Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Thursday, November 15, 2007

Florence - Day 39

Today we go to the other side....the other side of the Arno...again.

On the way we go past the Chiesa dei Santi Michele e Gaetano, located on Piazza Antinori.

80DSC_6991.jpg

The original church dedicated to the Archangel Michael dates from the 11th century but was rebuilt in the Baroque style in the 17th century by the Teatini order who then dedicated the church to St Michael and later on to their founder, once he was canonized, St Gaetano.

80DSC_6994.jpg


80DSC_6995.jpg 80DSC_6997.jpg
Statues of St Andrew Avellino (left) and St Gaetano Thiene (right)

80DSC_6996.jpg

Cherubs sit beside the badge of the Medici.

80DSC_6999.jpg 80DSC_7000.jpg
Hope and Poverty sit above the main door way and on either side of the coat of arms of the Teatini

80DSC_7005.jpg

New stairs were added in 1710.

80DSC_7001.jpg 80DSC_7002.jpg


0DSCN4000.jpg

The interior really needs to be seen to be appreciated - it is quite beautiful with its black stone walls lined with statues of the Apostles and Evangelists. We sat here for a while, listening to choir practice and just admiring its splendour. We're both really happy to have visited.

A short walk from here and it's time to cross the Arno at the Ponte all Carraia

80DSC_7006.jpg

in the distance is the Ponte Santa Trinita and beyond that, the Ponte Vecchio.

The church we came to visit is S. Frediano in Cestello which looks like this from the other side of the river

0DSCN3691.jpg

up close it isn't that photogenic - so take your photos from the other side of the river. It was open so we did get to look inside.

The church was designed by Silviani and Cerutti and built in the 17th Century replacing the Chiesa di Santa Maria degli Angel. The cupola and campanile were added in 1689 and are by Antonio Ferri.

80DSC_7023.jpg

80DSC_7019.jpg

80DSC_7015.jpg

Dome frescoes (Glory of the Magdalena and Virtue) are by Antonio Domenico Gabbiani (1718).

Like many churches, there's some scaffolding inside for restoration works.

80DSC_7028.jpg

From this side of the river you can get a better look at the Pescaia di Santa Rosa - the pescaia is formed from the remnants of demolished mills.
80DSC_7030.jpg


80DSC_7032.jpg

A view of the Ponte alla Carraia

80DSC_7033.jpg

This is the Chiesa di Santo Salvatore a Ognissanti - we will try to visit it tomorrow.

Our next stop is the Chiesa di Santa Maria del Carmine - which doesn't have a very picturesque facade but truly makes up for that inside.

0DSCN4005.jpg

The Corsini Chapel - built in 1675 and dedicated to St Andrew Corsini. The fresco on the dome was done by Luca Giordano in 1682

0DSCN4006.jpg 0DSCN4007.jpg 0DSCN4008.jpg


0DSCN4010.jpg

A view across to the Brancacci Chapel - to see this chapel up close is by ticketed entry. They have limits on the number that can visit at any one time and the time spent. More of it a little later.

0DSCN4012.jpg

Dome over the main altar shows considerable wear to the fresco.

0DSCN4014.jpg 0DSCN4017.jpg


0DSCN4016.jpg

View to the rear of the church

0DSCN4019.jpg

Just a little of the tromp-l'oeil fresco on the ceiling of the main aisle of the church. It as done by Domenico Stagi.

0DSCN4023.jpg

View from the rear to the Altar.

0DSCN4026.jpg

Just two photos of the frescoes of the Brancacci Chapel. The frescoes are by Masaccaio and Masolino with some additional work by Lippi.

0DSCN4025.jpg

It visit the Chapel you exit the church and enter via the adjoining building and pass through the convent

80DSC_7045.jpg

80DSC_7058.jpg

Very peaceful but don't linger as this sign warns

80DSC_7061.jpg
sign: Danger branches might fall down. Do not linger under the trees

In one of the rooms off this area you'll find a fresco of the Last Supper (Cenacola) by Alessandro Allori (1582), unfortunately like many things it too was damaged by the 1966 flood.

0DSCN4030.jpg

0DSCN4031.jpg

0DSCN4032.jpg

0DSCN4033.jpg 0DSCN4035.jpg

0DSCN4034.jpg



80DSC_7054.jpg

a surviving fresco in the convent

80DSC_7043.jpg 80DSC_7042.jpg

Our next stop was the Chiesa di Santa Spirito

80DSC_7062.jpg

but as was the case 2 years ago, it was closed.

It was probably a good time to head back and have lunch

80DSC_7067.jpg 80DSC_7070.jpg

These are the statues that sit on each side of the Ponte Santa Trinita

80DSC_7065.jpg 80DSC_7068.jpg
more views of the Arno looking towards Ponte alla Carraia (left) and Ponte Vecchio (right)

80DSC_7072.jpg
Another view of the Ponte alla Carraia

80DSC_7075.jpg
Another Ponte Vecchio shot

80DSC_7085.jpg
and one more for luck.

We find two more statues as we reach the other side of the bridge

80DSC_7089.jpg 80DSC_7090.jpg



80DSC_7107.jpg

Just a little way from the bridge and in the middle of Piazza Santa Trinita you can find the Colonna della Giustizia (Column of Justice). The column was put here in 1565 to mark Cosimo I's victory over the French and Florentine republican rebels.

80DSC_7105.jpg

The decorations are up looks like Christmas is coming.

80DSC_7108.jpg

For lunch we ate at Terra Terra.

0-15112007653.jpg
Bruschetta for Paalo

0-15112007654.jpg
Crostini Misti for me


0-15112007655.jpg
insalata mista

0-15112007657.jpg
Paalo's main: Gnocchetti sardi with Salsicce sauce - Sardinian Gnocchi with Sausage Sauce

0-15112007658.jpg
My main: Pane Frattau - typical Sardinian dish consisting of layers of Pane Carasau (wafer thin crisp bread from Sardinia), rich tomato based sauce and topped with a poached egg - very simple but delish!

Pane Carasau is also known as carta da musica

For dolce:

0-15112007659.jpg

Paalo had the Zuppa Fiorentina - which reminded me somewhat of Zuppa Inglese

0-15112007661.jpg

Liqueur soaked slices of sponge with crema pasticcera.

0-15112007660.jpg
And I had the plate of mixed Sardinian sweets - flavoured meringues and torrone.

After lunch we visited the English cemetery in Piazzale Donatello

80DSC_7150.jpg

We had passed by here on the way to our picnic but it was shut but we had decided to revisit especially since reading about it. The cemetery dates from 1827 when the Swiss Evangelical Reformed Church purchased land from the then Grand Duke of Tuscany to create an ecumenical cemetery - non-catholics and non-jews up until that time could only be buried in Livorno.

Unfortunately the cemetary was closed in 1877 when Florence was made the capital of Italy and the old Napoleonic code forbid burials within city limits. It then started its long march into decline. It was reopened in 1996 and allows burials of ashes or small caskets of bones.

If you want to know more about this cemetery and all the hard work that is being done to help preserve and restore this place than I really do recommend you visit this site to learn more.

80DSC_7117.jpg

This is one of the figures that really doesn't need any words of explanation - the absolute grief is there and palpable

80DSC_7114.jpg

80DSC_7119.jpg

From the tomb of Arnold Savage Landor

80DSC_7134.jpg


80DSC_7110.jpg


80DSC_7131.jpg
In Tender
Memory of
Walter Eldredge Alexander
Son of Walter S. and
Constance Eldredge Alexander
Died April 25 1874
Aged 7 years

80DSC_7137.jpg

80DSC_7161.jpg

80DSC_7140.jpg

80DSC_7147.jpg 80DSC_7162.jpg

80DSC_7163.jpg


80DSC_7165.jpg

The final resting place of Elizabeth Barrett Browning


80DSC_7168.jpg


80DSC_7169.jpg


80DSC_7172.jpg


80DSC_7178.jpg


80DSC_7183.jpg


80DSC_7192.jpg

For more photos of the English Cemetery visit the Flickr Set: English Cemetery

2 comments:

  1. Amazing pics man!!! Would give my left hand to go visit Florence after having a look at these pics.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks Abhihav, I hope you get to visit Florence with your hand intact!

    ReplyDelete

We appreciate your comments however spam, abusive or libelous comments will be removed.