(Part 3 in a series. Previous installments can be found earlier in this blog, or in the Archives section)
We are finally in Florence, the heart of the Renaissance, and finally starting our great Italian adventure in the birthplace of scootering as we know it!
We arrived in Florence from Rome via the Eurostar Italia train, and took a cab to the Hotel Della Signoria. It was a lovely hotel in old Florence near the Ponte Vecchio bridge. After two long plane flights and lugging our bags around, our room sure looked good! Italy by Vespa strongly recommends for your safety and enjoyment of your Vespa tour that you arrive a couple of days early to get over the effects of jet lag. They are happy to make arrangements for you for both before and after your Vespa tour!
Feeling refreshed, we embarked on a little walking tour of the part of our city around our hotel. Florence was the heart of the Renaissance, and is a mecca for art lovers all around the world. Walking the streets, we heard more different languages spoken that I think I've ever heard in one place. You realize you're in a true 'world city' when you go to the restroom, and you see graffiti in the bathroom stall in six different languages:
"Mangi i miei bicchierini"
"Rolf und Giselle für immer"
"Professer LeClerq est une vieille chèvre moyenne"
"Kilroy was here"
"よい時間呼出し39-055-214-728のため!!!"
We made our way to the Piazza Della Signoria, where the government offices were located during the Renaissance. There were beautiful sculptures everywhere, including a reproduction of Michelangelo's "David" (the original is in the nearby Galleria dell'Accademia). As I admired all the art, I couldn't help but reflect on the impact of the Church during the Renaissance.
On the one hand, without the Church, there probably wouldn't have been a Renaissance. Much of the greatest works of art to come out of that wonderful period were bankrolled by the Church. Since much of the populace were illiterate, commissioning the artists of the time to create paintings and sculptures illustrating scenes and stories from the Bible gave the Church another way to teach the Gospels to the people. The Church patrons told the artists what to create, but gave them a fair amount of leeway regarding how they did it. As a result, great advancements in the use of perspective, light and shadow, and even types of media were made possible. Many different artists were given similar commissions, which is why there are many Pietas, and several interpretations of "David" (my personal favorite is Bernini's interpretation, which can be seen in the Borghese Gallery in Rome)
On the other hand, while some in the Church used their influence to create beauty, others sought to suppress knowledge that was deemed contradictory to Church doctrine as 'heretical', and art that they didn't endorse was declared 'immoral', They also sought to crush those who didn't toe the Church line. Among the sculptures in the Piazza Signoria is a simple plaque set among the cobblestones (see below)
In 1490s Florence, a fiery Dominican priest, Girolamo Savonarola, vigorously sermonized against what he perceived as the immorality of popular culture, and warning of the 'Last Days'(sound familiar?). In 1494, Charles VIII of France invaded Florence, driving out the ruling Medici family. Savonarola emerged as the new leader of Florence, and embarked on a campaign against the 'decadence' of the old regime. Taverns were closed, gambling, dancing and music were prohibited, and many priceless works of art and literature were gathered up and burned in the Piazza Della Signoria because he declared them 'immoral' (think we've outgrown that? Remember the burnings of copies of "Harry Potter"?). Ultimately, the Florentines rebelled against this 'no fun allowed' repressive theocracy. Savonarola was excommunicated by Pope Alexander VI, declared a heretic, and was burned on the very site where he destroyed so much irreplaceable artworks. One can only wonder if he appreciated the irony of it all.
Since we were still tired from the journey, we had a simple dinner of pizza at one of the many storefront pizzerias, and called it a night. This proved to be a bad idea.
As I mentioned before, Italians enjoy a lifestyle that is somewhat different from ours. They often take a break during the day, and tend to eat late (we noted restaurants in Florence didn't begin to fill up until 8 or 9pm). For them, a long meal and delightful conversation is the evenings entertainment, while Americans tend to eat earlier so they can make a movie showing or hit the clubs. Florentines tend to hang out at the cafes until closing, which is around 12:30am.
I know this, because that was when I was jolted by a sound sleep by what I could only assume was Chinese New Year, the Attica prison riot, and the Battle of Antietam rolled into one cacophonous explosion! Okay, I exaggerate a little bit, but it did seem like All Hell had broken loose, as well-lubricated cafegoers took to the streets. The mayhem continued for about two hours and stopped at 2:30am, almost as if a switch had been turned off. Eerie. Here's a tip for travelers to Italy: there are many wonderful things to see, and an 'early to bed, early to rise' schedule can pay dividends (like if you want to see Rome's Trevi fountain without a huge crowd around!). But since older hotels don't have great soundproofing from the outside, and you usually need to crack a window because the air conditioning frequently isn't too great, you really should invest in a really nice set of earplugs, because the fun out on the street tends to run into the wee hours.
But when you look at a typical Florentine meal, you see why they are not in a hurry. Italians are passionately proud of their art, culture, and their cuisine! When producing food, they value quality and flavor over quantity of production for a given plot of land. This is why it seems that produce and meats in Italy just seem to have so much more flavor than what you can purchase in our supermarkets. In central Italy, they aren't much into heavy sauces, they prefer simple preparations and let the flavor of the meat and produce take center stage. Tuscans in general, and Florentines in particular love their meats. It is no surprise that one of their most famous regional specialties is Bistecca alla Fiorentina
Dinners usually start with a delightful antipasti platter that is a selection of Tuscan meats like prosciutto, various salamis, cheeses and such. Next usually comes a primi course which is frequently pasta. If you order the Bistecca, you order your steak by the kilo, and most of the steaks start at a kilo (2.2lbs!). A single bistecca is usually shared by 2 - 3 diners. This restaurant features Chianina beef, which is raised in the provinces of Siena and Arezzo. These stocky, white cattle provide astonishingly flavorful beef which is every bit as good as Kobe beef! The Mrs. and I weren't sure if we could finish the steak, but it proved to be so delicious, we downed every morsel! Note: this steak is traditionally served rare, and I mean still-kicking rare. Don't be afraid; it's perfect this way. Don't ask for medium, and by no means ask for well-done; just go to the McDonald's at the train station; you wouldn't 'get' this meal anyway. To complement the meal, we shared a bottle of Chianti Classico which was like velvet. I am a big steak fan, and have eaten a lot of great steak dinners. That meal was arguably the best I've ever had (sorry Daniel's, Met, El Gaucho; these guys 'schooled' you!). If you're in Florence and you like great meats, you've got to check this place out!
We ate like true Florentines, and enjoyed a long, leisurely meal that went well into the night, ending with a lovely moonlit stroll along the Arno back to our hotel. Is this life the way it's meant to be lived, or what?
Coming up next: A little more Florence; Art, Scooters, and the Coolest Cops in the World!
