Air, Landier, and Sea

Today we started our day early to get to the Academy, which is part museum and part school for the arts (both music and artwork).

While we initially planned to meet our guide in the lobby at 8:45 (which is what Sergio, our wonderful concierge told us), we got a call to our room at 8:15 asking where we were. When Bryce explained he thought we still had 30 minutes, Sergio said that 8:45 was the time we were supposed to be walking in the doors at the Academy (who knew?).

So we got ready as quickly as possible. By that, I mean Bryce decided we were told 8:45 so we should grab breakfast at the hotel first, since we already had our tickets to the Academy, it wouldn’t be a problem (according to Bryce).

As someone who not only hates to be late, but hates to “break the rules” I quickly ate my yogurt and drank my cappuccino, while Bryce got seconds.

So we got down to the lobby around 8:35, which is when our guide told us that the Academy is the only museum that has strict entry times, so we had to hurry to get there.

Although the guide told us to be in a hurry, she did stop to show us the shop where Michelangelo sculpted the Statue of David. Now, this same shop is where statues are restored.

We got to the Academy at 8:48, and luckily, we were allowed in. So once again, Bryce was right. Here’s what we learned at the Academy:

• Michelangelo was discovered by Lorenzo di Medici in the gardens of the Academy.
• David’s features (right hand and head) are disproportionate. This is because the statue was commissioned to be used to decorate the Florence Cathedral (the Duomo), but its nudity disqualified it, so it was originally placed in Palazzo Vecchio (and later moved to the Academy).

• The Statue of David was originally commissioned in 1464 and the project was given to Agostino di Duccio.

• Duccio selected the piece of marble, but due to his inexperience, it was tall, thin and had many imperfections. Duccio quit the project. Ten years later, Rossellino attempted to sculpt David. He also deemed the marble unworkable. Twenty-five years later, Michelangelo sculpted the Statue of David from that very marble block.
• Leading up to the Statue of David are the Four Slaves of Michelangelo. These are sculptures intentionally left unfinished. Michelangelo believed that his work spoke to him and allowed for him to “free” the person within the marble. They were originally sculpted to hold the tomb of the Pope, representation given sinners breaking free from the “prison” of sin.

Following the tour of the Academy (which is 99% about the Statue of David), although there are some Botticelli and other paintings in the museum as well, we got some coffee, a snack, and headed back to the hotel to plan our next tour.

It was about 1:00, so we were hoping to find an indoor tour. We lucked out, again, and were able to get two spots in a tour of the Duomo.

It was scheduled at 2pm, so Sergio drew on the map where we needed to meet the guide. Since we learned our lesson from last time, we asked him what time we should meet the guide. He responded, “two o’clock at the church.” Perfecto, Sergio, grazie!

Our hotel is around the corner from the Duomo, so we left around 1:50 and walked to our meeting spot.

We promptly found our guide just before 2pm in the tour company shirt (just as Sergio told us) and when we gave our names, she replied “Oh, Bryce! Finally, you are here- we were just about to leave without you!”

We’ve decided to show up 10 minutes earlier to anything Sergio schedules for us from now on.

Our constant tardiness aside, the tours are definitely the way to go! Just having a tour guide has enabled us to skip countless lines in Italy, and has definitely contributed to our enjoyment of the museums and cities.

The Duomo tour was no exception.

Here’s what we learned on this tour:

• While most churches were commissioned by the Pope, the Duomo was commissioned by the City of Florence in the 14th Century. It was finished being built in the 16th Century.
• Filipo Brunelleschi was the architect who created and finished the dome. It’s actually made of two domes in one. He not only designed the dome, but he designed the “machines” which enabled the materials to be hoisted up to workers assembling the dome.

• This church was very important to the Medici Family. Cosimo di Medici paid for the marble floor to be restored and also for the dome to be completed.
• The Duomo also has a sad history for the Medici Family as this is the site where Giuliano di Medici was murdered in the Pazzi Conspiracy.
• Lorenzo di Medici was also targeted in the Pazzi Conspiracy and was wounded in the neck, but able to get in to the sacristy to hide, which saved him.

• The tomb of Filipo Brunelleschi is located under the church.

We ended the afternoon visiting the Boboli Gardens. These gardens are surrounding the Pitti Palace, which is one of the homes of the Medici Family.

We were told nothing of wonderful things about the beauty of the gardens and the incredible views we would be able to see from the bar that sits at the top of the gardens.

Needless to say, we were very excited to see these spectacular views. So excited, in fact, that we neglected to register that in order to get panoramic views of the city these gardens must be on top of a hill. A very tall hill.

It was quite the trek to the top, and when we got there, we got a little turned around and spent a good thirty minutes wondering down into the gardens and then back up again to find the bar.

While we initially pictured ourselves sipping local vino, gazing over the beautiful city, by the time we got there all we wanted was water and air conditioning. Luckily, we got just that (plus some ice cream bon bons).

Although the hike up was a little painful, the views were spectacular, as promised.

By the time we got back down the hill, we decided it was time for gelato. After all, as we found out today, gelato was invented in Florence.

It was actually invented by an alchemist of the Medici Family. Bryce and I like to imagine that conversation went something like this:

Cosimo di Medici: “Hey, you’ve been working for quite a while now. So long in fact that I assume you’ve been able to turn this ore into gold.”

Alchemist: “Now, before you get mad…open your mouth and close your eyes and you will get a big surprise!”

I mean, how could the Medici be upset when their alchemist invented gelato? I mean some alchemists’ careers were nothing but one failure after another- at least theirs produced something incredible!