This month's World Heritage Site

Florence - A grande dame of World Heritage sites

By Toni Dabbs

Each spring, Florence hosts Maggio Musicale, the most important music festival in Italy. An event of international prestige since its founding in 1933, Maggio Musicale has effected the collaboration of renowned theater and film directors and famous painters and sculptors in the staging of its productions, which include operas, concerts and ballets, making it a consummate artistic endeavor.

And what setting could be more appropriate for such a festival than Florence, the heart of the Renaissance under the Medici family in the 15th and 16th centuries and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1982. The city’s 600 years of extraordinary artistic activity are evident throughout its centro storico, or historic center.

The architectural symbol of Florence is the Duomo, or the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. It was designed in 1294 by Arnolfo di Cambio, who died eight years later, leaving the completion of his dream to other architects. None could figure out how to build the large dome, 142 feet from the ground, until Filippo Brunelleschi arrived on the scene more than a century later.

Visitors may examine stained glass windows by Donatello, Lorenzo Ghiberti, Paolo Uccello and Andrea del Castagno and frescos by Giorgio Vasari and Zuccari as they climb the 463 steps to the top of the dome. There, they can enjoy an overview of Florence.

Next to the cathedral are an unusual Campanile and a Romanesque-style Baptistry. One of the oldest buildings in Florence, the Baptistry is believed to have been built between the fifth and sixth centuries. The interior of the octagonal building features ancient Roman columns and marble walls beneath a brilliant mosaic ceiling.

Another major landmark is the Pitti Palace, designed by Brunelleschi for banker Luca di Buonaccorso Pitti. Originally, the building was of a cubic shape, with three doors and seven windows, corresponding to the Renaissance ideal of symmetric harmony. However, when the Medici family bought it as a residence for the Grand Duke, they hired architect Bartolomeo Ammannati to transform it into a more splendid structure. Additional changes were made over the years with the passing of power.

Housed within the palace today are the Carriage Museum, the Porcelain Museum, the Silver Museum, the Modern Art Gallery and the Palatine Gallery, with 16th and 17th century works of art by Raphael, Rubens, Tintoretto, Veronese and Filippo Lippi displayed in lavishly decorated rooms.

Adjacent to the palace are the Boboli Gardens, another initiative of the Medici family. The largest green space in the city, the gardens are a masterpiece of formal plantings, pathways, fountains, pools and statues. The spacious park sprawls over a hill alongside the Arno River, providing panoramic views of Florence from the top.

Across the Arno to the Uffizi

Crossing the Arno River is the Ponte Vecchio, a bridge dating back to the Roman ages and the only one in Florence to survive Nazi bombing during World War II. Since the 15th century, workshops have lined its deck. Originally, they were occupied by butchers and fishmongers, but after the Medici family built a corridor along the bridge to connect the Pitti Palace with the Uffizi Gallery, goldsmiths and silversmiths were moved into the workshops to provide a more pleasurable view as the Grand Duke passed by.

The Uffizi Gallery is the repository for the Medici family’s legacy of great art. Built by Vasari in the 16th century, it contains Botticelli’s “Birth of Venus,” Michelangelo’s “Holy Family,” and “The Annunciation” by Leonardo da Vinci , along with many other irreplaceable works from the 13th through 18th centuries. More than one visit is needed to see it all.

These highlights can overwhelm first-time visitors to Florence, yet they only skim the surface of the centro storico, a district packed with galleries, museums and architectural gems. There are many more points of interest in the historic center alone to make a lengthy stay in the city worthwhile.

Take, for example, the Bargello Palace and National Museum. Constructed between 1250 and 1260, the Bargello first housed the seat of government in Florence and later the police. Suspects were tortured at the site of the well in the center of its courtyard.           

The palace now exhibits collections of ancient money, pottery, textiles and works of art. One room is dedicated to Michelangelo, with his sculptures of Apollo, Bacchus, Brutus, and Madonna and Child. Other rooms hold works by Donatello, Ghiberti, and Benvenuto Cellini.           

The Palazzo Vecchio, built by Arnolfo di Cambio between 1299 and 1314, became and remains the seat of the Florentine government. During the 16th century, it served as the ducal palace of the Medici family before they moved to the Pitti Palace. The exterior features turrets, battlements and a bell tower. Inside are a handsome courtyard and luxurious apartments.           

The Cathedral of San Lorenzo was adopted by the Medici family as “their” church in 1418. They assigned the task of renovating the structure to Brunelleschi. It includes the Old Sacristy decorated by Donatello. Next to the cathedral are the cloisters, which were expanded and restructured by Michelangelo. On the second floor is the entrance to the Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana, Italy’s most important library, containing the Medici collection of 10,000 manuscripts.           

Around the corner from the cathedral are the Medici Chapels. Among them are the New Sacristy designed by Michelangelo and containing his sculptures “Night and Day,” “Dawn and Dusk,” and “Madonna with Child,” which adorn the Medici tombs.           

Music lovers who can’t schedule a visit to Florence during the Maggio Musicale need not be disappointed. Activity at Teatro Comunale in Florence continues year round, allowing visitors to savor the visual arts by day and the performing arts by night. A series of classical music concerts is held in July and August, the opera and ballet season takes place September through December, and the symphonic season runs January through April.

Vancouver, BC-based Toni Dabbs is a frequent contributor to this newsletter.