Art, Art, Art

Before I came to Italy, I had probably an average amount of interest in Art and Art History. I had heard of Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo and the other big names of the Renaissance, but I didn't really know very much about the their stories and was hardly able to identify any of their works, besides the Mona Lisa and the Sistine Chapel, of course. So when I began my Storia dell'Arte course last November, I was prepared to learn a lot. We started out with ancient Greece and the "classical" architecture of that time. It was really fun then to go to Greece and see for myself the types of structures I had studied. I loved being able to look at an ancient Greek temple and be able to distinguish which period it was built in based on the decorations on the capitals of the columns.

But it wasn't until about two weeks ago, when we got to the Renaissance in my class, when my interest suddenly intensified. I was struck by the realization that I am living in the very city where that period was born, and so many of the paintings that we look at on the projector screen in class are in churches and museums merely a 15-minute bus ride away. On top of that, I started reading (and am still reading) a fantastic book about Michelangelo and the painting of the Sistine Chapel. Reading it has given me a view of what the artists of the Renaissance were really like. It must have been such a fascinating time in history to be living, because everything was changing.

So with this newfound thirst for knowledge, I have decided to make the most of being in Florence, and am on a church/museum rampage. I went inside the Duomo for the fourth or fifth time, but this time actually paid attention to the architectural details. I've been to the Uffizi to see all the paintings by Giotto, Botticelli, da Vinci, and Michelangelo, among others. I've been to the Bargello Museum to see the famous sculptures by Donatello, Michelangelo, and Giambologna. I've been inside the church of Santa Maria Novella to see the amazing crucifix of Giotto, the "Trinita" by Masaccio, and the Tournabuoni Chapel frescoed by Ghirlandaio (Michelangelo was one of his apprentices; he is a new favorite artist of mine!) I've been to the church of Ognissanti (which means "all saints") to see some other works by Ghirlandaio. I've seen Michelangelo's "David." I've been to the church of Santa Croce to see Galileo's tomb, designed by Vasari. I've seen the famous statues under the loggia in the Piazza della Signoria, including my favorite, "The Rape of the Sabines" by Giambologna. And these are just a few of the many places yet to see in the city. Everywhere you turn there is art, art, and more art.

So although I still have more places to see and more to learn in class, already I am thankful that I have been able to learn what I have. I believe being able to have knowledge of the past and appreciate it for what it was allows us to also appreciate the present. And that is another one of the many things that Florence has taught me.


P.S. I have put some photos of the pieces of art that I was talking about on my Picasso album for anyone who is also interested in Art History!

Spring Is In the Air

This seems like a strange title, considering that it is still February, but the last few days have really felt like spring is on its way. The mornings and evenings are still a bit brisk, but when the sun is out and the sky is blue and the birds are going crazy singing in the mornings, it's hard not to feel that it's almost time.

For this, I am thrilled. I heard an Italian say the other day: "If you think Italy is pretty now, wait till the springtime." I was excited to hear that at least this conception that we Americans have about Tuscany is true (many of my other beliefs about the region, and really all of Italy have been disproved since I've experienced it for myself!).

Yesterday was Sunday, one of those blissful days when there are no responsibilities. Most businesses are closed, so there's little temptation to go out and spend money. Instead, the girls and I put on our tank tops and put our hair in ponytails and went for a walk up the hill past the school where there are nice views of the city. It was such a beautiful day, probably the nicest we've had in months. We walked up the narrow road, past the pretty little houses, sometimes peeking through the back gates and the impossibly perfect gardens and backyards. A little old man was out tilling the ground in his olive grove and garden. We sat in the sun and looked out over the city, the Duomo seeming so small from so far away. We talked about the future and plans and wishes and hopes.

It was really an almost perfect day.

Trips Galore!

It's been a busy few weeks! I do go to classes, I swear, though it made not seem like it sometimes :-)

About two weeks ago, on January 31, we went to Venice with the whole school to participate in Carnevale, which is a huge citywide (countrywide in Italy, actually) party that is famous throughout the world. It was just a day trip, and it was a little bit before the actual festivities began, so it wasn't quite as crowded as I was expecting, especially after experiencing it at New Years! But it was a lot of fun to see the people roaming around in costumes. There were lots of masks, full-body costumes, and painted faces. My friends and I had our faces painted with pretty colors and lots of sparkles, so that we would blend in. We saw the Basilica, spent some time feeding those wild pigeons in Piazza San Marco, and just enjoyed some time walking around the city. It is so beautiful, and was no less so on my second trip there than the first.

The next big thing then was this past weekend when I took a trip to Barcelona, Spain with three of my girl friends from school. It was my second time visiting the city (I went there over the summer when I studied in Spain), and I loved it just as much this time. It is such a fun city, with the amazing architecture (Antonio Gaudi, a very unique modern architect who created a lot of interesting buildings in the city), like Gaudi's La Sagrada Familia and La Casa Mila, a really cool park where we watched the sunset, and a beautiful harbor. There were lots of people everywhere, especially on the main pedestrian street, Las Ramblas. The weather was beautiful, we got to see a few museums, and have some great Spanish food. It made me realize that I really really love Spain. It is definitely a place I want to go back to in the future, and I want to learn to speak Spanish better! One language at a time, though. So altogether, it was a successful weekend.

The last few days have just been a blur of classes. Today though, we had another fun trip: to these thermal baths in a tiny town called Rapolano. There were natural hot springs there. We spent an afternoon just relaxing in the warm water. It was nice to relax, because in a few days we have finals coming up! Real school: it's hard to focus on it when you're surrounded by so many things to see and places to go!

Wish me luck on the tests. I'll put up pictures from Venice and Barcelona on the Picasa Album. Oh, and one more thing: Happy Valentine's Day!