The stunning Cattedrele di Sante Maria del Fiore, seemingly mimicking the colors of the sunset behind it.
Florence, Italy: the name itself might as well be synonymous with the Renaissance movement. Although its Italian name, "Firenze," actually means "flourishing," fittingly so...
The sheer amount of culture existing within the narrow alleyways and towering façades of this single city is simply shocking. The art, music, and literature that blossom here are probably enough to fill an entire universe, and then some. Crowned the birthplace of the Renaissance movement, ("renaissance" meaning "rebirth" in French), this famed civilization adorns the pages of nearly every world history textbook. Its bustling streets and rolling red roofs provided inspiration to inimitable cultural icons like Dante and Michelangelo. Admittedly, my small blog post could never do Florence justice.
The quintessential red roofs of the Florence skyline
The dazzling interior of Il Duomo, and the tourist-packed street of the Ponte Vecchio, remain my two most vivid memories from visiting this extraordinary city: the former evoking feelings of divine peace, and the latter eliciting an adrenaline rush that can only stem from the overexcited, chaotic scene (but more on that later...).
The Cattedrale di Sante Maria del Fiore serves as a sort of flagship building of Florence. Demanding nearly 600 years of construction, the exceptional cathedral splits into 3 main parts: the dome, the baptistry, and Giotto's bell tower, all decorated with the same red, green, and white motif. The bell tower stands tall and proud in a permanent balancing act; its thin body supporting the weight of many church bells. The baptistry, guarded by Lorenzo Ghiberti's incredibly intricate "Gates of Paradise," is where famous historical figures, like Dante, were baptized. Though my favorite part, as a 12-year old girl, was the dome…
Ghiberti's "Gates of Paradise," cast in bronze, depicts famous Old Testament stories, such as Noah's Ark, in great detail. This masterpiece took him 21 years to complete.
Colloquially known as "Il Duomo," this portion of the cathedral punctuates the Florence skyline, and contributes to its recognizability, in a feat of architectural wonder. Despite being built before modern technology, the vast and reaching infrastructure supports itself entirely, thanks to the ingenuity of Filippo Brunelleschi, nicknamed the father of Renaissance architecture. The octagonal shape of this massive dome, which allows for structural stability, also makes for an open and expansive interior that appears to stretch straight for the heavens. And the skylight at the very top creates the illusion that you really are looking up at paradise.
The bright, lofty interior of Il Duomo brings a whole new meaning to the word "skyscraper"
As I craned my neck to get a closer look at the artwork that covered the inside of the dome, I started to comprehend, even as a kid, the outstanding talent of Renaissance artists.
Adding to the already spectacular nature of the dome is Giorgio Vasari's The Last Judgement fresco, later completed by Federico Zuccari. As the name suggests, the art portrays images of the last judgement as predicted in the Bible. Near the skylight you see the 24 Elders of the Apocalypse, and the Madonna and Christ, before your eyes move down to the demons and tortured sinners of Hell. The fresco also includes the eight Beatitudes and a group of saints, near the top, of course. It's a culmination of Biblical references and symbolism into one outstanding work.
A vibrantly-colored The Last Judgement cast in the bright light of the cathedral.
I could write an entire dissertation on Il Duomo, (it's probably already been done...), but alas I'll keep it to a brief blog post. I hope you enjoyed my little article, and that it inspires you to take a trip to Florence soon!
Image sources (in order of appearance):
Miragaya, Karel. "The Duomo." EyeEm/Getty Images, Britannica. Web. https://www.britannica.com/place/Cathedral-of-Santa-Maria-del-Fiore
"Made in Italy Glance." University of California. Web. https://uceap.universityofcalifornia.edu/programs/made-in-italy
"Gates of Paradise in Detail." LorenzoGhiberti.org. Web. LorenzoGhiberti.org. http://www.lorenzoghiberti.org/gates-of-paradise/
"The Last Judgement by Giorgio Vasari." Florence Inferno. Web. https://www.florenceinferno.com/giorgio-vasari-last-judgement/
"Interior Duomo Florence." Check Out Sam. Web. https://www.checkoutsam.com/famous-cathedral-florence-santa-maria-del-fiore/
'The Last Judgement' lit at night. Traveling in Tuscany. Web. http://www.travelingintuscany.com/engels/firenze/santamariadelfiore.htm
To learn more, visit: https://www.visitflorence.com/
© 2021 Charlotte Warren. All rights reserved.
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