New Opera Duomo Museum - a spectacular museum!

It was already one of my favourite museums - then they decided to close for another restauration, they just reopened on Oct 29th 2015 and I have to admit that I have almost cried... it is so intense, moving, beautiful and worth-seeing museum! The best.

Opera of Duomo opens in 1891 to host the Pieta of Michelangelo, without a home... then it became the deposit of many many sculptures, paintings, sacred objects - that were before kept inside the Cathedral or inside the Baptistry, and then got replaced by more modern pieces.

Ancient Façade Room

Arnolfo di Cambio, the main architect of the Cathedral, started the works on September 8th 1296 - and he worked also to the main façade. Unfortunately he died before the Cathedral and the façade were finished (poor destiny for medieval architects... they never survived to their projects!)
In 1587 the façade was totally demolished, and finally accomplished only in 1881!
Did you know that our façade was so young?

So, they have reconstruct a 1:1 scale façade with the original statues... it represents the ancient space between Cathedral doors and Baptistry - so if you turn around you will admire also the beautiful gilded bronze doors by Ghiberti!
It is a magnificent setting, a moving room, you will find yourself in tears. Outstanding

Virgin Mary with brilliant eyes

The Paradise Gate - Lorenzo Ghiberti

Ancient Façade Room



Beheading of St. John the Baptist - Rustici

Detail of Paradise Gate - Mosé

Donatello's Magdalene and Michelangelo's Pietà

On the ground floor you will admire 2 incredibly intense statues: the wood Magdalene by Donatello, founded lost in the desert after years of wandering, she was devasted, skinny, her clothes were destroyed... she is surprised to see you, and she opens a bit her mouth. A superb and moving representation of Magdalene

And what about the Pietà by Michelangelo?

Picasso and Spanish Modernity at Palazzo Strozzi

If you are in Florence between September 20th 2014 and January 25th 2015 and you feel like step for a second out of the "Renaissance cradle"  you should go to Palazzo Strozzi and check this exhibition out, dedicated to Pablo Picasso.

All the masterpieces, over 80, are coming all by Reina Sogia Museum in Madrid.

There is a lot of Picasso paintings, like 3 "Painter and Model", "Dora Maar" and other lovers' portraits, a really interesting settings of his preparatory drawings, engravins and etchings of Guernica.

Then Salvador Dalì faboulous "Arlequin" , Mirò, Juan Gris, Marie Blanchard.....

Open daily from 10,00 am to 08,00 pm, Thursdays until 11,00 pm

Obviously, a visit with me, maybe part of a walking tour, will be an excellent solution :)

Contact me at elisaacciai@libero.it

Enjoy it!

Pablo Picasso - neosnet.it

Guernica sketches - ilreporter.it

The painter and the model - weekendromanticotoscana.info

Dora Maar and Marie Therese - Firenze.repubblica.it

Equipe 57 and Salvador Dalì - toctocfirenze.it

Florence Bike Tour with Elaiza, me :)

Florence is a quaint city, with a pretty small city center that allows you to visit the main sights just walking from a place to another, in a short time.
But still, having a bike would be a fantastic way to enjoy the beautiful palaces, churches, Piazzas, Lungarni (the streets along the river Arno are called Lungarni)...

The best way is to rent a bike for a couple of hours or more in case you wish to go also to the hills (for example Piazzale Michelangelo and San Miniato al Monte Church).

Where? I wish to suggest you a couple of places:

Bici In Firenze is a service organized by the Comune di Firenze (city hall of Florence) and it is located in front of Santa Maria Novella train station or in Piazza Ghiberti.

The other one is Florence By Bike, located in Via San Zanobi

Bikes of Bici in Firenze

 

So, rent a bike of course, but call also Elaiza, which is the best way to tour around the city!
I could come to your Hotel downtown and pick you up, or we could meet somewhere - we will go to rent the bikes together and we will start a fantastic tour through the medieval streets of Florence, for the most part pedestrian.
We can lock our bikes and visit the inside of Santa Trinita Church, or Orsanmichele, or wherever you want, I'm open to discuss the itinerary with you.

on the way to Santissima Annunziata

On a bike tour with me we will certainly see:

Cathedral Square and Brunelleschi's Dome

Signoria Square

Ponte Vecchio

Repubblica Square

Strozzi Palace

Santa Trinita

Pitti Palace

Santa Maria Novella Square

Santa Croce Square

The nice weather and the Tuscan sun are coming, book a bike tour with Elaiza :)

Santa Croce

Cathedral Square

San Lorenzo

Repubblica Square

Santa Trinita

Palazzo Antinori

Palazzo Spini Feroni

Palazzo Strozzi

Lungarni

Santa Maria Novella

Vasari Corridor November 3rd

Se capite un pò d'italiano e siete a Firenze il prossimo weekend, venite con me a visitare il corridoio Vasariano! Una visita unica! Per dettagli visitate l'altro mio blog qui

Hi! I'm organizing a special visit November 3rd at the Vasari Corridor, it is going to be in italian, therefore I have written in italian :) If you understand enough my language check details of the tour here and then write me!

Santa Maria Novella Church

Today we are talking about a beautiful florentine Church, called by Michelangelo "my bride", quarterheads of Dominican Friars, who settled in this area just outside the city wall in 1220, when they came into Florence as all of the other friars orders, to help poor people who were living just outside the city and also to survey the ortodoxyof catholicism.

The huge medieval church is impressive - they used to have vibrant speaches that got together plenty of people, that had to stand also outside the church, therefore friars were choosing such big Piazzas.
This square was famous also because here a lot of public games were held, for example the Calcio in Costume (soccer similar to american rugby), or Palio dè Cocchi, a race of 4 two-horses chariots roman style, much beloved by Granduc Cosimo I.

The façade is a very important example of Renaissance - the main artist, Leon Battista Alberti, could mix the already existant medieval façade of the first level with armony and semplicity, working superbly on marble inlaids, using the roman language of columns, geometric shapes such as circles, squares, triangle etc.

Inside, you will be absorbed by a solemn calme and peace - you would admire masterpieces such as Giotto wood crucifix, or Masaccio Trinity, and of course the spectacular chapels frescoed by Ghirlandaio and Filippino Lippi, just to mention some...

Right behind, there is a place that I love in Florence, the Spanish Chapel and the Green Cloister - a pearl, hard to find in Florence, no crowds of people, colourfull and interesting frescoes, dedicated to the Dominican friars history.

Don't forget to visit in Via della Scala 16 the Officina Profumeria Farmacia Santa Maria Novella, famous all over the world for its products, creams, parfums and so on...

The beautiful façade

Spanish Chapel fresco




Green Cloister fresco by Paolo Uccello

Honeymoon in Florence

Florence is a lovely city where you can spend and enjoy an unforgettable honeymoon. Small and vibrant, charming and full of art and history, great food and better wine, shopping also is a must.

That is valid also for Florentines, who normally travel around the world ignoring the most part of the hidden and not-so-hidden treasures of my beautiful city. Most likely they go to the Louvre in Paris, but never stepped inside the Uffizi Gallery - appreciate the Guggenheim, but never saw the real David of Michelangelo inside the Accademia.

Therefore, I had the chance to guide a very nice young couple, both authentic Florentines, in their honeymoon, which was based for 3 days in Florence. They invited also some of their family members, who wanted to enjoy a guided visit to the sights and museums.
It was awesome!
For her, Ilaria, I have studied a special itinerary, including of course the main sights of Florence, but also extraordinary openings and visit of places that neither I have been.
It was really interesting and funny, seeing how Florentines show a huge passion for their city, and how their eyes sparkling hearing what was going on centuries ago.

Here's the itinerary:

Day 1 - Half day - exploring the Oltrarno area, walking around the beautiful district across the river, who retained a magic atmosphere, where actually a lot of artisans and workers still live, full of little "botteghe", antique and small groucery shops.
Palazzo Pitti - Palatine Gallery, the big "quadreria" by the Medici Family: Raphael, Titian, Giorgione, Andrea del Sarto, Rembrandt....just to mention few names.

Day 2 - Full day - the medieval Florence, and how it grows from the roman origin through the dark ages, and finally the golden years of Renaissance
Palazzo Davanzati, the museum of the typical Florentine Renaissance house, with the special opening of the second and third floors, with the beautiful kitchen, old tools and original house objects.
Orsanmichele, on Monday you can climb up to the third floor, where you enjoy an amazing and unusual view of the town

Lunch in a typical place, suggested by me

Baptistry - special visit of the "Matroneo", the upper floors used in the past by women only, who didn't have authorization to stand where men attended the service in the main floor - you can almost touch the mosaics, was really touching even for me!
Cathedral, and climb of the 463 steps of the Brunelleschi's Dome, where the view of the city is the best!

Day 3 - Full day - church and museum of Santa Croce - visit to the adjoining historical Scuola del Cuoio, the Leather school where artisan masters show you how they work, and where you can buy the best leather in Florence
Walk in the vibrant areas of Santa Croce and Bargello

After a great lunch, special and extraodinary visit of Palazzo Vecchio, the Old Palace - we could visit by ourselves the magic jem of Studiolo and Tesoretto, two hidden and rare place full of history and art - visit to the capriate roof, the timber roof, you are actually above the magnificent ceiling of 500 Room! - walk on the upper floor of the building, where in the past the soldiers were walking by to defense and check for the palace - the view here is also beautiful

So, if you are on honeymoon, or if you just wish to do part or the entire itinerary just write me!

From third floor of Orsanmichele

Magic walk into the Matroneo of Baptistry

About to touch the mosaics

On the way up to the Dome

Jump from the Dome

View from the Palazzo Vecchio top

Brancacci Chapel

On the right side of the transept of Santa Maria del Carmine church you can find a jewel of first Renaissance painting: Brancacci Chapel, painted by a young Masaccio,his older master/collegue Masolino da Panicale, and some 50 years later additions by Filippino Lippi.

Brancaccis were an important florentine family, connected to the Medici family - Felice Brancacci commissionated the cycle based on Saint Peter, because of his ancestor named Pietro and mostly because at those times depicting St. Peter, being the first Pope of Catholic Church, meant basically being connected, very well connected, to the Papacy.

Two main painters worked on this chapel: Masolino da Panicale, and a 23 years old Masaccio, much younger than Masolino, and recently considered as collegue instead of pupil, because of his outstanding and innovate artistic talent, so different from Masolino.

Brancacci Chapel is the perfect place to understand and appreciate the changing from late Gothic Style to the early Renaissance, that introduce a new body study, basing on classic measures, and a new emotion of the faces, plus a considering skill to represent tridimension and perspective.

Check how differently Adam and Eve are represented. Amazing.

Left side: Masolino right side Masaccio (photo source voxnova)

This chapel miraculously survived to a tragic fire that in 1771 destroyed all the Church. Frescos were all blacken by smoke and soot - it was not possible to see how the real colours were... until behind an altar they discovered an undamaged piece of fresco, and that helped to restore and give new life and brilliance to this incredible masterpiece.

If you have the bad idea to visit by yourself instead that with me :) just kidding of course, then I suggest you to see the dvd that is shown before entering in the Chapel, interesting and impressive, seeing closer the frescos with music in the background.

Brancacci Chapel

Masaccio's Adam and Eve

Two stylish Florentine - by Masolino

My favourite: this body seems so real

Firenze com'era Museum - Florence "as it looked"

It isn't one of the most popular museum in town, but it is the best one to visit for those who are lucky to know the city very well and want to go deepier in our amazing history to find out the roman foundation, the etruscan past, to understand better how the city has grown in the century.
It's very usefull for "beginners" also, and definitely enchanting to admire the "Pianta della Catena", Chain Map, a beautiful wood panel painted in the 1470 with the frame carved as a chain - it's a photo of the city in the Renaissance time.
The lunettes of Justus Ustens, a flamish painter, describe how the opulent Medici Villas were before all the changing they have been through.It is located in the wonderful Loggia of the Oblate nuns ex-convent, in Via dell'Oriuolo 24.

Update: the museum Firenze Com'era is temporary closed, waiting to be restaured and probably moved to a different location

Plastic model of Firenze Romana

One of the lunettes by Justus Utens

I love that: the original keys of the door of the city wall!

The Chain Map - Renaissance Fiorenza

Vasari Corridor

An incredible and unique place in Florence: the Vasari Corridor.

Built in only 5 months by Giorgio Vasari, the favourite architect of Grand Duke Cosimo I dé Medici, who commissionated it in honour of his first son Francesco's wedding with Johanna from Austria.

I'ts an aeral walkway that connects the Old Palace (the power head office) with the Pitti Palace (the new residence of the Medici family), almost 1 km long, passing above the Old Bridge, getting through houses, tower houses, a church (Santa Felicita church, where the Medici had a private balcony just stepping outside the Corridor, giving them the chance to assist to the Mass without having to mix with the crowds).

At the south end of the Old Bridge, the Corridor has a deep deviation, having to skip the Mannelli Tower House, a very powerfull family who didn't want to have the corridor passing through their house, and Cosimo had to agree with them...

Symbol of power, cause connecting house and "office", and also because they were walking above the people, Medici used the Corridor not only to show off, but also to walk around the town safely and well protected.

Plus, opening the little oval windows they could hear city rumors, knowing in advance bad or good news.

Second-born of Cosimo, Ferdinand, decided to move away the smelly butchers and fishvendors by the Old Bridge, replacing them with precious gold and silver shops.

Now, Vasari Corridor hosts the most important selfportraits in the world - more than 2,000 paintings, from Titian to Chagall, from Giorgio Vasari himself to Antonio Canova, from Bernini to Jacques-Louise David, passing through centuries of art.

Mostly closed to the public, I am able to organize for you an unforgettable and private visit to this splendid sight of Florence.

The corridor

Spectacular views from the little "oculo" windows

Santa Felicita inside and Medici private stage

Cute balcony on the Ponte Vecchio