The Arno is a river in the Tuscany
region of Italy. It is the most
important river of central Italy after the Tiber. With a length of 241
kilometres, it flows from the Apennine Mountains to the Ligurian Sea, just 11
kilometres west of Pisa. Lush vineyards and olive groves line the river's
scenic course to the west, out to sea.
The Arno river generally flows at its
highest during spring and autumn of every year, when rainfall in the Apennines
is at its greatest. However in 1557 and 1966the peaceful river overflowed
from its embankments invading large areas of the Casentino, the plains of Pisa
and Empoli, and over the entire historical center of Florence, causing dozens
of deaths and untold damage to the city’s monumental and artistic heritage.
After the flood in Florence the river’s
banks were raised, and in 1984 the Bilancino Dam was built near Florence to protect
the area from future flooding.
The Arno River crosses Florence, and passes
below the Ponte Vecchio, the Ponte alle
Grazie and the Santa Trinita bridge.
The Ponte Vecchio ("Old
Bridge"),is a medieval stone arch
bridge over the Arno River, still have shops built along it, as was once
common. Butchers initially occupied the shops; the present tenants are
jewelers, art dealers and souvenir sellers. It has always hosted shops and
merchants who displayed their goods on tables before their premises. The back
shops (retrobotteghe) that can be seen from the river, were added in the
seventeenth century.
In 1900, to honour and mark the fourth
century of the birth of the great Florentine sculptor and master goldsmith
Benvenuto Cellini, the leading goldsmiths of the bridge commissioned the most
renowned Florentine sculptor of the time Raffaello Romanelli to create a bronze
bust of Cellini to stand atop a fountain in the middle of the Eastern side of
the bridge, where it stands to this day.
A few steps from the Ponte Vecchio, stands
the church of Santo Stefano, one of the oldest churches of Florence. The lower
part of the facade retains Romanesque elements, while the upper part was
rebuilt during the Gothic renewal. The interior was renovated during the
Baroque period. It is full of stunning works of art and decoration, including
the beautiful staircase by Buontalenti, with a marble balustrade, built in
1574. Numerous paintings also remain from the
Renaissance period.
Santo Stefano is now deconsecrated church, and is now used
as auditorium for music performances. The church’s atmosphere becomes
incredibly magic in the night, when the lights turn down and the music fills
the religious silence, and the audience immerse itself in the unforgettable
experience of the union of Art, Architecture and Music.
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, andpunctuated 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.
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.
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
