furtilground

Boboli Gardens...A quiet place for reflection

2006-10-07T11:46:00.000-07:00

A spectacular view of the city and a quiet and pretty place to take your time for a walk. There isn't much green space inside of the Roman walls in Florence and the gardens are a welcomed place when you need to see trees, grass and flowers. I visited the gardens many times while I stayed in Florence. Often, you would see little old ladies, walking arm in arm, with a quiet smile on their faces. Lovers sneaking a loving embrace or a passionate kiss. I don't think they (the Italians) care at all about whether someone sees them expressing their affection for another. I thought it was rather sweet and tender. They are expressive people, they are not afraid of their emotions, good or bad. I think I learned a lot about myself on this trip, about my family and felt a real sense of pride. No wonder we have so much beauty in archictecture, painting and sculpture from the Italians. Their feelings come out- one way or another.

Toscana..

2006-09-20T07:25:00.000-07:00

O’ place of warm golden sunlight, and shady retreats looking out into the Tuscan landscape.The place where the artist hand has chiseled and brought the forms to life.
Toscana, her lush and inviting hillsides, valley bottoms and rich furtilground, lay wait for me And the new lover that comes to her every new day. You cannot escape her beauty, nor her history, she stays on your mind even after the nightfall The starry nights still allow the grape to ripen, the olive to darken, as we turn out the lights.You can know that the through the window,tomorrow you will find the furtilground once again.

Santa Croce...The Tombs and Pazzi Chapel

2006-09-19T17:09:00.000-07:00

The burial tombs inside Santo Croce are of Dante Alghieri, Michelangelo, and Galileo
Harmony and balance is abundant in the archictectural spaces that Brunelleschi touched and created. It was quiet and provoking at the same time. Something more was realised than just an aesthetic judgment of beauty. The forms are incredible and create an awe in your heart and mind. Santa Croce is a Franciscan order cathedral that reached out to the poor of Florence, but it is in the space outside of Santa Croce in the Pazzi Chapel for example that I felt this harmony. This space seemed timeless and perfect. Brunelleschi took principles that earlier philosophers and mathematicians used in defining such perfect form and applied them to the Gothic and Renaissance works he was commisioned to design. The Florentine architect and engineer Filippo Brunelleschi was the first to carry out a series of experiments leading to a mathematical theory of perspective. Follow a link below to see some of his great buildings in Firenze. The interior of San Spirito is another favorite place, you can sit inside to escape the heat and meditate quietly absorbing the perfection of the interior space that has given refuge to many a soul.
http://www.greatbuildings.com/architects/Filippo_Brunelleschi.html

Lucca..Birthplace of Puccini and many others

2006-09-14T12:59:00.000-07:00

Lucca is located near the Sercchio River, about 80 kilometers from Firenze near the Apuan Alps. Our visit to Lucca kept us there well into the night. We enjoyed the sites, sounds and flavors of this spectacular Medieval city. A walled city like most Medieval towns that I visited while studying in Italy, Lucca has a unique round piazza. The top of the walled areas are paved now and people stroll by holding hands, older men like riding bicycles and looking at girls. I was told by locals in the years past, they held car races around the promenade. That would be a crazy but fun event to watch. I am just not sure where you would have the safest vantage point. Before the car races they held horse races on the promenade.
Lucca and this part of Tuscany is extremely rich in culture and has a much different geological landscape. I really wanted to go see marble being cut away from the mountainsides but we ran out of daylight. The Serchio Valley and Garfagnana regions are full of gentle peaceful hills and majestic mountains of marble and rock that loom over the valley bottom along the winding river. Roads wind their way and unexpectedly open out into sunny areas with small ancient villages, settled on green hills, that reflect in lakes with magic images, the drive is quite beautiful. Lucca the capital of the province is an example of perfectly preserved city walls, it has maintained its characteristics since Roman times until today. The cathedrals all have Romanesque elements of design and archictecture. I saw one of the earliest Fiat's ever made while in Lucca, the photograpgh of the dog is funny to me. He only responded to me when I started to speak in Italian to him. Go to the link below if you are interested in the life and work of the great Italian composer, Puccini.
Un saluto!

http://www.landofpuccini.com/eng/life.asp

Greve in Chianti

2006-09-01T19:43:00.000-07:00

John and I rented a car so we could get out of Florence and explore the Tuscan countryside. I am so glad we did this because we got to travel the back country roads, most tourists and students never get to see. To drive in Italy is a whole different experience..we rented some little zippy thing and I loved driving it! There is only one hard and fast rule while driving in Italy, move or get run over! John really liked my driving, except I made him a little nervous going backwards down the hillside through the vineyards. I couldn't get the clutch to engage, and we were on a steep hill, starting to drift backwards through the vines. There was only one way out of the vineyards, the same way we drifted backwards and downhill. I told him that not many people get to see Italy in reverse. He should have been thankful for all the photo ops I provided for him!

The hillsides were covered with vineyards and olive groves, majestic hillside Tuscan Villas. Truly breathtaking! We enjoyed some beautiful Chianti's that day, we took our good ole' time and it was one of my favorite days I had in Italy! VignaMaggio vineyard and Villa is said to be the birthplace of Mona Lisa. The movie Much Ado About Nothing was filmed here in 1993.

Enjoy the Link:http://www.lodgephoto.com/galleries/italy-tuscany/chianti/vignamaggio/

GELATO!!

2006-09-01T19:24:00.000-07:00

Anyone who has ever tasted it knows how delicious it is and always worth the walk.
John looking out over the Arno River after our walk for ice cream!

The party after the party...

2006-09-01T15:30:00.000-07:00

Antonio, Megan, John and I watched the celebrated fireworks display that takes place every June, 23rd in recognition of Florence's patron saint. St. John! Afterwards, Antonio ran into Andrea and Pasquale, friends of his and we all went together for something to eat and drink.

Andrea is an Artist, Antonio an Archictect, Pasquale a Philosopher, John...has studied everything and he drives me nuts, but I love him! These people are all so accomplished. Then there was Megan and I, just regular students studying abroad or so they thought. Think about the kind of mind Megan must have as the daughter of a philosopher, and then there is "Me", whatever I am. I had just finished studying under the guidance of Dr. Lee, on Kantian philosophy. Pasquale catches on pretty fast that I could discuss Kant on some level with him and then the real fun begins. We were up until about 5:30 am, in discussion. Pasquale in the picture above sits next to me and warns me that philosophy is a sickness for him. Well...isn't it for anyone who is serious about it! Antonio served as a formidable translator, and I managed to hold Pasquale for several hours. Pasquale and I continued to have dialogue over the next few weeks. Very challenging discussions for both of us! Some of the best fun and excitement...very stimulating, think of the symposium, yes...there was wine by the craters! FYI...my camera starts getting goofy, so some of the pictures that I post take on some bizarre effects, but I like some of them! I hope you enjoy them!

The Arno River's Golden Edge..Firenze

2006-09-01T15:27:00.000-07:00

John arrived in Firenze..San Giovanni's Festival

2006-09-01T15:20:00.000-07:00

The crowd was building on the bridge to watch for the fireworks.

Our last night together..I stayed behind in Firenze two more weeks

2006-09-01T15:01:00.000-07:00

Meredith, Tamara and Christine's friend at the wine bar.

Lauren, Megan, Brittany and Ali trying to avoid the homeless guy who wanted their wine.

Our last formal dinner together at Za-Za's, Firenze.."The Girls"

Megan O.S and I

Our Last day in Lecture with Dr. Medicus

2006-08-28T21:25:00.000-07:00

It was a quiet last day in Florence maybe because we were so tired. We didn't do much walking and an early dismissal from lecture so the students could pack for home. We finally got to go to Orsan Michele, the first place I visited on my own in Florence, on my first night in the city. I sat on the steps with Eireann, a student I met from our group who had arrived early in Florence also. She was a delightful young woman, energetic and full of interesting ideas. We really clicked! We discussed everything like sisters would in just a few short hours. We had no idea where we really were and it seemed so appropriate to end our last day visiting Orsan Michele, especially since it was the first place I visited when I entered the city.

We continued on to Museo di Palazzo Davanzati, a 14th c nobile families home. I wondered at this point and sadly, not until the last lecture something I should have considered much earlier in my studies. Where did the lower classes live? How did they live? Everywhere we had visited on this trip was of powerful nobile families, rich princely courts and powerful citizens and stately Villas. I had been so awestruck with the wealth and the pomp that I myself had forgotten to ask questions that seem so obvious to me now.

Link: http://www.polomuseale.firenze.it/english/musei/davanzati/

"A man's feet should be planted in his country, but his eyes should survey the world."
George Santayana

Other sights in Firenze..Sunset to Stormy Skies..and Magical Reflections at Night

2006-08-21T21:00:00.000-07:00

The Ponte Vecchio after midnight
Panoramic from San Miniato, this was my most favorite place to meditate and spend a little time alone. If you look closely you can see the Roman wall that fortified Firenze during its tumultuous past.

"Sunset, the signature of God on a day well lived"
dedicated to my father E. Andi (1918-1989)

Just like life the omnious clouds come and go, they help us all to appeciate the sunny days!

I truly hope that you all have been inspired and uplifted by the photographs and the writings. I understand more of the world because of my journey to Italy. I made special friendships and had good fun while understanding a richer part of the world filled with some of the greatest history known to man. More importantly I believe that I grew as a human being and feel very blessed and priviledged to have made this voyage.

The Last Lectures with Dr. Fantoni and Dr. Medicus

2006-08-21T19:37:00.000-07:00

Salone dei Cinquecento, Palazzo Vecchio "The Room of the Five Hundred"
Porphyry basin in the courtyard " Boy with a Fish" by Verrochio 1476

Dr. Fantoni led the way with our last lectures inside of the Palazzo Vecchio. The lectures took on a historical life of the Medici and their rise to fame. It appears they were not truly a noble class family, they were bankers and quite wealthy, with resources at an abundance. They cleverly used their financial powers to gain their influence in Firenze that eventually had ties to Rome. Pope Leo X (1475-1478)was Lorenzo's second son, he protected artists and writers at the papal court but also had to deal with Luther's Reformation. This familial connection to Rome secured their fate and legitimacy as worthy leaders of Florence whether noble or not and they ruled Florence for at least two centuries. The cycles (frescoes) on the ceiling in the room of five hundred depicts Florence conquering as victors over Pisa and Sienna, in one of the Medici's hands he clenches onto a document with the signature of the Pope from Rome. This mural is extremely important because to have had Rome on your side meant everything and gave the Medici their license to rule as a noble class family.

The ceiling consists of thirty nine panels which you must take time to read in proper historical chronology in order to understand what and when Florence conquered the nearby regions. I found this lecture to pull everything together for me with relation to the other nobile courts we visited. To think that Machiavelli once roamed this interior space with the Medici as a political and diplomatic missions office holder is quite fascinating for someone who enjoys understanding the intense politic of the day. Men like these were fervent readers of the classics like Plutarch, and Titus Livy. Machiavelli eventually was exiled from the city he loved, and sadly he never saw his Italy he loved so much unified.

http://www.mega.it/eng/egui/monu/spvecch.htm

La Vita Notturna a Firenze...

2006-08-18T19:24:00.000-07:00

Uffizi Galleria, the largest warehouse of high art anywhere in the world looking towards the Palazzo Vecchio home to the Medici Court. Machiavelli and other great minds worked in and out of the Palazzo Vecchio while the Medici were in power.

Photograph taken on the Ponte Vecchio around midnight.

The evenings in Firenze were always so interesting to me. I enjoyed going out at night after dinner for a walk to the Ponte Vecchio, or for gelato with friends or for a glass of wine. Across from the Uffizi Galleria I could usually find musicians, dancers, mime, or other students to hang out with for a couple of hours. I met people from all walks of life, colorful and eclectic artists, writers, students, a lot of professors and I am sure I spoke to one or two criminals. The air always felt lighter at night and people were usually in a very jovial mood, perhaps it was just the Chianti working on them at that hour of the night. It seemed that I attracted people that wanted to discuss politics or American culture. I was told how unsophisticated and uncultivated we Americans are but I had a response for the fiftyish female who claimed she was a German fashion designer. Who the heck was she kidding, German fashion? Yeah…Right! And I am an heiress to a rather large fortune. I responded the only way I knew how with someone so very narrow minded with "We are cultivated enough to know not to insult complete strangers”, so much for making friends with the Germans", I am kidding! I was very charitable to her, much more than she deserved.

My feelings are not that easily hurt but this lady was brutal, really! The problem with this gal was that she was waif thin, trying to continue to fit into her beautiful German designed clothing. Hmm... Oh the pressures of starving oneself to wear prêt a porter silk has just gotten the best of her and I know French design work when I see it…German, my eye! The poor thing was just plain hungry and mean spirited, she was looking to fight with someone and I just happened to be the lucky soul! I am not goaded that easily into a fight. I was warned about her by the owners of the little haunt that I went to for my favorite Vino Nobile. I figured I would drink the best wine I could afford. It helped me to sleep so much better, really! The Italian pharmacists perscribed it for what ailed me. No, I wasn't homesick...I roomed with five wild girls that didn't let me sleep and there is a lot of noise on the streets at all hours of the night, mostly scooters that would have benefited from an exhaust pipe! Mamma Mia!

Urbino..beyond the foothills in Marche

2006-08-18T09:43:00.000-07:00

The photograpgh of Dr. Fantoni, Dr. Medicus and the group was taken on the balcony of Palazzo Ducale. Urbino the home to artist Raphael and the artistic center noted for its painting school during the Renaissance. Urbino sits in the beautiful hills of Marche, a region four hours north of Florence by tourbus. Trust me an Italian sports car riding over countryside switchbacks doesn't make you sick like a tourbus and is a hell of a lot more fun! I'll share that with you later in the journal when I tell of Greve in Chianti.

Marche is a central region of Italy on the east coast composed of rolling hills and fertile plains at the base of the Apennine mountains. Umbria is to the west, Emilia-Romagna where my family originated is to the north, and Abruzzo to the south.

San Marco Venezia June, 2006

2006-08-06T21:35:00.000-07:00

Photograph..Some of our school group in San Marco piazza with Dr. Medicus after lecture. We were given the opportunity to relax and investigate on our own..I loved those moments! I see all of my roomates in this photo! Bravo.."Visconti Girls"

Dr. Fantoni and our group outside of San Marco during lecture

This is San Marco with the five cupola sitting so elegantly in the Venetian summer sky.

Other sights in Venice

2006-08-06T19:32:00.000-07:00

People dressed in costume and masques usually stand outside of the gift shops. The costuming is very ornate, most were elegant and beautiful but some are grotesque and scary.

Gondola at Night

2006-08-06T18:35:00.000-07:00

This photo was taken at night after our group dinner. There was enough funds left over to pay for the gondola ride. There were slight traffic jams where canals were more narrow. It was an eery sound moving through the water so slowly. The pictures turned out which surprised me.

Venetian Night Out!

2006-08-06T18:14:00.000-07:00

With every new city there were regional differences that you notice also in the foods, the flavors and the spices In Venice we had a very lovely dinner at a locally family owned restaurant just around the corner from our hotel. Our Venetian dinner consisted of sole (sogliola), pastas and rices, wine and grappa. After dinner we all went on a gondola ride down the grand canal, well not in the same gondola, we had four all together.
The two young women in the photograph were two of my room mates Brittany and Danielle and the good looking fella is Jim..a real sweetheart...thanks Jim for putting up with all of the ladies.

Everyone was hanging in there in the heat!

2006-08-06T18:10:00.000-07:00

Including Allie, Tamara, Jim and Wendy...we were on our way to the Academia in Venice when I took this photo. Venice June, 2006

Posing down with local graffiti

2006-08-06T18:01:00.000-07:00

These are some pretty awesome kids who I enjoyed spending time with and sharing this trip with to Venice.
Megan, Brittany and Michael giving us all some attitude! Venice, June 2006

Elegance, Power and Archictecture inspired by Byzantium

2006-08-04T14:23:00.000-07:00

First photo is of the fascade facing into the private courtyard of the Doge. Taken at the Doges Palace, the grand stairs leads down to San Marco.

Picture above is one of my very favorites. It captured nicely the exquisite bas relief on the banister into the Doges Palace. I love the pink and white geometric marbled fascade.

The horsemen so strong and regal was paid to help protect Venice. He was a mercenary in his day, valiantly grasping the charge, the responsibilty of protecting Venice for a large sum of money. However keep in mind that he would protect another city just as easily for the right price. Could he have been conflicted? Or did he perform his duty as charged without any deference? The beautiful and powerful equestrian statue of Condottiere Bartolomeo Colleoni 1400 - 1475 who was a native of Bergamo, where the Capella Colleoni, "the jewel of Lombard Renaissance architecture" - is to be found. He fought for Venice against Milan, and vice-versa, several times, ending up with Venice and a lot of money, which are two reasons why this statue by Andrea del Verrocchio (1435 - 1488) is there. Colleoni left in his will the monies to sponsor the statue, on the condition that it was erected in front of San Marco.

Why then is it in the Campo Santi Giovanni e Paolo? Well, that's where the Scuola Grande di San Marco is ...... probably not the "San Marco" the man had thought he was paying for! The statue was advanced for these times, as the horse is balanced on three legs and the advancement of the mercenary is not in question, but the bare head of Gattamelata is said to be a more skilled piece of human sculpturing. Could this have been work of another artist? Does Donatello come to mind? Check out the bronze works of Donatello in Padua. Let me know what you think.

Evidence of the archictectural influences of the Empire in Venezia

2006-08-04T14:20:00.000-07:00

A little place we had lunch at which was just around the corner from the monastery we stayed in for the weekend while in Venice.

Studying in Italy, Venice...

2006-08-04T12:54:00.000-07:00

Good grief...I needed to runaway from my group! I mean no time to rest, hardly a moment to scope out a interesting photo composition. You walk from the time you wake up until nightfall, it was like being in the corps. When your morale starts to wane, which mine did, I eventually got over myself. I just tried to adapt to being too hot, thirsty and in the need of a toilette. We pushed our way past crowds of people (mainly tourists), some of Venice reminded me of Disney Land, remember its a small world, something like that or could have just been the near heat stroke I think I was experiencing. I wasn't on drugs but may have considered something for a little relief. Geez...

San Marco attracts students, tourists and even some locals but eventually I got over the crowds, the heat and the exhaustion of being on the move constantly. I realised I was in one of the most elegant, powerful and mysterious cities in the world. The mosaics on San Marco alone are the most stunning that I saw with the exception of the Baptistry in Firenze. I love mosaic!! As I have studied the history of Venice, I gained an in depth understanding that it was a powerful force to be reckoned with on the Adriatic. For over a millenium...thats something to pay attention to!! Venice was never victoriouly seized or taken by outsiders. The lagoon that surrounds Venice acted as a natural built in defense to protect it.

Italian cities like Venice, thrived in the Middle Ages and into the Renaissance by playing a significant role in trade with the Middle East, connecting European countries with the Byzantine Empire. The flow of goods into the Venetian port included art, foodstuffs, glass, spices, and even livestock. I'd love to travel those trade routes someday. Trade flourished and grew throughout the 19th century permanently coloring the culture and politics of the region.

In Venice, for example, San Marco and the Doges Palace not only reflect but duplicate the Byzantine even going so far as to import major architectural elements from the Mideast such as the "Four Tetrachs" carved from porphory. The foodstuffs for example, included rich and spicy elements along with lamb and fruits such as dates and figs that lent a new richness to the culinary art of the land. The introduction of lively music, dance, art, food, spices to mention a few added an element of color and dimension to Italian life that in the Medieval had not existed.
As Northern Italy emerged from the Medieval, the dull, oppressive lifestyle of the common citizen characterized by a dearth of secular amenities including interesting music and literature, stimulating visual images, varied and tempting foods along with the now familiar Italian camaraderie started to evolve into what could be seen as modern Italian society and culture. This transformation came about because of the massive trade and influx of goods, arts, and immigrants from far away to seed the culture with new life.
Concurrently, as trade flourished so did wealth. With wealth came power and politic and all the trappings of wealth and power that characterize even our modern society yet this was happening in the thirteenth century. No newspapers. No books, yet. No CNN. No Internet.

It was everything I thought it might be and more. When we finally did get a few free hours I took off by myself and made my way into a district that is considered to be very Venetian. A lot of Venetians have left the island to go to the mainland, so much of their property has been sold off to wealthy foreign outsiders. It saddened me that they realise they are giving up their Venice and have no way to prevent it from happening. One should be careful for what they are willing to sell. America needs to think about this! Venice during the Renaissance had over 150 noble families, today they have 12 according to Mario, a local in his seventies. I talked with many locals like Mario, who long for the way times use to be in the not so recent past. Head to Dorsoduro, the locals live, work and play there.

They create art and music in this district. The food and drink are something to taste much different than in the touristry San Marco areas. My personal favorite was the quintessential Venetian cocktail made of Prosecco and Campari. I had the best espresso's, and because I spoke some Italian they were willing to be of great help to me. Perhaps, a little more than I had hoped but I was flattered. One woman insisted I was Venetian and wouldn't let me leave until I confessed to her I should be her daughter-in-law, she introduced me to her son that still lived at home and hadn't ever married. His name was Vencenzio, attractive and intelligent, and he didn't appear to be embarassed that his mother was playing matchmaker for him with a total stranger.

He insisted on buying me another Prosecco which I graciously accepted. I really dislike doing this sort of thing but I was a visitor in their city, and I didn't want to offend either one. I went with it and accepted the drink and hoped Vencenzio was just being gracious...he was. I have had experiences and am old enough to know that there often are strings attached...an unspoken obligation after a few drinks are bought, I really didn't care to get caught up in anything like that! Somehow I came to terms with my own issues not theirs. Somehow I justified accepting the drink, if I sat and continued our converstaion he wouldn't be a total stranger any longer, right? Ok..so my logic is a bit goofy. I was trying to be sensitive to their culture and I enjoyed where I was and who I was talking to....nothing more. My mother warned me though not to look into the eyes of an attractive Italian man, I was just erring on the side of caution. I left unscathed and felt a warmth from talking to Vencenzio who had dreamed of coming to the United States to live and teach music years ago. He teaches music at a local University and his mother Caterina is so proud of him. He insisted on playing the violin for me, a Vivaldi piece which I loved. Only in Venezia...Gracie Mille, Vincenzio! Bravo! My eyes took in the sights of the beautiful dreamy and watery canals of Dorsoduro as I walked back to the monastery where we stayed, I was very content to be on my own and alone with my thoughts.

Venice..Water taxi's or in Italian they are called Vaporetto, beautiful archictecture, and changing light

2006-08-04T09:05:00.000-07:00

Looking down the Grand Canal towards Chiesa di Santa Maria della Salute. Our arrival into Venice via water taxi to our hotel which was an old monastery.

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Venezia..."Serenissima" The Most Serene City

2006-08-03T13:53:00.000-07:00

We traveled by fast train to Venice, I am one of those that can't sleep when I travel. Perhaps it is because I think I will miss something. I did enjoy looking at the way the landscape colors changed in each region. The stone of the houses and buildings reflect those color changes because of the soil from which the stone and tiles are made. So each region has its own distinct colors seen in the archictecture. On our way to Venice we passed through countryside that was abundant with poppy fields covered in red and yellow, fields and fields of large sunflowers, dotted here and there are grape vineyards and olive trees. Megan C. and I celebrated our soon to be "first arrival" to Venice, with champagne in the dinning car while everyone else was sleeping.

Lectures, Art and Fashion from Firenze

2006-07-26T12:43:00.000-07:00

While studying in Florence we attended lectures morning and afternoon at sites similar to Santa Croce, The Bargello, Santa Maria Novella, Uffizi Gallery, or the Pitti Palazzo and Boboli Gardens. The amount of walking we did was unbelievable and the artwork we were exposed to is unfathomable. I will link several sites for those of you who will be interested in looking at some of that art.

Also, I will add some other links of interesting design houses in Florence, that are worth viewing. We walked by these design houses to and from school everyday. I am interested in textile prints used and created by the fashion industry as wearable art. I believe art should be something we live with and enjoy. Not something just for museum galleries. For that reason, I look at fashion designers because they have the greatest opportunity for this type of exposure to a large mass market, they have been most innovative and influencial in this arena. The Italian designers reign supreme in this highly specialised area, and those of you who enjoy the impact of wearing livable art will understand where I am coming from. Salute, to the Prince of Prints, Emilio Pucci, Valentino and others that have reigned supreme in the design world. They have created over the years some of the most interesting and provacative art anywhere in the world. Bravo!

Fine Arts:
http://www.polomuseale.firenze.it/english/musei/uffizi/
http://www.sbas.firenze.it/sanmarco/index.html
http://www.polomuseale.firenze.it/musei/bargello/
http://www.polomuseale.firenze.it/musei/palatina/default.asp

Living Art:
http://www.emiliopucci.com/main.html
http://www.valentino.com/
http://www.robertocavalli.net/
http://www.missoni.com/eng/index.html

Home sweet Home in Florence

2006-07-26T11:15:00.000-07:00

Via Santa Maria No.3, was the apartment we stayed in while studying in Florence, Italy. This is the outside of our apartment building its just around the corner from Gucci headquarters. It was always a welcomed sight to me after a long day. We walked over some pretty rugged streets and my feet took a beating. It was a place to rest, to wash off the dirt and grime from the day. I always stopped at the market just around the corner for fresh vegetables and fruit before going to the apartment. On certain days they run out of the special things you need in your house...like teepee. Remember many of our days started at 5:30am, and didn't end until late. I signed up for classes from 10-12 everyday..well that never happened. I think we were given some very wrong and misleading information. I suffered with my share of blistered feet, and sore muscles, I should have went through basic training before this trip! It may have slowed me down and it always seemed I was the one in the back of the group but that allowed for extra time to see things that I would have otherwised missed. Santo Spirito neighborhood had many artisan shops where still today they create the crafts that their families made centuries ago.

Ancient Rome

2006-07-26T10:53:00.000-07:00

Sunsetting in Ancient Rome

2006-07-26T10:25:00.000-07:00

High relief carving and coffered ancient Roman Arch of Titus, close to sunset.

If one breathes you cannot help but be moved...

2006-07-26T10:08:00.000-07:00

Photograph taken over the Tiber River looking towards the Vatican on Pentecost Morning, just after sunrise.
© 2006 LLA

This photograph taken from inside the Sistine chapel halls looking out into the Vatican Gardens.
© 2006 LLA

Roma..Exquisite, Eternal City, Most Magical

2006-07-26T08:03:00.000-07:00

I fell in love with Rome the moment I arrived. Rome captured my mind, and heart with such interest and intensity because I have spent several years studying Ancient Rome from politic, city plan to art and archictecture. You cannot escape the grandeur in Rome, it captivates your eye first, then grabs your heart. I know that it is Rome, that I will return to some day. Discovering Rome with a school group is nearly impossible, and we had to move quickly through very large crowds.

Thankfully, I am a intensive observer, willing to take bits and pieces, learn what I can from them and remember to revisit those thoughts later. Rome needs careful and thoughtful attention, it is discovered by revealing layer upon layer of 2700 years of history. The food, the sounds, the people are a tantalising benefit of just 'being there', but Rome is so much more!

At Villa Borghese, I saw the most beautiful and elegant sculpture by Bernini, his David is prepared to conquer the giant and reign victoriously. His masterpiece for Cardinal Scipione Borghese depicting the chaste nymph Daphne being turned into a laurel tree, pursued in vain by Apollo god of light, will linger in your thoughts for days. It was truly exquisite. Upon entering the room you first see Apollo from behind, then the fleeing nymph appears in the process of metamorphosis, brak covers most of her body. Ovid wrote that Apollo's hand can still feel her heart beating beneath it and you sense she is still pumping. Thus the scene ends by Daphne being transformed into a laurel tree to escape her divine aggressor. The presence of this pagan myth was justified by a moral couplet composed in Latin by Cardinal Maffeo Barberini, who later would become Pope Urban VIII, and engraved on the cartouche on the base, which says: "Those who love to pursue fleeting forms of pleasure, in the end find only leaves and bitter berries in their hands".
At Villa Borghese you cannot disregard the pines of Rome, they dance with the breeze that glides over the beautiful gardens and landscape. The pines hang like shadows over the entrance to the catacombs. When you stand at the navel of the universe, above the Appian Way, you can see the pines there also, standing guard. I imagined the army of the Consul advancing towards the Sacred Way, mounting in triumph the Capitoline Hill. I was in awe!

The photograph I took from the Sistine Chapel looking into the Vatican gardens through the window, elegantly captures what I Rome gave to me in my short time there, I will carry that in my soul, until I return there someday.

"The most important monuments I take very slowly; I do nothing except look, go away, and come back and look again. Only in Rome can one educate oneself for Rome."
Goethe

View of Florence from Fiesole

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"...that which half emerges from the dim background of time is strangely stirring" D.H. Lawrence

Mantova...the delights and taste of the table

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okay..so we ate a lot!

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Mantova is a beautiful, historic city surrounded on three sides by lakes. It was one of the greatest Renaissance Courts in Europe and home of the wealthy Gonzaga family. The town's center has three piazzas that join together. And someone thought it was a good idea to stuff tortelini with pumpkin, it is delicious!

Siena...

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First settled in 900 BC, by the Etruscans, a Tuscan hillside town is rich in history with Romanesque archictecture and Gothic influences has the most interesting piazza's. It is fan shaped and the Roman aquaducts end there in the piazza. We had a three hour lunch here in Siena. I have never seen so much food, from raviolni to boar meat and peccorino cheeses. The special wines are a delightful part of the meal. The town of Montepulciano is the home of a celebrated wine amongst connoisseurs and is one of the oldest Tuscan reds, Vino Nobile. Our professors and some of my fellow classmates.

Tuscan landscape in San Gimignano

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Dreaming through the noble Tuscan landscape...I feel that life is altogether bounteous and good, lovable, manageable and sweet even in the rain.

Reached Pisa by Train...

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This was our illustrious leader Dr. Medicus, my room mate Brittany and myself standing at Campo dei Miracoli, (Field of Miracles). aka. Piazza del Duomo, (Cathedral Saquare). This complex was started in 1064 by Buschetto. Giovanni Pisano's pulpit is an amazing marble structure that shows nine different scenes from the New Testament in high Relief, carved in white marble. The influences of Byzantium are numerous, and add an elegance all their own to this site.

Update from the author of this blog

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This blog is a work in progress. The dates will not reflect the actual date events took place. I am not sure if I can change the dates when I edit my journal. I don't know that it is possible. I will share with you as much as I am able to...there is a lot to share. I will want to tell the stories of the people I met, the things I discovered about myself and others, as well as the friends I made and the lovers I left behind...jk. Okay, I got your attention which tells me you are reading the journal! Be patient, make a hot cup of tea and go on a journey with me through my eyes and experiences in Italy. I hope you enjoy what I've written, I know that the photos will help to tell the stories. The photographs I took are in high resolution, so it will take time for me to resize them for the blog. Ciao, Ciao!

View up the Arno River

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This was what I looked at every morning on my way to school. This is about 7 am. on my way to the train station. The photograpgh is undeniably beautiful, what it doesn't capture is the cool breeze on your face, or the sounds of the birds swooping down at the water probably looking for breakfast. This will be the only quiet time of day in this city of 400,000 inhabitants and all of those tourists, and of course those students too!

© 2006 LLA

6AM typical start time

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Two of the "Visconti Girls", Megan on the left and Arianna start their morning with some breakfast while everyone else is asleep. Our apartment had three bedrooms, two and a half bathrooms, a common area, kitchen, laundry room and a lovely courtyard, which I found to offer up some very nice light into the apartment. The sounds of the common scooter took some adjusting to and start whizzing by outside pretty early in the day!

My idea of how to start the day..

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The heart of any home...la cucina

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This is where the most activity was throughout our stay in Florence. We hosted dinner parties for twenty people plus, packed lunches, studied into the wee hours, and drank our share of chianti at this table. I gave the roses to Bruno,64 and his lovely wife Castalina, age unknown but she was a true Florentine Beauty. They invited me into their workshop often. I took them cappucino when I didn't have to race off to school.

Santo Spirito at Sunset

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This is the neighborhood that I shared an apartment with five other room mates known as the "Visconti Girls", a bunch of crazy girls that didn't let me sleep much. There was never a dull moment at Via Santa Maria No.3. which isn't far from Via Porta Romana. Remember, this city has ancient ties...the Romans had been here and there is a wall around the whole city to prove it, not to mention an ancient amphitheatre and Roman baths in Fiesole. Many artisans still have workshops in this neighborhood that go back many generations.

San Giovanni Duomo

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This is the city of Florence, I called this place home from May 16th until July 10th. Florence (Firenze) is considered the birthplace of the Renaissance and is the pulse of Tuscany. During the Renaissance out of the 1000 of the most important artists in Europe at least five hundred of them lived and worked here in this most magnificent place on the Arno River. Brunelleschi's cupola, is probably the most photographed structure in all of Italy. Influenced by Roman archictecture and the pantheon, Brunelleschi's cupola is an engineering marvel. Over 500 stairs to climb to the top of the cupola and I did it twice.

Santa Maria Novella Train Station

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I flew into Milano days ahead of my group and travelled three hours by fast train to Florence (Firenze) Italia. When I stepped off the train this is where I found myself inside Stazione di Treno Santa Maria Novella. This is a very important place...especially when you have no other mode of transportation and you need to get in or out of town. This is the main train station in Florence , I learned in the upcoming weeks how to buy tickets, no need to be shy...I just watched what the Italians did and then bought our biglietti. When I was running late I bought my espresso and my favorite breakfast treat burdino di risso at the station, and boarded the trains in and out of the city to Pisa, Rome, Venice, and the Italian Riviera for over two months. Its very loud in this space and you have to pay attention in and around the station. There are those who lurk in the shadows, and sometimes they hang out in open spaces too, often they do not have your best in mind! It doesn't hurt to know some rough Italian either, "Cose voi?", no.. I don't mean a rough Italian guy either. On a side note that could be helpful, I guess! Usually, rough people run with other rough people, so be cautious who you hang out with!! I had to be aggressive with a few people, something I refrain from doing unless i feel threatened! Never go into the train stations without some loose euro because you must pay for the bathrooms and I found out it is difficult to get change. Somehow I did more than manage to be safe and mindful of my surroundings. I had fun and lively conversations with crazy-smart people in the process and learned to be autonomous and enjoy where I was.

The Dreamer that Travelled

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Ciao..This is me 'Linda', just days after final exams and the day before my departure to Italy. I am studying with the Art and Culture Program through Kent State University Florence, Italy for three months. I have travelled only once to Europe, I spent some time in Munich, Salzburg and Vienna, five years ago. I thought then that I grew as a human being, from my experiences and interactions with people from those travels. I can't wait to begin this new adventure, to walk the halls that many great historical figures have walked. To stand high on a hillside and take in the vistas that many a great man and woman have viewed, including some of my family, who left Italy over a century ago. I can only imagine how this will cultivate my interests, and how it will effect the way, I see the world, the people, the art and history.
This blog and all photographs are Copyright 2006 by Linda Lee Andi, Garrettsville, Ohio