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November 22, 2018

A Weekend in Florence

At the end of week seven, aware that time is hurtling ever closer towards the final weeks of my term studying Renaissance history in Venice, I took a trip along with two of my course mates to Tuscany. A visit to the famous and culturally-rich city of Florence during my studies in Italy was my top priority, providing a useful site of comparison to Venice in the Renaissance period. With a keen interest in Renaissance art and a firm belief in historians utilising visual sources to contribute to their discussions on cultural and societal trends in sixteenth-century Italy especially, our first activity was to explore the Uffizi galleries.


Located adjacent to the Piazza della Signoria, the Uffizi galleries holds one of the best and largest collections of priceless works of the Italian Renaissance, making it a very busy tourist attraction in Florence. Despite having to wait in a queue for over an hour to gain entry to the galleries, the wait was thoroughly worthwhile. The building complex, originally made to house the Florentine magistrate’s offices, is enormous and spans three floors of precious artworks and sculptures. Although I was in awe of all of the galleries possessions, my personal highlights include seeing many masterpieces which I have come across in my studies previously. The incredible opportunity to view Sandro Botticelli’s Primavera and The Birth of Venus is one which I will never forget. I will cherish the experience of seeing Leonardo da Vinci’s Annunciation and Titian’s Venus of Urbino firsthand, also benefiting greatly in the collection of my dissertation research on the historical debate of the rise of the individual by accessing important portraits such as those by Piero della Francesca.


Exploring the historical centre of Florence, I was immediately struck by the difference in architecture of the Strozzi and Medici palaces when juxtaposed with the Venetian palazzos on the Grand Canal which I walk past most days. The colossal rusticated stone bricks of the Strozzi palace give the building a fortified appearance and a sense of the great power wielded by the noble family. Commissioned by Fillippo Strozzi the Elder in 1489, in competition with the other prominent banking family of Medici, It’s imposing brickwork and huge, strong walls mirrored the design of Florence’s well-known, previous medieval and renaissance government building, the Signoria.


We also visited the beautiful Palazzo Medici Riccardi and witnessed in it’s chapel the impressive fresco of the Cavalcade of the Magi by Benozzo Gozzoli. In a move away from the medieval gothic style, the gardens and courtyards of the palace hold grand sculptures created in keeping with the popularity of Roman classicism flourishing within the art history of the Renaissance. In a surprisingly unexpected turn, the Palazzo Medici Riccardi is currently holding a temporary exhibition on the street artist Banksy, a modern artist who also fascinates me. The exhibition entitled This is Not a Photo Opportunity featured twenty of his highly controversial works, exploring political themes and criticism of our present capitalist society.


Despite the chill of winter winds, we ventured over the Arno River crossing the busy Ponte Vecchio, lined with expensive jewellery shops. Due to the time constraints of our weekend trip, we were unable to actually go inside the Pitti Palace but did highly enjoy wandering around the expansive park, the Boboli Gardens. They were created for the wife of Cosimo I de’Medici, Eleonora di Toledo, during the sixteenth century and were very beautiful and peaceful. Climbing to the top of Boboli Hill whilst the sun was setting, we were astounded by the picturesque view of the Tuscan country side with it’s quaint olive groves.


I would highly recommend a visit to this beautiful city. I warmly anticipate my return in the future, aiming to stay for a longer period to more fully appreciate its historic splendour and the many outstanding places of interest available to explore in Florence.


Boboli Gardens


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