Our last full day in Florence was a blast! We were busy, as usual, beginning our day with a tour of the Medici Palace. Lisa pointed out the technique of rustication on the outside facade employed by Cosimo de Medici when he had it built in the mid 15th century. Inside, the main attraction was the Magi Chapel, which houses a famous frescoe by Benozzo Gozzoli. The walls of the chapel are covered in a beautiful and intricate cycle of frescoes which depict the biblical scene of the Magi’s journey to Bethlehem. We learned that the famous Medici patriarchs Lorenzo, Piero, and Cosimo were actually painted into the scene, proof of their influence over the art they commissioned. Lisa also pointed out that Gozzoli had included himself in the painting twice, along with a huge procession of the Medici family’s friends and allies. Overall, Gozzoli’s masterpiece definitely sent the message that it paid to be on the good side of the powerful Medicis. They could even paint themselves into scripture.
Another great highlight of the Medici Palace was a high-tech room where we could take a close-up virtual look at Gozzoli’s frescoes. By standing on a lit-up panel beneath some sort of camara and sensors, we could observe the frescoes on giant screens, and scroll from one scene to the next by pointing. It was super futuristic!
When everyone had gotten a chance to explore the frescoes and the Medicis’ ample accommodations, we headed to the Academia. I think everyone was pretty excited to finally see Michelangelo’s David! He definitely did not disappoint. No matter how many pictures we have seen of this magnificent sculpture, nothing compares to actually seeing it in real life. Most of us were overwhelmed by the immense size of the sculpture. It’s pretty amazing that Michelangelo accomplished this feat in only three years. Compared with the Davids done by Bernini, Donatello, and Verrocchio, Michelangelo’s version is pretty epic. Later, some of us even wondered what would happen if the four Davids met each other!
Other highlights of the Academia included an exhibit of musical instruments, including a Stradivarius violin from the early 1700’s (!), more statues and paintings, and an exhibit of photography by the American photographer Robert Mapplethorpe. Part of our quest in the afternoon was to visit the Church of Santa Maria Novella and observe Masaccio’s Holy Trinity fresco. This church was quite ornate and beautiful to explore. Thanks to our ever-increasing art history knowledge, we discovered several Renaissance and Classical elements like the use of perspective to create depth.
Later in the afternoon Lisa took all the girls (and several of the guys) to her favorite leather store. We had all been very anxious to hit up the shopping and take advantage of Florence’s great leather products. As usual, thanks to Lisa’s connections we were able to get some great discounts, so much so that several of us who had no intention of buying something so frivolous as an Italian leather handbag were soon walking out of the store considerably less wealthy, but with fabulous new accessories! A lot of us splurged for large practical totes like the one Lisa often carries, and several guys bought nice wallets, or even glamorous purses for their girlfriends back home!
After our leather extravaganza we all used our free time to shop more, rest, eat, or work on our Quest. In the evening, a large group of us went on an adventure and ended up climbing up a gigantic hill to Piazzale Michelangelo. We were treated to a fantastic view of the city, the Arno River, and the sunset. Of course, we loitered there for a while and took a group photo, but eventually hunger set in and we dispersed into small groups, each foraging our way through Florence in search of sustenance to end a great day.
By Michelle
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