Fell into an Art History Textbook- Florence

We started our trip to Florence very early Saturday morning (6:45am to be exact) I was very excited for this trip because it was our first weekend in Italy. I had been to Florence one time before, however I was 13 and tired from traveling with 14 people for 2 weeks. (that's a whole other story) Anyways, we arrived in Florence right before 10am, checked our bags at the train station and had to make our was to the Statue of David in the Academia Gallery because we had reservations for 10:45. We decided to take a cab so we were not late and it was fun to be in our first European cab, which do drive just as crazy as the cabbies in New York. We arrived at the Academia in perfect timing to make our reservation.


I thought the Academia Gallery was just to hold David, when in reality there are many exhibits showcasing all different artists. The first exhibit we went into was the history of music. My favorite part of that was there were many harpsichords on display and one you could even play. A harpsichord produces sound by plucking a string when a key is pressed; it looks very similar to a keyboard. The reason I liked this was because I had learned about this instrument in choir and other music classes in grade school.



Next we moved on to rooms upon rooms of paintings and frescoes. It was breathtaking and overwhelming at the same time. My favorite piece in the rooms was called Crucifix for Comforting Death Row by Bernardo Daddi. It was a crucifix with Jesus in the middle but had four people bowing on each point of the cross with their head cut off (the head was still semi attached but had blood coming out for it). I know this piece seems gruesome but it was such a different take on the crucifixion so I really enjoyed studying it. Finally after going through paintings  for an hour, I couldn't take it anymore, I had to see David.

Nothing could have prepared me for the awe and amazement I felt coming face to face with the famous sculpture of David. It was everything I had expected it to be and so much more. As I walked closer up to him, all of the tour groups and people disappeared, I was taken to another world of art appreciation bliss. I read the description under the statue that read:"Not has there ever been seen a pose so fluent or a gracefulness equal to this or feet, hands, and head so well related to each other with quality, skills, and design." It couldn't have been more true. It was the most realistic and perfect man I had ever seen. Every part from his feet to the veins on his hands were perfectly sculpted to turn this block of marble into the man who slain Goliath. When looking closely, you notice the sling is barely visible, this is because Michelangelo wanted the viewers to realize David is the one who killed Goliath not the weapon he used. Other argue that this sculpture was to represent David before battle, as shown in his facial expressions (very tense, muscles bulging, pursed lip). Either way, I could have sat in the middle of that gallery for hours staring at David. I took turns sitting at all different positions of the room. No matter which way you look at him, he is the most realistic, perfect man. Although I have never seen a man who looks like that. Finally we had to move on to the Duomo, seeing David was 150% worth it and I definitely recommend it.

The Doumo looked just like it did in the pictures. It was huge and had so much ornate detail on the outside. Sadly, we didn't get to go inside due to the 2 hour line, so instead we ate Lindt Chocolate gelato and took pictures of the outside of the Duomo.

Afterwards, we went to a market called Loggia del Mercato, to see what Florence is known for, leather. There were many stalls of different vendors trying to prove to us that their leather was real and of the best quality. Everything was relatively well priced, but I wasn't in the market to buy a leather bag so I just walked through the market people watching. Within the market, there was a pig who is famous to Florence called Porcellino. It is good look to touch the nose and run your hand under the water it spews. Many tourists groups crowded around this symbol of Florence and I took a picture with him as well.

We walked out of the leather market and stumbled into Piazza della Signoria. It is a very large piazza with statues everywhere including a replica of Michelangelo's (although this one doesn't do the real one justice) We took some pictures there before heading to the Uffizi Gallery.

The Uffizi Gallery was just as phenomenal as the Academia Gallery. I felt like I walked right into my AP Euro textbook back in Mr. Salmestrelli's class. Completely, clique but my favorite piece was the Birth of Venus. It was so cool to see a painting I've studied so many times, in front of me. It was a lot bigger than I had expected it to be and was swarming with tour groups. I loved this painting because of how Venus is depicted. She is simplistic, yet elegant. She is curvy with untamed hair, yet she is beautiful. She just represents freedom to me and what beauty really is. Not the stereotypes that the media makes today. Venus is the goddess of love, so she is by definition the most beautiful woman. I am slightly biased too, because Botticelli is my absolute favorite artist. I have done many projects on him and find his work to be incredible, especially his sculptures. Other paintings I enjoyed included Sleeping Ariadne, Massacre of the Innocents, Judith and Holofernes, and Three Graces.



XOXO RIVA DIVA <3