Later this week our school is taking us on a formal tour of Montepulciano. After that I will be able to give you a REAL tour with fascinating information, history, facts, details, etc. The only thing I can offer today are just some glimpses into the typical scenes one sees in a medieval hilltop city.
First, is the view over Tuscany:
After that, twisty streets:
Ancient buildings:
Great knockers:
Exquisite secret gardens:
Kitty cats:
Ancient churches and lots of them:
Incredible restaurants and wine stores, especially here in Montepulciano where Rosso and Vino Nobile are the kings:
And then, an aperitivo with the class and a stunning vista:
This morning I went for a little walk to take a look around lovely Firenze again and to put my mind to exquisiteness and not the wretchedness of patriarchal domination and the latest crappy news from America. To add to the almost daily reports of shootings, etc. Ahhhhh......
But just when you've lost faith in humanity, there is this:
Ah, la bellezza!!
So, I feel like I should be in a confessional now because I have to admit to hiring a private driver to take me to Montepulciano. And, oh, was he glorious! Molto fantastico! We had lovely conversation (in Italian, bitches) for the entire trip.
Here are my new digs:
What do I love about a medieval hill town? Silence, oldness, chirpers, lizards, huge skies, gloriousness:
Today, Friday, is the final of the storica calcio tournament. As you saw in a previous post, this is the big "historical football" game that is played every year between the teams that represent the neighborhoods in Florence.
The players all dress up in historical garb in the colors of their teams. The even begins with a parade that starts at the Piazza of Santa Maria Novella and ends at the Piazza of Santa Croce.
This morning was my final class at the Scuola Leonardo in Florence. We had our final exam, which I passed with a 93% (still having issues with pronouns). Brava!
I certainly learned a lot and there were some real highlights during these 3 weeks, one of them being developing a massive crush on a fellow student (I didn't think I was still capable of doing that.... fabulous!). I decided to treat myself to lunch at a restaurant. I have not been eating out much at all. I much prefer cooking/eating a casa. But today, I decided to have lunch a a quirky restaurant... The Dante Restaurant and Pizzeria (if you can imagine).
Included is a wall painting of the famous Pre-Raphaelite imagined first meeting of Dante and Beatrice:
For antipasto, I had the "fantasy" of crostini. Some kind of chicken paste, tomatoes, black olive tapenade and liver: and an Aperol Spritz, because it is hot:
And then I had thin slices of veal with roasted potatoes..... so fab, and a switch to red wine:
In Italy, you are given a small basket of luscious bread and is actually for a specific purpose. You are not supposed to just eat it... You are supposed to fare la scarpetta, which literally means "make the little shoe," and figuratively means, use the bread to soak up the olive oil or sauce. Come questo:
And then, DOLCE!!! Una caffé macchiato and tiramisu:
Before you all think that I am just here on some hedonistic escape into the world of beauty, history, literature and fabulous human endeavors... I want you remind you that I am actually working. hard. sort of. almost. every. day. Here is my morning routine:
I wake up
Then, I make coffee:
Then I talk to myself for a while.
Then I fa collazione:
Then I cross the Arno and head to the scuola, where I walk up these stairs:
And I walk through the reception area:
Into this classroom:
OH... who is that handsome guy in the background? It's just the Duomo:
Put me in a library designed by Michelangelo (at first, later contributors included Vasari... who seemed to have a hand in so much), that houses 11,000 manuscripts, features a beautifully designed reading room where the monks sat and pondered all the great books of the time, and I am in heaven and rather overwhelmed (see above).
This is an hours-long adventure that starts in San Lorenzo. In the early 15th century, San Lorenzo was the parish church of the Medici family and it was originally an 11th century Romanesque structure. In 1419, Giovanni Medici offered to finance the expansion of the church and called upon Filippo Brunelleschi to mastermind the design using Renaissance perspective, both in terms of architecture and of humanistic ideals. The result is clean lines, though very Roman, still.
It is very vast and my photos do not give you that sense. One place that is particularly interesting is the chapel in which you can see a play of two very different sensibilities at work: Brunelleschi and Donatello. Records state that B was pretty upset by the 'artificial' and sentimental rondels that were designed and rendered by Donatello. But actually, that counterpoint is what makes this little chapel interesting:
So, Saint Laurence. Who was he? He was a 3rd century martyr who was killed for his Christian beliefs under the rule of Roman emperor, Valerian. He was burned to death, on a grid iron. That is why he is the patron saint of chefs. Seriously. I'm not making this up. Here is a fresco inside the basilica:
From the basilica, you march into what was the monastery and the lovely interior courtyard:
Up to the second floor, up this staircase and into the library and reading room:
A very rational and organized plan where each reading area featured a bench, a large pitched desk top where the reader would put the manuscript, and an organized fashion for who reads what where. Each bench has an indicator: Latin poetry, Greek poetry, Astronomy, Latin history, etc.
I'm just like...: massive geek out!
Because then you go into an exhibit of some of the 11,000 world altering, fabulous and amazing works that just happen to be housed here:
Hey ho, it's only Saint Augustine's "The City of God"
And then this:
Oh... it's just Boethius "The Consolation of Philosophy"
Oh.... and then:
Gosh, Virgil's "Aeneid".....
MASSIVE GEEK OUT!!!!
It's all so fabulous. Then you head down into the crypt where there is another interesting museum filled with religious and sacramental art, fabulous reliquaries, all around gorgeousness:
I left very inspired and tired. That monk recipe for varicose veins is just not working. ARGH!!
I've seen many palaces in my day, but the one that stands out, the one that speaks to my inner letthemeatcake persona is the Palazzo Medici Riccardi. Built between 1444-1484, under the aesthetic direction of Michelozzo de Bartolomeo for Cosimo de Medici, the palace is a wonderful example of both classical Roman and Brunelleschi-inspired Renaissance design principles. The outside of the building has a distinctive tri-partite design that makes use of Roman arches, but also has a particularly Florentine style. Michelozzo also made use of the Roman inner courtyard, which allows for privacy, fresh air and security.
Take a look:
The palazzo design is also interesting for its use of a lovely, but rather modest exterior. During Cosimo's day there were sumptuary laws in place which affected how much wealth a family could display. So the order of the day was figure out ways to literally and figuratively hide your wealth. So, from the outside, this palace is a bit 'meh.' But once you walk in..... The Glory!
The family commissioned Benozzo Gozzoli to paint the inside of the family chapel. He recreated the travels of the Magi, on their way to the adoration. The brilliant/egotistic thing is that there is a secular and contemporary veil in that the Medici and their retinue are featured. Most notable is Lorenzo, the one wearing a luscious yellow brocade tunic and looking you right in the eye. The colors, the fabrics, the clothing, the jewels.... yes, life was good if you were in the right circle:
And I would, of course, insist on being in that circle. In fact, this afternoon I am reading Machiavelli's The Prince that I picked up in the bookstore and I am looking for some pointers and insight. Taking notes, darlings.
Here is my bedroom:
And this Fra Filippo Lippi Madonna just, you know, here.
And on this site in 1944.....
In this room, the liberation of Florence from the Fascists.... seriously fab.
These anti-fascists had style, baby! I'm with them.
Last weekend I finally made the climb up to San Miniato al Monte, a little Romanesque gem overlooking Florence.
From this point you have a scrumptious vista of Florence, looking so very elegant.
San Miniato is actually a basilica, originally run by Benedictines, then Cluniacs, and now the wonderfully named Olivetans, whom I have never heard of. But apparently they follow the Rule of St. Benedict and are quite handy in the kitchen, making herbal remedies and jams and jellies that they sell in the little shop next to the basilica. I find monk products irresistible and am the first to try whatever 'eye of newt' kind of tea or 'pickled bee antennae' ointment they've got on the shelf. Thinking that monks might know a thing or two about varicose veins, I bought a jar of their varicose vein treatment, which strangely enough is also good for coughs and epilepsy. I will see what it does and report back.
Originally an Armenian prince serving in the Roman army, St. Miniato converted to Christianity. This was sometime in the 3rd century AD and around Florence. When he was brought before Emperor Decius and told to renounce his faith.... well, you know the story:
Torture; check
Beating; check
Thrown to the wild beasts; check
Screaming, agony, horror; check
Beheaded; check
Picks up head and walks into Florence; check
You know, martyrs always seem to be picking up their decapitated heads and wandering around with them. Look at Saint Denis, for goodness sake. So Minato walks up the hill with his head and it's such a fabulous story that a shrine is built there, followed by a church and then the glorious Romanesque beauty we see today.
Inside is a marvel of stunning beauty. Old, fascinating, so my thing:
One of my favorite frescoes is this one of Mary Magdalene:
According to the legend, when Christ ascended into heaven, Mary Magdalene renounced her worldly goods and became an ascetic. Naked, she wandered into the desert to pray and suffer. It is believed that her hair grew to cover her nakedness. This is captured in many works of art. In fact, I just saw one at the Palazzo Pitti:
All around San Miniato are small cemetery spaces. Many notable families are buried up here, including the Zeffirelli's. Many of the tombstones have photos. It goes without saying that there are some sad stories up here:
A short walk down the hill brings you to the Piazza Michelangelo. A copy of the David, overlooks the city that so loved him as a symbol of Florentine pride and strength. Viva lo 'underdog'!!!
