Italy, March 5-17, 2007
Rome and Florence, March 5-17, 2007 - A lovely, lovely trip. Monday, March 5 - We arrive Roma midday, check into Albergo Santa Chiara then head across the river to tour the Trastevere. Great weather entire trip; Our first stop, S. Maria in Trastevere, built in 1100s on the site of 4th C church, probably the first Christian church built in Rome; 12th C mosaic of Mary and Child, as well as 8 Wise and 2 Foolish Virgins; The square in front of the church.
Dramatic interior with coffered ceiling, 22 granite columns from Roman ruins; Portico contains Early Christian sarcophagi and some Medieval fragments; 12th C apse mosaic of Virgin's Coronation Pietro Cavallini, artist; Can't remember what this fresco or painting was about! [Ed. Painting by Pasquale Cati portraying a session of the Council of Trent and a personification of Religion.]
Church from the rear cum pleasant restaurant; Trastevere's narrow streets beg exploration; Pretty fountain in one churchyard; Porta Settimiana, Renaissance gateway through which you see Trastevere.
Trastevere streetscapes; San Pietro in Montorio crowns hilltop at end of narrow street; Ubiquitous scooters!
Santa Maria della Scalla (1592); Piazza Sta. Maria in Trstevere picks up as afternoon progresses; Dogs for sale? Interior may be of another church; Ruins of St. Cecilia's house?
Santa Cecilia in Trstevere; Built above house of Valerianus, Roman Patrician and husband of Cecilia. Both were martyred; 9th C. apse mosaic by Pasquale; Note perspective on this decorative piece.
13th C. fresco by Pietro Cavallini; Looking to Rome from Trastevere; Forum at sunset. 3 Corinthian columns are from Apollo Temple; Fountain by Jewish Ghetto. This graceful work was commissioned by the Mattei family in 1580s.
Tuesday, March 6 - In the morning we head back to the Janiculum to see some intriguing sites closed the day before; Palazzo Corsini Gardens - Botanical, Est. 1883. Built for Cardinal Riario, 1510-12. Queen Christina of Sweden died here 1689. Palazzo rebuilt for Cardinal N. Corsini, 1736; Villa Farnesina. Suburban villa of Agostino Chigi, banker 1508-19. Built on site where J. caesar housed Cleopatra in 44BC. Raphael did lovely frescoes, housing his mistress here.
Pope Sixtus IV built bridge connecting Trastevere and Rome in 1400s; Tuesday afternoon - We meet Liz at our hotel for 1/2 day lecture tour; We start with the Pantheon. Roman Temple to all gods, Hadrian, and talk of its influence on Bernini and Borromini; Silk screening is used throughout Rome to mask remodeling; Hole at dome's bottom made by Brunelleschi to discern its structure; The concrete dome is cast-concrete mixed with tufa and pumice poured over temporary wooden framework.
Santa Maria sopra Minerva, 13th C. One of few Gothic structures in Rome. Dominican; From the church steps overlooking elephant obelisk and Pantheon; Bernini crafted this marble to look like banners posted when someone starts on path to official sainthood; Carafa Chapel, Filippino Lippi [We see the Archangel Gabriel alighting on tiptoe to announce the Incarnation of Christ. The Virgin casts Gabriel a sidelong glance and raises her hand in a gesture that seems to bless the kneeling cardinal. The sadness on the Virgin’s face expresses, perhaps, her fore-knowledge of her son’s fate, whose death was once represented in relief at the bottom of the frame. St Thomas Aquinas gazes at the Virgin Mary as he presents the cardinal to her.]; Michelangelo, all but the head.
Liz never seems to tire of educating us; Sant Ivo Alla Sapienza, Borromini masterpiece; What are the Roman Centurions doing here? Galleria Spada with great perspective garden tableau by Borromini.
Wednesday, March 7 - Liz Lev gives our quartet a great tour of Borromini and Bernini; Santa Susanna; Santa Maria della Vittoria; Carlo Maderno, uncle of Borromini was the architect. Borromini worked on this church. Columns begin to 'step out' to give movement, as in Baroque; Bernini's famous S. Teresa of Avila, 1646 Ecstasy in Cornaro Chapel; 2 of 4 fountains on square.
Borromini; San Carlino; Gorgeous San Carlino dome. Theatrical uses of light and curves; Center for propagation of Faith near Spanish Steps.
Bernini's Sant Andrea; Tomb of Polish Saint Stanislas Kostka; Golden dome suggests heaven while red suggests mortality; We finish the day with tours of Palazzo Barberini: 2 staircases, one by Bernini, the other by Borromini highlight their differences. Villa Borghese to see great Bernini sculptures.
Thursday, March 8 - Midday train to Florence. we're here for the balletic setting of our Club's commission, "On the Day You Were Born."
We check into our hotel then have a delightful walk around our old town. Great weather, too many tourists! Duomo from bookshop where we bought our tickets; Palazzo Vecchio, Town Hall; Model of David statue: real one used to stand here but was moved to Accademia.
Views of the Arno; Uffizi; Ponte Vecchio; Upstream view.
Friday, March 9 - We start out with a private tour of Instituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza, Florentine scientific treasures; We then walk the streets; Take in our favorite haunts and tour neighborhood where we used to live.
Communale; Ponte Vecchio. Charlie and Carol mark the 30th anniversary of the day they met; Jack points to Commissioning Club credit on theater poster; Debra and Ian; Trattoria Bordino, dinner spot.
Saturday, March 10 - Brunelleschi did a gracious, elegant church with decorative touches by Michelangelo and Donatello; Cloister of San Lorenzo; Medici founded art/church work. Savonarola preached here; Dante Museum, his house location.
Duomo and belfry; Brunelleschi gazes at his masterwork dome, as do we (1420-36);
Santa Croce, Franciscan church with many famous tombs; Santa Croce Piazza.
Michelangelo's tomb.
Santa Maria del Carmine; Masaccio's great "Expulsion from Paradise". Other frescoes by him, Masolino and Lippi; An old defense tower stands near Ponte Vecchio, across from Uffizi; Lutheran church across Arno from Uffizi sports Battle Hymn of the Reformation: Ein Feste Burg ist Unser Gott.
Sunday, March 10 - We first check email and Jack gets a haircut; Proof LLH was on the trip; Carol and I tour the Barghello; To the Accademia to see Michelangelo's slaves and David; Then to Convent of San Marco to see lovely frescoes and paintings of Fra Angelico.
The long-awaited grand performance! With Elena Cangioli Pecci, friend and landlady 2 decades earlier.
Monday, March 11 - Heen-Boone head back to Roma. We meet up with Elena! With Marta Cangioli at her studio, with wine cooler she painted. Then to Elena's exquisite new home, a converted Limonaia, near Galileo's home and 'Omero' Restaurant; On the 9th floor roof terrace of our old apartment;
Another village espied from Julia Cangioli's house, just down hill from Elena.
Tuesday, March 12 - We rent car to visit old friend Irma Fornasiero in Casole D'Elsa near Sienna; Views from the Heights.
Painted tiles decorate streets of Casole.
Main church in town.
Across a dip from Casole we tour a dear small chapel; From another vantage, lovely Casole.
Hercules and Diomedes.
Salone dei Cinquecento: Built to seat Grand Council - Cosimo 1 had Vasari enlarge and decorate it; Chapel; Salviati fresco;
We tour the Uffizi, have a bite on museum terrace; Uffizi views. Arno. Duomo; Then take the train to Rome where we meet up with Jake and Maureen; We admire St. Ignatius.
Thursday, March 15 - A day with Liz Lev, Augustus Day! Ara Pacis or Altar of Peace, 13 - BC. New covering by Richard Meier; Liz talks about Augustus' life and this celebration of campaigns in Gall and Spain; This altar was used once a year; Carrara marble reliefs; Promoting motherhood and family values.
Depiction of 4 July, 13BC. procession. Emperor's family members are ranked and can be identified; Augustus' Tomb, circular, is across street from Ara Pacis; List of Augustus' accomplishments.
Sacred area of Largo Argentina, remains of 4 Republican Era temples discovered in 1920s; Temple Apollo columns; Theater of Marcellus built by Augusts for his nephew and son in law.
Capitoline; Synagogue completed in 1904; Cordonata, horse-easy steps to Michelangelo's Piazza dei Conservatori; Capitoline Museum courtyard; Spinario, 1st C. bronze; 5th C. Etruscan bronze of she-wolf twins added in 15th C.
View of Rome from museum terrace; Lovely addition, one of several boons to this museum.
The Forum as seen from the Capitoline Museum; Palatine; liz educates and fascinates us; House of Romulus.
House of Augustus; Room of Masks, Augustus' House; Palatine Garden or Stadium; We then see Early Christian churches, Cosmos, Damian, and San Clemente.
Friday, March 16 - On our own; Quirinale; Pieta; A ride around Borghese Gardens.