Transcendent Moments Brad Slavin Ten Sites List 1. Loggia dei Lanzi The statues of “Hercules and the Centaur” and “Rape of a Sabine” were two works that stood out when we were studying Florence back in IAT 391. I couldn’t remem- ber the exact location of them and it was on the first night in Florence when I first saw the loggia. The “Hercules and the Centaur” statue still remains one of my favor- ites due to the extreme poses. The folds in the centaurs back and the details in the arms and hands are amazing. I’ve been back a few times since the first night. 2. Museo dell' Opera del Duomo: Michelangelo's Pieta This was one of the sites that Simon and I had researched back in IAT 391, and Michelangelo's “Pieta” was what I remembered most. I really enjoyed seeing the prototypes of the cathedral’s facade, but when I came to the Pieta, I was stunned. I Loggia dei Lanzi wasn’t expecting it and it sort of just hit me. I sat and drew it for a couple hours and was really shocked at the number of tourists that walked up the stairs, stood in front of the sculpture, turned their back to it, took a photo and then walked away. 3. Uffizi Gallery The Uffizi was a site that Yoshi and I studied in IAT 391 and was something I really wanted to go see. The Maesta’s in the first room were more spectacular than I had anticipated, and the way the room was setup allowed me to compare the three styles. The unfinished “Adoration of the Magy” was another work that I was looking forward to, as well as Leonardo’s “Annunciation”. It was actually quite interesting to Michelangelo’s “Pieta” see the variety of interpretations of the Annunciation throughout the Uffizi. Del Sarto’s “Madonna of the Harpies” and Pontormo’s “Supper at Emmaus” were two of my favorites. I’ve really enjoyed seeing how great the Florentine artists are at using colour. 4. Fettucini Alfredo Dinner Ever since we were in Rome, I’ve been wanting to try some authentic Italian fettucini Uffizi: Leonardo’s Annunciation alfredo. A few of us went and checked out Alfredo’s in Rome, but it was quite expen- sive. Every restaurant we've gone to since then hasn’t had alfredo sauce on their menu. I was about to give up hope until we stumbled upon a restaurant called Alfredo’s just east of Piazza della Signoria. The next night, twelve of us went and had dinner there, most of us enjoying a plate of fettucini alfredo. I have to admit that it was worth the wait! 6. Santa Maria Novella I woke up early to go see Santa Maria Novella, mainly for Masaccio’s “The Trinity”. Fettucini Alfredo Dinner The bike ride was nice and cool in the early morning and I arrived at the church just before it opened. A few people were already in the lineup, but I was the fifth one through the door. Once in the church, I was blown away by the height of it. I think the scrolls on the facade make the height of the building appear shorter from the outside . I saw The Trinity, but there was some awful light coming through a window that was hitting the painting, so I decided I’d come back in a few minutes. I walked around the church and really enjoyed the paintings in the Strozzi Chapel. Upon returning to The Trinity, I located the correct viewing position and stood admiring the excellent use of perspective. This almost made my Top 3 Transcendent Moments. Santa Maria Novella 1 Transcendent Moments Brad Slavin Ten Sites List 6. San Lorenzo Market I’ve found that it’s easy to get lost in Florence. I’m trying not to rely on my map too much, but sometimes I end up back at the same spot I was a few minutes before. I went looking for the Basilica di San Lorenzo one morning and couldn’t find it. But I found the San Lorenzo Market. I made my way through the busy streets and went through the Mercato Centrale, which reminded me of the market on Granville Island in Vancouver. Back on the street, I ended up catching a glimpse of the Basilica di San Lorenzo through the crowd and made my way over to it. After going to the church, I came back and spent more time in the market. It’s a very exciting environ- ment, full of complexity. San Lorenzo Market 7. Piazzale Michelangelo & San Miniato al Monte I made the trek to San Miniato al Monte twice in the span of six hours. The first time was around 2:00pm and I hiked up the hill by myself. The Piazzale Michelangelo provided an excellent view of the city and the mountains surrounding it. I noticed San Miniato up on the hill and proceeded in that direction. The church was practi- cally empty; there were only two other people in it when I entered. It was dark except for the light coming through the front door. I sat in a pew at the back for a while with my iPod and was able to think quite clearly. I think that was partly due to the fact that I was in a secluded area away from the chaos of the city, but also because the San Miniato al Monte church was so quiet and calm and seemed like a reflective space. Later that night, a few of us biked back up the hill and watched the sunset over the city from the small piazza outside San Miniato. 8. Orsanmichele What I really like about the Orsanmichele is how anyone can sit on the street and look at fourteen awesome statues, including some by Donatello, Ghiberti and Brunelleschi. My experience involved some snacks, a few hours and lot of sketch- ing. It was nice and simple and definitely memorable. Orsanmichele: St Luke 9. Campanile Sunset The first day in Florence, I learned that Giotto’s Campanile was opened until 10:30pm on Fridays and Saturdays. I missed it the first night, so I decided that I would make sure I go the following week. Derek and Morgan came along and we made it up there for sunset, where we also ran into Rob, Murray and Kiks. 10. Andrea Del Sarto’s Cenacolo The first stop on our “Last Supper Tour” was just around the corner from our apart- ment. It was Andrea Del Sarto’s Cenacolo and out of the four we saw that day, it is Campanile Sunset my favorite. Del Sarto has become one of my favorite renaissance painters. I espe- cially like his use of color, the way he paints fabric, and how a lot of his figures have angular lines incorporated into their forms. Del Sarto’s Cenacolo 2 Transcendent Moments Brad Slavin Orsanmichele I remembered from back in IAT 391 that there was a building that had a bunch of statues around the outside, including some from Donatello and Ghiberti. However, I couldn’t remember the name of the building. I scoured my map to see if anything rang a bell, but nothing did. I decided I would just head towards the Duomo and start biking around until I found it. Around 7:00pm, I made my way to the Duomo, admiring how much emptier the area was in the evening. I took a series of smaller roads on a confusing path towards Piazza Republicca. I went down the streets surrounding the piazza, but again couldn’t locate the building. I then continued over to Piazza della Signoria where I listened to the same guitarist playing the same Simon and Garfunkle covers from the St. Mark night before. This area was packed with tourists and well-dressed Italians. It felt very superficial. People were all “made-up” for the night in a manner than just seemed fake and not genuine. I wanted to leave the area, so started my way down Via dei Calzaiuoli. Not fifteen seconds after leaving the piazza, I noticed a building up ahead with a statue near the corner. Then I noticed a couple more statues. I had found the place! It turned out to be the Orsanmichele, a grain market from the 13th century with fourteen statues around the exterior of the building. I found a spot off the main road St. John the Baptist and plunked down in front of Donatello’s statue of St. Mark. I ate a small snack while admiring the sculpture, meanwhile noticing how very few passerby’s even looked at the building. It was really amazing to see how such remarkable works of art can go unnoticed. I decided that although I didn’t have proper supplies, I needed to do some drawing, which I haven’t done for quite a while. I sketched St. Mark for about an hour, then circled the building admiring the other statues. I ended up back on the main road in front of a statue of St. Luke that I really like. St. Mark sketch I sat and drew him for over an hour, trying to capture him in different styles. His form seems much more natural than the St. Mark statue, but at the same time it has these straight, rigid lines that seems to run through the form. After about half an hour, an older gentleman approached and stood looking over my shoulder at my drawing.