Elsien's Traveblogue

Florence, 6th February 2009
8.30 am Here I am in studio apartment David, an attic room within spitting distance from the Duomo, the Florence cathedral. I haven't been out on my own on even a little adventure like this for almost two years now – commuting between Brussels, London and Holland doesn't count. I was even nervous before I started: was Ryan Air going to accept my slightly bulging backpack? Books, I'm planning on doing a lot of studying here – my Master's in Art History starts officially tomorrow! (Ryan Air did accept the backpack, after a bit of rearranging, so it fitted their measurements). All was almost well: I had to unpack the whole thing again in security – it may have been my new baby-computer that looked suspicious on their screen?
I'm really excited, have made some proper Italian Lavazza coffee in an espresso maker and am off soon for my first real explore.
4.30pm Exploring is tiring, so am back in apartment for more Lavazza. Did a lot of walking and studied in detail the 'Gates of Paradise' as well as the other doors on the Baptistery. I was there early, so I could – when I walked past this afternoon, the square was packed with tourists and Italian school groups, more interested in taking their pictures than the doors. Most people glancing at the doors were Asian – the images must be as foreign to most of them as Buddhist scenes are to most of us Westerners. Almost no one even glanced at Ghiberti's other set of doors; mind you, they haven't been polished yet, so they look rather dark. As for poor Pisano's set, not even a dog in front of them – just a guard smoking.
I really love the panels, they are amazingly imaginative and beautifully crafted. I loved Moses coming down with the Ten Commandments, but also Joseph being sold into Egypt, and oh, well, all of them, really. The unpolished doors are great too – Jesus calming the Storm was one of my favourites. I could see why poor Pisano's doors were taken down for a bit to make place for Ghiberti's. Pisano's aren't at all bad, but he didn't have the advantages of time and progression of technique that Ghiberti had, I suppose. Read up on Ghiberti in Vasari's 'Lives of the Artists'.
Have to read up on Masaccio, Ghirlandaio and Filippino Lippi as well. Spent almost two hours in Santa Maria Novella where you walk smack into his 'Trinity' as you enter the door. It's smaller than I imagined and a lot pinker in colour. Was the pink red before?
Loved the Ghirlandaio and Filippino Lippi frescoes, in the Capella Strozzi where I spent an age getting chilled to the bone as it had started to rain when I walked to the church and the church itself was cold. Again, almost no one in the church, although when I left an Italian school group was just about to enter. It had stopped raining by then so I could look at the front of the church without getting drenched all over again. Clever solution for the top of the facade by Alberti. No picture yet, as my camera batteries had run out.
Modern Florence is full of Italian designer shops in Renaissance palaces: Salvatore Ferragamo's is particularly splendid. Did you know Ferragamo's started out making shoes for a Hollywood film studio?