Chinese Dante and a View
I don't think I remember this day very well...it was a week ago, and obviously there were very few experiences that had much impact on me. But, I have pictures. I guess this will be a story in pictures. I don't want to show them all, though. Just a few of them...ones that are either good or representative, I suppose.
That frightening figure up there is a statue of Dante. Dante is always portrayed as incredibly sullen He's always scowling, as if he is always mad at every person who dares look at him. We saw the tomb of Dante today in the Basilica de Santa Croce, which is basically a very beautiful cathedral. It doesn't really surprise me that Dante seems so frightening. Only he could come up with such terrifying tortures in his Inferno.
Above is a human statue getting ready for a day of standing in front of the Uffizi museum. The Uffizi was an incredible museum filled with a plethora of rennaisance art. One particular picture I remember vividly was Brunnelesci's "Birth of Venus." I was taken aback by the serene calmness of Venus's eyes. Her expression was one of complete passivity. Another very small painting (also by Brunelleschi) was of the rape of a woman. It was a tiny painting, not even 7 inches tall. But the woman's expression of anguish was so real, it was as if I could feel her pain. There were many others, but this is getting to be a long post.
I also went up to the top of the Duomo in Florence today. I walked up 463 steps in crammed quarters to see a view half obscured by scaffolding. It was still worth it, though. The view of Florence was amazing. It was unlike any other skyline I've seen: no tall buildings of glass. Rather, I saw an endless array of orange rooftops and terrace gardens, seperated by winding streets and the occasional cathedral or castle.
And then there was the Medici castle. I can't really describe the golden treasure room we got to visit, but suffice it to say it had an incredible history with tons of secret passages whose purpose was encoded in the paintings.
Oh, one last thing: Chinese food in Italy is overpriced, and not nearly as good as it is in America. I was quite dissapointed with the Chinese dinner we had. I definitely won't be eating Chinese any more in Italy.
That frightening figure up there is a statue of Dante. Dante is always portrayed as incredibly sullen He's always scowling, as if he is always mad at every person who dares look at him. We saw the tomb of Dante today in the Basilica de Santa Croce, which is basically a very beautiful cathedral. It doesn't really surprise me that Dante seems so frightening. Only he could come up with such terrifying tortures in his Inferno.
Above is a human statue getting ready for a day of standing in front of the Uffizi museum. The Uffizi was an incredible museum filled with a plethora of rennaisance art. One particular picture I remember vividly was Brunnelesci's "Birth of Venus." I was taken aback by the serene calmness of Venus's eyes. Her expression was one of complete passivity. Another very small painting (also by Brunelleschi) was of the rape of a woman. It was a tiny painting, not even 7 inches tall. But the woman's expression of anguish was so real, it was as if I could feel her pain. There were many others, but this is getting to be a long post.
I also went up to the top of the Duomo in Florence today. I walked up 463 steps in crammed quarters to see a view half obscured by scaffolding. It was still worth it, though. The view of Florence was amazing. It was unlike any other skyline I've seen: no tall buildings of glass. Rather, I saw an endless array of orange rooftops and terrace gardens, seperated by winding streets and the occasional cathedral or castle.
And then there was the Medici castle. I can't really describe the golden treasure room we got to visit, but suffice it to say it had an incredible history with tons of secret passages whose purpose was encoded in the paintings.
Oh, one last thing: Chinese food in Italy is overpriced, and not nearly as good as it is in America. I was quite dissapointed with the Chinese dinner we had. I definitely won't be eating Chinese any more in Italy.
posted by Julenka at 2:32 PM
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