Firenze #3

Santa Maria Novella

The forecast said the day could be rainy so decided a focus on galleria and museo could be a good idea. Set out to 10 a.m. First stop our local church Santa Maria Novella for the purpose of viewing the Giotto Crucifix (c 1290!). Ahh …..since last trip things have changed. No longer can you wander in view what you like, take photos and go into the cloisters. Now you must pay, no photos at all and pay separately for the cloisters. And there are the flying squads on stroppy women ready to throw you out if you do get potted taking a photo – I got told in no uncertain terms to put my camera in my bag as we went in! Was worth paying the 3.5 euro entry. But didn’t pay the extra for the cloisters. Must get in touch with the Archbishop of Canterbury and suggest that the C of E should consider doing the same. Well at least make foreigners pay. We British could still get in free.

Inside Bagello

Scusi? No Photo? So sorry!

Then headed over to the Bagello. Interesting how close things are in Florence and how long it takes to get from point A to point B – always another previously undiscovered shop window to browse! The Bagello is an amazing place. Once was a palazzo, then went through a phase of being a prison. Now houses an incredible display of statuary, bronzes, religious art, silver, majolica ware and so on. Most of it from the Medici Grand Ducal collections which the last Medici bequeathed to the city.  Sensory overload at times.

Then lunch and on to the Palazzo Strozzi  for the Bronzino exhibition which opened last week. Bronzino worked at the court of the Medici round 1520 – 1560. A fantastic collection of religious art and secular portraiture. A lot of restoration and cleaning had been done prior to the exhibition so the colours looked fresh and alive.

JRR Tolkien meets CS Lewis

Nowhere mentioned in this post!

Then headed over to Oltrano. Time for the daily gelato. Mint and chocolate! Wanted to investigate St Frediano in Cestello – looks massive but only opens for evening mass. Then walked along to Santo Spirito. Another church in the style of St Lorenzo. Its point of difference was the painted wooden altar fronts all dating from the 15^th century. Then over to the Palazzo Pitti (not to visit) before heading back to hotel. Oltrano a very different area to other parts of Florence – certainly less tourist dominated and certainly no designer shops! Quite a few studios where artist, clothes designers are working on their own stuff.

Back to the hotel at six. 

Have booked a car and driver for tomorrow. Off to San Gimignano, Siena and other Tuscan highlights for the day (leave at 9 back at 6).