Firenze I -- 10th Apr to 11th Apr 2008

I had no idea why but images of the Duomo came to mind just now as i was lazing around at home, waiting for the rain to stop. And interesting enough, that wasn't the only occasion tonight where its image suddenly appeared in my head and hence, i guessed its time to blog about Florence (or Firenze, the Italian name which allows one to curl the tongue at the end of the phrase :p)

Firenze was the city which promised much hope and yet was also the one which i feared would disappoint me the most. The It was the last 2nd stop of my Italian trip which i had expected much but then again did not exceed much also in expectations. Arriving in Florence was a simple affair. Had just left the Sistine Chapel and thus pretty much of me was still immerse d in the arty stuffs of Michaelangelo and Raphael. However, the first thing that striked me most upon arrival in Florence was the Chinese population there. I did notice there were Asians dispersed here and there over the various cities i had visited but it was particularly striking here in Florence, near the main railway station. Gave the city a pretty different feel from the rest of Italy i guessed.

One important lesson i learnt here is that the next time i was to hover around the outside of any building which required admission, do not hesistate but just go straight in. I wsa standing outside the Duomo at around 425 pm, deciding which room to enter first and when i finally decided that i will visit the main cathedral first, it was closed. Yes, closed at 430 pm sharp! Imagine my horror and disgust that i was only a few minutes late and my entire schedule had to be rearranged for i had anticipated completing the cathedral on the day itself... ith the main attraction closed, i had no choice but to wander around and leave the entire Duomo package to the floolowing day =(

But surprisingly, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Following the Uffizi and aiming for the beautiful sight that was supposed to await me on the hilltop at Piazza Michaelangelo, i stumbled across the serene sight of the River Arco and the Ponte Vecchio. Maybe its just me but i was absolutely taken in my the serenity that was presented to me on the river bank. it was quite and beautiful, yet there seemed hidden a deep rustic charm among the calm waters. The buildings are more or less similar to the Rialto of Venice but there is this lack of commercialism from the outside. Its old but yet not that old and somehow left a very deep impression on me.

Next up would of course be the view at Piazza Michaelangelo. Here lies my first encounter with
the 3 statues of David that was to be found in Florence. These bronze version was the one that i felt was the least impressive because of the state that it was in. But then again, it was similar to all the bronze statues that was found all across Europe, badly weathered and fading in colour. Nevertheless the panoramic view that greeted me was again breathtaking. A must see for all those out there who are fit enough to make the climb =)

The 2nd David was located outside the Uffizi and it was my favourite David (despite it not being the original one). It had all the essence of the real one and yet it was able to weather the elements with little signs of wear and tear. It was also located at a place where it was able to show off its beauty admist all the other statues which were on display.

The last David was of course located in the Academia where it was highly commercialised with a computer panel that allowed one to examine his features in great details on the computer screen.
Would have been a great piece of art if not for the techy stuff. It was also the one which look the most grand as it towers above all in the gallery. The lighting also did much to bring out its beauty. But David aside, it is also the place where the significance of the artists' work dawned on me. As i lay my eyes on the unfinished work of Michaelangelo, i realised the hard work that had to be put into these statues and the difficulty that faced the artists. They had to carve the shape out of a rectangular block of marble or stone and its unimaginable how much effort and skill it took for them to come up with the ultimate perfectionism...

To be continued...