Emerging from our cozy little restaurant into the dark, wet streets of Florence , we were happy to discover that the rain had stopped. In fact, we were just plain happy. Dinner was so good and so much fun – not the first time that’s happened in Italy. Now it’s time to take a walk and see what nighttime in Florence looks like.
Let’s Take a Walk
Florence is compact, and full of recognizable landmarks. It would be almost impossible to get lost here. Just keep walking around, and sooner or later, you’ll go around a corner and see the gigantic dome of the Duomo sticking way up above everything else.
It was still early by Florentine standards. Florence is nice at night. Lots of buildings, piazzas, and monuments are strategically lit up with flood lights. We’ll take the long way back to our hotel.
We made our way to the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore – “The “Duomo” – and its baptistery, the Baptistery of Saint John. They look especially impressive at night. We’re going to have a closer look at the baptistry tomorrow.
Via Calzaiuoli at Night
Our street, Via Calzaiuoli, intersects Piazza del Duomo. We followed it back towards our hotel. Via Calzaiuoli is a walk-street lined with interesting shops. Shop owners here do too good of a job decorating their shop windows to draw you in.
We wanted to go into one particular shop with porcelain and ceramics on display in the window. Neat stuff. The shop was closed, but it’s dangerously close to our hotel. Might have to go back when it’s open.
We found our way back to the hotel, but we had still had one stop to make. There are two gelaterias on the same block as our hotel. Last night we tried one of them. Tonight we’ll give the other one a shot.
We had very recently finished eating a large Italian meal, complete with Bistecca di Fiorentina bites from our dining neighbors, so we shouldn’t be hungry. However, we just walked part of it off. And besides, there’s ALWAYS room for gelato. (Isn’t that how the ad goes?)
It’s been a full day, starting with a bus ride to Siena. We had ribolita for lunch, saw the Tiffany’s of meat shops, and experienced some poliziotto action up close and personal on the bus ride back. Then we had dinner in the fun little restaurant.
Il Battistero di San Giovanni
Tomorrow we’ll go see what many tourists make a bee-line for as soon as they roll into town: the the doors of the Battistero di San Giovanni – the Baptistery of Saint John the Baptist.
We’re going to go see some doors? What’s the big deal about some old doors? These aren’t just any old doors. These doors are so beautiful, Michelangelo himself is supposed to have said they were worthy of being the “Gates of Paradise.”
In fact, that’s what the baptistery doors are called today: the Gates of Paradise. Hey – Florentine businessmen have never been known to be dummies. They wouldn’t let a marketing angle like that go to waste, eh?
The Baptistery of Saint John was completed in the 12th century, and for hundreds of years, it’s the only place where Florentine citizens were baptized. Dante Alighieri was baptized there.
Patronage of the baptistery was given to the powerful cloth merchant’s guild – the Arte di Calimala . Remember them?
Time for some New Doors
Over the years, the wealthy Arte di Calimala commissioned improvements to the baptistery. In the year 1401, they sponsored a contest to see who would get the job to make a new set of doors for the place.
Competitors had to submit one door panel depicting the Old Testament story of Abraham having to sacrifice his only son, Isaac. The panel had to be of certain dimensions, and it had to be made out of bronze.
The Baptistery of Saint John was considered to be one of the most important buildings in the Christian world. The artist who won the job of making its doors would be famous forever.
To be continued….
