Let me just say that the real David lived up to the hype. It
truly is a masterpiece carved flawlessly out of a single piece of Carrara marble.
This statue is truly awe inspiring, and it was as imagined, unlike the Mona
Lisa. Before Michelangelo got a hold of it, the block of marble was sitting in
a field, destiny unfulfilled, partially carved and abandoned by Agostina di
Duccio. At age 26, Michelangelo began the project, and he finished two years
later. When completed, the statue was established in the Piazza della Signoria
outside the Palazzo Vecchio. David remained in this square for 369 years before
being relocated indoors to the Galleria dell’ Academia, where it rests today. Our
second David sighting in Florence.
David stands on an elevated plinth, so the crowd of people
around his feet was not actually part of the viewing experience once you lifted
your eyes. He holds court at the end of a long hallway lined with other works
by Michelangelo that appear unfinished. These are called the prisoners, as they
have not yet been liberated from the marble. They almost look as though they
are being put into the stone, not being drawn from it. Think Han Solo in the carbonite. I found these captives more beautiful in a way. Each stroke of the chisel is
evident, and the David seems more glorious once you have considered the works
in progress. Unfortunately, the Florence museums have a no photographs policy,
so we were unable to capture permanently the beauty before us. Perhaps they
should institute a photography permit like Prague Castle. As one of the guys in
our group pointed out, David sat outside for hundreds of years; photos probably
aren’t going to hurt him. Luckily, for everyone not in the planning stages of a
Florence vacation, the museums have virtual tours, allowing distant visitors to
see the artwork for themselves. On our way out of the museum we passed through
a gift shop with a courtyard. In the courtyard was the 3rd David of
the day. This one was more modern, and painted. The body was pink, and all the
hair was blonde. The carpet matched the drapes, if you take my meaning. It was
quite a sight.
After basking in all the glory that is David, we decided to grab some lunch. Passing observation,
Italians eat lunch much later than
Americans do. After having breakfast at 6-7am, come noon, we are ready for some
lunch, but in Italy, they tend not to eat until 1 or 2pm. When on a tour with a
guide, this makes those last hours tortuous as you stomach rumbles every time
you pass a café, but when alone, you can eat lunch a little early, which we
did. We had wandered into Piazza della Repubblica, and now all we had to do was
settle on a venue. I was in the mood for some aglio e olio. As Joe pointed out,
this is peasant food, and we would be unlikely to find a place that would serve
it to us. We did however find one, and the maître de was very enthusiastic
about our decision to eat at his restaurant. Apparently all the maître des have
contests to see who can draw in the most business, and at noon on Friday, he
won. We sat outside and had a lovely view of the square around us. We had a
nice glass of Pinot Grigio and, as expected, delicious pasta. Unknown to us at
the time, this square was the site of the old Roman forum. It was also home to
a ghetto before being restructured during the same risanamento, or rebirth, that brought to life the Piazzale de
Michelangelo. It was during this time that an arch was added to the square in
the French tradition. The demolition of the Piazza during the rebirth was
highly controversial, and many felt that in doing so, Florence was abandoning its
roots.
Useful Links!
Florence City Card We weren't in the city long enough to get full use out of the card, but if you are staying more than a few hours, city cards are usually worth buying
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