When too much art is barely enough

Ognissanti

Today began with two local churches. First we wandered down toward the river to Ognissanti. On the way Lyn found the local postman's vehicle apparently abandoned in the middle of the road. 

The church is beautiful and not very big. It seemed to Lyn more beautiful for being less grand.

I liked two paintings on opposite walls. These were Botticelli's St Augustine and Ghirlandaio's St Jerome. One or the other should be the patron saint of bloggers.

Botticelli's tomb is in Ognissanti too. There was a little open box on the rail above his tomb marker. In it people had left letters. He inspires fervent followers. 

Then we wandered up to Santa Maria Novella. Ghirlandaio's Tornabuoni Chapel was amazing in quality and scale. I tried to explain the significance of Masaccio's 'Trinity' to Lyn. She said, "Where's the Holy Spirit?" Then, seeing I was a little crushed, offered "It looks better from further back". (The Holy Spirit is the dove perched on his head.)

Web Gallery of Art:   Image  Info about artwork

The cloisters were beautiful and the foiled demons in the Spanish Chapel were fun too.

Not much further on was the Mercato Centrale. This is a beautifully converted warehouse with a lower floor for gourmet shopping and an upper floor with food outlets and a cooking school. Outside this sacred space for Italian food are tightly packed stalls flogging handbags and belts. We ate lunch and drank too much red wine.

Downstairs we bought ingredients for dinner and then raced back to leave it all at the apartment. We hurried across town to meet with our Uffizi tour. 

I'd decided a tour would be interesting and give Lyn a break from my voice. I learned plenty and Lyn spent much of the time looking for a place to sit. She seemed amused throughout. I'm not sure why but I suspect vino rosso.

I didn't experience Botticellimania but I was mightily impressed by Fra Lippo Lippi's Virgin. I admire the gall of a failed monk who runs off with a young nun and then proceeds to make her the model for all his paintings of the Virgin Mary. (She was a looker.)

The view out the window of the Uffizi

The final chapter saw us join many others on a long march into the bowels of the Uffizi in search of toilets. We arrived to discover long queues and hurried home instead. Our only stop was for Chianti Classico to go with dinner.  Mmmmm!

My challenge for tomorrow is an excursion which is painting free. Lyn insists.