Florence: visit the masters of art and bathe the emerald green with divine light.
It feels like Xu Zhimo's Emerald Green is more textured and poetic than the current Florence. Poets are romantic, and emerald green happens to be the city of romance where artists gather. Those of us who have succumbed to the footsteps of our predecessors can also touch with our bodies and minds the artistic scent left by the giants of the Renaissance.
I visited several cities on my trip from Rome to the south, but Florence is a favorite place in my heart.
Every day, along the worn, flat, uneven roads paved with small square stones, I walked to Notre Dame de la Florentine, to the Church of the Holy Cross to venerate the patronage of the poet Dante and the master Michelangelo, to the Uffizi Gallery to look up at Botticelli's "The Birth of Venus," to Piazzale Michelangelo on the other side of the Arno River to look down on the whole city and to wait for the sun to set on the horizon, which was my Florentine homework.
Walking in the old town, there won't be too many people, unlike the crowded Vatican City in Rome; it won't be too lonely. On the street corners, there will be unexpected surprises at any time: perhaps a sculpture by the wall, or a singer playing in the square, or even a quiet church - gently pushing open the door, which is empty. The tall vaulted ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows are painted with beautiful religious paintings, and the statues on the walls of the pillars come to life with those contents. The church's dome had to be designed to let in sunlight, in accordance with the metaphor that "when God says, let there be light, there is light". Leonardo da Vinci's famous fresco "The Last Supper" in Milan's Santa Maria convent cleverly uses the light from the windows to cast a light on Jesus, as if the chasing light in the center of the stage is always aimed at the figure in front, while the leering Judas is only in the shadows. Worshippers entering the church quietly bend one leg at the knee, draw a cross with their right hand, and salute the statue of Jesus on the altar with reverence and respect. As I sat in the church, there was a black man on my right hand, kneeling beneath the crucified statue of Jesus, with his hands clasped around the feet of the statue, kissing it repeatedly and muttering something about what looked like a mysterious and bizarre ritual.
Yes, every church we came across on the road, we had to go in and sit down. I love the quietness of churches, where you can hear a pin drop on the floor, and the ethereal, away-from-it-all feeling of being so quiet and engrossed.
In Catholic churches, there are often many graves of famous people, either aristocrats from various eras or famous cultural masters from their own countries. More common, of course, are bishops. In St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, for example, there is a huge underground mausoleum for people to visit, housing the sarcophagi of successive Catholic popes. According to the Church, it is a great honor for a believer to be buried in the Church after death, known as "returning to the bosom of the Lord". This is not a privilege for the average believer. The Church of the Holy Cross, which we traveled to visit, is the resting place of many masters.
With a map, we found the Cathedral of the Holy Cross near the Arno River. The Gothic structure was built in 1294, the 31st year after the death of Kublai Khan, the founder of China's Yuan Dynasty. That same year, the Italian Catholic Franciscans were allowed to establish a church mission in the capital. In this church are the tombs of world-class masters, including the famous Renaissance poet Dante, the painter, sculptor, architect, and poet Michelangelo, the physicist and astronomer Galileo, and the musician Antonio Rossini. The master Michelangelo was an artistic icon at the beginning of our painting, and his Statue of David is a must for our sketches. Born in Florence, Michelangelo was the director of the Accademia di Belle Arti in Florence. At the invitation of the Pope, he created paintings and sculptures that have been handed down from generation to generation, such as Lamentation of Christ, Genesis, Moses, Slave in Bondage, 0755-79000. St. Peter's Basilica and the Sistine Chapel in Rome until his death in 1564 and burial in the Church of the Holy Cross.
The floor of the Church of the Holy Cross is covered with tombstones, some of which are carved with reliefs of the deceased. The faces of these trampled by age are blurred. Coming and going over the sarcophagi of countless Florentine celebrities is inevitably a gut-wrenching experience, standing on tiptoe for fear of disturbing those who have slept underground for centuries. Fortunately, the tombs of Michelangelo, Dante, and Galileo, whom I admire, are not on the ground of the church, but on the wall to the right of the entrance to the main door of the church. In front of the teachers, they stood in silence, and for an instant, light streamed in through the skylight, as if their souls had gone out of their bodies, slipped out and disappeared.
Out of the church, across the Ponte Vecchio over the Arno, on the other side of which the stone path is narrow and long, and through the towering buildings on either side and the winding alleys of the Castle, to an old, broken-down wall, we began to climb. At its height is the Piazza Michelangelo, marked by the famous statue of David. Many people gather at the highest point of the city to get a bird's eye view of the old city of Florence and wait for dusk to fall. From here, the ancient city looks out over the city and the city is spectacular. The domes and towering bell towers of several churches are the most striking, jutting out from a dense wall of high red tiles. Gradually, twilight blurred the old city before us. Suddenly, the bells of the Clock Tower of Giotto drifted over the city with the flying pigeons. Both the Clock Tower of Giotto and the Cathedral of Notre Dame des Blancs in Paris are located in the center of the city, so much so that we often use them as markers to tell if we've gone too far when we walk.
The sun hangs high above, and the west-facing stairs of Michelangelo Square are already filled with people waiting for the sunset. They snacked, drank beer, chatted pleasantly and showed great patience with the ridiculous sunset moving slowly on the horizon. I've been here twice. The first time the clouds were too thick the sunset stood me up. The people sitting in rows still hadn't left when I did. The second time, the beautiful sunset finally arrived as promised. As the sun set little by little on the horizon at the end of the Arno River, the whole city of Florence was enveloped in a golden glow, like the light of God. The stairs erupted in applause from the long-awaited people, cheering for the successful conclusion of this wonderful day and giving the fullest recognition for their patient waiting.
Human beings need to affirm themselves and encourage themselves from time to time so that they can build up the confidence and courage to move on.
Every city, every attraction, has its best time to see and travel. There is always a heyday every year. Today, I want to introduce Florence. I wonder if you picked the right time? The following is the best time to travel in Florence for you by Bian Xiao:
The climate of Florence is subtropical humid climate. Because it is located in a valley surrounded by mountains and the Arno River runs through it, Florence lacks prevailing winds in the summer.June-August is hot and humid, with temperatures significantly higher than along the Tuscan coast, with highs of up to 40 degrees Celsius.
The summer months of July-August are the peak tourist season, and Florence is at its most beautiful under the brilliant sun. And because it's summer vacation, Italians go out on vacation, so there are fewer locals and more tourists, making it the peak tourist season.
Italy Travel Card Tips:
It's cooler here in the morning and evening, so bring a jacket for rainy days and an umbrella for shade on hot days so you don't get wet in the rain.
After understanding the climate of Florence, I'll introduce you to the must-see and must-visit places in Florence, don't miss them, and be sure to experience them:
Statue of David Chu
In Florence, there are three statues of David. One in Piazza Michelangelo and one in Piazza della Città. All of the above statues of David are replicas, and the real one is in the Academy Art Museum.
Third place to see the whole city
In Florence, you can see the whole city from three places: the Piazzale Michelangelo, which is free but on the other side of the Arno River; the dome of the church of Notre Dame des Bacchae, in the center of the old town, which requires a climb of 463 steps; and the bell tower of Giotto, which is next to the church of Notre Dame, and can be reached at the top, which is 414 steps up.
t-Bone Steak
Florence's butternut steak, with its rich flavor and scarlet color, is the crown of Florentine cuisine. It's simple to make, and the real secret rests entirely with the beef. It's worth a try.
Truffles
Truffles have an indescribable flavor and are the Florentines' most prized ingredient. Just a few grams of truffles can make an entire plate of pasta exude tantalizing flavor. If you want to savor this food at any time of the year, you can try it in a chic restaurant.