Piazza della Signoria

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When my parents visited us this past October, we took them on a 6 day trip to Florence and Rome. I know, it’s not enough time, not even close, but we made the most of what we had and we got to see alot. I would never even attempt to sum up such a trip with one measly blog post, so I’ll just take it bit by bit, piazza by piazza, and so on…

Let me just start by saying that this is not my first trip to either destination. I traveled Italy very extensively back in the fall of 2000 while I was at HUF, and April and I came here again in the summer of 2003, so nothing was really new to me. However, the more you visit a particular destination, the more you can enjoy the nuances in each nook and cranny, and you can definitely glean something from a new perspective that you might not have seen the last time.

All of that being said, I will begin this string of posts with the Piazza della Signoria in Florence. I sometimes think that this piazza is impossible to truly enjoy because it is so packed with tourists, but during this visit I just tried to ignore the crowds and marvel at the beautiful works of art that are everywhere from different perpsectives. I took some very interesting pics, and it really is an amazing outdoor museum. Here are some examples…

Fontana del Nettuno by Bartolomeo Ammannati

All of the artsy fartsy people will tell you that this sculpture is an embarresment to Florence. Florentines have nicknamed it “Big Whitey”, and Michelangelo is even quoted as saying, “Ammannato, Ammannato, what a beautiful piece of marble you’ve ruined.” Harsh words, but if I agreed with what everyone else thought, I’d have to fake how I feel about this work. I think it’s beautiful; it commands attention and is a wonderful compliment to the piazza…

Perseus by Benvenuto Cellini

Gotta love a statue of a guy holding a severed head, especially if that head belongs to a woman (Medusa) who has snakes for hair instead of actual hair like the rest of us. Not much else to say here…

Hercules and the Centaur by Baccio Bandinelli

I love it! I probably sound like a huge nerd, but I’ve liked centaurs ever since I got into Harry Potter. Unfortunately, this particular centaur is getting a beat down at the hands of Hercules…

Marzocco by Donatello

This sculpture of a lion resting his paw on a shield is the symbol of the city of Florence. I like this pic because the lion is about to chomp the head of off the replica of Michelangelo’s David, which I think is a good thing. Why? Because I think that having a copy of such an amazing sculpture just sitting outside to get rained and pooped on is just ridiculous…

So that’s all I’ve got for now. I didn’t mention The Rape of the Sabines, a great work no doubt, but I think that this is a pretty good recap of my experience in the Piazza della Signoria. It’s a great place to soak up beauty with the added bonus of being outside and being allowed to get very close to the art….

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