Be informed

It is clearly about time. Florence. The Renaissance. History. So, we did it. Monday by train from Munich. Saturday back. We stayed at the Novotel near the airport (see below).

Day 1 – wandering around. Florence is one of those places that if you do wander around you are likely to see everything that is free. Including the reproduction of Michelangelo’s David, left. The original is in the Glleria Dell’Accademia di Firenze and has an entry fee.

Day 2 – the Uffizi gallery. We must go and see Venus at the very least. And the Botticelli pictures more generally. It is a strange gallery. Note that it has ultra-strict security since the bomb attack in 1993. But basically, it is a rectangular building with small galleries off a corridor (right). The building itself dates from 1581. The upper floor is the gallery that comprises a corridor adorned with sculptures and frescoes. It is actually quite difficult to see all of this art without laying on one’s back. And so one wanders around taking in what the senses can appropriate.

There are unexpected surprises such as a smattering of Mannerisms, for example, Portrait of Gabrielle d’Estrées with one of her sisters, Bathing. This image is mischievous but also representative of a mannerist depiction of feminine beauty and fertility. Just oddly included in the collection.

Florence is not complete without the arrival of Caravaggio and his followers with some gruesome depiction of decapitation or similar. The Uffizi does not disappoint offering a themed gallery with my favourite being the Judith Beheading Holofernes by Artemisia Gentileschi. I suppose these pictures very much reflect Renaissance Florence, certainly somewhere violent enough for one’s head to be removed from one’s shoulders without too much effort. Though interestingly conducted by women.

Is the Uffizi a great gallery? It does have a remarkable collection. But I have to admit, I got a bit bored. It would benefit from an edit (I know that it is carefully curated, but…) largely because of the period. There is a lot of replication. Arguably the visitor could do their own edit ahead of time. Though let me put it this way, it is not the Louvre.

Day 3 – we must go to the cathedral (Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flower) and climb to the top of the famous and unique dome. There are three compelling reasons to do this. First, the roof frescoes cannot be appreciated fully from the ground. Part of the way up the climb to the summit, one gets to walk around the base of the inside of the dome and almost touch them (see gallery below).

Second, your get to walk in between the two structures that make up the dome. The amazing thing about the dome is that prior to its construction there was little understanding about how to make such a structure. The architect Filippo Brunelleschi, such that he was, sort of made it up. He created a secret formula that involves a dome inside a dome. And the staircase to the top walks you between the two structures (left). The precise physics are explained and illustrated with models in the cathedral museum which is also well worth a visit (see gallery below).

Third, on a clear day, there is a spectacular view from the top. I have to say, I was pleased to be able to see the railway station (right). Of all landmarks in a city, the railway station is the one that most captures modernity. In this case, location, bearing in mind the historical roots of the city predating the arrival of the railway, to have it so central speaks loudly. Florence is a city that was embracing and inventing technologies as much as it was doing art (see Galileo Museum below).

Book in advance. Space at the top is limited and it is popular, even in November.

Day 4 – the Galileo Museum.

I have to say, that if visitors to Florence do not patronise this museum, then they are missing out. Plus, it is relatively quiet (though, clearly, it should be really busy). This is a museum packed with analogue scientific instrumentation as art. Functional, yes, but that was never enough for the pioneers – professional and amateur – it had to be beautifully made, whether it be a chemistry cabinet (left) or a timepiece. This museum is packed with artefacts that came out of the Renaissance and beyond that eventually led to humanity’s greatest discoveries facilitating developments that laid the foundation for 20th Century civilisation.

Getting around

It should be easier than it is. Some pitfalls. Buses are unreliable. And in the evening, less frequent. If a bus does not turn up in the evening, it can be a long and uncertain wait for the next one not to turn up. The two tramlines are more reliable, but they too fail. If you have a train or plane to catch, be ready with a taxi number. Probably better to stay centrally (for the train) or at the airport (if flying). Though check that the hotel is in fact at the airport and not just close to it.

Here are some more pictures.

Dome Frescoes

Dome Museum

Galileo Museum