Today is the 40th anniversary of the flood that devastated Firenze. Today we saw a parade of rescue vehicles from the period, including jeeps, helicopters, amphibious vehicles. All this and people in period costume made the Piazza Signoria a festive place. Last night was more somber, with slides and video of the flood and its aftermath projected on the walls of the Loggia dei Lanzi.
We started the morning at the glorious Brancacci Chapel in the Santa Maria del Carmine church. We got there before it opened because typically you have to reserve a viewing. Luckily, we got in right away to view the frescoes by Masaccio. Besides their revolutionary depiction of everyday Florentines in religious art, they are rare because Masaccio died young at 27. We saw another terrific Masaccio at the Santa Maria Novella church, a somewhat tamely composed Crucifixion, but with a few stupendous touches. First, he paints God the Father behind the crucified Christ, supporting his arms. Next, he puts the subject inside a renaissance arch, complete with precise diminishing perspective. And I'm not sure if this is due to fading or whether this was intended, but the arch is painted with a bright pink that completely dominates the painting, making it look like no other. The church also includes a termendously preserved and restored fresco cycle by Ghirlandaio, and my favorite, a chapel done by Filippino Lippi, which looks almost pre-Raphaelite in its modernity.
Sorry for all the art talk, but when confronted with such work, it's all I can think about. Even the food pales. Travel day tomorrow, then we'll be in Rome!
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