Casa Pinti – A charming apartment in the center of Florence

Uffizi

carlo.panda — Fri, 12 Feb 2016 08:47:38 +0000

The Uffizi are just 3,100 feet from Casa Pinti. Firenze owes a great deal to Anna Ludovica, the last descendant of the Medici family, because she stipulated in her will that no part of her property should ever leave the city, thus ensuring that the art works accumulated by her family over a period of three centuries remained in Firenze. The result is a collection of treasures which makes the Uffizi the oldest gallery in Europe, one of the most widely-visited in the world, and the second in Italy after the Musei Vaticani.

The museum is situated in the Palazzo degli Uffizi, on the southern side of Palazzo Vecchio, and extends as far as the Lungarno, creating an oblong piazza called Piazzale degli Uffizi. Built on the orders of Cosimo I, it was designed around about 1560 by his architect and Minister of Culture, Vasari, as the offices (Uffizi) of the 13 magistracy which until then had been dotted around the city. It was built as an adjunct to Palazzo Vecchio and was further confirmation of the centralised power of Cosimo I.

Cosimo’s son, Francesco I, decided in 1518 to exhibit the treasures of the Grand Duke in the rooms of the Uffizi, and had the tribune of the Uffizi especially built by Buontalenti. Since then, thanks above all to the artistic sensibility first of the Medici and then of the Lorraine dynasty, the gallery has accumulated antique sculptures, Italian and European painting masterpieces ranging from the XIII to the XVIII century, collections of prints and antique drawings …

It is impossible to list all of the masterpieces exhibited in this gallery, so one has been chosen to represent them all: La Primavera by Botticelli (1445-1510), one of the most-widely admired paintings in the world, which enchants the viewer with its perfect harmony of forms.
There is still uncertainty as to when it was painted but it is presumed to have been around 1485. La Primavera was commissioned together with his Venere by Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco dei Medici for his villa at Castello, where it remained until it was placed on display in the Uffizi in 1815.

It consists of nine figures in a luxuriant arboreal setting. In the top-centre of the picture there is a winged Cupid shooting an arrow, under whom there is a female figure who is looking to her right towards three dancers. To their right (on the extreme left of the picture) there is a youthful figure who is gazing up into the trees. On the right-hand side of the picture we can see a female figure adorned with flowers, close to whom there is another veiled female figure being grabbed by another winged male figure. This is one of the many readings of this enigmatic painting.

Ponte Vecchio

carlo.panda — Tue, 09 Feb 2016 17:39:23 +0000

Just 3,900 feet from Casa Pinti, this is the oldest bridge in the city and until the construction of Ponte alla Carraia in 1218, it was the only one in Florence.
In the times of the Roman Florentia there was already a wooden bridge very close to where today’s bridge stands. This was substituted by one in stone in 123 BC.
In the thirteenth century shops began to spring up along the bridge, the majority of which were butchers. However, because of the bad smell that wafted up from them into the Vasari corridor that ran along the top of the bridge, Grand Duke Ferdinando I had them moved elsewhere in 1593, and made sure they were replaced with goldsmiths shops (which brought in double the rent), that still line the sides of the bridge today.
In 1944, the Germans blew up all but one of the bridges over the River Arno as they retreated north after having occupied the city. Ponte Vecchio was spared, but at the expense of the surrounding areas, which were systematically razed to the ground by the Nazis

Santa Croce

carlo.panda — Tue, 09 Feb 2016 17:38:00 +0000

Just 2,000 feet from Casa Pinti, the Santa Croce complex has always been closely connected with the Franciscans, who established themselves here around about 1227.
Soon after the death of St. Francis, they built a small church on the site of the present-day Santa Croce, which they enlarged in 1252. The remains of this first building came to light in 1967.
In May 1294, work started on the new church designed by Arnolfo di Cambio, who managed to produce the Florentine ideal of the beauty of simple forms in a vast space; in fact, Santa Croce is 115 metres long and its central nave 195 metres wide, about the same size as the first church of St. Peter’s in Rome.
Building was completed in 1380. After the collapse of the first bell tower in 1512, another one designed by Niccolò Baccanti was finally erected in 1842. The marble facade of the church was built by Niccolò Matas between 1853 and 1863, and was apparently based on a 15th century design by Cronaca.
Santa Croce is the richest Florentine church in terms of works of art; inside, for example, there are wonderful frescos by Giotto, a marble pulpit by Benedetto da Maiano, the Vittorio Alfieri monument by Canova, and Donatello’s high-relief Annunciation…
The rich 13th century Florentine families donated vast sums of money to the Franciscans in order to obtain the privilege of burying their family members in the chapels of the choir, and thus to display their family stems. At the end of the 14th century, the church also became a burial place for illustrious figures. There are also monuments to Dante Alighieri, Galilei, Machiavelli, Foscolo, and Rossini.
In the Santa Croce complex there is also a museum including such masterpieces as Cimabue’s Crucifix, frescos by Orcagna, and a bronze by Donatello.
The basilica of Santa Croce faces onto a vast piazza, which was built to complement it; it is known throughout the world because for centuries it has hosted the traditional “calcio in costume” competition.
At Piazza Santa Croce, 21, one can admire the Palazzo dell’Antella, the facade of which was frescoed in 1629 in just twenty days by a team of skilled painters commissioned by Niccolò dell’Antella. It subsequently became known as the “Palazzo degli Sporti” because spectators used to watch the “calcio in costume” matches from the windows.

Baptistry of San Giovanni

carlo.panda — Tue, 09 Feb 2016 17:36:34 +0000

Just 2,800 feet from Casa Pinti, the Baptistry of San Giovanni is thought to be the oldest monument in Florence. The first known mention of it was in a document dated 897, but the exact date of its construction is not known.
In the Middle Ages, it was believed that it had been a temple to Mars in the Augustan age, which was then transformed into a Christian church dedicated to John the Baptist around about 310. This hypothesis has not been confirmed historically, but it is certain that the “Bel San Giovanni”, as Dante called it in the Inferno, is very dear to the Florentines’ hearts; San Giovanni is the patron saint of the city (celebrated on June 24), and the effigy of the saint was also reproduced on the ancient Florentine coin, the florin.
On November 6, 1059, the Baptistry was reconsacrated by the Pope and Bishop of Florence, Nicola II, probably while the old building was being enlarged, with the addition of the third tier and the construction of the pyamidal roof.
At first, there were steps up to the edifice, but these disappeared as the level of the street gradually rose.
In the interior of the Baptistry, besides the spectacular marble floor (partially tessellated with signs of the zodiac), the XIV century baptismal font of the Pisan school, and the precious mosaics inside the dome, there are also other extremely significant works of art.
The building has a characteristic octagonal layout, and is known throughout the world for the magnificence of its three sets of carved bronze doors; positioned according to the cardinal points, these carvings recount the history of humanity and of the Redemption.
The central door has scenes from the Old Testament, while the south door recounts the history of St. John the Baptist. Finally, the north door relates the story of Christ. These doors, which replaced older ones in wood, were produced by supreme artists: the south doors (the oldest) are the work of Andrea Pisano, the north doors (also called the Doors of the Cross), were created by Lorenzo Ghiberti, as were the east doors, usually referred to as the Doors of Paradise.
Although it is included in the area of Piazza Duomo, the Baptistry has another piazza in front of its entrance, Piazza San Giovanni, which was enlarged many centuries ago with the setting back of the Palazzo dell’ Arcivescovado.

Piazza della Signoria

carlo.panda — Tue, 09 Feb 2016 17:35:06 +0000

Piazza della Signoria is just 3,000 feet from Casa Pinti. The site on which Piazza della Signoria was built was occupied in the period of the Roman Florentia by a large theatre. In the Middle Ages, modest houses and alleyways sprang up there. The land was the property of the powerful Ghibelline family of the Uberti, and when the Guelphs took power, they razed the Ghibelline properties to the ground and established that nothing should be built on it again; this is the reason why Palazzo Vecchio, which faces onto the piazza, is irregularly-shaped and both the main entrance and the tower are somewhat eccentric.
Work on the piazza, which was designed and supervised by Arnolfo di Cambio, started in 1299 and since then has witnessed all the major changes in the history of the city. Like Palazzo Vecchio, its name has changed a number of times: initially called “Piazza dei Priori” or “Piazza dei Signori”, it was renamed “Piazza del Granduca” during the government of Cosimo I, and maintained this name till 1859 when the Grand Duchy finally collapsed. Since the unification of Italy, it has had its current name of Piazza della Signoria.
Besides the name, the perimeter and the paving of the piazza have also changed several times. When Palazzo Vecchio was enlarged, a number of houses were destroyed or moved back in order to maintain the size of the piazza. At the beginning there was simply a dirt surface, then it was paved in red brick and finished with pietra serena. This lasted until the nineteenth century when it was resurfaced entirely in pietra serena. This nineteenth century surface was largely replaced with new pietra serena paving a few years ago, which sparked off a polemical dispute between the Florentines and the bodies responsible for the work, not only because of the appearance of the ‘patch job’ but also because the old stones mysteriously ‘disappeared’…
The piazza was embellished in 1563 with the Neptune Fountain by Ammannati (known by Florentines as the “Fontana del Biancone”) and in1590 the Equestrian Monument to Cosimo I de’ Medici by Giambologna was positioned to the right of Palazzo Vecchio.
In 1420, on the extreme right of the main facade of Palazzo Vecchio, The Marzocco by Donatello (now a copy) was displayed as a symbol of the strength and liberty of the comune, while the famous David of Michelangelo (now also a copy) was positioned to the side of the main doorway to symbolise the victory of democracy over tyranny. Bandinelli’s Hector and Cacus, dated 1534, was placed near the David to recall the victory of the Medici over their internal enemies. Close to the centre of the piazza there is a circular plaque with an inscription which indicates the point where Savonarola was burnt at the stake.

Duomo of Florence

carlo.panda — Tue, 09 Feb 2016 17:31:57 +0000

Just 2,000 feet from Casa Pinti, Santa Maria del Fiore was constructed on the site of the old cathedral of Santa Reparata, which had been built in the time of Bishop Zanobius in the early decades of the 5th century. The initial project was to enlarge the original cathedral, but in 1294 the Council of the Hundred opted for a completely new construction.
In 1296 the foundation stone for the new cathedral was laid and dedicated to the Virgin with the name of Santa Maria del Fiore. The architect was Arnolfo di Cambio. The old cathedral continued to be used while the new one was being constructed, but finally, in 1375, it was definitively buried. Arnolfo died in 1331 or 1332, which slowed down work, until the Arte della Lana, the most powerful guild in Florence, nominated Giotto as master of works, and he began work on the construction of the nearby bell tower.
Giotto died in 1337 and others, including Francesco Talenti, took charge of the Duomo project.
The cathedral was completed in 1415, with the exception of the dome, which was designed by Brunelleschi, who produced an engineering masterpiece. It was erected in just 15 years; first of all a bronze ball created by Verrocchio was put on top of it, and then a cross, also in bronze. Pope Eugenio IV consecrated the cathedral in 1436 on the occasion of the Council of Florence which was then underway.
The facade (the one we see today) was redone in the 19th century according to a design by Emilio de Fabris.
The interior has many monuments and other works of art, including the monument to Giotto by Benedetto da Maiano, the portrait of Dante by Domenico di Michelino (based on a drawing by Baldovinetti), and a tondo with a bust of Brunelleschi by Andrea Cavalcanti. The clock dial is by Paolo Uccello and the round glass windows were based on a cartoon by Ghiberti. The holy water stoup (now a copy) is dated circa 1380.
Behind the main altar by Baccio Bandinelli, to the left, there is the sacristy, where Lorenzo the Magnificent took refuge during the Pazzi Conspiracy in 1478.
In the subterranean area below Santa Maria del Fiore, it is possible to visit the old cathedral of Santa Reparata.
The duomo of Florence, 153 metres long and 38 wide, is the fourth-largest Christian church.
Like the cathedrals of Florence’s rival cities, Santa Maria del Fiore was built with a Latin cross plan, with a basilica nave, three vast arms, and a dome; the latter starts 50 metres from the ground.
The cathedral looks out onto a large piazza called Piazza del Duomo, where the traditional rite of the Scoppio del Carro is conducted every year at Easter.

Accademia Gallery

carlo.panda — Tue, 09 Feb 2016 17:24:06 +0000

Just 2,300 feet from Casa Pinti, this museum owes its fame to the extraordinary collection of works by Michelangelo. Besides a collection of XIII-XVI century Florentine painting, there is also a collection of plaster casts and another of Russian icons. The gallery was established in 1784 by Grand Duke Pietro Leopoldo, who wanted to offer the students at the adjoining Accademia delle Belle Arti fine art works to use as examples. As a result, only works from the Florentine school of painting were chosen, in that they were the only ones considered capable of communicating art.
In 1841, the works then present in the museum were put into chronological order and in 1873 there arrived the most-widely viewed work in the gallery – Michelangelo’s David.
Michelangelo started work on this statue in 1502, when he was twenty-six, and finished it two years later in 1504. He created it from an enormous block of marble which had already been roughly-hewn by two other sculptors, who abandoned it because they considered the marble unsuitable for sculpture. It was produced on commission, the request being for a work of religious significance to go in the cathedral. But the political events of the period led to its being placed in front of Palazzo Vecchio, where it remained until it was moved to the Accademia for obvious reasons of conservation.
During the Second World War it was not moved, as many other art works were, but remained in the Accademia, protected by an encircling shield in cement and brick.