Florence, view from Piazzale Michelangelo

Piazzale Michelangelo (Michelangelo Square) is a square with a panoramic view of Florence. This is the best place to watch over Florence anytime of the day, it is an iconic panoramic view of Florence. 

The view embraces the town centre of Florence from Forte Belvedere to Santa Croce, the Ponte Cecchio bridge and other bridges crossing the Arno, the Duomo, Palazzo Vecchio, and other famous spots.

This Florentine piazza was designed by architect Giuseppe Poggi and built in 1869 on a hill just at the South bank of the Arno river. The square, dedicated to the Renaissance sculptor Michelangelo, has bronze replica of his famous David statue.  

David is the most iconic statue in Florence, and one of the most memorable.  Although many statues of David have been created before, this masterpiece by Michelangelo is unique.

 It is unique in particular in the way the stance David is standing in. Other artists show David slaying the giant Goliath, or standing over Goliath’s corpse, Michelangelo’s statue is different.

In this statue, David is just standing there, looking over his shoulder at the moment directly after challenging Goliath, at a moment prior to one of the most defining points in history.

David entered the battle with only five stones and a slingshot. David won this battle, and  punctuated the victory by slicing off Goliath’s head and showing it to his enemies. In time, he became king of Israel, bringing forth the most prosperous time in Israeli history.

After beating Goliath, David sang the Psalm 151:

I went out to attack the Philistine,

    who cursed me by his idols.

But after I uncovered his own sword,

        I cut off his head.

    So I removed the shame

    from the Israelites. 

Driving further 8 kilometres northeast of Florence, we arrive at Fiesole a town on a scenic height above Florence. Since the 14th century the city has always been considered a getaway for the upper class of Florence and up to this day Fiesole remains the richest municipality in the whole of Tuscany.

At centre of Fiesole, there is a square called Piazza Mino. The square is named after a Florentine sculptor Mino da Fiesole. Therefore this piazza has been used for expedition of art sculptures honouring Mino da Fiesole.

Further towards the west of Fiesole there is a monastery called St. Francis monastery, it is a Franciscan monastery. The facade of the church is Gothic in style with a gabled roof. The convent is located to the right of the church. The convent building is surrounded by three cloisters. 

  

Florence, City of Statues

Dante Alighieri in his Devine Comedia said (see previous blog about Dante):

“Rejoice, O Florence, since thou art so great,

That over sea and land thou beatest thy wings,”

Indeed Florence is a great city and one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Its works of art and museums are acknowledged by Unesco. Besides its artistic and architectural greatness, Florence was a centre of medieval European trade and finance and one of the wealthiest cities of that era and is considered the birthplace of the Renaissance.  

The square in front of the Palazzo Vecchio known as the Piazza della Signoria is packed with the work of famous sculptors such as: Giambologna, Baccio Bandinelli, Bartolomeo Ammannati, Benvenuto Cellini, and Michelangelo Buonarroti. All these artists were born in Florence or were resident of Florence.

Every statue tells its own story taken from Greek or Roman mythology. Effectively it is an open air gallery of renaissance art. Every statue is original, except the David statue is a replica.

Giambologna’s statue the “Rape of the Sabine Women” is based on a Roman mythology, in which the men of Rome, under Romulus, committed a mass abduction of young women from the other cities in the region. Giambologna sculpted a representation of this theme with three figures (a man lifting a woman into the air while a second man crouches), carved from a single block of marble. This sculpture is considered Giambologna's masterpiece.

“The Fountain of Neptune” situated beside Palazzo Vecchio is made of marble and bronze, the fountain was commissioned in 1565 and designed by Baccio Bandinelli. It is the work of the sculptor Bartolomeo Ammannati with some elements created by collaborators.

Neptune is the god of freshwater and the sea in Roman religion. In the Greek tradition, Neptune is the brother of Jupiter and Pluto.

“Perseus with the head of Medusa”, is a bronze sculpture created by Benvenuto Cellini. It is considered a masterpiece and is one of the most famous statues in Florence’s Piazza della Signoria.

It depicts Perseus as he stands on Medusa’s body and holds her head up in the air. Medusa was a hideous woman-faced Gorgon whose hair was turned to snakes and anyone that looked at her was turned to stone.  

“The Rape of Polyxena” is a marble statue created by Pio Fedi. In this statue Polyxena is struggling to get away from Achiles while he easily contains her in one arm. The other arm is about to strike down her mother, Hecuba, with his mighty sword.

“Hercules and Cacus” is a white sculpture to the right of the entrance of the Palazzo Vecchio. This work by the Florentine artist Baccio Bandinelli. Here, the demi-god Hercules, who killed the fire-belching monster Cacus during his tenth labor for stealing cattle, is the symbol of physical strength.

“David” is the most iconic statue in Florence, and one of the most recognizable. In this statue, David is just standing there, looking over his shoulder. Michelangelo sculpted David the moment directly after challenging Goliath, at a moment prior to one of the most defining points in history.

Photo by Guillaume Piolie - Wikimedia

The statue of Cosimo I de Medici  by Giambologna indicates the Medici's ambitions and is an portrait of the man who brought all of Tuscany under Medici military rule.  He was an Italian banker and politician, the first of the Medici political dynasty, de facto rulers of Florence during much of the Italian Renaissance. His power derived from his wealth as a banker, and he had a great appreciation of arts and architecture. 

Cosimo and his heirs rule from this place and from his office next door, which is now the Uffizi museum. 

It is said that Bandinelli's Hercules and Cacus  to the right of the David statue was appropriated by the Medici to show their physical power after their return from exile. The Neptune statue by Ammannati celebrates the Medici's maritime ambitions. The statue of Perseo holding Medusa's head, by Benvenuto Cellini, is a stark reminder of what happened to those who crossed the Medici. 

                                                    

An Interview with Dante

Photo: Wikimedia

I saw Dante in Florence just before the Ponte Vecchio bridge crossing the Arno river.

He has a rather small stature, with big eyes and a prominently hooked nose. He looks more like a common man, a man on the street. 

I hesitated for a moment whether I could greet him as he looked deeply in thought looking across the river. Surprisingly he is quite a friendly person and didn’t mind to talk to a stranger.

Nervously and unprepared, I then arbitrarily asked him: 
“What does this city Florence mean to you?”

Dante then cited Canto 26 of Inferno:

“Rejoice, O Florence, since thou art so great,
That over sea and land thou beatest thy wings,
And throughout Hell thy name is spread abroad!
Among the thieves five citizens of thine
Like these I found, whence shame comes unto me,
And thou thereby to no great honour risest."

Then I asked him:
“Despite its greatness, why did you say that your beloved city, Florence, is famous in Hell?”

Dante said:

“There are many prominent people of Florence living in Hell because of their sins.

Filippo Argenteni has hid horse shod with silver and has iron fists. He has a violent temper, one time he slapped me, and his brother took possession of of my confiscated property.

Farinata degli Uberti is a heretic, he believes that there is no soul and that everything dies with the body. He regarded the pleasures of life on earth as the highest goal for man.

Bocca degli Abati betrayed his Guelph countrymen at a decisive moment in the battle -as German mercenary troops attacked in support of the Tuscan Ghibellines- by cutting off the hand of the Guelph standard-bearer. Demoralized by Bocca's treachery and the loss of their flag, the Guelphs panicked and were roundly defeated.

Then there is my gluttonous friend Ciacco, the hog, spend his life gorging his appetites and living in excess.

There is also Francesca da Rimini, who was forced into a loveless political marriage with a guy called Gianciotto Malatesta.  However, she fell in love with her husband’s younger brother Paolo and had an affair with him. When Gianciotto discovered their adultery, he killed them both. Gianciotto is now in a deeper level of Hell, so did Francesca told me.”

I said:
“Some people think that you condemned people to be in Hell in your Inferno because you are bitter towards your enemies. You were once an influential and famous political figure and were then later exiled from Florence, with others from your political party, after you lost the political war. You were sentenced, together with four others, to a heavy fine and perpetual exclusion from office. Further, together with your two sons and others, you were condemned to be burned to death, should you ever come into the power of the Commune. You lost everything, your family, your properties, your way of life.”

Dante cited the opening of Inferno:

“Midway upon the journey of our life
  I found myself within a forest dark,
  For the straightforward pathway had been lost.
Ah me! how hard a thing it is to say
  What was this forest savage, rough, and stern,
  Which in the very thought renews the fear.
So bitter is it, death is little more;
  But of the good to treat, which there I found,
  Speak will I of the other things I saw there.”

I said:

“Following your path in Purgatory Canto 30 you kind of confessed that you were unfaithful to Beatrice, the one you adore and love so much. You said you fell in love with her the first time you met her, and in Vita Nuova you wrote about her and declared “Behold, a deity stronger than I; who coming, shall rule over me”. 

It seems you are completely captivated by her after the first meeting, however at that time you were just nine and she was eight“.

Dante cited a sonnet from the book Vita Nuova (which means New Life) dedicated to Beatrice:

“In that book which is
My memory . . .
On the first page
That is the chapter when
I first met you
Appear the words . . .
Here begins a new life” 

I said:
“Then the second meeting you met Beatrice was 9 years later, and she got married to a banker 4 years later and died 3 years later at the young age of 24, in 1290. How do you view Beatrice after her death in later part of your life?”

Dante cited what Beatrice told him in Canto 30 of Purgatory:

“Himself from me he took and gave to others.
When from the flesh to spirit I ascended,
And beauty and virtue were in me increased,
I was to him less dear and less delightful;
And into ways untrue he turned his steps,
Pursuing the false images of good,
That never any promises fulfill;
Nor prayer for inspiration me availed,
By means of which in dreams and otherwise
I called him back, so little did he heed them.
So low he fell, that all appliances
For his salvation were already short,
Save showing him the people of perdition.”

Then Dante cited Canto 31 of Purgatory:

"Turn, Beatrice, O turn thy holy eyes,"
Such was their song, "unto thy faithful one,
Who has to see thee ta'en so many steps.
In grace do us the grace that thou unveil
Thy face to him, so that he may discern
The second beauty which thou dost conceal."
O splendour of the living light eternal!”

I said:

“Back to Inferno Canto 26, you found Ulysses, the legendary Greek king of Ithaca and the hero of Homer's epic poem, you found him in Hell. Yet during his lifetime this man had the approval of heaven. The goddess Athena, the daughter of the highest god aided his journey, and even ushered the bloody slaughter. The wind king Zeus the highest of gods is another reinforcement of his connection with heaven. On his journey, Ulysses also received favor from divine figures like Circe and Calypso, even as he received rancor from figures like Poseidon. 

Why is he now suffering in Hell, the place you said Inferno Canto 3 "Abandon all hope, ye who enter here”, and where “Loathsome maggots and worms at the sinners' feet drink the putrid mixture of blood, pus, and tears that flows down their bodies.” Then why is this great hero condemned to Hell?”

Dante said citing Homer:

“Ulysses murdered all suitors of Penelope. Leodes pleaded for his life but was met with a sword blow, so that his head went down to mouth in dust. After murdering all suitors of Penelope, he directed the murder of Penelope’s handmaidens. But, before that the dead bodies of the suitors must be disposed first, and the handmaidens had to clean tables and chairs of blood of the suitors. He wanted to humiliate these handmaidens before he had them butchered,  let them see the dead body of their lovers with the full knowledge of their own impending doom. After the handmaidens cleaned the tables and chairs, scrubbed with sponges, rinsed and rinsed again the blood of the suitors, they were hacked with sword blades cutting the life out of them. Ulysses is undoubtedly the ringleader of atrocity.”

I said:

“Ulysses is known as a great warrior king and strategist. He cleverly discovered Achilles disguise and convinced him to clutch a weapon to join the war against the Trojans. Ulysses has been viewed as Achilles' antithesis in the Homer’s Iliad, while Achilles is consumed by anger of a self-destructive nature, Ulysses is frequently viewed as a man of the mean, a voice of reason, renowned for his self-restraint and diplomatic skills. Ulysses is not only tactical warrior, as evidenced by his idea for the Trojan Horse, but also a good speaker.  He is considered the most clever Greek hero, finding smart solutions to every problem. He is also a great warrior and very charismatic leader who often inspired his people.”

Dante said citing what Ulysses said to him in Inferno Canto 26:

‘Not tenderness for a son, nor filial duty
Toward my aged father, nor love I owed
Penelope that would have made her glad
Could overcome the fervor that was mine
To gain experience of the world
And learn about man’s vices, and his worth…
I and my shipmates had grown old and slow
By the time we reached the narrow strait
There Hercules marked off the limits,
Warning all men to go no farther.”

I said:

“It seems this way Ulysses is behaving like Adam, the first human on earth, whom despite his everlasting happiness living in paradise has the longing to search for more, for the forbidden knowledge. Likewise Ulysses whom despite his happiness found back home in Ithaca island, living in peace with his family  has the longing for more adventure, to conquer the world where “no one has seen”, which ended in the dashing to pieces of Ulysses ship and his death which represents the final separation from any divine connections.”

As the evening was getting dark, Dante concluded the conversation by saying he had to go somewhere and turn his back following the path along side the Arno river.

This an imaginary interview in memory of Dante Alighieri

Liu Sanjie Show at Li River

The Liu Sanjie show is an outdoor performance set in real mountains and rivers in Yangshuo. Yangshuo is a county at the end of the magnificent Li River tour (read my previous blog) from Guilin, in northeastern Guangxi, China. 

 The Liu Sanjie show is staged at the 2km stretch along Li River with 12 mountain peaks as the background. So unlike performances with traditional stage, here we get a show with natural background. This picturesque scenery with various mountain peaks, reflections in the clear water, misty rain, and bamboo forests along with the sound of animals in their natural environment are unique to the performance. 

The Liu Sanjie show is directed by the famous film director Zhang Yi Mou.  He is a Chinese film director, producer, writer and actor, and has won numerous awards and recognitions in international film festivals such as  Silver Lion and Golden Lion  at the Venice Film Festival, Cannes Film Festival, and the Golden Bear . Zhang also directed the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympic Games, which received international acclaim.

It took Zhang Yi  Mou three and half years to finish preparations for launching the Liu Sanjie show. The performance lasts for 70 minutes and more than 600 actors and actresses are involved. All the actors of the show are local  villagers and fishermen, particularly local minority groups as Zhuang and Yao, who have practiced meticulously. At March 20, 2004 the premiere of the Liu Sanjie lightshow was a huge outdoor performance with 1800, now there are about 3000 seats. Three shows daily, all fully booked during peak season.

Liu Sanjie is a story that originates from the Zhuang minority people (read my blog about Longji Rice Terraces). The story is about a legendary Zhuang woman singer called Liu Sanjie, which means “third sister”.  The legend tells the tale of Liu Sanjie who had a beautiful voice at very early age.  Her voice is so beautiful that attracted a gangster named Mo Huairen. The gangster falls in love with Liu Sanjie and wished to make her his concubine. As Liu Sanjie refuses, Mo Huairen attempts to kill her.

Liu Sanjie’s boyfriend, Li Xiaoniu,  and his friends in the village free her and the couple escape turning themselves in a pair of larks (a small bird with beautiful singing).

This Liu Sanjie show is also called Impression Show, as it is focused on impressions rather than the plot, characters. We can watch a bunch of impression, these impressions from the landscape and people's life, with the back ground of mountains on the river stage. The magnificent ligthing system, music and modern visual technology makes the show a magical impression of the Liu Sanjie story. Zhang Yimou uses the natural resources of Yangshuo to give his show a maximum effect. The usage of lights and water emphasizes the beauty of the Li River and the limestone mountains in a way never seen before.

At March 20, 2004 the premiere of the Liu Sanjie lightshow was a huge outdoor performance with 1800, now there are about 3000 seats. Three shows daily, all fully booked during peak season.

Liu Sanjie is divided into four main parts.

The first is called the Red show with long red silk flowing on the river, giving the impression of fisherman throwing out their nets and drawing them in again, as they balance precariously on bamboo rafts. It is an amazing act.

Then followed by the Green show which give the impression of the daily life of the people of the Li River. Smoke curling upwards from cooking pots, women washing, in the fields, fishing, all the everyday things in their lives.

Then followed by the Blue Impressions, love song of Liu Sanjie the bathing bride in the river, even the moon caught up in this love song. 

Knowing that Mo Huairen will surely get the magistrate’s support and attempt at Liu Sanjie’s life, the villagers urge her to keep herself from harm’s way for the time being. Liu Sanjie says goodbye to them and embarks on her journey with her lover Li Xiaoniu.

Lastly the Silver show, the grand finale, in gold and silver costume change,  giving impression of Liu Sanjie and Li Xiaoniu living happily ever after. .

That is the touching Liu Sanjie legend about Liu Sanjie, performed along the Li River with the background of mountains, enhanced by excellent sound and lighting system. It is a great combination of legend, nature, technology, singing, choreography, and the Zhuang culture. What a fantastic show it is ..!