DAY 7, SUNDAY, OLTRARNO, GIARDINO TORRIGIANI, BRANCACCI CHAPEL, SANTO SPIRTO

LAST DAY- At 10:30 AM we  were transferred by minivan to the Giardino Torrigiani, the second largest private garden in Europe, where the Marchese and his son guided us and served us snacks and wine. Here are a few photographs including my specialty, butterflies, which I photographed by skipping the snacks and wine-

The two walls of Florence are found within the gardens, the earlier on the left which was sufficient during the late Middle Ages when weapon missiles included arrows and small stones, and the later much thicker as designed by Brunelleschi and others to withstand the impact of canon balls-

Next we were transferred by minivan to Piazza del Felicita to grab a bite to eat at the market and see the Sunday crowd (this is where I took the candid photos shown in ANOTHER EXTRA). However, I took some of our group members too-

before walking to Chiesa del Carmine to admire the Brancacci Chapel and view the  Masaccio and Masolino paintings with an onsite lecture by Prof Mario Carniani who wrote a a beautifully written and illustrated book on the church and chapel that many of us purchased in the bookstore there-

Massolino-

Massolino's pupil Masaccio with the more dramatic style-

As the sun sank low on the horizon of a fabulous week, we walked to the Church of Santo Spirito where we were not allowed to use flash.  It was pretty dark so go to link for interior pictures. Here is Kenneth in the courtyard. He and Temple (pictured earlier) were inspirations for the rest of us younger ones!

We returned to the street where Renaissance paintings even adorned the corner buildings-

as we made our way back to hotel where we learned that Prof Carniani had a Phd in English literature, but also was an expert Dante.  Both our guides were excellent, and I wish they had included a lecture on those two great Florentines, Dante (1265-1321) and Petrarch (1304-1374), who represent the flowering of the Middle Ages and the birth of the Renaissance. I'm sure we all have many wishes, but there just wasn't time.  Judy and I did not get inside the Bargello  or the Pitti Palace although a few of our group did.

Judy and I loved everything about the tour, the group leaders and administrators, the hotel, the meals, and our fellow tourists.  Later that last evening, we joined the others including Prof Guidetti and his talented wife Lucia Baldacci for a farewell aperitif and arrivedercis.

This ends the first draft of "Treasures of Florence" blog.  Undoubtedly, I have made mistakes in attribution and judgment.  This has been a learning experience for me.  In the coming weeks and months I will make corrections, add labels or links, and substitute better or more representative photographs if I have them.  For those who use this blog as review or preview be advised.  Seeing Renaissance art in Florence is always better than reading about it!  Ciao.

Doug Allen  November 28, 2014

Return to HOME-DAY 1 or go to the timeline/overview Day 6 UFIZZI