Via Francigena

We arrived today in San Miniato in preparation for our journey tomorrow morning on the Via Francigena, which is the route that newly appointed Bishop Sigeric took from Canterbury to Rome in 990 AD to receive his vestment from the Pope. Sigeric documented his journey, and so it is today a pilgrim walk. 

San Miniato

This is one of two towers in this hillside 11th century village that once was the capital of the Lombard Holy Roman Empire. The other tower in town is called 

Federico Tower, which was part of a fortress here and once served as a grand lookout protecting the village from invaders. Sadly, the original tower was blown up by Nazi troops upon their retreat. 

Wine lunch at Fiorile with an excellent red from Vinci and…

My very first pasta with white truffles. Squisito!

Another scenic shot or two from our evening walk.

Now it’s one foot in front of the other as we celebrate not the Catholic Jubilee, but our own 30 years of partnership, and my 65th anno. 🇮🇹💕

Santa Maria Novella

Of all the Florentine sites I visited, Santa Maria Novella was my favorite.

A couple takes wedding photos in front of the basilica

Santa Maria Novella was built in the 1200s by the Dominicans, who ran it until the friars lost their independence in the mid 1500s, and none other than Cosimo de Medici acquired patronage of the church complex. It was at that time that Medici hired Vasari to do a remodel to make the church look more contemporary according to the precepts of the Council of Trent.

Tornabuoni chapel 

Botticelli nativity scene

Rainbow thru stained glass

What I loved about my visit in addition to the Gothic design is that the Dominicans have taken back the buildings, and once a month, they display the original frescos alongside the Vasari additions.

The Florentine paintings open on hinged frames to reveal the frescoes underneath

I also found so much beauty in the exterior cloisters, which are also original to the Dominicans

Spanish chapel

Finally, the original Dominicans perfected various healing tinctures and perfumes on this spot, and they are still making them today. If you stand in just the right place in the cloister, you can smell a heavenly scent. Truly a feast for the senses.

Dead People

If you read my last post, you will know how the Catholic Church is obsessed with death. What you may not know, and I didn’t, is how many bodies are entombed in basilica, cathedrals and other churches. In four days in Florence and in three edifices, I stood on or before the tombs of hundreds of saints, popes, cardinals, wealthy church patrons, and notable historic figures including

Charlotte Napoleon Bonaparte

 Machiavelli

Dante

Michaelangelo

Enrico Fermi

Leonardo DaVinci

Raphael and Marconi

Donatello

Plus the Italians are great fashion designers, chefs, performers… what a debt we owe to this beautiful culture. 

Relic-o-mania

I admit that I am sort of obsessed with bones and other sacred relics collected and put on display by the Catholic Church.  If you are, too, take a look below. If not, come back another day.

Saint Francis of Assisi garment

(jk)

Medici

If there is any one person or small group that had the most impact on history, it is the Medici family, who controlled Florence for 300 years and practically single-handedly envisioned and financed the Renaissance in art and architecture. And their hands are all over this place still.

The Medici “reign” was a classic rags to riches story. They were not royals, but in 1397, the patriarch Giovanni, born a commoner, founded the Medici Bank, which soon became the bank of the Roman Catholic Church. He was followed by his son, Cosimo, who was at the core of the family’s power, influence and growth. 

This is Cosimo’s tomb. In the ultimate symbolic gesture, he designed it to be under the old sacristy of San Lorenzo basilica, where his family worshipped. Its ceiling literally supports the church floor above, where all the sacred objects such as the chalice and the sacrament were stored and prepared. The open circles above the tomb shed light from the sacristy into the tomb.

Although they had many homes, the Medici lived here in Pitti palace, where they could view the city they were building from across the Arno River. They had built a one kilometer enclosed bridge (the Vasari corridor) from the palace to the city offices (uffizi) across the river so they walk back and forth without mingling with the people or sewage below.

The palace is filled with grand rooms and magnificent artwork. Every corner is beautifully decorated.

The view from the top of the palace gardens overlooking the Tuscany countryside.

The view in the other direction across the Arno.

This is Nano Morgante, one of several dwarfs who worked for the Medici in a sort of jester role. The Medicis had several artworks made of the dwarfs and family members.

My favorite part of the palace is this artificial grotto made of items imported from the sea, including shells, coral and sponges.

It served as a spa of sorts and a place to cool off in running waters during the hot summer months.

More posts to come about Medici commissioned art and architecture, churches, tombs, gardens and relics. Time to explore more of the city…