One would often imagine the city as covered with red roofs, small streets, and the Duomo of Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore visible from everywhere. The city of Florence has much more to offer than touristy places such as Ponte Vecchio, Uffizi Galleria, Galleria dell’Academia, Basillica of Santa Croche and Palazzo Vecchio. The stories behind these places are more interesting which adds to the beauty of the city.
Florence is also the city of artists. Great renaissance artist such as Michelangelo, Fillipo Brunelleschi and many others have originated from this city. The art in the city is even seen on the streets as immature artist make live paintings of the sceneries and sell them to earn a living. Painting on walls of random buildings add to the beauty of the city. The museums and art galleries are full of fine paintings and art pieces that would make any art lover to visit the city once in lifetime.
The well-known Italian artist, Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni, often referred to as Michelangelo, dates his origins back to this place. The famous sculpture of David, which is considered the first nude statue of the renaissance period, resides here inside the Galleria dell’Academia. A fact that many people don’t recognize is that the statue is of the David mentioned in the Bible. It is rather confusing as the Bible mentions David as a child whereas the statue depicts a full-grown man holding a slingshot in one hand.
Apart from the David, Florence has been famous for its royal house which was ruled by the Medici Family. The Medici Dynasty ruled the city of Florence for centuries and most of the cities rich art and architecture is accredited to the ruler’s appreciation of art. Majority of the paintings, sculptures and arts were originally in possession of the Medici family which they later donated to the city to increase its rich ethnic art culture. The architecture of the city during the time of their reign remain till date and are the most famous tourist destination of Florence. A less known fact is that there exists a bridge that links the Ponte Vecchio, Uffizi Galleria, and the Palazzo Vecchio. Although, not in use today, the link can be observed in form of small bridges between the buildings.
The duomo of the Florence Cathedral remains the most attractive tourist locations today. Constructed in 1436, the building is over 600 years old, However, the dome was built later. Even after many years of construction of the cathedral, they couldn’t figure out what to do with the top. Entered Brunelleschi who took charge and build the dome based on the design of Arnolfo di Cambio, who also designed the cathedral. Finally, a copper ball, known as Verrochio’s copper ball was placed on the top of the dome. Today, there stands a statue of Fillipo Brunelleschi, looking upward to the dome, marking his achievement of the masterpiece.
Another interesting place in Florence is the ‘Ospedale degli Innocenti’. Translated as the ‘Hospital of the innocents’, it is an orphanage build by Brunelleschi in 1419. Apart from the beautiful architecture of arches and semicircular windows, the story that proceeds the concept is interesting. During the renaissance period, poverty was high in the region due to which mothers had to abandon their infants as they were unable to take care of them. Newborns were found left alone in the trash, river and anywhere at hidden location. Addressing the increasing rate of issue, the concept of ‘Baby Hatch’ was started. Baby Hatch was a small box or compartment in front of church or orphanages where mothers could leave their infants while remaining unknown and the baby would be taken care of. This concept helped cure the crisis for most extend during the time. The most interesting fact that relates to the topic is that there exists a live working baby hatch in Florence even today. It works on the same rules as it did in the past, although, its use is negligible. It is imprinted by statue of a baby wrapped in piece of cloth that symbolize its link to the Ospedale degli Innocenti. Such legends and stories makes places more interesting. Some marks bravery, achievement, and legendary event of the past whereas some are not always pleasant but rather a reminder of the crisis of the past. Regardless, one must visit the place to know these as they are not found in travel guides.
Rasika Rane 