Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
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In the ground-floor Michelangelo room, you'll witness the awesome variety of
his craft, from the whimsical 1497 Bacchus to the severe Brutus of 1540. Bacchus,
created when Michelangelo was just 22, really looks like he's drunk, leaning back
a little too far, his head off kilter, and the cupid is about to bump him over. Also
note Giamobologna's twisting Mercury, who looks like he's about to take off from
the ground.
Be sure to climb the stairs to Donatello Hall to see some of his famous works.
Notable among them is his David, done in 1440, the first free-standing nude
sculpture since Roman times. Donatello's 1417 St. George statue, which originally
stood in the niche of the armorers' guild at the Orsanmichele church, has the
same boyish features as his David. The classical detail of these sculptures, as well
as their naturalistic poses and reflective mood, is the essence of the Renaissance
style.
On the right wall, note the contest entries submitted by Ghiberti and
Brunelleschi for the commission to do the Baptistery doors in 1401. Both had
Abraham's Sacrifice as their biblical theme, and both displayed an innovative use
of perspective. Ghiberti won the contest, perhaps because his scene was more the-
matically unified. Brunelleschi was so upset by the outcome that he left town, not
to return until he created the plans for the Duomo dome, perhaps as a means of
getting back at Ghiberti (see “Engineering the Duomo,” below).
The second floor also has a small but elaborate chapel in which condemned
prisoners prayed, and guilty magistrates atoned for their sins.
The top floor is worth a quick walk-through for the statuary of the Verrocchio
Room (including yet another effeminate David ) and the decorative helmets of
the Armory, but the many small bronzes and medals can be skipped if you're short
on time.
THE INCOMPARABLE DUOMO
& THE PIAZZA DEL DUOMO
The undisputed, preeminent, free-standing stone dome in the world is Florence's
cathedral, whose roof is wider than the U.S. Capitol, greater than St. Paul's in
England, bigger than the Pantheon in Rome, and a scientific marvel of its time. The
Duomo (Cathedral) of Santa Maria del Fiore
(Piazza del Duomo; % 055-
2302885; www.operaduomo.firenze.it; free admission; daily 10am-5pm) is the sym-
bol of Florence and the city's biggest attraction, both in size and popularity.
The Piazza del Duomo really contains five sights in one: the central church area,
the climb to the top of the dome, the climb up Giotto's Bell Tower, the Museum
of the Duomo, and the Baptistery outside. In choosing which to visit, I'd say the
cathedral, the museum, and the Baptistery doors are must-sees, while a climb up
one of the towers is purely optional and should be done only if you have the time.
The cathedral, like Florence, has evolved over the years. It began as a
Romanesque church whose foundations date to the 5th century, and expanded
through the 13th century before it reached its present dimensions. The top of the
dome wasn't completed, though, until Brunelleschi capped it off in 1434 (see
“Engineering the Duomo,” below). And it took until the late 1800s for the tri-
color marble exterior to be added in honor of the new Italian Republic.
The inside of the Duomo is surprisingly empty, aside from the mobs of visi-
tors. So like everyone else, you'll want to walk to the altar to look up at the dome
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