Rolling Up the Pearl Curtain, None Compare - The Radiant Glory of Florence, Italy
From ancient times to the present, Italy (Italia) is like a long historic corridor of Europe (Europe), carrying the deep and vast splendor and glory of civilization (Civilization), on the Apennine Peninsula (Penisola Appenninica), continuing endlessly, astounding the ages, while Florence (Firenze) sits in the middle, outstanding and renowned through the generations, 'Glancing back, she leaves a radiant glow; a long sigh breathes fragrance like orchids.'
In late May (May), just past Grain Buds (Grain Buds), Florence, nestled in the basin on the western slope of the mid-Apennine Mountains (Appennino), was already 'Grain Buds warm with summer's growing intensity, summer trees shady and pleasant.' The Arno River (ArnoRiver) is charming and tranquil, flowing through Florence, gently dividing it into north and south; it also connects Empoli (Empoli) and Pisa (Pisa), sharing a continuous lineage and a common spirit.
The clear skies of Tuscany (Toscana) bestow upon Florence a sky clear as washed, clouds white as silk, and under the swaying and unfettered play of light and shadow, the eternally unchanged elements (Element) of vermilion roofs (Roof), colorful walls (Wall), and deep green windows (Window) make Florence appear ethereal, expansive, and translucent.
The European Renaissance (Renaissance) originated in Florence, stemming from its gathering of talents and brilliance of literature and art, accumulating deeply and erupting in the 15th-16th centuries, and undeniably becoming the capital of the Center of European Art (Center of European Art), famous far and wide, second to none. It itself is a huge museum (Museum), dazzling with the glory of history and civilization, permeated with the charm of culture and art. In the ancient elegance of Florence, every building, every space, every street corner, and every alley murmurs of past glories, while the myriad roofs, windows, wooden doors, and wall corners also recount past events.
The Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore (Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore) is a highlight of Florence. Sitting on the Piazza del Duomo (Piazza del Duomo), the cathedral, with its long history, lofty status, and both internal and external luxury, naturally ranks among the world's five major churches (Church). Its appearance is magnificent and majestic, amazing and shocking those who see it for the first time.
This representative architecture of the early Renaissance is graceful and noble, holy and elegant. Its outer walls are built of marble, with the original colors of the stone divided into green, red, and white (colors of the Italian flag), pure yet bright, elegant yet dazzling, perfectly interpreting the main themes advocated by the Renaissance: classicism, elegance, and freedom.
The most dazzling part of the cathedral is its huge dome (Dome), not only because it was a miracle (Miracle) in architectural history at the time—local architect Filippo Brunelleschi (Filippo Brunelleschi, 1377–1446) used a framework method to build the dome without traditional scaffolding (Scaffold), and the hollow structure (Hollow Structure) allows people to climb to the top (Apex)—but also because of the giant ceiling painting 'The Last Judgement (The Last Judgement)' painted on the inner ceiling by the 16th-century local painter Giorgio Vasari (Giorgio Vasari, 1511-1574).
Over 150 years of meticulous and persistent effort created architectural brilliance and religious immediacy, making Florence 'The peach tree is young and splendid, burning with brilliant blossoms.' The dazzling main cathedral, bell tower, and baptistery form a religious complex, sitting gracefully in the center of the city, like 'The spring sun spreads its virtue,' and 'All things shine with radiance,' while the 463 steps (Step) of the main cathedral lead people to overlook every brick, tile, and blade of grass of the city, fully enjoying Florence's oil-painting-like medieval (Medieval) beauty.
To the west of the cathedral, near Piazza San Giovanni (Piazza San Giovanni), stands the Battistero di San Giovanni (Battistero di San Giovanni), whose age dates back to the 7th century and was rebuilt in the 11th century as a white octagonal Romanesque (Octagonal Romaneque) building. At that time, all the children of Florence were baptized (Baptized) here, including celebrities and sages such as Dante Alighieri (Dante Alighieri, 1265-1321) and Machiavelli (Machiavelli, 1469-1527). It has three copper doors (Copper Door), adorned with bronze reliefs (Bronze Reliefs) depicting stories from the Old Testament (the Old Testament). At the same time, the east door made by local sculptor (Sculptor) Lorenzo Ghiberti (Lorenzo Ghiberti, 1378-1455) is particularly exquisite, praised as the 'Gate of Paradise (Gate of Paradise)' by Michelangelo (Michelangelo Buonarroti, 1475-1564), one of the three great masters of the Renaissance.
Giotto's Campanile (Giotto's Campanile) stands on the south side of the cathedral, facing the octagonal Battistero di San Giovanni. The bell tower is named after Giotto (Giotto di Bondone 1266-1337) to commemorate the design of this early Renaissance architect and artist. The Gothic (Gothic) five-story bell tower is tall and well-proportioned, its outer walls built of white granite (Granite), with exquisite patterns and reliefs engraved on the wall surface, and its intricate detail, under the flow of light and shadow, undoubtedly makes the outer walls radiant and pleasing to the eye.
Less than half a kilometer (KM) south of the cathedral and bell tower, the L-shaped Piazza della Signoria (Piazza della Signoria) proudly lies before the world's eyes. The square looks far and wide because of its long history—formed in the 13th and 14th centuries; the square is self-confident because of its abundance—surrounded by exquisite buildings and sculptures, it has joined the ranks of Italy's most beautiful squares.
Standing majestically behind the square is the Palazzo Vecchio (Palazzo Vecchio), over 700 years old and retaining denticulate wall piers (Denticulate Wall Pier). After the completion of the Palazzo Vecchio, the local lords made it their residence and office, so it was originally called the Palazzo della Signoria (Palazzo della Signoria). When the Signoria (Signoria) moved their residence to the Palazzo Pitti (Palazzo Pitti) on the south bank of the Arno River, the Palazzo della Signoria was also called the Old Palace.
A variety of exquisite sculptures adorn the Piazza della Signoria, among which the Statua equestre di Cosimo I de' Medici (Statua equestre di Cosimo I de' Medici) and the Replica of David Statue (Replica of David Statue) are particularly captivating. The former is made of copper (Copper), depicting Cosimo I de' Medici (Cosimo I de' Medici, 1519-1574), Duke of Florence (Duke of Florence) from the House of Medici (House of Medici) and the first Grandee of Tuscany (Grandee of Tuscany); the latter is made of marble (Marble) by the famous Michelangelo (Michelangelo Buonarroti, 1475-1564), with the original preserved in the Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze (Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze), which is just a short distance north of the square and has endured about five centuries.
Meanwhile, the Loggia dei Lanzi (Loggia dei Lanzi), built in the late 14th century on the southwest side of the Old Palace, also displays many precious statues and is adjacent to the renowned Galleria degli Uffizi (Galleria degli Uffizi). The loggia is an open wide-arched structure, once housing German mercenaries (Lansquenet), now an outdoor sculpture museum (Musée de Sculpture); while the Uffizi Gallery treasures a rich collection of works from the European Renaissance and representatives of other painting schools (School of Painting), as well as sculptures from ancient Greece (Greece) and Rome (Roman), abundant and vast, proudly bearing the title 'Treasure House of Renaissance Art.'
The earth-yellow (Earth Yellow) Ponte Vecchio (Ponte Vecchio) nearby dates back a thousand years, and the current Ponte Vecchio (Ponte Vecchio) was rebuilt in the mid-14th century and survived World War II (WWII), making it unique and Florence's oldest surviving bridge, quite naturally.
The Ponte Vecchio's distinction lies in its two levels: the lower level is the bridge deck, housing shops; the upper level is the Corridoio Vasariano (Corridoio Vasariano), exclusively for the Medici family to facilitate travel between the Uffizi (south bank offices) and the Pitti Palace (north bank residence). In the center of the bridge stands a bust (Bust) of the famous 16th-century Florentine sculptor and goldsmith (Goldsmith) Benvenuto Cellini (Benvenuto Cellini, 1500-1571), whose masterpiece (Masterpiece)—the statue of Perseus with the Head of Medusa (Perseus with the Head of Medusa)—is in the nearby Loggia dei Lanzi.
The Ponte Vecchio also witnessed the meeting of the great medieval poet Dante Alighieri (Dante Alighieri, 1265-1321) and his lifelong first love, Beatrice Portinari (BeatricePortinari), who was already married at the time, adding to the bridge's charm and making it a destination for countless lovers worldwide to make vows of eternal love, praying 'to hold your hand and grow old together.'
Less than half a mile (Mile) northeast of the Ponte Vecchio, on the north bank's Piazza Santa Croce (Piazza Santa Croce), stands the Basilica di Santa Croce (Basilica di Santa Croce), a secondary basilica (Secondary Basilica) of Roman Catholicism (Catholicism), solemn and grand. The design and construction of the basilica began in the late 13th century, and it was only initially completed and consecrated nearly 150 years later.
In terms of appearance, the basilica is undoubtedly Gothic (Gothic) architecture, resembling the Duomo di Siena (Duomo di Siena), which took about 250 years to build. In the mid-19th century, the basilica first rebuilt its Gothic bell tower (Campanile) behind it, then added its entire façade (Façade), thus perfecting it and making it radiant.
Unlike the pensive statue of the poet Dante inside the basilica, the statue of Dante on the right side of the front exterior appears solemn, gazing into the distance as if sensing the hardships and difficulties of the future path, and subtly revealing some indignation and disdain: Florence exiled Dante, who deeply loved his homeland, and he spent the rest of his life unable to return, dying in a foreign land—the northern Italian city of Ravenna (Ravenna).
Ironically, more than five centuries later, given Dante's recognized world-class poetic reputation, Florence seized the opportunity to solemnly revoke the judgment against Dante, then praised and honored him with the highest accolades, hoping that Ravenna would return Dante's remains for a glorious burial in his hometown, but Ravenna firmly refused. Helpless, Florence erected a tombstone (Tombstone) and statue (Statue) of Dante inside and outside the Basilica di Santa Croce, and restored Dante's former residence, making amends and mending the fold, to express utmost reverence and endless regret.
The basilica also houses the tombs of many elites from Tuscany and Italy, including Michelangelo, Galileo Galilei (Galileo Galilei, 1564-1642), Guglielmo Marconi (Guglielmo Marconi, 1874-1937), Gioacchino Rossini (Gioacchino Rossini, 1792-1868), Niccolò Machiavelli (Niccolò Machiavelli, 1469-1527), and others, earning it the reputation of 'Tempio dell'Itale Glorie (Tempio dell'Itale Glorie).'
Opposite Piazza Santa Croce, the Peruzzi S.p.A. (Peruzzi S.p.A.) leather center is also worth a visit. The Peruzzi brand leather goods are handmade (Hand-made), as they have always been, once used by royalty, thus with a long heritage, but they remain modest and content in their niche, so aside from high cost performance (Cost Performance), they are unremarkable and just so-so.
Separated by Via Verdi (Via Verdi) and Piazza Santa Croce, the center and the Basilica di Santa Croce 'face each other across the street; joy connects them.' The center is a two-story shop, arranged neatly and elegantly, especially the upstairs suitable for resting, and while sitting for a while, one can glimpse the Basilica di Santa Croce outside the window, majestic and radiant in the sunlight.
Florence, a city steeped in historical richness (Historical Richness) and filled with cultural relics (Cultural Relics), is always worthy of people's admiration and endless contemplation.
2020.08.17.
