Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The Strange Symbols of the Medicis
Walk anywhere around Florence and you'll see the symbol plastered on walls like
the Nike swoosh. A set of 6 to 12 small circles, red on a gold background, these
make up the family crest of the mighty Medicis. Members would put it on any of
their own buildings, or those they sponsored, renovated, or conquered over the
years.
But what is the origin of these circles? Some say they represent pillboxes, sym-
bolizing the medical derivation of the Medici name. Or, they could be coins, rep-
resenting the banking foundations of the family's wealth. One story says the
circles are really dents on the shield of an old knight of the family who fought
and defeated a giant on behalf of Charlemagne.
Regardless of the true explanation, this coat of arms remains a recognized
trademark hundreds of years after the end of the Medici clan.
a 1.8m (6-ft.) pedestal.
David
hasn't faded with time, either, and a 2004 cleaning
makes the marble gleam as if it were opening day, 1504. Viewing the statue is a
pleasure in the bright and spacious room custom-designed for
David
after the
statue was moved here in 1873, following 300 years of pigeons perched on his
head in the Piazza della Signoria. Replicas now take the abuse in the Piazza della
Signoria and the Piazzale Michelangelo.
One should not forget the Accademia museum built around
David.
It's at
least worth a stroll through the five or six rooms to see some of the Renaissance
paintings, if only for the pleasure of turning around and being surprised by the
statue again. Michelangelo's unfinished
Prisoners
statues are a superb contrast to
David,
with the rough forms struggling to free themselves from the raw stone
(they also provide a unique glimpse into how Michelangelo worked a piece of
stone; he famously said that he tried to free the sculpture within from the block
and you can see this quite clearly here). Be sure also to visit the back room lead-
ing to the Academy part of the Accademia, where you'll see a veritable warehouse
of old replica carvings, the work of hundreds of years of students. It's almost as
if a Roman assembly line has just stopped for lunch. And continue through this
back room, to the student section, to see some modern interpretations of the
classical work.
Along with the Uffizi, the Accademia is a sight where it's essential to make
reservations. Be sure to
book ahead
by calling
%
055-294-883;
it'll be
€
3 well
spent.
Travelers who enjoy the serene, jewel-toned works of Fra Angelico will want to
add the small
Museo di San Marco
(Piazzo San Marco, 3;
%
055-2388608;
€
4;
Mon-Fri 8:30am-1:50pm, Sat-Sun 8:15am-7pm, closed 1st, 3rd, and 5th Sun and
2nd and 4th Mon of each month)
to their itineraries. It's here in this former 13th-
century monastery that you'll find the largest collection in Florence of the mas-
ter's altarpieces and painted panels. But perhaps the most moving and unusual
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