So Sorry, Milano

Ashleigh and I wanted to travel to Milano. In fact, it was all set. We had checked out the transportation issues and found that the high speed train would get us to Milano in under two hours. There were open slots for viewing Michelangelo’s The Last Supper available. Somehow, we let the plans fizzle. Why? You ask…..Why??? Why not take a day, visit Milano, see The Last Supper, and return to Florence late in the evening? The answer is easy;  we did not want to leave Florence, even for a moment. We could not spend four hours on a train when we could spend those same four hours visiting or revisiting parts of Florence. Today’s visit to the Pitti Palace convinced us that we had made the correct decision.

The outside of the Pitti Palace is quite imposing.

It is easy to believe that the structure dates back to around 1450’s. Almost everything in Italy is old.

Here’s our fabulous teacher, Emma, introducing the marvels we are about to see.

The palace originally belonged to Luca Pitti, but the Medici family purchased it, and presently it houses a treasure trove of art like the Sleeping Cupid by Carravaggio. Look at this plump little fellow. The shadows seen around him are his wings.

Or like Lippi’s Madonna and Child. When you look at it you can sense the connection between mother and child. I love this painting.

Or this husband and wife pair by Raffaelo painted around 1506. Look at the hands. Artists had just begun to understand how to achieve this kind of perspective.

Here’s her husband…also painted in 1506…his hands have the same perspective, and his clothes are the tasteful, but modest attire of a successful merchant.

The interior of the Pitti reflects the passage of time.

Crystal with candles. During dance breaks, servants lowered the chandeliers and changed out the candles.

Here is the largest chandelier in all of Italy.

The treasures inside the Pitti defy description. Room after room of world class art can make one’s head start to spin, and then an open window with a breeze blowing through gives you a clue that the Pitti is more than what is inside the walls.

The famous Boboli Garden is adjacent to the Pitti Palace. The Boboli is an Italian  garden….so flowers are not the thing. Laid out by the wife of Cosimo I, the Boboli is an Italian garden, elegant and graceful. The Greek and Roman influence are represented.

This obelisk dates centuries before Christ. It was taken by the Romans, and now, stands in the Boboli Garden.

Hidden pathways.

This fountain reflects both pagan and Christian influence.

Climb these stairs, make a left turn and….

see glorious Florence the way the Medicis must have seen it.

 

There’s Santa Maria del Fiore Duomo.

So, we are sorry Milano, but we decided to stay in Florence, and happily so. Ciao, The Unseasoned Traveler.