Giorgio Vasari describes the most famous sculpture in the world this way, “When all was finished, it cannot be denied that this work has carried off the palm from all other statues, modern or ancient, Greek or Latin; no other artwork is equal to it in any respect, with such just proportion, beauty and excellence did Michelangelo finish it.” That pretty much sums it up for me. While I appreciate sculpture as an art form, I tend to ignore the majority of examples in museums, my heart forever belonging to the works of the master painters on display. The statue of David cannot be ignored, and it has no rival in its perfection. Michelangelo was just twenty-six years old when he started working on a huge block of carrara marble, and in two years he unveiled his iconic masterpiece to an astonished Florentine assembly.
We had booked an 11:15 appointment to enter the Galleria dell'Accademia in which the statue resides and took an early bus from our villa in the hills back into Florence ready for some more art appreciation. We arrived in town with time to spare, so we took the opportunity for a free interior tour of the Duomo, which was uncrowded due to the early hour. Unlike the jaw-dropping exterior, the inside of the Duomo is a bit underwhelming with the exception of the richly-frescoed ceiling of the dome which depicts the last judgement. After viewing several older gothic cathedrals earlier in our trip, we could see the major differences in design between centuries. The Accademia was right up the street from the Duomo, so we strolled to the ticket office at our appointed time, bought our passes, and found a place in the queue for reservations which was right beside the queue for general admission that stretched around the block with people who had been waiting for two hours. In the age of the internet, I can’t understand why people waste time in line when a few simple clicks result in time-saving reservations.
Duomo Baptistry doors
Duomo ceiling fresco
There are many other works of renaissance art displayed in the Accademia including altarpieces, paintings, and sculptures by multiple artists, but David is the rockstar here, and after 512 years, he still sells the place out every day. We did our best to stretch out the first part of the museum, but we finally gave in to the statute's pull, rounded the corner, and beheld David in all his nekkid, marble glory. The hall leading down to the statue is lined with many of Michelangelo’s unfinished sculptures, and it’s fascinating to see the artist's work in progress, but not as mesmerizing as David, the veins in his hand pulsing with tension as he confidently sizes up his opponent. Ok, it’s weird telling your kids to focus on the detail of the anatomy that Michelangelo employed when he obviously spent the same amount of time on certain parts as he did the others, but hey, it’s art, right? We spent about an hour and a half in the Accademia, and while most of our time was focused on David, we enjoyed many other exhibits as well.
One of Michelangelo's unfinished works
Altarpiece
Nothin' butt the best art for these two!
The appetite created by viewing five-hundred-year-old naked dudes is formidable, so we made our way deeper into Florence to the Yellow Bar, an establishment in which Deena and I dined on our honeymoon—the place looked much the same, still serving pasta made just before it comes to the table. We ordered several pasta dishes and a pizza margherita, and after a generous dusting with fresh parmesan cheese and a drizzling of rich olive oil, we devoured it all savoring the intense flavors—it was a fabulous luncheon. We walked through the leather-scented air of the Mercato Centrale on the way to the bus stop and managed to resist the deals of the century offered by many merchants even though some of the suede jackets were mighty tempting. We dozed on the bus ride back to Impruneta and then enjoyed walking back to our villa in the cool air of the Florentine hills, feeling a bit melancholy knowing that it’s time to move on.
Next day, we rose early and had a quick breakfast of boiled eggs and toast before taking one last walk to the bus stop in the center of Impruneta, and just when the locals were getting used to the American family in town, we had to leave. We made it to the train station with some time to spare and ended up sitting next to an Australian lady traveling alone, and we talked to her for a long time while waiting for our train. She had been in a horrific car crash last year, and after a long recovery, decided to take a five-week trip overseas to regain her confidence. She was a delight to talk with and gave us many tips for traveling in southeast Asia and her home country. We boarded our train and pulled out of Florence watching the orange brick dome of the cathedral get smaller until it disappeared from our view. I’m thankful that I got to visit Florence twice in my life, and while I doubt that Deena and I will return, hopefully Joseph and Deveny will find their way back one day.
We changed trains in Pisa and managed to catch a glimpse of the leaning tower as we pulled out of the station which made us feel a bit better about not scheduling more time here—so many places, so little time. The train rolled into La Spezia around 2:30, and our host, Carlo, was kind enough to meet us at the station and drive us to our apartment, and he pointed out all the nearby restaurants and grocery stores in the process. Carlo’s wife, Christina, was waiting for us, and we enjoyed watching this animated couple go through an Italian, whirlwind tour of our home for two days—we smiled and said “thank you” a lot. They left us with the keys and a big bag of chocolate chip cookies which we devoured the instant they drove away.
The apartment is a bit smaller than the one we had in Impruneta, but it’s bright and clean with a big, newly remodeled bathroom. The back door opens to a patio lined with bushy lemon trees full of ripening fruit and a view of the mountains dotted with stucco villas. We spent an hour resting up a bit and walked a few blocks to the grocery store to purchase supplies for the next couple of days, and on the way back, Deena spotted a small hair salon and boldly walked in to see about getting a haircut, which she felt was long overdue. We left her there to fend for herself and walked back to the apartment where I felt the need for my afternoon coffee. I finally figured out how to use a moka pot to make a cup of strong brew. After Deena came back from the salon looking lovely, we made a simple supper of minestrone soup and grilled salami and cheese sandwiches and talked about our recent adventures. A big day in Cinque Terre is planned for tomorrow, so it’s off to bed early tonight as the adventure continues.
Our back yard in La Spezia
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