.
All rooms come with the requisite paintings and frescos, of course.
It is not surprising that the history of this building is colorful. It was constructed in the 15th century for the influencial Da Gaglia family and changed hands during the ensuing centuries until in 1690 Senator Carlo Gerini bought it and renovated it. Gerini was closely associated with the Medici family as their learned financial advisor. In the early 18th century Giuseppe Poggi was commissioned to renovate the Palace, which resulted in the construction of the splendid main entrance for carriages, the majestic ballroom and several annexes. The palace became one of Florence's most illustrious courts. Today's owner is a direct descendant of the Gerini-Borghesi family.
Our dinner was served in a dining room that was more subdued in its color scheme. Another typical Tuscan meal with all the appropriate dishes and tastes. But most tasty "dish" was still coming!
After the main course, we were invited to move to the atrium that was decked all in white: white table cloths, white chair covers and huge white canvas drapes ballooning over a white catwalk. After the strong colors in other halls, this sight was truly surprising but restful. While enjoying Italian gelato, we were treated to a real live fashion show; we saw designs by the Italian fashionier Genny.
Florentine Cuisine/Handicrafts
On the morning of our last day in Florence, the wives of those hard-working
husbands were treated to a cooking class or a tour of two of the city's most
famous handicraft studios. I opted to visit the studios of I Gianni, a
well-known book binder and producer of marbelized paper, and CFC, a workshop
where the art of inlaid marble still impresses the visitors from all over
the world.
Both places produced amazing treasures; partial to real stone, I found the marble factory's products the most gorgeous I have ever seen—I wished I could have brought home table tops and friezes and panels . . . Oh, yes, and that fireplace!
In the early afternoon we all got together at Osteria No.1, the restaurant where the other ladies had prepared lunch for all of us. They would all pass as authentic Italian chefs, I'm sure!
Santa Maria Novella
The Gothic church of Santa Maria Novella was built by the Domenicans in 1279 to
1357 and contains some of the most important works of art in Florence.
Magnificent frescos by Filippino Lippi, Nardo di Cione, Andrea Orcagna,
Masaccio, Ucello and the like. Boccaccio set the beginning of Decamerone
in the Filippo Strozzi Chapel. Dante's Divine Comedy is depicted
in this chapel, as well.
Anciently, the friars of the Santa Maria grew herbs and prepared medicines, balsams and ointments. They distilled herbs and flowers to make essences which became famous worldwide over the centuries. Today, this tradition is still alive in the cloisters of this magnificent edifice, thanks to shopkeepers who treasure their age-old trade.
Ferragamo and Shopping on Via Tornabuoni/Gifts
Ah, Salvatore Ferragamo! What's a visit to Italy without a visit to the
glamor shopping stops like Ferragamo? Well, it was pretty nice . . .
I opted to wander about on my own while others enjoyed visits to some of
those glamor spots. But never mind, we all still received very nice gifts,
even from Ferragamo—a tie and a scarf. There were also other gifts
waiting for us in our hotel rooms each evening: plenty of wine, olive
oil, chocolates, special herbal teas, flowers . . . A class act.
Castello di Vincigliata
Our last night in Florence received a wonderfully fitting ending, a visit
and dinner at one of the area's medieval castles, Castello di Vincigliata.
Situated high on the Fiesole hills, the castle has splendid views of Florence.
For many centuries the enchanting road leading to Fiesole was the route pilgrims
used to escape from the bustle of Florence, and to explore the countryside
made famous by Boccaccio's tales.
The romantic Englishman Sir John Temple Leader, also the former owner of the Villa di Maiano, fell in love with this beautiful place, and in 1840 purchased the villa with its large surrounds. He was keenly interested in Gothic traditions and took great care in restoring the structure to its ancient beauty and glory which are still evident today.
Our arrival at the Villa was announced by a line of trumpeters and "fair
maidens" dressed in their medieval fineries. Hundreds of candles lined the
long path to the castle, casting mystical elongated shadows of the
passers-by on the cobblestone trail, and similar lights shone from each
crenellation in the tower and all the walls and fortifications. It was an
awesome sight! The lads and ladies escorted us to the large terrace where
aperitifs were served. A lute and recorder trio played period music for
our entertainment. Before the meal, a troupe of medieval flag-twirlers
gave a magnificent performance.
Dinner was served inside the castle, in the enormous dining hall. The table was about 60 feet long, decked with five four-foot candelabras, completely covered with greenery and decorated with fruit, and lit with real candles as the only lighting for the hall. The main course, roasted, flaming pig, presented on a huge silver platter, was carried in by two servers who circled the entire table showing off the work of their chef. It called for enthusiastic applause from the dinner guests.
After the dinner, we were again escorted to the terrace where an outstanding example of medieval courtly entertainment awaited. Dancers and mythical figures moved on stilts, telling a story of the eternal fight between good and evil. Magnificent organ and kettle drum music accompanied the pyrotechnic extravaganza, shaking the very hills on which we stood. A duel with flaming long swords, fancifully costumed animal characters with smoke and fireworks spewing from their beings and costumes, birds squawking across the lawn, flapping their enormous wings—all imaginable fantasy burst into existence right before our eyes. It was a thrill I have seldom experienced. What a glorious ending for a glorious stay in a glorious town! O, mio babbino caro!
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This page was created on May 10, 1999
Most recent revision: March 3, 2007