The many facets of Italy
Florence, land of geniuses
The Duomo often considered the emblem of the city and of the Renaissance, required, believe it or not, 16 years of work and 4 million bricks. This octagonal monument is flanked by 3 bronze doors. Inside, one can find the use of marble and mosaics.
Climbing the 400 steps of the campanile with its Gothic architecture means rising to the level of the bells at about 84 meters above the ground. Then you enjoy a breathtaking view of the city. Its purpose besides the ringing of its bells? Calling the faithful to prayer!
The Uffizi Gallery, the creation of the Grand Duke of Tuscany and patron Cosimo de Medici. The agreement was that he would bequeath his works to the state upon his death. The collections range from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance and among the represented artists, you will find Giotto, Lippi, Raphael or Caravaggio... Not to be missed: the Adoration of the Magi by da Vinci or the Birth of Spring by Botticelli!
Palazzo Vecchio, the seat of the republic. I remember attending an event organized in honor of the mayor and Christian Democrat, Matteo Renzi, while I was visiting the place. If the Duomo can be deemed a religious center, here is the nerve center of politics. Located on the Piazza della Signoria, it stands majestically and it is crowned with battlements.
Santa Croce for the burials. Can one imagine a greater concentration of geniuses within this neo-Gothic facade building? You will come across the cenotaph of Dante, the tombs of Machiavelli, Galileo, Vasari or Rossini. The cloisters are beautiful and the chapels house frescoes by Giotto. Moreover, you will notice a relic, which one? The belt of Saint Francis of Assisi.
The Ponte Vecchio. This shopping arcade dating back to the 14th century is a covered bridge over the Arno. Its existence is due to the fact that Hitler did not have it bombed in 1944. In this regards, he visited it to meet Mussolini in 1939! Nowadays, shops selling jewelry and silverware items mix, while originally there were tripe sellers.
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Ancient Rome
Nothing is more spectacular than the Colosseum illuminated at night, which makes it clear why this monument, dating back to 80 AD, is also the most visited. The unfinished masterpiece is an oval amphitheater accommodating 50,000 spectators. It is even depicted on 5-cent coins! Yet, did you know that it also hosted naumachiae, these jousting combats? For this purpose, the arena, over 80 meters long, was flooded!
The Roman Forum and Palatine Hill
This architectural complex located between the Colosseum and the Capitol houses some gems. Julius Caesar, finding it too small, had new constructions built. The forum then became a place glorifying the emperors with its temples. With the fall of the Empire, it served as a quarry! Walk the Sacred Way and join the Arch of Titus, the oldest Roman triumphal arch.
Another emblem of Rome is the Pantheon where great men are buried, but not only them.... This temple dedicated to ancient deities boasted of having the largest dome during antiquity. This dome, rebuilt in concrete, has a peculiarity—what is it? If you head towards the center, you will notice that the paving in porphyry and granite is convex. The monument is open to the sky, and thus rainwater drains more easily.
Not far from there, you will stop in front of the Trevi Fountain and you will be transported into a mythical scene from La Dolce Vita. Anita Ekberg enters the fountain and invites Marcello Mastroianni to bathe. Here the baroque spirit is expressed: water games, whimsy, lights... The money collected—you throw a coin and you will return to Rome, about one million euros per year, is donated to the charity Caritas—almost always!
Piazza Navona is a pleasant spot at dusk. You can drink a Spritz in the location of what once was a stadium hence its oblong shape. Here again, the baroque style is evident. On the one hand, the square is lined with colorful houses: ochre, yellow, pink... On the other hand, it is flanked by fountains. You will recognize Neptune and his chariot but perhaps less easily the 4 rivers, namely the Nile, the Danube, the Ganges, and the Rio de la Plata!
The Vatican, a city within the city. It would be presumptuous to summarize this place hence I would say it has been the seat of this state since 1929, housing both the Swiss Guard and a post office, and it contains the Sistine Chapel with its ceiling created by Michelangelo in the 15th century. It features the creation and
the deluge, and on the side walls, you can admire the life of Jesus by Botticelli. What does the black smoke escaping from the chapel's chimney mean?
If you are not an art enthusiast, know that the dome of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome offers a breathtaking view after climbing 500 steps, no less! To decorate it, great names were called upon including Raphael. Remember the Pietà by Michelangelo showing Mary holding the dead Jesus in her arms and the bronze baldachin by Bernini.
Venice, the Serenissima
It takes the notebooks of Taniguchi to capture the light bathing this lagoon...
The Doge's Palace, a ducal palace located at the entrance of the Grand Canal and visible from the Adriatic. Chief magistrates of the city-state during the Republic (8th-18th century), they ensured its proper functioning. The building, with its Gothic and Renaissance architecture, once housed prisons under a particularly unbreathable lead roof!
The Bridge of Sighs gets its name from the path that condemned prisoners walk from the Court to their new cell. Imagine the cries of these men that they wanted to muffle. In baroque style, thanks to the English poet Byron, the bridge became a romantic site. To observe it, take a gondola along the Rio de la Canonica and pass underneath.
Saint Mark's Basilica and its square. Why was this church built in the 9th century? To house the body of the apostle Saint Mark. Did you know? It was two sailors who stole the saint's relics from Alexandria. Fearing being searched by the Saracens, they hid the relics in pork carcasses! The later mosaics were inspired by drawings of artists like Tintoretto or Titian.
Rialto Bridge in circumflex shape. It is the oldest of the 4 bridges spanning the Grand Canal. A market for vegetables and fish, this structure built in the 16th century was the economic center of the city. Today, you can enjoy a seafood platter. Finally, this place once hosted the very first bankers in history!
Or you might opt for contemporary art and visit the Palazzo Grassi or you might prefer the traditional glassblowing of Murano... I must admit, for my part, I have a soft spot for the Guggenheim!
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THE GRAND TOUR
Although initiated by the English in the 16th century, the Grand Tour soon captivated European elites, Russians and Americans. Over the next two centuries, they undertook an educational journey which, in some cases, spanned 5 years! The Grand Tour attracted both children of good families eager to complete their education and future leaders seeking to weave a network of overseas relations. Yet, it was primarily renowned among famous writers such as Goethe and Dumas. Similarly, some painters and architects came to learn the trade in Rome from prominent masters. It was during this era that the French Academy was founded by Cardinal Richelieu and its counterpart, the Academy of Painting and Sculpture, by Mazarin. This was the context in which the French Academy in Rome was created. Following the French Revolution, new artistic hubs emerged in Florence, Venice, or Naples. Also rediscovered were sites far from the cities such as Herculaneum and Pompeii. This resurgence of interest in antiquity was accompanied by writings. Thus, the German theorist Winckelmann championed the Greek model. It should be noted that Europe was familiar with Italian painters as some of them had stayed in France. The 19th century was marked, for its part, by the birth of the first travel accounts. Among the famous artists who undertook the Grand Tour, we recall D'Alembert, originally with Diderot, the authors of the first encyclopedia. We could have just as well mentioned the painter David, the leader of the neo-Gothic movement, or Stendhal, the author of The Red and the Black. In the same way, how could we omit Chateaubriand, Velazquez or the poet Lamartine who was enchanted by Naples...