It's All About Florence

Gully Wells wrote the piece, "Forever Florence", it's a long piece with a lot of information but some nicely worded descriptions are mixed in along the way. The introduction doesn't really give you much of a feel for what the rest of the piece is about, Via Tornabuoni? Procacci and truffle sandwiches? While the intro may not be very telling as to where the rest of the piece is going it does include the type of eye-catching descriptive writing style that I mentioned a moment ago. Talking about the panini al tartufo, "These small truffle sandwiches - the aroma is enough to make you drool and swoon - are best experienced with a glass of prosecco and are guaranteed to elevate your mood and bridge that dispiriting gap between cappuccino and lunch". So I might not know where the rest of the piece is headed at this point but one thing is for sure, I suddenly want a truffle sandwich or a cappuccino, I'm not sure which.

She goes on to start discussing fine linens and lingerie, and one shop in particular in rather lengthy detail. While some of the descriptions are pleasant little breaks like, "visible through a window, a gaggle of grannies were seated at a table, needles in hand, busily sewing away", I don't feel that there needed to be quite so many words dedicated to this particular subject. We get a brief note of history when she mentions some of Florence's famous wealthy merchant families, using it to emphasize the opulence of the Florentine lifestyle; "The merchant princes of the Florentine Renaissance - not just the Medicis but families like the Strozzis, the Tornabuonis, and the Rucellais - inhabited a world informed by sublime beauty". She continues to describe this long-standing tradition of elegance, and notes that she doesn't see it changing any time soon.

She then begins to tell us about her tour with tour guide Raffaello Napoleone, they begin with a traditional Bellini, while they sit and plan out their future excursions, again it's done with immense detail but probably was not necessary for the reader. In several paragraphs we are told about a silk business, finally then transitioning into art, as she crosses the Piazza Santa Maria Novella making an astute observation: "It is probably impossible for the modern mind to understand the profound shock that Florentines in the mid-fifteenth century must have felt when they first saw what Leon Battista Alberti had done to the exterior of their ancient Gothic church". After describing this bold transformation, again in highly descriptive and lengthy detail we switch to talking about the art of leather and a tannery. After several paragraphs we finally move on to food where like everything else is done in Florence, food too is done slowly. For a moment we go back to the leather goods and there is a mention of Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman, tossing the reader an American lifeline, even if just for a moment.

We then learn about some of the apothecaries and perfumeries, and one in particular that used to be a church but here a description is a nice touch to get the feel of such a sensory place, "Its vaulted ceiling is decorated with gilded frescoes, there are Gothic cabinets full of glass bottles and vials flanking an alcove where the altar once stood, and instead of incense, the air is suffused with the scent of potpourri...".

After going on for awhile longer we finally near the conclusion, which she wraps up in a fairly neat way tying all things Florence back to the greats like Michelangelo, Leonardo and Donatello, and while she remarks that their craftsmanship was something to behold it's no wonder that Florence has carried on some of their elegant traditions because their descendants have continued to trickle down through Florentine culture. She lives us with the notion of "falling under the city's spell, which can transform the act of shopping from a guilt trip to the feeling that you are, in fact, collaborating in works of the highest art".

Falling For Clancy

Reporter, Ambrose Clancy, wrote an article for The Washington Post on the city of Florence entitled, "Falling for Florence", before I had finished the article I found myself falling for Clancy.

The article puts an unexpected twist on the typical article written about the "beauty" of Florence, his introduction sets this unique perspective; "Before you go to Florence, people who have been will inevitably say, 'Oh, Florence is beautiful'. You won't be the first to wonder upon arriving what they're talking about". He goes on to give several examples of other famous historic figures who felt strongly against the city, while I did not recognize the names I didn't feel that I needed to for their inclusion to be meaningful and applicable. Clancy continues down this unusual path; "The Duomo and Giotto's bell tower are jaw dropping in their gaudy marble, the Baptistery and example of the school of design whose manifesto is that a thing worth doing is worth overdoing. But beautiful"? Again, the use of terms like "gaudy" and even the mere question of whether or not these landmark monuments are actually beautiful peeks my interest, I had kind of just assumed that by default these sights were indeed beautiful. Clancy goes on, "Looking to the heights surrounding the city, you might wish to be up there and not down in the dun-colored town walking in the hive-like streets swarming with mopeds driven by maniacs (It's no accident that 'vespa' in Italian means 'wasp')". Clancy is again using strong word choice with the likes of "dun-colored", "swarming", and "maniacs". At this point I'm almost starting to question, do I even want to keep this place on my travel itinerary? The interesting little factoid that he adds about the meaning of vespa in Italian makes the description of the streets that much more vivid, as I picture the streets filled with loudly buzzing , motorized wasps with horns for stingers.

At this point though he refers to Florence as "the capital of the Renaissance", reminding the reader that the city does have, even if maybe nothing else, a rich and undeniable history. He then provides a brief but manageable and useful history, that any reader could follow and find useful in understanding why Florence is such an English-speaking "friendly zone". He follows his history lesson with a lesson on dealing with the swarming mopeds. This is where I really began to fall for Clancy, his descriptive, while simultaneously humorous writing style is almost impossible to ignore. So forgive me while I quote a brief passage, but for those of you who have not read the article I simply must provide you with a literary taste: "First, a tip on how to avoid being run down or getting freaked by the demonic bikes. In the narrow medieval byways it's often necessary to abandon the crowded sidewalks and take to the street. Your first experience of this can cause panic as you hear the idiot whine of mopeds bearing down on you. But just keep walking in a straight line, don't look back (because for sure they're gaining on you), and they will pass you. Pass you in a blur, but they will pass. We live in hope". How do you just not love that?

In case you were beginning to think that Clancy has lost his way and begun to ramble about the dangers of mopeds he brings you back to Florence in one swift transition; "When you start to think, hey, it must be a serious blast to buzz around on one of those things, then you've made peace with the place. The moped in many ways represents the spirit of Florence, which is the spirit of the adventurous young... Look closely and that spirit will attach itself to you, no matter what your age, it you'll let it. With this Clancy gives us a glimpse of the supposed "beauty" of Florence we've all been told about as he slowly begins to peel back the noisy outer layer.

He then goes on to briefly discuss eating at the market of Sant' Ambrogio and suggests going to the nearby antique and flea markets of Piazza dei Ciompi; "Have coffee in even the most dubious cafe with a jam stuffed doughnut and you'll stare at your cup and think: I've never had coffee until this moment". Here, he is providing us with another peak at the "beauty"we've been told to expect of Florence. From there he goes on to discuss culture, and of course discusses the Galleria dell'Academia where Michelangelo's infamous David statue resides, Clandy remarks that, "Standing before it in its own skylighted gallery, you'll be overwhelmed at the scale of the thing, the nakedness, the drama of the stone... Seeing it in the flesh (and the enduring and seductive mystery of classical and Renaissance sculpture is that marble has become naked flesh) allows one of Italy's gifts, Humanism - the belief that the divine is within us - to shine". Once again, not only are Clancy's word choice and descriptions perfectly formed on the page but he effortlessly shifts from talking about coffee to art, in a way that seems natural.

From talking about David and the historic art of Florence he brings the reader back into the present by mentioning Daniel Gravers, director of the Florence Academy of Art; "A visit to the gallery, with its black cloths, softly falling light and hushed intensity of the artists, will allow you a peek into something unchanged for 500 years, a glance into the Renaissance of Florence...".

Finally, after another smooth transition from the gallery to talking about the strenuous, but rewarding climb up the Duommo he ends by saying, "If the word 'beautiful' comes to your lips, don't be surprised", and just like that he has brought the reader full circle, but just to ensure that we'll act on our newfound understanding of the city's beauty there is a small informative section that covers how to get there, where to stay, eat and shop along with information on music and art. I can happily say, in falling for Clancy I do believe I have fallen for Florence.

The Lost Art of Rome

From the collection, Italy, A Love Story, Barbara Grizzuti Harrison's piece, "Rome, the Art of Living", paints a contradictory picture. The piece is not particularly easy to read, jumping around at times trying to sound more like poetry than an article it is hard to follow the writer's intentions. The piece does not seem to convey "the Art of Living", for the majority of the text. She remarks that, "Rome seems perpetually on the very edge of ruin", which is ironic because most of the piece seems to discuss the state of ruin that she perceives Rome to currently be in. Writing as more of an archeological travel writer some of her writing is beautifully descriptive but not really telling as to what the point is that she's trying to make.

Near the conclusion though she makes some interesting points that highlight the juxtaposition of the current state of Rome, citing how there is now a McDonald's near the Spanish Steps and a Benny Burger on the Viale di Trastevere. Her ending sentence however hints that perhaps she is writing out of a place of love and defense for the historic greatness of the city of Rome, and that is where the angry tone of the rest of the piece is coming from. Shifting from a mild rant about the fast food take over she admits, "...But no one is so beautiful, taking his ease, as a Roman; and at night, on the viale, it is lively and gay, and Rome is not 'spoiled', only minimally altered, immensely lovable, pleasing not in every part but steadfastly beautiful as a whole. It remains in its essentials unalterable".

Stalking The Divine One

"Stalking Michelangelo" is an article written by Lorenzo Carcaterra, focused on the artist Michelangelo and the city he loved most, Florence. Carcaterra immediately sets a tone for the piece with his introduction; "Florence will forever be Michelangelo's. More than 400 years after his death, the artist's presence engulfs this well-loved city in central Italy, his stature enhances it, his work dominates it". Carcaterra who has visited Florence so many times he considers it his "second home", is passionate about Michelangelo, but during this trip he wants to see attempt to see the city as, "the divine one", saw it during his time.

Michelango-phile, Paulo Murino, who Carcaterra informs us has read every Italian book on the artist he could get his hands on, makes an interesting point about Michelangelo and the business savvy of both the artist and the city. Michelangelo is not just remembered because he was talented but because he understood how to get his work seen by as many people as possible. Carcaterra tells us, "Take away the cars, scooters, and antennas, and Florence is much the way it was when Michelangelo walked its streets". This sentence implies that Florence has managed to maintain a sense of its original identity, some several-hundred years later. Following this Carcaterra begins to take the reader along with him for his journey through Florence in the footsteps of the artist; "Most of my friends in Florence speak of Michelangelo in personal terms, as if he were family". This sentence depicts the closeness of the intimate connection that the city and its' people share with the artist. As he begins his trip, starting at the home of Michelangelo Carcaterra provides detailed descriptions of the sights as he sees them, allowing the reader to walk with him, while he does this he interjects artistic facts about the artist's works as he comes across them.

A quote from a random man standing near the author brings into question how the great artist would feel about his modern state of fame, that has turned replicas of his great works into common tourist souvenirs: "His shoes on display, his great works sold as refrigerator magnets and bookmarks. Did you know that in one of the piazzas you can buy men's underwear with the bottom half of 'David' on them"? I contemplated this question after reading it, because part of me feels like the business man in Michelangelo would be pleased with the obvious success of his work represented by the current situation, after all the man made himself very wealthy as a result of being a bit of a real estate trader. But I can't help but feel like the careful, reserved artist in him would be disturbed - this is not the purpose he made his art for, is it?

Carcaterra continues to take us with him on his journey reaching the infamous statue of David. I loved that he included the story about the mayor's reaction to the size of David's nose, and Michelangelo's quick-thinking response, acting with such assurance that his work was already perfect as it was. When he reaches the "Florentine Pieta", I liked the interesting side-story that Carcaterra included about Michelangelo's apparent short fuse and explosive temper. It was a side of the artist I felt I had not heard much about before, but as a museum attendant notes, "No one questioned his actions, no matter how out of the ordinary they were. When it came to his work, Michelangelo was free to behave as he pleased". To me this gave me the sense that Michelangelo might have actually been somewhat restrained or limited in other areas, but when it came to his work, whether you liked him or not, he was so revered for his extraordinary talent that it didn't matter where he was driving the cart, he held the reigns.

The piece follows a natural pattern, beginning with the start of Michelangelo's career and ending with his death and funeral. Carcaterra includes a quote from an elderly monk that captures the importance of Michelangelo even in death; "Florence was burying more than a pope or lord. It was burying a giant". To be put above the status of a pope says something truly extraordinary about the depth of the city's love and admiration for the artist, and to this day it is still, "the greatest funeral the city has ever known".

Carcaterra concludes the article with a scene that occurs before the bust of Michelangelo, the conclusion is magical and made me feel like I was standing there next to him. Carcaterra describes a gentle old man who was also gazing at the bust and remarks about the feeling that is always leaves him with, even after visiting it hundreds of times. The feeling as he describes it is, "That we are nothing but specks of dust, on this Earth for a short time, but some dust lingers for longer periods. Like the dust of Michelangelo. His dust will cling to us, be a part of us, up until the very end".

This concludes the written section of his article but attached to it is a "Florence Sourcebook" that as a fellow traveler I found very applicable and easy to use, allowing the reader the opportunity to go and see the sights for themselves.

A Portrait of Vatican City

"When in Rome: A Journal of Life in Vatican City", by Robert J. Hutchinson is a piece that discusses Rome and more generally Italians, it is also a piece that I did not agree with for the most part. Hutchinson opens the article, "One of the hardest things for a stranger to get used to when visiting the Vatican is the relentless, even obstinate Italianness of the place". The Vatican, a notorious Italian icon (even if it isn't truly "Italian" anymore), has long been a part of Italian heritage, so my feeling is that when people go there they would be expecting an obvious sense of "Italianness". Hutchinson includes an interesting fact though, informing us that Italians account for a mere six-percent of the total Catholic population. Hutchinson goes on to explain the hold that Italy has on the Vatican, which I don't entirely disagree with saying it has, "nothing to do with devotion and everything to do, like most things in Italy, with money and jobs and making sure that both stay in the family". While I realize he is talking about devotion to the religious aspect of the Vatican I do think there is clearly a sense of devotion there, even if it is more to the historic attachment that the Italians have had with the landmark place.

Hutchinson then goes on to say that Italians are actually the uninterested, unaware kind of people that Americans are typically accused of being saying, "I've discovered a group of people who make Americans seem like polyglot virtuosos: the Italians". While you will inevitably run into the people who don't speak a word of English and maybe even appeared annoyed, or even angry that you can't speak Italian, nowadays I feel like there are just as many who do speak or at least understand some English.

So far my experience in Italy has been that most of the Italians I deal with know more English than I know Italian, they apologize for not being so good with their English and struggle to communicate in the foreign language through a smile, a notion completely contrary to the picture that Hutchinson paints. Hutchinson says, "You need to know Italian in Italy like you need your liver". I disagree, if for no other reason you should try and learn the language to show the Italians that you are appreciative of being in their country, and you are making an attempt to recognize them and not just trample all over their sacred sites.

Hutchinson goes on to tell a story where he had to get himself an Italian assistant and the struggles he went through when dealing with the Italian police. He tells us that the typical language of the Romans is one of condescending lectures and complaining, this may be true but I don't feel that Americans are too far off from this description either. While he's walking to the metro station he tells us how, "A little old lady carrying La Republica under her arm elbowed me in the rib cage with a professionalism and precisions I found unsettling". For anyone who has ever walked the crowded streets of New York this would not be so much unsettling as it would be the norm, I say get over it. Overall, I got the feeling that Hutchinson was merely visiting Rome he wasn't trying to discover it or embrace it and that is what I attribute to the negative attitude he seems to carry throughout the majority of the piece.

The Hunted Have Now Become the Hunters

In Susan Van Allen's article, "That's Amore", this idea of the role reversal of hunted to hunters represents her perception of the Roman flirting game. When she visited as a young naive girl 30-something-years ago she tells us that it was the men, well-trained in the game of flirtation, who stalked their female prey. When she returned many years later she is surprised, and a bit perturbed to see how the tables have turned. The piece begins with Susan and her friend Carol sitting in a wine bar, Carol opens the piece by commenting that, "Guys like that are better than Zoloft". She goes on to say, "I know a shrink back in New York who sends women who are suffering from low self-esteem to Italy for a month".

Susan continues by explaining who the man is that Carol is so fondly referring to, and why she's referring to him in such a way. While Susan feels that the Italian men have crafted the art of flirtation over the years so that now it's gangs of American women oggling a stray Italian man, I don't know that I share the same opinion. While it is undeniable that the Italians possess a flare for romance I sometimes find their long-held gazes unsettling, but maybe that's just me. Apparently some women disagree. Like the ones Susan describes who give their numbers to bartenders and expectantly turn their rear-ends in their direction to receive a little squeeze after a few too many limoncellos, or the women who ride the boats and somehow end up without tops or bottoms. Susan finds this reversed hunting style almost criminal, she jokes about putting up fliers to preserve the ancient art of romance as it was when she was a girl, banning the previously described women from certain parts to maintain the traditional form of flirting.

She concludes her article by circling back to her lead, in a way that somewhat contradicts the rest of what she said earlier about disliking the role reversal, but not entirely. She takes us back to the scene at the bar where she finishes her glass of wine then turns to meet the gaze of the man dubbed "better than Zoloft"; "He raises an eyebrow to add just the right mischievous element". Recalling a personal memory she referenced earlier in the piece of her trials with Italian flirting as a young American girl, she wonders if he is the same man who "hunted" her so long ago.

La Bella Figura

"[authentic] Rome", an article by Mimi Murphy discusses several aspects of Rome, including sights and shops, on the basis of Rome's innate habit to look good. Murphy brings us directly into this idea with a strong lead; "For Romans, la bella figure - looking good - is primal". The use of the word "primal" supports the notion that this habit or desire is almost animalistic it's such a natural part of their world. Murphy continues, "Where else does one dress to the nines to pick up the kids at nursery school"? Murphy is again accenting the point that it doesn't matter where they are or what they are doing, the Romans are looking good. She goes on to relate this to the city's rich artistic history, citing it as one of the reasons for this subconscious desire to always look good; "When one has the architecture, the art, the music, the cuisine, the wine, and the climate that Rome has...well, a Roman has a responsibility to make the right impression".

She goes on to describe the sights partly through the recounting of her time spent with art historian and court, Stefano Aluffi-Pentini. Stefano takes her around pointing out various places and favorite spots of his own, near his neighborhood by the Colosseum. Here, Murphy combines personal quotes and analogy with interesting facts about the history and architecture. Referencing the S.S. Quattro Coronati he tells us, "Its 12-century church shows how Romans recycled: Columns and pavement marble were stripped from old buildings", proving Romans aren't simply fashionable but savvy as well. Stefano comments on the splendor of the Pantheon saying that it's architecture has even influenced Americans (what a thought!) and that this is a place that represents the original Rome, as it used to be; "...where you see the Roman world in full color".

Murphy then talks about the food, providing an interesting contrast to the richness of the previous two sections we are told that Roman food is based on ingredients that were once trademarks of the poor, including things like the leftover parts of an animal, "feet, tail, head and innards". Contrary to the style and architecture of Rome when it comes to the food we are told its not about the decor or ambience, it's strictly about the food.

Murphy kind of ends the article in a travel guide style, not really giving the piece a conclusion or tying back to the introduction but merely ending on the final topic, nightlife. While the piece was useful to a degree and interesting for most of it, I felt that the ending lacked the strength and hook that the beginning possessed.

Give Me Mo' Po

The "Po River", by E. Zwingle was a charismatically written piece, filled with spirited analogies and colorful, meaningful descriptions for the reader. Right away the lead catches your interest, a man knowing a river better than he knows his wife? This is clearly a serious love affair, and I want to know more of the intimate details. Zwingle describes the "languages" of the Po, using descriptive sensory language that already begins to give me a feel of the curvy, windy body of water they call the Po. Straight from the start Zwingle makes great use of personal quotes, as Mario describes the cost of the Po as costing, "an eye from your head", clearly this love affair comes with a heavy toll. Zwingle goes on to provide an informed and interesting contrast perspective though, telling us what Po has done to man to explain the fear that it instills in many people, but also represents the Po by telling us what man has done to the Po. Zwingle's physical descriptions are full-bodied and make me feel as though I can visualize exactly who she's talking about. When she explains Mario Moretti and his physical appearance, combined with his own quote on the on the rigor of his taxing work on the Po, I'm able to paint a picture for myself.

Zwingle goes on to picturesquely describe Mario's fishing style, combining it again with a personal quote from Moretti, Zwingle not only provides information about the law of the land but also about its' culture. As she moves on to her next portrait of a person, Carolina Marisa Occari, she again combines anecdote with factual information, as she interjects a story about greek mythology as it pertains to the Po. While describing Carolina's work she also gives us a vision of the Po by telling us, "The Po doesn't call for many colors, but it does call for shapes and volumes". I felt that this was incredibly telling about the landscape of the Po, it gives us the sense that its' beauty may not be seen right away, through its shades of grey, but when you look more closely at the winds and bends of the river the true beauty lies beneath.

The article goes on in a similar fashion combining rich personal anecdotes combined with interesting factual information, I for one did not realize that Italy is Europe's leading rice producer. These kinds of facts and the way Zwingle weaves them into the rest of the story like make them equally applicable and interesting to the reader. As the article comes to a close Zwingle gives us her own perspective, describing the sight as, "clean, muscular, intrepid", this type of personification of the river tells us just how intimate the relationship is between the people and the Po, whether you are a lover or a hater of its milky, grey waters its power is undeniable.

Three Faces of Rome

The article by Andrew McCarthy, "The Three Faces of Rome", provides the reader with three different perspectives of the city of Rome. While the article provides some interesting details for things that are more "off the beaten path", some of the references are not applicable to a modern, younger readers interests of range of knowledge. It seems like the reader is exploring the city as much as they are exploring themselves, traveling from the luxury level down to the local level, it appears they are searching for freedom and independence while simultaneously searching for local respect and acceptance. This sense of searching, doesn't exactly make me feel like I'm reading from a reliable source, more like the journal of an unsure traveller, but that being said some of the quirky details about the things like the abandoned cats, while a bit out of left field at least added some interest to the piece as did the story about "Mama" and the pasta, but for a travel piece I found this one a bit slow, and not very helpful. Maybe McCarthy, who seemed the most at home in the final leg of the trip would have been better suited to wait, and simply write about that experience, from a tourist transitioning to local point of view.

Walking Among Gods

In the article by J.J Buck, "The Gods Are Watching", paints a picture of the city of Rome as a city that has long been renowned for it's historical importance but now finds its' history holding it back more than moving it forward in today's modern world. Buck talks about going out to see the sights, "without once thinking of the duty to see". I thought this point was particularly interesting because there is some truth to that. It seems like when people visit Rome, or even Italy in general there is this unspoken feeling of obligation to go to certain places and sites. One example could be the Vatican, what was once a symbol of religious austerity and leadership, now appears to serve more of a monetary purpose rather than a religious one. Later in the article Buck makes the comment, "human will flatlined by history". While much of the article is a bit confusing and not applicable to younger readers the concept of "walking among the gods" and ghosts among us, to me reiterates this idea of Rome's struggle between maintaining the historic while pressing forward into the future. In many cultures ghosts are spirits caught in limbo, I think the current state of Rome somewhat represents this idea; in a way the city of Rome is caught in limbo, caught between the then and now. The ghosts of Rome's history linger among the modern advances of the city, trying to find their place in the "new" history of Rome.