Italy 2023

#10, Florence Art and Culture

Back in Florence, this day we would visit The Accademia  Gallery which houses many priceless works of art including sculptures, most notably the renowned statue of DAVID by Michelangelo. All of the artwork is phenomenal. 

Our guide, Guido, was a 24 year old young man who was passionate about sharing his knowledge with us. With only four of us and Guido, it was a very nice tour with our “skip the line” entry tickets. We could gather close to him as he described the paintings and sculptures, pointing out aspects that would have escaped me without his explanations. I enjoyed his enthusiasm. 

One outstanding sculpture near our entrance was “The Rape of the Sabines” by Giambologna in 1582. Without Guido’s explanations of its meaning and having us view it from various angles, I would have been clueless as to its significance and meaning. Without going into detail, it depicts a violent rape of a young woman by a Roman and the girl’s father helpless and overpowered to stop it. This sculpture is based on an incident in Roman mythology in which the men of Rome committed a mass abduction of young women from the other cities in the region.

Similarly, Guido’s details of paintings were enlightening as he pointed out differing painter’s styles, approaches and interpretations over the centuries, even with the same subject matter; “The Annunciation” being one. Over the years and by various artists, this interpretation of the archangel Gabriel announcing to Mary that she would conceive and bear a son was rendered  and depicted in many different styles. It was fascinating to me.

Of course the main attraction at The Accademia Gallery was DAVID. 

It is a portrayal of David as he is about to face off with the giant Goliath, his muscles tense, with intensely staring eyes.

Throngs of people were there in his special place in the gallery. The sculpture is large, the light from above revealing intricate details. We learned that two other sculptors had started the statue but claiming it was inferior marble refused to complete it. Enter Michelangelo who accepted the challenge and completed what we acknowledge as a masterpiece. The detail is precise, except for oversized hands and feet (which I may not have noticed until it being pointed out). 

I am so happy and fortunate to have seen DAVID in person.

From the Accademia we exited outdoors across another plaza where a smaller duplicate DAVID stands outdoors. Close-by are other duplicate sculptures of famous works on display. 

Guido next led us to the Uffizi Gallery one of the largest and best known Italian museums and holds collections of priceless art, particularly from the period of the Italian Renaissance.

The Uffizi is huge. Guido informed us it would take at least five days to view all of its treasures. I think it would take longer. As before, Guido was very descriptive as he led us to some of the most important works of art. 

Click on any photo below for full size and slideshow of all:

After our tour Guido was anxious to help us and suggested a restaurant for dinner that night. He is good friends with the owner, so he called ahead and made a reservation for us. A thought occurred to me that maybe the owner was his mother (or another relative). Umm. 

But we all walked to the restaurant, Da Pinocchio for dinner that night where I enjoyed Ravioli with cream, bacon and crushed pine nuts. Delicious!

Back at the B&B we packed up, readying for the next leg of our adventure to Southern Italy. This part of the trip was where Mark and I set out on our own, as Pat and John would soon return home.

Next: Amalfi Coast