it was possible to trace the development of art and even architecture as artists tackled technical problems in the depiction of human figures and the construction of grand structures. how the figures became less flat; how there was greater interaction in a Madonna and Child instead of the separate calms each was enveloped in. it was not just the evolution of a skill set but the transformation of the mindset as well. the renaissance seemed to be about the rediscovery of man, not to elevate him above the divine but to celebrate man as well. at the same time, there was also greater humanity in the portrayal of divinity. thought about the artistic evolution from the archaic to the classical greek era in which some of the same technical problems had been wrestled with and solved and wondered at the black pit of the so-called dark ages in which much was lost. still, the amount of cultural heritage that remains is breathtaking and everywhere one goes, one encounters school visits. can’t help but think of the destruction wreaked by the cultural revolution in china. the wanton destruction of history, your own past and culture. and perhaps save for a few sites, much of it still inexorably being eroded by pollution, by the burden of too much tourism, by neglect. what will there be left to visit when they finally arrange school tours?
lunch at l’osteria di giovanni, LP recommendation. had pappa col pomodoro (tomato soup with stale bread), which was good, tasted like a less tart version of spaghetti sauce. the spaghetti with cherry tomatoes was a simple dish done well if a tad too much oil (10). wine, a brunello (38), was good as well which is saying something since i’m generally quite indifferent. 177 total, with cover charge of 4 a person, steep but worth it given the ‘complimentary’ sparkling wine, donut-like appetizer, another appetizer of beef?, vino santo and biscotti. the place definitely deserved to be packed. our server thought that we were Japanese, probably not an uncommon assumption. he had some command of it though, which eventually gave the game away when W and D responded with blank incomprehension after a volley of it.
we were unable to witness brunelleschi’s genius close-up as the dome of the duomo was closed. went up the campanile instead, a ‘lung-busting’ climb up the sometimes narrow stairwell. every so often, everyone would flatten themselves against the wall and freeze to allow those coming in the opposite direction to pass. like some demented version of the ‘freeze when the music pauses’ game. the views afforded at the top were more interesting than in lucca.
had a coffee break and then off to santa croce, to find a market in the piazza. happily tested pates and sauces.
the highlight within the cathedral was giotto’s frescoes but the scaffolding which ended in a cul-de-sac made it difficult to see the life of st francis and the life of st john. this was clearly the place to be buried if you’re dead. big name tombs included michelangelo, machiavelli, galileo, ghiberti and a monument to dante.
searched for il vivoli, ‘rated the best ice-cream maker in Florence.’ 1,60 for 2 flavours. had the fragola (very good) and the limone.
piazza della signoria was next with its array of statues, including copies of david , donatello’s judith and holofernes and giambologna’s ‘rape of the sabine,’ a sensuous intertwining of human figures.
had dinner at ristorante storico letterario (gubbe rosse) in piazza della repubblica. mooched off other’s carpaccio and tortellini as i was not feeling hungry. carpaccio was good but definitely too much (raw) meat in one serving.
reached rufina at around ten. finally, 4-person bridge.