Florence is truly one of the most beautiful cities on earth.
Showing posts with label Florence. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Florence. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Hello Mr David
Michaelangelo's sculpture of King David is the raison d'etre of a visit to the Academia Galleria in Florence. The statue is truly a masterpiece of a great artist, but unfortunately, it has become a Florentine Mona Lisa. The tourists ignore almost every other statue and painting in the museum. The wonderful Fiorentine paintings don't get any attention.
Who cares about Sandro Botticelli? What does it matter if there is one of the rarest collections of old Russian Orthodox Icons in the museum? Should anyone bother about the other sculptures there, which give a real idea of people, faces and life in the days of the Renaissance?
Seeing David is as much about bragging rights than anything else. This reminded me of how Van Gogh, Rembrandt, Dali and Picasso are ignored at the Louvre all at the expense of the great Mona Lisa. In all fairness though, David is more impressive than Da Vinci's most famous painting.
Who cares about Sandro Botticelli? What does it matter if there is one of the rarest collections of old Russian Orthodox Icons in the museum? Should anyone bother about the other sculptures there, which give a real idea of people, faces and life in the days of the Renaissance?
Seeing David is as much about bragging rights than anything else. This reminded me of how Van Gogh, Rembrandt, Dali and Picasso are ignored at the Louvre all at the expense of the great Mona Lisa. In all fairness though, David is more impressive than Da Vinci's most famous painting.
Florence: More than the tourist attractions
It's easy to not notice some of the sights and sounds of the great city of Florence since the Renaissance architecture and the famous buildings are the raison d'etre for a visit to the city. However, for those who love Italian culture and want to see the real Italy, the city is full of delights. Yesterday, I put up an image from a society of anonymous poets.
Here are some images that caught my attention in the wonderful Tuscan city
The city has a wonderful sporting tradition. Like in other parts of Italy, most people look like they are in excellent shape. This is an achievment considering how rich and tasty Italian food is. You see young and middle-aged people going on evening runs. It's not so easy to notice the boatmen on the Arno River.
We were forunate enough to stay in a heritage building with an antique and beautiful, if scary, elevator. Our hotel had typical Florentine windows. These windows are specially designed for the Tuscan 4-season climate and remain shut all winter. We were lucky to launch spring in the city and open the windows, almost fully.
The water from this small fountain is potable. Most Italian cities have these old fontanellas, where the water is absolutely clean. Italy is one of the few countries in the world where you can drink straight out of the taps.
After drinking water in different parts of the world, I can certify that the tastiest water I have ever drunk is in Rome. Runners-up include Vienna and yes, New York City. The water in Florence is also quite tasty. Imagine, how much the Italians save by drinking off the taps, without boiling or buying water in bottles.
This would be a pipe-dream in Indian cities, but the reality is that Bombay's water was potable as recently as the late-1960s.
There is art in just about everything in Florence. I have seen innovative ideas when it comes to doorbells, but these were among the most artistic doorknobs that I had ever seen. That was until I started noticing the doorknobs in many of the city's buildings, both old and new.
Here are some images that caught my attention in the wonderful Tuscan city
The city has a wonderful sporting tradition. Like in other parts of Italy, most people look like they are in excellent shape. This is an achievment considering how rich and tasty Italian food is. You see young and middle-aged people going on evening runs. It's not so easy to notice the boatmen on the Arno River.
We were forunate enough to stay in a heritage building with an antique and beautiful, if scary, elevator. Our hotel had typical Florentine windows. These windows are specially designed for the Tuscan 4-season climate and remain shut all winter. We were lucky to launch spring in the city and open the windows, almost fully.
The water from this small fountain is potable. Most Italian cities have these old fontanellas, where the water is absolutely clean. Italy is one of the few countries in the world where you can drink straight out of the taps.
After drinking water in different parts of the world, I can certify that the tastiest water I have ever drunk is in Rome. Runners-up include Vienna and yes, New York City. The water in Florence is also quite tasty. Imagine, how much the Italians save by drinking off the taps, without boiling or buying water in bottles.
This would be a pipe-dream in Indian cities, but the reality is that Bombay's water was potable as recently as the late-1960s.
There is art in just about everything in Florence. I have seen innovative ideas when it comes to doorbells, but these were among the most artistic doorknobs that I had ever seen. That was until I started noticing the doorknobs in many of the city's buildings, both old and new.
Monday, March 26, 2012
Firenze
The birthplace of the Renaissance, home of Dante, city of fascinating architecture and great museums. That is Firenze or Florence in a nutshell. I am not going to deny that the city is indeed very beautiful. The Dome is as beautiful as it looks on the picture postcards and the brochures and the Ponte Vecchio also does justice to its universal hype.
There is something irritating about this great city. It is a tourist-magnet. You see the busloads coming in from all over the world, each annoying tourist with a small digital camera. I can't imagine how dreadful this beautiful city would be on weekends or worse in the summer, when the tourist hoards descend on it.
We were lucky to be there on weekdays in the off-season. I loved each and every lane of the old town but what I enjoyed even more was crossing the Arno and walking deep into the other side. Here, you see normal Italian life in a normal Italian city. There are no tourists, just people going on with their lives. I loved the graffiti on the walls, the Florentine balconies with plants surviving in the cold, thanks to the Tuscan Sun.
Wander out of the tourist areas and see the military areas, the university campus and other nice places that remind you that you are actually in Italy.
There is something irritating about this great city. It is a tourist-magnet. You see the busloads coming in from all over the world, each annoying tourist with a small digital camera. I can't imagine how dreadful this beautiful city would be on weekends or worse in the summer, when the tourist hoards descend on it.
We were lucky to be there on weekdays in the off-season. I loved each and every lane of the old town but what I enjoyed even more was crossing the Arno and walking deep into the other side. Here, you see normal Italian life in a normal Italian city. There are no tourists, just people going on with their lives. I loved the graffiti on the walls, the Florentine balconies with plants surviving in the cold, thanks to the Tuscan Sun.
Wander out of the tourist areas and see the military areas, the university campus and other nice places that remind you that you are actually in Italy.
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