Welcome to Insight Vacations' Online Community THE INSIGHT EXPERIENCE Tour Tales Phil's Grand Tour of Italy & Sicily (May, 2004): text versionPage 1 2
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Monday, May 31, 2004: Assisi–Venice
We woke to another fine day with breakfast provided in the hotel's medieval "dungeon". It was a simple meal (limited range of choices) but in an interesting environment. Today was another long drive (~400km), travelling to romantic Venice through the wild Apennine Mountains to the Adriatic coastal plain. quote:Our route took us initially towards Perugia but we turned north on the E45 and travelled almost to Ravenna before turning onto the A14 Austrada near Cesena. We followed this almost to Bologna where we turned right onto the A13 which took us through to the Venezia region, passing Ferrara and Padova. We occupied the back seats of the coach with a Canadian couple today. I've never been very keen on sitting at the back of tour coaches but this time, the seat seemed to be a little higher than usual so we had an excellent view to the front of the coach and out the front window. The entire group seemed to be in a lively mood and actively participated in many discussions initiated by Alison. Alison managed to keep us interested throughout the journey with presentations on a great many topics including:
Lunch today was, (yes, you guessed it), another good meal at an Autogrill on the A13 near Ferrara. Entering Venezia, we had to visit a special coach station in the Mestre area where Alison obtained a pass for our visit to Venice. Nearing Venice, we left the mainland and crossed the 1km long Ponte della Libertà (Freedom's Bridge) arriving in the Piazzale Roma. We left the coach and walked a short distance to the public toilets near the wharf where we would be boarding our gondolas for transportation to our hotel. There were significant queues for these exorbitantly priced facilities (50 eurocents). Eventually, we were all assembled at the wharf next to the Rio Nuovo canal and Alison organised us into several groups of six and then moved these to two different points, ready to board our gondolas. At one of these points, a gondola arrived and its passengers disembarked. Our first group boarded the gondola and the gondola moved to mid-stream when suddenly there was a whistle blown and the shore-based Gondola-Controller directed the gondolier to return to the wharf and disembark his passengers. Once this had happened, the Gondola-Controller apparently decided to show everyone just how powerful he was by suspending all gondola departures for the next 15 minutes. During this time, a very large number of gondolas arrived in the area and the canal was becoming quite congested. Eventually, we all managed to board our gondolas and head south down the very busy and somewhat rough Rio Nuovo canal turning left into the very peaceful Tolentini canal which we followed until it rejoined the Canale Grande. We followed this almost to our hotel, disembarking at a wharf in front of the Stazione Santa Lucia. A 50m walk along the Lista di Spagna and we were at our hotel. Whilst this was going on, somehow our luggage was being transferred to the hotel. [The historic Principe Hotel is situated right on the Canale Grande it what was the Palazzo Calbo-Crotta, a gothic building dating back to the XV century, one of the first palaces on the Canal Grande after the Ponte degli Scalzi.] We accepted our room key at reception and took the lift up a floor, remembering that when we stayed in this same hotel in 1997, our room was at the front of the hotel, just above the Lista di Spagna and the street noise continued almost all night, keeping us awake. What a surprise then when we found our way to our room this time, unlocked the door, walked in, and discovered that we had a reasonably large room facing the Canale Grande. Everywhere we looked there was Murano glass: a huge chandelier, bedside lamps and a table lamp. The bathroom was quite large, also with a view of the Canale Grande. Even more surprising (remembering our previous visit), the air conditioning, TV, lights, plumbing and drainage all worked. The included dinner that night was in the hotel. At this point, dear reader, I have a confession. We didn't record the details of this evening's meal. As best we can recall, there may have been two choices for each course (a rare experience) and we chose something like:
This was accompanied with plentiful carafes of red and white wine (can't remember why the wine was included but it may have been paid for by Alison in compensation for something???) No matter, it was quite an enjoyable meal. We were even offered seconds of the dessert and in the int After dinner, we only had a short time before we had to be on the hotel's wharf since we were taking the Venice by Night–True Magic! [€40] optional. We boarded two private launches for a tour down the "Canale Grande", past illuminated palazzi and twinkling chandeliers, to the romantic St Mark's Square, disembarking on the waterfront, not far from Harry's Bar. [There are bars that have invented famous cocktails. There are restaurants that have invented famous dishes. There are very few places that have done both. Harry's Bar in Venice, opened by Giuseppe Cipriani in 1931 right on the St Mark's bay waterfront, is one of them. The drink is the Bellini, a mixture of white peach juice and sparkling prosecco, named after the fifteenth-century Venetian painter Giovanni Bellini. The dish is Carpaccio of beef, a plate of trimmed sirloin sliced wafer thin and dressed with a Jackson Pollock spray of mayonnaise mixed with lemon juice, which was invented for an Italian contessa who was on a diet free of cooked meat. It too was named after an Italian painter, Vittore Carpaccio, who was famous for his love of deep reds. For habitués of Harry's Bar—and they are many—these are the incidentals. They may like the Carpaccio and the Bellini but what they really go there for is the atmosphere. 'There's just something very striking and pungent about it,' says the writer Jan Morris, who has been going since 1946 and who will be there again this Christmas. 'It has managed to stay the same and I think it's done it through sheer force of character. The employees always seem to be the same people. They can't be, of course, but they always seem that way.' Perhaps they are. It is not unusual for the staff at Harry's Bar to stay for a decade or two. Paulo Rossi, in the kitchen, has been at the stoves for 25 years. Claudio Ponzio, the head barman has been filling glasses for 32 years. The prices have not deterred people. Ernest Hemingway was a regular from 1949 onwards and he set scenes in the bar in his novel 'Across the River and into the Trees'. The Aga Khan had to be carried to the door in his own armchair and always ate the same thing, caviar followed by ravioli; Orson Welles would down two bottles of Dom Perignon at one sitting and Truman Capote would order the prawn sandwiches. Today, when the Venice film festival rolls into town with its freight of Hollywood celebrity, it is unloaded into Harry's Bar. Woody Allen always comes when he is in town and Nicole Kidman and Helen Hunt have visited recently too.] Entering the square, we saw two tall columns and Alison quickly directed us around them; we were not to pass between them, she said! There are two huge granite columns which now tower above the Piazetta—the Columns of San Marco and San Teodoro. These columns were brought there from Constantinople, and were said to have been erected in 1172 by the engineer Nicolo Barattieri, the architect of the first Rialto Bridge. For his efforts he was granted the right to set up gambling tables between the columns. A more gruesome spectacle on the same spot was the execution of criminals, which took place there. One column is surmounted by a bronze winged lion—the symbol of St Mark. The origin of the statue is unknown, but it is thought to be a Chinese statue, with wings attached subsequently. The other column is crowned by a marble statue of St Theodore, the patron saint of Venice before St Mark's relics were smuggled there from Alexandria in 828. The statue here is a modern copy—the original stands in the Doge's Palace. Superstitious Venetians (and some Insight Tour Directors) will not walk between the columns. Tonight, we had reservations in a cafe where we sat under the stars listening to the orchestras play some of Italy's best loved music with one drink included. It was not exactly a cheap optional but in our view, it is something you have to do at least once. The atmosphere is marvellous! Having had a very long day and with a fair walk to catch our boat back to the hotel ahead of us, Alison suggested that Jim, Doug and I leave a little early to cross the 5 or 6 bridges on the waterfront to where our boat would be waiting for us in front of the Chiesa di San Zaccaria on the Riva degli Schiavoni. Once everyone was on board, we set off on our journey back to the hotel. Earlier in the evening, we had travelled from our hotel to Piazza San Marco along the Canale Grande. We returned to our hotel along the Canale Della Giudecca, Canale Scomenzera (beside the railway tracks), the Canale San Chiara and the other end of the Canale Grande to the wharf in front of the Stazione Santa Lucia. Here are some Venice maps and a collection of "web gadgets" relating to Venice. This message has been edited. Last edited by: phil, |
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Tuesday, June 1, 2004: Venice
If there was a small negative associated with our room it was that there were barges arriving at the wharf just below our windows each day at about 5:00am to remove the previous day's refuse from the hotel. The workers were not overly noisy but occasional loud noises were enough to disturb us from our sleep. However, this gave us the opportunity to watch Venice waking up as evidenced by the increase in traffic on the Canale Grande. Eventually we tore ourselves away from this canal watching and went to breakfast. The weather was not good with drizzle from overcast skies. We boarded our private launch and travelled to the landing point (in front of the Chiesa di San Zaccaria on the Riva degli Schiavoni.) from where we had left the previous evening. We then walked under light rain along the waterfront and across Piazza San Marco to the glass blowing demonstration. [There was a time when the trade of glassblowing—indeed, glassmaking in general—was dominated by an elite group of craftsmen in the Venetian Republic, most notably on the island of Murano. Supplying quality glass products since 1291 Murano was a commercial port as far back as the 7th Century, and by the 10th Century it had grown into a prosperous trading center with its own coins, police force, and commercial aristocracy. Then, in 1291, the Venetian Republic ordered glassmakers to move their foundries to Murano because the glassworks represented a fire danger in Venice, whose buildings were mostly wooden at the time. It wasn't long until Murano's glassmakers were the leading citizens on the island. Artisans were granted the right to wear swords and enjoyed immunity from prosecution by the notoriously high-handed Venetian state. By the late 14th Century, the daughters of glassmakers were allowed to marry into Venice's blue-blooded families. Such pampered treatment had one catch: Glassmakers weren't allowed to leave the Republic. If a craftsman got a hankering to set up shop beyond the Lagoon, he risked being assassinated or having his hands cut off by the secret police—although, in practice, most defectors weren't treated so harshly. What made Murano's glassmakers so special? For one thing, they were the only people in Europe who knew how to make a mirror. They also developed or refined technologies such as crystalline glass, enameled glass (smalto), glass with threads of gold (aventurine), multicolored glass (millefiori), milk glass (lattimo), and imitation gemstones made of glass. Their virtual monopoly on quality glass lasted for centuries, until glassmakers in Northern and Central Europe introduced new techniques and fashions around the same time that colonists were emigrating to the New World. For more information, see History of Murano Glass] On our previous visit to Venice in 1997, we were taken to the island of Murano and walked from the wharf to the glass factory. A poor old worker was roused from his siesta and directed to give us a demonstration of glass blowing which he did in a somewhat desultory manner. We were then ushered into the showroom and met with some of the most aggressive salespeople you could imagine. Our visit this time was a complete contrast to our previous visit. The demonstration at Dogi's Murano Art was conducted professionally and was very interesting, displaying well the skills of the glassblower. The sales pitch this time, whilst quite strong, did not place us under any pressure. Our intention was to buy a number of small jewellery items as gifts for family and friends and this is what we did. With about two hours available before our next optional, we hit the shops hard. My wife was keen to buy a mask and perhaps some more glassware. Once our shopping needs were satisfied, we returned to the square and lined up to take the lift to the top of the 99m. tower, the Campanile di San Marco (about €6 each), the tallest building in Venice. From here, you can look out over the city and the lagoon from its panoramic balcony. Built in the 9th century, the Campanile was used as a watch tower. Galileo also used the tower for his work. After the tower collapsed, it was rebuilt in 1902. The weather at the top of the tower was very poor with very strong winds and rain. It was quite a struggle to keep the cameras dry whilst trying to take advantage of the location for photographic purposes. After a light lunch, we met with our group at 12:45pm near the foot of the Campanile for the next optional, the Treasures of the Doges Palace + Basilica of San Marco [€33]. We met our local guide and after being issued with our WHISPER SYSTEMs, jumped the very long queue and entered the Basilica of San Marco with its glistening interior and extraordinary gold mosaics. Our tour was fairly fast but very interesting. [One of the most valuable churches in the world, the Basilica of San Marco is home to over 4,000 feet of mosaic artwork, covering every surface of the interior with rubies, diamonds, emeralds, precious marbles, and gold. No expense was spared in creating this final resting place for the patron saint of Venice. Could it be that ancient Venetians were trying to pay for their crime? In 829, two merchants smuggled the remains of Saint Mark from his burial place in Alexandria, Egypt. The then current Doge, Giustiniano Partecipazio, immediately appointed the church as St. Mark's official burial place, and proclaimed Saint Mark the Patron Saint of Venice, replacing their original patron saint, San Todaro (Saint Theodore). But the Venetians are an honorable people, with a very strong sense of justice. They couldn't just claim St. Mark without some foundation. Pretty soon, a legend sprung up, justifying their actions. Allegedly in the 4th century, when Mark was visiting northern Italy, an angel appeared to him at the Venetian Lagoon and greeted him, "Peace to you, Mark my Evangelist." That Venice should become his final resting place was therefore warranted by divine intervention. Nevertheless, the Venetians didn't just throw out San Todaro. They erected a statue of the former patron beside the new statue of San Marco and created a hallowed place of justice. Convicted criminals were executed between the two statues, prompting many parents to warn unruly children that their fate would end "between the saints." Aside from riches and justice, the Basilica of San Marco is a pious holy place. The massive structure is a combination of various architectural styles used throughout the ages. Beautiful Renaissance paintings and sculpture adorn the interior, and the five arches above the entrance are inlayed with mosaics depicting the removal and arrival of Saint Mark's remains from Alexandria to Venice.] Leaving the Basilica of San Marco, we walked to the Riva degli Schiavoni and entered the Doge's Palace, symbol of Venetian power, with its State rooms and spectacular paintings. Arrangements had been made for Jim, Doug and I to use the lift rather than the stairs but the very long walk to the far corner of the building, up the lift and the long walk to join our group tended to cancel out any benefit. [The Ducal Palace was the residence of the Doge up to the fall of the Venetian Republic in I797 a public palace and seat of the administration of justice. the highest and richest symbol of Venetian civilisation, of its cultural, military, political and economic history. All historic periods are represented in an extraordinary stratification of structural and decorative elements: from the antique foundations of the original Gothic complex, to the great halls dedicated to political life and decorated by the canvases of Veronese. Tintoretto and the great masters of the Renaissance. to the precious rooms of the Doges apartment, from the dark prisons and places of torture to the luminous loggias on the Piazza and the Lagoon.] After a tour of the palace, we walked through to the Bridge of Sighs, connecting the Doges' Palace to the prison from which Casanova made his daring escape! After returning our WHISPER SYSTEMs, we left the palace and crossed back over several bridges along the Riva degli Schiavoni to the Chiesa di San Zaccaria where we boarded our launch at 2:30pm for the cruise on the Laguna Véneta (Venetian Lagoon) to the island of Burano, as a part of our next optional, the Burano Early Dinner [€60]. [The Laguna is a crescent-shaped body of water between the Italian mainland and the Adriatic sea. It lies within the arms of the Litorale Pellestrina, Litorale di Lido, and Litorale del Cavallino. These three strips of land are broken at only three entrances or porti along a length of some 45km, creating a marshy environment that is fed by rivers yet flushed by salt water from the Adriatic. It has an average depth of just 60cm. Yet within that shallow depth are any number of creatures: anemones, crabs, mussels, limpets, barnacles, cuttlefish, squill, oysters, shrimp, and fish that range from the tiny anchovy to eels, mullet, and sea bass up to 75cm in length. And because so much food is readily available, birds such as ducks, swans, cormorants, and spoonbills proliferate on the many abandoned or uninhabitable islands in the lagoon. With the lagoon being so shallow, vaporetti and other larger boats must travel in dredged navigation channels to avoid run-ins with mudflats and sandbanks. These channels are marked with clusters of pilings such as the bricola and dama. All are numbered and marked on nautical charts, and some have lights to make the channel boundaries visible at night. Islands within the laguna include:
The island of Burano lies in the northern part of the Venetian Lagoon, about 40 minutes from Venice by motorboat. It has a much different atmosphere from Murano or Venice's historic center, thanks to the Buranese custom of painting houses in bright colors—a tradition that may have had its origins in the colour schemes of local fishing boats. Everywhere you look, you'll see houses clad in blue, green, pink, rose, lavender, purple, yellow, and other colors. And because Burano's houses tend to be small, the island has a cheerful coziness. It wouldn't be surprising if Burano were used as a model for a family resort at Disney World.] The two main occupations on Burano are fishing and lacemaking. Arriving on the island, we set off on a most interesting walking tour which led finally to the Al Raspo de Ua Trattoria in the Via Galuppi. Because we were having a late afternoon dinner, we were the only customers there at the time. The seafood meal comprised:
Plentiful red and white wine, soft drinks and beer were available throughout the meal and we each received a little bottle of Amaretto at the end of the meal. The food and wine were good, the staff were very friendly and we had a great time with our fellow travellers. Before entering the restaurant, Alison had briefed us on the fact that it was the restaurant owner's birthday so on the signal from Alison, we all sang Happy Birthday, greatly surprising the restaurant owner. Eventually we had to leave and somehow we stumbled/lurched back to the waterfront and our waiting launch. The trip back to our hotel in Venice was very quiet with most passengers resting their weary eyes. Once we had disembarked in front of the Stazione Santa Lucia, Alison showed us where to buy a ferry ticket for the following morning since we wanted to travel by ferry to the Piazzale Roma to reboard the coach rather than lugging our carryon luggage over several bridges. It was still only early in the evening so my wife decided to explore the shops in the vicinity of the hotel and I visited the internet café next door to our hotel. This message has been edited. Last edited by: phil, |
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Wednesday, June 2, 2004: Venice–Florence
We woke up to overcast skies (but no rain), knowing all too well that today we were to leave the Repubblica Serenissima di Venezia (Most Serene Republic of Venice, as it was known for over a millennium) and our marvellous hotel room beside the Canale Grande. In researching material for this journal, I came across the following quote that certainly sums up how we feel about Venice: quote:After breakfast, we (and four others from our group) walked the short distance to the ferry wharf near the Stazione Santa Lucia and caught a no. 1 ferry for the short trip to the Piazzale Roma. (The remainder of our group, with their carry on luggage, crossed over the Canale Grande using the Ponte degli Scalzi (also near the Stazione Santa Lucia) and followed the shoreline around to the Piazzale Roma, crossing 2 or 3 smaller bridges along the way.) We reboarded our coach and (in unison) wished Franco buon giorno, as was our custom whenever we boarded the coach. As we drove off, Alison pointed out that today, June 2nd, was the anniversary of the Republic of Italy. Our 248km journey today was mainly on the A4, A13 and A1 Autostradas, past Padova, Ferrara and Bologna into the Apennines, entering the peaceful landscapes of Tuscany and descending to the Arno Valley and the Renaissance city of Florence. Before entering the city, we visited a special coach station where Alison obtained a pass for our visit. She also contacted the relevant authorities and organised for our coach to drop us off much closer to Santa Croce than the normal coach drop-off point because of the needs of Jim, Doug and me (or the Three Musketeers, as we were being called by now). Arriving at the drop-off point beside the River Arno, we had a reasonably short walk to the Piazza Santa Croce under what were now clear skies. It was also becoming quite warm. Apart from its history and culture, Florence is also known for its gold and fine jewellery and we began our tour with a visit to the Gold Corner (Il Regalo SRL) jewellery store in the Piazza Santa Croce directly across the street from the Basilica di Santa Croce on the right corner as you face the basilica. Several people on our tour were interested in Alison's nomination bracelets which she had obtained from this store. We made a significant contribution to the Italian economy and, after discounts and VAT refunds, have been very happy with a recent valuation of the items for insurance purposes. (Yes, we are aware of reported stories of "commissions" to Tour Directors and whether you can do better elsewhere in Florence or in the world. For us, the big advantage of buying in Florence is the availability of quality designs that are significantly different to what we can buy at home.) We then walked a short distance to the Peruzzi store for a leatherworking demonstration and some modelling of items from their range of leather jackets and coats by several members of our group. We've been to this store before and it's an enjoyable experience. The leatherwear and clothing products in the store are of excellent quality but don't expect bargains, even after discounts and VAT refunds. Another benefit of taking this visit is the air-conditioning and toilets. With our shopping needs satisfied (momentarily?), we had some free time before our formal tour later in the afternoon. This gave us the opportunity to revisit the Vivoli Gelato shop nearby (just around the corner from Peruzzi) for what is arguably one of the best gelatos in the world. We met our local guide, Giovanni, at 3:00pm on the steps of the Basilica of Santa Croce. After being issued with WHISPER SYSTEM devices, we went inside and toured this remarkable church. [The elegant Franciscan complex of Santa Croce was designed by Arnolfo da Cambio in 1295. The facade of the basilica was built by Nicola Matas between 1853 and 1863. Giotto arrived at Santa Croce after the experiences of Assisi and Padova and his compositional language was mature. The colour, not the line or the chiaroscuro, is the constitutive element of the reality and of the pictorial construction at Santa Croce. The church has tended to overwhelm the visitor and is held responsible for the little-known disease, Stendhal’s Condition. When the French writer Stendhal visited the church, he suffered a fainting fit brought on by its beauty and apparently it continues to afflict up to 12 visitors a year. Lord Byron reported himself “drunk with Beauty” at the sight of the church, which is attributed to Arnolfo di Cambio, the architect responsible for the Duomo. Its broad piazza, once the site of jousts, wild animal fights and the burning of heretics, is today home to miniature Davids and plaster cast Virgins as souvenir stalls ply their trade to visitors weakened by stendhalismo. The big draw inside the Gothic interior is death. Some of Italy’s most gifted men are buried here, including Michelangelo (whose body was smuggled out of Rome in a packing case), Machiavelli, Galileo, Rossini and Ghiberti. Dante’s tomb lies empty. The forefather of Italian literature died in Ravenna and the city refused to return his corpse, in spite of Florentine pleas. A series of colourful chapels, their frescoes commissioned by wealthy bankers, lift the gloom. Those in the Bardi Chapel are considered some of Giotto’s best. Outside in the tranquil cloisters stands a Renaissance gem: the Pazzi Chapel, designed by Brunelleschi in 1430. The pure geometric design is an indication of the renewed influence of classicism over Gothic forms. (Here is a web site displaying the Frescoes in the Church of Santa Croce in Florence.)] Our group (less the "three musketeers" who had opted to catch a taxi to the Galleria dell'Accademia to ease the burden on their weary legs) then walked with the local guide to the Piazza della Signoria, adorned with statues and fountains, passing the Palazzo Vecchio. They continued on along the Via Dei Calzaiuoli to the Duomo (Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore) to see Giotto's Belltower, and the 'Gates of Paradise' on the nearby Baptistry of San Giovanni doors. The group continued on to the Galleria dell'Accademia to see Michelangelo's original 'Statue of David'. [The Galleria dell'Accademia was founded in 1784 by the Grand Duke Pietro Leopoldo, who decreed that all the schools of painting should be joined together in a single Academy. One of the most popular museums in Florence, the Gallery houses many sculptures by Michelangelo, as well as a collection of minor paintings of the Florentine school dating from the thirteenth to nineteenth centuries. Among the sculptures by Michelangelo are DAVID and the four PRISONERS. The latter were begun for the ill-fated tomb of Julius II in Rome, but were never completed. Michelangelo's DAVID originally stood in front of the Palazzo Vecchio at the beginning of the sixteenth century, as the symbolic guardian of the liberty of the Florentine Republic. In 1873, it was moved to the Galleria and was replaced by the copy which now stands in its original location. Next to the PRISONERS stands the unfinished statue of SAINT MATTHEW—one of the most poetic expressions of Michelangelo's genius—and the PALESTRINA PIETA, carved out of a large fragment of an ancient Roman cornice.] [David was commissioned in 1501 by the Cathedral Works Committee (Opera Del Duomo). At the age of 26, Michelangelo was given a leftover block of marble that came from the mountains of Carrara, one which had previously been worked on by various other artists. The piece was intended as a monumental work, a testimony to the city's republican pride, not one for close confinement, but was moved to the Accademia in 1873 (from outside the Palazzo Vecchio, where a replica now stands ) to protect it from the ravages of time and the weather. Viewed as a gallery piece, David looks odd; his upper body and head are both out of proportion, and out of keeping with the Renaissance obsession with the perfect harmony of form and proportion. However, it's argued that this is yet more evidence of Michelangelo's bravura - not only is David an incredible feat of technical skill, the scale is deliberate, as from the original viewpoint of the viewer the upper body would have been much farther away.] Alison met us as we left the gallery and shepherded us to the coach which was parked nearby. We drove across the river to the Piazzale Michelangelo where we met the professional photographer she had engaged to take a group photo. The area was quite crowded at that time of day but our photographer managed to clear an area for a short time, climb up his ladder and take an excellent group shot. Our final destination for the day was the Sheraton Firenze Hotel for our overnight stay. The included dinner that night was a very good buffet in the hotel restaurant which comprised:
Tea and coffee were also provided. We chose an excellent bottle of Chianti to accompany our meal. This message has been edited. Last edited by: phil, |
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Thursday, June 3, 2004: Florence
Another hot sunny day and after breakfast, those taking the "Uffizi–Gems of the Renaissance"[€30] optional boarded the coach and travelled back into town to the dropoff point near the Piazza Santa Croce. We walked along the river to the Galleria degli Uffizi where we met our local guide, Olivera. Although we were fairly early, there was already a long queue. We put on our WHISPER SYSTEMs and had immediate entry to the gallery through the "Group entry" door. [The Galleria degli Uffizi (or Uffizi Gallery) is one of the greatest museums in Italy and the world. It was founded in 1581 by Francesco I de' Medici, who collected numerous artworks in the building designed by Vasari. Today the Uffizi contains masterpieces by Italian and foreign artists from 13th to 18th century such as Cimabue, Giotto, Masaccio, Beato Angelico, Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli, Michelangelo, Piero della Francesca, Raphael, Caravaggio, along with Rubens, Rembrandt, Diirer, Goya and many others. Here is a link to the Virtual Uffizi: the complete catalogue of the Uffizi Gallery of Florence. Here is a link to the Italian Renaissance Art Project which attempts to provide information on the Italian Renaissance time period as well as on the artists that shaped and changed art long after their movement ended.] The Galleria degli Uffizi contains works of art by some of the most famous Italian masters and our two hour tour only allowed us to view the highlights of this collection. We were one of the first groups into the gallery but it quickly became quite crowded in some rooms and we really appreciated having the WHISPER SYSTEMs. During the course of our tour, photos were not permitted on the internals of the gallery but there were a few opportunities for photos through the open windows of the buildings and other items in the area around the gallery like the Ponte Vecchio. [The Ponte Vecchio (said to be the world's most photogenic bridge) crosses the River Arno close to the Galleria degli Uffizi. Ponte Vecchio aptly means "Old Bridge" in Italian. It was built in 1345 after the previous bridge had been swept away by the flooding river. Originally, the bridge buildings housed butcher shops and greengrocers. This changed in the 15th century when the government decided that such enterprises were unglamorous for Ponte Vecchio's image. The food merchants were soon replaced with gold and silversmiths.The jewellery trade continues to this day to be a mainstay on the bridge. Ponte Vecchio was almost blown up in World War II by the retreating Germans, who ordered the destruction of all Florence bridges to slow down the advancing Allied armies. At the last minute, the 600-year-old Ponte Vecchio was spared for posterity's sake.] After the tour, we had about 45 minutes before the time of the coach departure for the trip back to the hotel so we grabbed some lunch and walked back to the meeting point via the Piazza Santa Croce where we just had time to continue our scientific study of gelato. We returned to the hotel where we had a short free time before our 12:25pm departure for the "Pisa and Dinner/Wine tasting" [€70] optional. The journey of about 85km to Pisa began in bright sunlight with beautiful views to the north across the plains to the Appenines. That didn't last long. The transition to a major storm began with a few dark clouds, an occasional lightning flash and a few spots of rain. Before long, the sky was black and lightning was flashing repeatedly whilst rain was pelting down. The worst of this storm didn't last very long and as we drove into the coach park in Pisa, the rain had eased to a light drizzle. As we disembarked from the coach, the umbrella salespeople (perhaps the ones we met back in Rome have been following us?) were waiting for us but once again, Franco issued us with Insight umbrellas. [Pisa, an ancient Roman port and great maritime republic, is no longer on the sea but its splendid past lives within its abundant historic and artistic monuments: narrow streets that open into picturesque little squares with multicoloured markets; the noble "Lungarni" with its splendid and majestic palaces; the charming Piazza dei Cavalieri and Piazza dei Miracoli, one of the most famous monumental complexes in the world with its Cathedral, Baptistery, Camposanto and famous Leaning Tower, symbol of the city. Pisa is not only a city with an enormous quantity of art treasures, but also a city of very old cultural traditions. It is the homeland of Galileo; birthplace of the "greatest European mathematician of the middle ages", Leonardo of Pisa, or Leonardo Pisano (better known now as Fibonacci); possessor of a flourishing University, among the oldest and most famous in the world; and is the location of numerous exhibitions and events of extraordinary importance such as the Musical Season, the great Historical Boat Race and candle-light festivities on the Arno.] We boarded a little train which provided shelter for the short journey to the Campo dei Miracoli and by the time we arrived there, the rain had stopped. As the afternoon progressed, the weather cleared completely to bright sun and blue skies. The walk from the train stop to the gate of the Campo dei Miracoli is through a never-ending stream of very persistent sellers of souvenirs and $10 Rolex watches and once inside the walled area, there is also a seedy souvenir shop area along the right hand side. All of this, in my view, detracts significantly from the beauty of the area. [Construction of the Pisa Cathedral in the Campo dei Miracoli, began in 1063. This Romanesque cathedral was built at a time when Pisa was one of the most powerful maritime centres in Italy. The complex follows the early Christian pattern of separate structures for the church, baptistery, and bell tower, all of which are unified by the use of similar stone and the design of blind arcades and horizontal galleries. The cathedral plan is a Latin cross with a five-aisled nave, with a transept with apses at each end, and an elliptical crossing dome (erected later).] [Here is the Tower of Pisa official website which includes several thousand photos of the tower. Here is an unofficial Tower of Pisa website which is also very rich in content. Here is an excellent collection of photos of the Pisa Cathedral (Campo dei Miracoli) and the Pisa Campanile (Leaning Tower) and Pisa Baptistery.] On our previous trip to Italy in 1997, we arrived at the Pisa Cathedral when there was a mass being celebrated and the doors were locked to keep tourists out. We were therefore very pleased this time to have full access. Alison provided a very interesting commentary as we toured the cathedral and we then had some free time to explore the site before returning to the meeting point to catch the little train back to the coach, meeting again with the umbrella salespeople. Leaving Pisa, we drove northeast for about 50km to the Monte Carlo region (between Lucca and Montecantini) to the Fattoria il Poggio, an "agritourist" business with vineyards, a winery and an olive oil business together with accommodation and restaurants featuring their products. On arrival, the group (less the three musketeers who remained in the the central area) headed off to the to see the farm and winery. After the tour, we all moved into the restaurant area. The excellent meal (possibly the best of the tour!) comprised:
A good range of wines from their estate (4 red wines) and (3 white wines) were sampled progressively through the meal with their grappa being tasted at the end. Their very good olive oil was available throughout the meal. All in all, this was a marvellous sampling of some of the best of Tuscan food and wine! After nearly two weeks together, our group had bonded very well and that night was an opportunity for everyone to relax and enjoy themselves with friends. Sadly, Alison and Franco had to sit at their own table and distribute their allocation of wine to the group who were becoming rowdier as the evening progressed. There were many exchanges of national songs and humorous stories told that evening and it required all of Alison's powers of persuasion and diplomacy to encourage us to leave the building and board the coach which Franco had brought up the road, almost to the buildings. Our recollection of the drive back to the hotel is a little hazy: certainly the songs of Dean Martin seemed to be a favourite as we drove towards Firenze. This message has been edited. Last edited by: phil, |
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Friday, June 4, 2004: Florence–Rome
The combination of weariness from the previous evening's celebrations and the growing realisation that the tour was almost over put us in a sombre mood this morning which persisted through breakfast and onto the coach. However, once we had left Florence, the bright sun and clear blue skies over the beautiful Tuscan countryside coupled with the excitement of our return to San Gimignano after seven years soon dissipated our gloominess. We travelled south from Florence for about an hour (56km) and just as we began to glimpse the towers of San Gimignano, Alison announced that she had requested special permission from the local authorities for Jim, Doug and me to be dropped off at the town gate, avoiding the walk up from the coach park. [I never bothered to check but it seemed like the whole group may have decided to take the "San Gimignano - Medieval", [€30], optional. Whether the visit would have been undertaken if some members of our group had not wished to take this optional, I don't know. Perhaps they could have waited in the coach park?] On arrival in the coach park, Alison confirmed that she had permission for just the three of us to be driven to the gate. Once everyone had walked up to the Porta San Giovanni, we entered San Gimignano (see San Gimignano map) and walked up the sloping main street, Via San Giovanni, to the Piazza della Cisterna where Alsison gave us our detailed instructions for the morning: opening time of the Duomo, where to meet her to get our tickets for the Duomo visit, where to get the best views of the countryside, what time we had to be back at the coach and the fact that Jim, Doug and I should wait just outside the gate. ["San Gimignano delle belle Torri" is situated in Tuscany, 56 km south of Florence, halfway between Siena and Florence. It rises on a hill (334m high) dominating the Elsa Valley with its towers. Once the seat of a small Etruscan village of the Hellenistic period (200-300 BC) it began its life as a town in the 10th century taking its name from the Holy Bishop of Modena, St. Gimignano, who is said to have saved the village from the barbarian hordes. In 1199, it became a free municipality and fought against the Bishops of Volterra and the surrounding municipalities. Due to internal power struggles, it eventually divided into two factions one headed by the Ardinghelli family (Guelphs) and the other by the Salvucci family (Ghibellines). On the 8th May 1300, Dante Alighieri came to San Gimignano as the Ambassador of the Guelph League in Tuscany. In 1348 San Gimignano's population was drastically reduced by the Black Death Plague throwing the city into a serious crisis which eventually led to its submission to Florence in 1353. In the following centuries San Gimignano overcame its decline and isolation when its beauty and cultural importance together with its agricultural heritage were rediscovered. The town increased in wealth and developed greatly during the Middle Ages thanks to the "Via Francigena" the trading and pilgrim's route that crossed it. The patrician families (who controlled the city) enriched with the commerce, ordered 72 towers to be built (up to 50m high, law forbade exceeding in height the Commune tower, called Rognosa) as symbols of their wealth and power. The architecture of the city was influenced by Pisa, Siena and Florence. Only 14 have survived but San Gimignano has retained its feudal atmosphere and appearance. Such prosperity also lead to the flourishing of works of art to adorn the churches and monasteries and San Gimignano contains many remains and several works of 14th and 15th century Italian art, especially from the Sienese and Florentine schools. Piazza del Duomo is the heart of the town and it hosts the Palazzo del Podestà, the Palazzo Comunale (Town Hall) and the Duomo. Throughout the centuries, Piazza del Duomo represented the focal point of San Gimignano where all celebrations took place and where the municipal power was seated. Two towers rise up in the square: Torre Grossa and Torre Rognosa. Nowadays, it continues to preserve its ancient role and is still one of the focal points of the town. Declared by UNESCO to be part of the World's Architectural Heritage.] One wouldn't think it now, but San Gimignano was renowned for its Saffron Trade in the middle ages, exporting it both to the west and to the east (one of the few spices to go in that direction), and indeed the towers that are now San Gimignano's major attraction were financed in major part by the saffron trade. It turns out that saffron had many uses other than as a spice:
In any case, growing saffron is extraordinarily labor intensive, and as plantations in the European colonies began to produce it in the 17th and 18th centuries San Gimignano's production declined, almost to nothing before a group of farmers launched a program to revive the crop in the early 1990s.] Zafferano: Hermes's Golden Gift Legend has it that Hermes was casting his discus one day, and struck his friend Crocus, who fell dead; to honour Crocus's memory the God tinged the flowers upon which his friend lay scarlet. Not the petals, which are pale purple, but the stigmas. The legend doesn't say if the God also gave the stigmas the distinctive, rather haunting aroma that has made saffron one of the most sought after spices on the world markets, but if He did He gave us a great gift. Setting legend aside, saffron is harvested from the Crocus sativus, which is native to the orient, and though historians say it was introduced to Europe by the Arabs (the word saffron derives from assfar, which means yellow), the Greek legend suggests that it was at least known sooner. What the Europeans did with it prior to the Arabs is however open to question, because its use in Western Europe is most prevalent in regions that were under Arab influence at some point, for example Sicily, Sardinia, and Spain; the Spaniards in turn exported it to the regions they dominated, for example Lombardia, where it is now the principal ingredient of Milano's signature dish, the golden yellow risotto alla milanese. It's not a common ingredient in Tuscany, and this comes as a surprise because San Gimignano was one of the major Italian saffron producers in the middle ages; her merchants exported it both east and west, earning fabulous profits that financed the construction of the city's famed towers, while Florentine and Sienese painters used it as a pigment, doctors used it to cure a variety of conditions including the plague, and the Bishop of Volterra, whose bishopric includes San Gimignano, once used it to pay off a Papal envoy. The nobility must have used it at table then, but presumably stopped using it when the establishment of crocus plantations elsewhere by the European colonial powers during the 1700s put San Gimignano's saffron producers out of business. Its cultivation did survive in a few areas of Italy, notably the Abruzzi and Sardegna, and now people are working to reestablish the saffron crop in both San Gimignano and Sicily. In all cases it's a labor of love because it's incredibly labor intensive: the crocus sativa blossoms in October-November and pickers work their way through the fields daily, harvesting the blossoms that are ready and bringing them back to their workshops, where they carefully remove the stigmas, lightly oil them, dry them, and package them. The average blossom will have three stigmas, and it takes 110,000 flowers to gather a kilogram of saffron. The work is all by hand, and this explains saffron's high price.] [The Duomo (now actually the Collegiata di Santa Maria Assunta) in the Piazza del Duomo dates from the 11C and was consecrated in 1148 by Pope Eugenius III, then enlarged in the middle of the 15C by Giuliano da Maiano (1432-1490). This church, first dedicated to San Giminiano, bishop of Modena, was dedicated to St. Mary in 1575, after it had been enlarged. The rich interior with frescoed walls by famous painters contribute to make this church a unique testimony of its ancient past. Works of art by Bartolo di Fredi, Taddeo di Bartolo, Ghirlandaio and wooden sculptures by Jacopo della Quercia. In the church, different styles are mixed, such as the Romanesque, the Gothic and the Neoclassical styles. The façade you see today was erected in 1239 by Matteo Brunised and is remarkably plain. It has two doors: women used to enter through the door on the right, while men through the one on the left, called door of San Giovanni. The large staircase was made with stone from Castelvecchio by Ranieri da Colle in 1299 and remade in the following centuries. It is structured on three navate covered by cross-vaults and the walls are entirely covered with cycles of valuable Sienese School frescoes: the right aisle with New Testament scenes (14C); the left aisle with Old Testament scenes (1367) by Bartolo di Fredi (1330-1410); the nave with monochrome apostles. On the inside façade wall, Last Judgment, Paradise and Hell, frescoes by Taddeo di Bartolo (1362-1422), San Sebastiano by Benozzo Gozzoli (1420-1497) with two statues of the Virgin and the Archangel Gabriel by Jacopo della Quercia (1421): they were painted in 1426 by Martino di Bartolomeo. Off the right aisle there is the Cappella di S.Fina, a splendid Renessaince chapel by Giuliano da Maiano (1468): the beautiful marble altar with excellent bas-reliefs is by Benedetto da Maiano (1475); the frescoes illustrating the life of S.Fina are by Domenico Ghirlandaio (1449-1494) and his assistants. The wood stalls of the choir are by Antonio da Colle (1490)and above the high altar is a noteworthy ciborium of Benedetto da Maiano (1475). Left of the church front, the archway of San Giovanni, leads into a courtyard, where on the left there is the Baptistery Loggia with frescoes of 15C and the font of 1378. In front of it front there is the entrance of the Museo di Arte Sacra and Museo Etrusco.] After visiting the church and several other parts of the town, most of our group and our Tour Director, almost in synchrony, gravitated towards Sergio Dondoli's Gelateria di Piazza in the Piazza della Cisterna. It was time to continue our scientific study of gelato in Italy. This was our second visit to this gelataria (last time was 1997) and we were keen to reconfirm our opinion that this gelato was on a par with Vivoli's gelato in Florence. A study of this kind requires large servings of several different flavours and I can report that our finding this time confirmed our previous finding: this is wonderful gelato!! quote:By now , the streets were filling with tourists and it was time for us to leave. Our path down the Via San Giovanni was against the tide of visitors coming into the town and was punctuated with brief stops at numerous shops that were now open. At the Porta San Giovanni, Jim, Doug and I waited for our coach, sitting in the warm sun. The 42km drive to Siena was through the rolling green hills of Chianti vineyards and olive groves, a particularly beautiful part of the country. As we approached Siena, Alison announced that rather than the normal drop-off in the coach park, she had received permission to take the coach (with everyone on board) right into the edge of the walking-only zone in Siena, reducing the walk to the city centre (and back) significantly. In fact, she suggested that Jim, Doug, and I should go on a roster system to travel with her on all of her future Italian tours as her "city proximity enhancement facilitators". We were dropped at the Chiesa San Domenico and we walked through the narrow cobbled streets to the Campo Square, where the Palio horse race takes place. We saw the Town Hall and 'Fountain of Joy' and climbed up to the striped hilltop Duomo. Some relevant links:
Some maps of Siena: quote:We walked back to the meeting point near the San Domenico Church and had a light lunch at a nearby café. [The San Domenico Church is a 13th century Gothic church with a crenellated campanile. It is a little bizarre in that they have the head and finger of St. Catherine of Siena on display in the church (she took her vows there) for visiting tourists whilst the remainder of her body is buried beneath the main altar in the Santa Maria Sopra Minerva Church in Rome. We visited this fascinating Gothic church during our week in Rome: it is a very interesting church with “soaring pointed vaults, delicate ogival arches, predominant blues and golds, flickering lights from stained-glass rose windows, filled to bursting with art treasures.” The façade of this church is quite plain with an elephant obelisk out the front. It is near the Pantheon in Rome.] Leaving Siena, our first stop was at an Autogrill not far from Orvieto for afternoon tea. Our 230km journey to Rome should have taken about 3 hours but traffic in Rome was in absolute chaos because of the visit by the US President and other dignatories. This required us to make a wide diversion around Rome to the east, travelling through the southern parts of the city and across to the Sheraton Roma Hotel. In our brief time passing through Rome (close to the Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano), we observed very large numbers of Carabinieri and armoured vehicles and many road blocks/diversions. Our late arrival at the hotel meant we had very little time to check in and prepare ourselves for the highlight farewell dinner with pasta and music. We boarded the coach and travelled north to the Papa Rex Restaurant, very close to Vatican City. Everyone had their photo taken as they entered the restaurant with a Roman Centurion and strangely, perhaps because of the closeness to the Vatican, there was also a photo of a distinguished elderly gentleman who lived locally included in our free photo folder. We were ushered downstairs into the Sala Terrazza Romana and we were served something like:
Throughout the meal, we were entertained with live Italian music.From time to time, singers came into our restaurant area to perform Italian folk songs and light opera. About halfway through our meal, a large group of US, Canadian and British veterans filled the remainder of this section of the restaurant. They were obviously part of the group of veterans in Rome to participate in the ceremonies associated with the 60th anniversary of Rome's liberation. Our arrival back at the hotel served as the end of our tour with much embracing and handshaking and agreement all round that we had shared a wonderful time together. This message has been edited. Last edited by: phil, |
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