Cradle of the Renaissance

DR. SANJIVA WIJESINHA

With its museums, churches and cultural heritage, just being in Florence is an education in itself.

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You will find delightful musical recitals that take place quite regularly in the evenings.

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Photo: Dr. Sanjiva Wijesinha

Amazing ambience: Florence. Aglass of Chianti Classico wine in my hand, I am sitting by the window of my apartment on the fourth floor of an old building off the Borgo San Lorenzo. The rays of the setting sun are falling gently on the dome of the Duomo and the rooftops as I ga ze out on the view framed in my window — making me realise how lucky I am to be alive, at this particular place and moment in time.

It is indeed my good fortune to be visiting this aristocratic city which witnessed the end of Europe’s dark Ages and the birth of the Renaissance — where European artists rediscovered the beauty of the human body and created the first naked statues since Roman times. This is the city that is home to some of the greatest works of art, from Michelangelo’s beautiful sculpture of David to Boticelli’s ethereal painting of Venus — masterpieces that still evoke gasps of admiration from visitors.

Many firsts

It was here that Dante (whose home I can presumptuously claim to have visited last evening) wrote his amazing works of literature — and it was here that cheques were written for the first time, letters of credit first began to be utilised and banking as we know it came into being.

Visiting Florence is an education in itself, because many of the world’s most famous monuments and paintings are found here. You can spend time marvelling at the fabulous works of art in the Uffizi Gallery, admiring the intricately carved, 700-year-old churches or simply strolling along the narrow flagstoned streets and car-free piazzas with a cornetto of gelato in your hand just imbibing the unique atmosphere of this amazing place.

Make sure that you visit the Uffizi, one of the best art museums in the world, and the Medici family church of San Lorenzo with its beautifully designed family tombs, as well as the Piazza del Duomo complex with its striking cathedral, bell tower and baptistery constructed of green, white and pink marble. Don’t forget to join the thousands of tourists who go to the Galleria dell’ Academia to pay their respects to Michelangelo’s exquisite statue of David — or walk to the Piazza della Signoria to join the hordes of tourists viewing what is really an amazing open air museum of monumental sculpture.

But I would suggest that you remember to take time off, as I did, to get off the hackneyed tourist trail. If you care to look for them you will find delightful musical recitals that take place quite regularly in the evenings — in charming old churches like the Chiesa Santa Maria de Ricci in Via del Corso or in more modern venues like the Teatro Verdi in Via Ghibellina. Take the No. 13 bus to the Piazzale Michelangiolo and experience an evening church service with melodious Gregorian chants by the monks in a candlelit, 11th-century chapel at the Church of San Miniato del Monte. Sit at one of the numerous roadside trattoria in the mornings, sip a coffee or glass of Tuscany’s famous Chianti wine and watch the well-dressed world go by. In the evening, have dinner at a ristorante in one of the numerous piazzas and listen — or even dance to — the live music provided by the singer and pianist.

The pealing of the campanile bells reminds me that this is not a dream. I am still in Florence, experiencing the amazing ambience of this city. I only wish that I could stay longer.

Not to be missed

Sandro Botticelli: Birth of Venus (1485). How beautifully he conveys the impression of the graceful Venus being gently wafted to shore by the sea breeze. At the Uffizi Gallery.

Michelangelo: Tondo Doni (The Holy Family) (1504). The only painting by Michelangelo in the Uffizi, its vibrant colours and fine lines give it the appearance of a modern digital photograph.

Titian: Venus of Urbino (1538). Languid and sensual, unashamedly naked and aesthetically erotic, this is one of the best known nudes in Western art. At the Uffizi Gallery.

Michelangelo: David (1504).This sculpture conveys strength, poise, confidence and epitomises all that is beautiful in the human form. At the Galleria dell’Academia

Filippo Brunelleschi: Dome of the cathedral (c 1430). This miracle of medieval engineering was the largest and highest dome of its time. Still dominating the skyline of Florence, it has become an emblem of the city.