My 3 day Italy trip - Firenze, Church of Santa Maria Novella - Cappella Maggiori frescoes and stained glass windows, Cappella Gondi and Cappella Gaddi -The 19th of September 2015

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Having got off at the Central train station we risked visiting the Gothic church of Santa Maria Novella, well known for containing some of the most important works of Art in Florence. It is said to have been built by the Dominicans from 1279 to 1357.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We walked in through the side walls' entrance of the old cemetery into the courtyard and then the main nave, whose piers spaced closer at the east end created the illusion of an exceptionally long church. I started visiting it from the right hand-side and photographing anything that caught my attention.

The Capella Maggiori was particularly impressive with its frescoed ceiling and walls by Domenico Ghirlandaio depicting scenes from both the life of Sain John the Baptist and the Virgin Mary.

 

Mary visits Saint Elizabeth

St. Joaquim is driven from the temple (left). The birth of Mary (right).

The Massacre of the innocents (left). The wedding of Mary and John (right).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We then walked into the Cappella Gondi with a wooden crucifix dating from the early 16th century and a frescoed ceiling depicting the four Evangelist attributed to the Florentine school dating from 1270-1280.

From it we walked into the Gaddi Cappella with an amazingly beautiful frescoed ceiling with stories from the life of Saint Jerome with the Virtues and other allegorical figures. 

The ressurection of the daughter of Jairus dating from 1570-72

(To be continued)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The latest book I have read ...

I have  just finished reading Nahal Tajadod's Elle joue, which provided me with a much more in depth perspective of Iran as in accordance with the voices of two women, the author and the main character, the actress Goldshifteh Farahani, whom I have seen in several films.

 

Despite being both Iranian they have had rather different experiences in regards to their country of origin, not exclusively because of their personality traits and age difference but mostly because of the political turmoil that affected their country before and during the time they moved into Europe.

Rather than get into detail as to what I've learned with and through this book reading I'll simply transcribe something I came across that had me consider all the way through.

 

"Ce que nous paraissons, ce que nous sommes vis-avis des autres, ce que nous croyons être et que nous sommes réalement, ce que nous ne pouvons pas être et que nous sommes malgré tous"

 

 

 

My 3 day Italy trip - Firenze, outside San Miniato al Monte church, the San Miniato cemetery and the Piazzale Michelangelo - The 19th of September 2015

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As we walked out of the Church of San Miniato al Monte to visit the cemetery enclosed within the outside walls of the complex where many notable figures have been buried (Carlo Collodi the creator of Pinocchio included) we came across a newly wedded couple I couldn't help photographing.

From there we walked down towards the Piazzale Michelangelo where the bronze cast of David could be seen facing Firenze. The view was magnificent once it captured the city centre with its outstanding buildings, as well as the Arno river.

 

We joined the crowd who was sitting about on the restaurant stalls and the steps of the Piazzale having a break and eating some of the local "delicacies" until we got on a bus heading into the city Central station.

(To be continued)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My 3 day Italy trip - Firenze, San Miniato al Monte church (cont.) - The high altar, the raised choir, the north wall frescoes, the crypt and the funeral chapel of the Cardinal of Portugal Jacob of Lusitania - The 19th of September 2015

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We continued our visit to the church of San Miniato by admiring the  high altar representing San Miniato, San Giovanni Gualberto. It is raised above the nave with outstandingly beautiful inlaid marble panels  and majolica vault work dating from the 15th century. Wherever I looked there were frescoes that inevitably caught my attention as I walked about. I stopped several times along the way just to feel the atmosphere and intimately praise those who had produced such artistic works.

The 1294 Byzantine-style mosaic in the apse depicting the same subject  as the one of the church's façade Saint Minias with Christ and the Virgin was breathtaking.

 

 

The only place we were not allowed to take pictures to was the crypt, the oldest part of the church, despite the fact that they were allowed to be taken from the nave.  My curiosity was naturally drawn to the funeral chapel of the 25 year old Cardinal of Portugal, Jacob of Lusitania who died in Florence in 1439.

The chapel said to have had the colaboration of outstanding Florentine artists was built in 1461-1466 under the order of King Dom Afonso of Portugal constituting a true masterpiece of Florentine Renaissance. 

The terracota roundels, whose style I soon associated with the ones we had seen at the Spedale degli Innocenti were in fact sculpted by the same artist, Lucca dela Robbia.

 

 

The long walk up to this magnificent church had really been worth it. Having spent more than an hour inside it I walked out with the feeling that I could have stayed much longer and thoroughly admired what it had to offer the visitors - artistic concept and beauty.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(To be continued)