Friday, June 29, 2018:
Day Two of Our Conference and More On-Foot Exploration of Florence
Having had considerable success photographing the city at dawn, I decided to set out a little earlier today. I awoke early, showered and dressed, grabbed my camera and followed my map to get myself to the famed Piazza della Signoria that most visitors consider the cross-roads of Florence. In this wonderful open-air museum that showcases some of the most famous works of Michelangelo (David), Cellini (Perseus with the Head of the Medusa) and Giambologna (The Rape of the Sabine Women), viewers can walk amongst reproductions of famous works and admire them up close and personal. The famous Neptune Fountain that forms a focal point in this square was shrouded in scaffolding as it was being refurbished. Restaurants such as the famed Rivoliwere not yet open, and cleaning crews were in evidence everywhere. Dominating the square is the Palazzo Vecchio, the city’s Town Hall, in which affairs of state have been conducted for centuries. It is unmistakable in its red-brick tower that gives the square a fairy-tale look. The secret of taking in the atmosphere and splendor of these squares is truly all about waking up at dawn and claiming them for oneself before the madness of tourist-pushing-and-shoving aggravate and ruin the experience of discovery.
Leaving the Piazza della Signoria behind me, I penetrated into the three-sided courtyard of the grand Uffizi Palace which the Medici rulers of Florence converted into a museum on the basis of their patronage of local artists and sculptors. Today it is one of the world’s greatest art museums, on par with the Metropolitan Museum in New York, the National Gallery in London and the Louvre in Paris. Since it was still only 7.00am (the museum opens at 8.15 am), it was interesting to find some eager-beavers already queuing up at the entrance. I found myself fascinated by the marble sculptures of all the Renaissance luminaries who put this city on the global map: Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello (I did not find Raphael), Cellini, as well as historians, explorers and thinkers (Vespucci, St. Antony, etc). I took pictures of these sculpted figures as I hurried along to the banks of the Arno that glimmered softly in the dawn light and presented fantastic opportunities for some unique photographs. Little wonder that the bank was lined by serious photographers who had set up their tripods and equipment to take pictures of the Ponte Vechhio, the famous pedestrian bridge, that is covered with small boutique jewelers and goldsmiths who sell expensively designed and executed jewelry in precious metals and stones. Walking under the Vassari Corridor that was designed by Giorgio Vassari for the Medici rulers to enable them to escape from the Palazzo Vecchio through the Uffizi Palace to the Pitti Palace without getting down to street level along a second-storey corridor that was superbly painted by Vassari (hence its name), I proceeded to the Ponte Vecchio. I crossed the River Arno on the thick cobbles of this bridge, pausing occasionally to take in the golden light as it played along the banks of the river. Once I reached the opposite bank and arrived at that part of town that is known as the Oltrano, I made a right around turn and began my walk along Via Cavour back to my hotel. Once again, I had spent a unique morning by exploring at my leisure just one small pocket of the city that stunned with its architecture and its beauty.
Breakfast in my Hotel:
Breakfast was really a repeat of what I had eaten the previous day—muesli with yogurt, scrambled eggs, smoked salmon and sausages, fruit and an Americano decaff coffee. There wasn’t much time to linger as I needed to get into the shuttle bus at 9.00 am that would take us to the campus at Villa La Pietra.
Second Day of Conference:
Most of us had warmed up well to the format and the objective of our conference and since my presentation was just after lunch, I did enjoy the presentations of my colleagues before we adjourned for a working lunch—so-called because although we were served a fine selection of tasty Italian food, we were told that there was only 15 minutes’ standing time to eat it before the next few sessions commenced.
My presentation was well received and resulted in the solicitation of many questions which I enjoyed answering to throw more light on the points I had made regarding the use by South Asians of global cities to abscond after committing fraud on the Indian sub-continent.
Our program ended quite interestingly with an olive-oil tasting session that introduced us to the process of using olfactory and gastronomic sensations as part of our teaching schedule. We had an expert in olive oil bring us three samples of extra-virgin olive oil and then teach us exactly how to taste them—in the same way that one would savor a good wine. It was a fun way to end our conference.
When we finished our sessions for the day, most of my colleagues hurried off to get some rest before the final Farewell dinner later in the evening.
Photographing the Gardens of La Pietra:
While waiting for my shuttle service to take me back to my hotel, I sauntered off again with camera in hand to shoot the magnificent gardens of La Pietra. I walked among the olive gardens and the lemon groves, I plucked and ate sweet ripe fruit off the pear trees, I walked under the pergola with its thickly-vined wisteria, I admired and shot the topiaried cypresses that were planted around a stone fountain. I did not go as far as the spot from which one can see the city of Florence spread out beneath, but I was deeply satisfied with my photographic handiwork. A little later, I jumped into the bus.
Off to the Palazzo Vecchio:
One of the Florentine places into which I had never been despite passing by it umpteen times was the Palazzo Vecchio, the main building in the Piazza della Signoria, which was one of the palaces of the Medicis until it was turned over to the city to serve as a museum as well as administrative offices including that of the Mayor. Hence, not knowing exactly what I should expect, I was simply blown away. Taken on by Cosimo di Medici, the most illustrious of the Medicis, as his primary residence, the palazzo is overwhelming for the extravagance of its interior decoration. It reveals itself to the visitor in layers—from the very first courtyard where one sees sculpture and frescoes in arcaded pavilions-- to the upper floors where we one moves through the private apartments of Cosimo and Lorenzo de Medici, Eleanor of Toledo and Pope Leo X—Cosimo’s relative who became Pope—one is simply stunned by the frescoes on the ceiling, the paintings on the wall, the grandeur of ornamentation that has beautifully stood the test of time. However, the most striking of the many rooms that make up this building is the Salone dei Cinquecento or the room that marks the 500thanniversary of Florentine power. Its walls are completely covered with frescoes that present a full-scale war created by both Leonardo and Michaelangelo—the detail in each of these series is simply incredible. In this room, the unfinished sculpture by Michelangelo called The Genius of Victoryis of great interest to visitors of the Renaissance. The ceiling is the work of Giorgio Vassari and his assistants. Other important items within the palazzo that capture the public interest are the Death Mask of Dante Alighieri, which art scholars dispute as being a death mask at all. Many state that it has been cast from a sculpture of Dante.
Another very important part of this building is the Studiolo of Francesco I, which is an exquisite little secret room that was designed and created for Francesco I by Vassari. It is thickly painted with brilliant frescoes as well as ornamented by a portrait of Eleanor of Toledo by Bronzino.
A time came, after more than two hours, I had walked through every gallery in this palazzo and become visually exhausted by all I was taking in. Each set of apartments merged into the other so that I soon lost understanding of which artists had played a role in their creation and what they had hoped to achieve. Also, I was supposed to meet my colleague Tim at 7.40 pm outside on the square so that we could stroll together to the Golden View Barwhere our NYU Farewell dinner had been scheduled. The Palazzo Vecchio had totally stopped me in my tracks and I was extremely grateful that I made the time to see it during this short visit.
Farewell Dinner for NYU Faculty Members at Golden View Bar:
Tim and I walked through the thick hordes of the Piazza della Signoria and the courtyard of the Uffizi Gallery—even though it had closed for the day, it had no dearth of visitors. We crossed the Ponte Vecchio and arrived in the Oltrano, where, as instructed, we made a sharp left turn and found the Golden View Bar. To our astonishment, the restaurant offered a most appealing location for it was on the banks of the Arno and overlooked the Ponte Vecchio. Gradually, the little private room devoted to our party filled up and all guests took their place. We sat down to enjoy red wine with the label Duomo stuck on it, and white wine as well. Four courses made up a really splendid last Italian formal dinner for us. We started with bruschetta on which octopus called Polpo was piled thickly with cherry tomatoes. Since I am not a fan of octopus, I did not relish it too much; but the second course, the gnocchi in a spicy tomato sauce, the third course featuring whole roasted trout on a bed of vegetables and dessert of lemon cheesecake more than made up for the bruschetta.
There was not a lot of time for speeches or anything, but we did have the chance to say goodbye to our colleagues. Some of them were leaving for New York, others (as I was doing) would continue their travels in Italy.
The Piazza of Santo Spirito:
It had been a wonderful re-introduction to Italy and to Florence but I was not yet ready to call it a night. My colleagues were off to the Piazza of the Church of Santo Spirito in the Oltrano which I had never seen and I decided to go along with them as I was interested in tasting the legendary gelato from Gelateria Carraria(that my students had extolled) which was to be found nearby.
Santo Spirito is one of the most significant churches in the Oltrano primarily for two reasons: it was designed by the same Filippo Brunelleschi who designed the dome of the Duomo and it has a crucifix by the young Michelangelo that was modelled after the cadavers that he procured from the city’s morgues. Boccaccio is associated with this church because he bequeathed his library to it. But the most distinguishing feature of this church is its great piazza around which a large number of commercial establishments have sprung: restaurants mainly, they become a gathering spot for the hippest tourists who hang out here in the golden light thrown by the gas-lamps of this square. A singer was crooning plaintively and adding to the exciting ambience of twilight interludes. As people munched pizzas and sipped cocktails in this most happening square, I became conscious of the lateness of the hour and decided to say goodbye to my colleagues and go out in search of my gelato.
Gelato at Gelateria Carraria:
Walking in the eerie post-twilight glow of the evening along the banks of the Arno from Ponte Trinita to Ponte Carraria, I had the Arno almost to myself. However, once I arrived at the foot of the Carraria bridge, I spied the gelateria—unmistakable because of the crowd that collects outside it no matter how late or early the hour. It was well past 10.00 pm when I arrived there and I waited for about 20 minutes because the line snaked slowly forward until I found myself at the counter. I chose the dark chocolate and hazelnut gelato. How was it? Was it worth the hype? Well, suffice it to say that it was the best gelato I had eaten since the time I had arrived in Italy—and I had sampled a bunch.
I could not linger too long because I was alone, it was really dark by then and I had a long way to go before I arrived on foot at my hotel. I decided not to take Via Cavour which is far too quiet at night and would have given me the creeps—instead I took the parallel street called Via San Gallo—and indeed it was far more lively and crowded for most of my walk. In getting there, I passed by the famous Piazza della Republica with its stately colonaded arcades and its ritzy designer showrooms—it is truly the Fifth Avenue of Florence. I also passed the Duomo Square and was completely enchanted by the manner in which the white marble of the church, the baptistery and the campanile glowed magically in the soft light of a glorious full moon.
Eventually, I did get to my hotel—about 25 minutes later—and tumbled into bed, quite fatigued, after a most eventful and enjoyable day.
Until tomorrow, arrivederci…
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