the Travel Enthusiast
- 24 Mar
Adam in Amazing Places | NO COMMENTSFlorence, Where the Medici Family Gathered Their Treasures
Naples, fine and amazing !
Ponte Vecchio, Uffizi and the Dome – the whole Florence is a superb museum
Those who view the city from the enormous lantern of the Dome are amazed by the charm of Florence. The tile of the roof seems to be made of velvet. Its roof is made of golden shade and the churches, squares and bridges appear as jewels of a superb necklace.
The Romans named the settlement on the river banks of Arno Florentia ( the flourishing). Indeed, its name suited well: Florence flourished, becoming wealthy and powerful, a center of an extremely able republic. In the 14th Century, many poor and disobedient wool spinning mill professionals participated at the very first industrial revolution from history, later on, Michelangelo sculpted the statue of David as a symbol of the republics prudence.
Today, the original statue lies at the gallery dell’ Accademia and a copy at Piazza della Signoria.
However, the power of money was underestimated and the Medici family members, who had become rich as bankers of the pope, turned as the masters of the city in the 15th century. They led Florence for 3 centuries, and through donation and stubbornness made the city “a fortress of culture”.
Palazzo Medici with it’s cupola that contains outstanding frescoes of Benozzo Gozzoli was built for them.
The Medici family also decorated churches with portraits. They raised the Palazzo Pitti and formed the Gardens of Boboli.
The Duomo at night ©Leszek Leszczynski/flickr
Patronized without equal
The most interesting architectural object, without doubts, is the Vasari Corridor, being about one kilometer long and also connects Palazzo Vecchio with Palazzo Pitti, crossed by the river Arno below Ponte Vecchio.
The corridor is a long art gallery, that combines the panoramic view of the city with 1.000 paintings among them being also auto portraits of painters. The Medici, showing their generosity even when the dynasty faded, it’s last descendant, Anna Maria Ludovica de’ Medici had left all the family collection as a testament for the city In 1743. Today they can be admired at the Uffizi Gallery.
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travel search by Travelgrove (get this widget)The Art of Treasure
The city from river Arno has many rich heritage other than the Medici’s, like Ponte Vecchio, formerly a fish and vegetable market, but from the 15th century was taken over by goldener’s. Many churches like it’s masterpiece has Florence Roman style, the San Miniato al Monte and of course the church of Santa Croce with its Bardi cupola.
At Santa Croce famous figures like Michelangelo, Galileo, Rossini, and Machiavelli are buried. Dante met his muse, Beatrice in Florence, and painters like Giotto, Rafael, and Botticelli also worked there. Leonardo was born in a village nearby Florence called Vinci and Collodi also wrote Pinocchio in the city of Arno.
Florence rivals Rome and Milan when it comes about boutiques. You may find expensive and ready-made clothes that were used by celebrities such as Audrey Hepburn, Rita Hayworth, and Ava Gardner which used the brand like Ferragamo. The atmosphere of the city is clear, evidenced by it’s perspective and lifestyle.
Exactly this perspective dominated the fact that many wonderful and vibrant squares were established in Florence like Piazza SS, Annunziata, Piazza della Signoria or Piazza Santa Croce, which is filled with workshops and bars. At nights the squares are quite and the medieval atmosphere comes back to life. Nearby the well known Sant’ Ambrogio square also lies.
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Ponte Vecchio ©Gareth Williams/flickr
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