Have you heard of Stendhal Syndrome? According to psychiatrists, it is a psychosomatic illness that causes rapid heartbeat, dizziness, faint and confusion when an individual is exposed to art, usually when the art is particularly beautiful, or to a large amount of art in a single place.
This “illness” is associated with Florence, Italy, given that is is named after the French writer Stendhal, who visited the town in 1817. After a long day admiring its urbanization and appearance and walking along places like the Uffizi Gallery, the Cathedral or the Academia Museum, Stendhal went inside the Basilica of Santa Croce. He completely collapsed in a heap, confused and exhausted by such a magnificent accumulation of beauty. Romantic, isn’t it? Probably, this illness rises to the ocassion.
Florence is a medium-sized, ancient town, located in the region of Tuscany. Surrounded by green hills, Florence can be considered a proud aristocrat city, whose strategic situation has been coveted along history. In competition with Pisa and Siena, which are, most of all, medieval cities, Florence emerges as the Renaissance model under the rule of the Medici family. And the centre of Florence has stood out since then, an astonishing accumulation of palaces, cobbled streets, churches and museums as well as a ‘joy of life’ (due to the Renaissance’s confidence in the human being and his optimism).
If you visit Florence on a short trip (just one or two days), there are some must-go places to visit. Fortunately, Florence is not a sprawling town, but rather compact and walkable. The Duomo (Cathedral) and the Piazza Signoria are solemn, lavish places you can’t miss. The building of the dome in the Cathedral, named after Saint Mary of the Flowers (Santa Maria dei Fiori), is an architectural daring by Brunelleschi. In time, this enormous octagonal dome, undoubtedly Brunelleschi’s masterpiece, has become the symbol of Florence.
Opposite the Duomo’s façade, the Baptistery contains Ghiberti’s bronze doors. Their technical perfection, the use of perspective and the realism of the figures embellish the entrance to the Baptistery. Actually, Miguelangelo said they deserved to be the Doors of Paradise.
Piazza Signoria is continuosly walked by the tourists, given that you need to pass through this nice square to go everywhere. The Palazzo Vecchio is the most outstanding building in this square: elegant, superb and proud of itself. Also in this square is the Loggia dei Lanzi, displaying famous statues.
If you like visiting museums, Florence has two of the most recognized worldwide: The Uffizi Gallery and The Academia Museum. The former contains some of the most refined masterpieces of the Renaissance painting, such as Boticelli’s The Birth of Spring and Venus. Then, the Academia is one of Florence’s most visited museums, because it houses Micheangelo’s celebrated sculpture, David, which perfectly reflects the tension of the protagonist, about to slain Goliath. Art specialists say that the sculpture is not well finished, owing to the fact that it was carved from discarded marble. Who cares? It is probably one of the most recognized icons of male beauty (who does not want to have such a six-pack and dorsals?)
Other monumental places are the Palazzo Pitti, the Ponte Vecchio, Santa Croce and the Piazza Michelangelo. Palazzo Pitti was the residence of the Medici family, who were used to living in lavish environments. Hence, you can imagine the series of sculptures, paintings, architectural adornments and ornaments you can find there.
Ponte Vecchio is another symbol of the city, built in the 14th century, specially used by the Medici family to go from the Palazzo Vecchio (in Piazza Signoria) through the Uffizi Gallery towards the family residence (i.e. the Palazzo Pitti), without going out in the street. Santa Croce is an austere Franciscan church, which contains some of the most magnificint tombs in the world (Michelangelo, Macchiavelo, Galilei, etc.). And finally, Piazza Micheangelo, located on a hilltop opposite the Arno river, offers a breathtaking view of the city. No doubt, a place where couples go to kiss. Well, to be honest, the hypnotic views are postcard-worthy and really inspiring for painters.
If you like ice-creams, you can’t miss Grom, in Via Campanile, just off the cathedral. Their tasty, creamy ice-creams are really a delight to your senses. But if what you like is coffee, you know that the Italian way of making the beverage is famous worldwide; then, you should go to Café Rivoire, in Piazza Signoria, where you can breathe the same atmosphere and spirit as the likes of Goethe, Stendhal and Hemingway. Mind you: don’t drink a cup of coffee while sitting in a chair as it is prohibitive! You should take it at the counter instead. However, if you don’t mind the price and the weather is nice, the outdoor tables give you the best front-row seats in town for people-watching.
Finally, if you like going places off the beaten track, leave the city centre and head directly for the much less touristy Porta San Niccolo, where you can find a lot of budget restaurants (e.g. trattorias), pubs and lounge-bars and enjoy the typical ‘Aperittivo’ at 7 p.m. or thereabouts. At this kind of dinner you pay just for the drink (although it is rather expensive; for instance, a glass of wine costs 8 euro), but you can take food from a lot of trays full of pasta, pizza, meat, chicken and fish, so it is good value for money. Moreover, it is one of the most deeply-rooted Italian customs so if you want to adapt to Italy’s lifestyle, you should go and have an ‘Aperittivo’. Happy adaptation, my Godness!
Obviously, I have to omit many reference places in Florence, in order to be concise. For example, I have hardly written about its lively nightlife. Since Florence is packed with Erasmus students, you should go out and hit the town every night. All in all, Florence offers a lot of choice, so you won’t have a dull, predictable holiday. In this sense, the city is extremely rewarding.
If any of you has been an Erasmus student in the north of Italy, you will have noticed I have failed to mention other places. I assume that, as I firmly believe that my tips can be complemented by your suggestions and recommendations, so that we can praise the beauty and enthusiasm of this unique town called Florence.
This “illness” is associated with Florence, Italy, given that is is named after the French writer Stendhal, who visited the town in 1817. After a long day admiring its urbanization and appearance and walking along places like the Uffizi Gallery, the Cathedral or the Academia Museum, Stendhal went inside the Basilica of Santa Croce. He completely collapsed in a heap, confused and exhausted by such a magnificent accumulation of beauty. Romantic, isn’t it? Probably, this illness rises to the ocassion.
Florence is a medium-sized, ancient town, located in the region of Tuscany. Surrounded by green hills, Florence can be considered a proud aristocrat city, whose strategic situation has been coveted along history. In competition with Pisa and Siena, which are, most of all, medieval cities, Florence emerges as the Renaissance model under the rule of the Medici family. And the centre of Florence has stood out since then, an astonishing accumulation of palaces, cobbled streets, churches and museums as well as a ‘joy of life’ (due to the Renaissance’s confidence in the human being and his optimism). If you visit Florence on a short trip (just one or two days), there are some must-go places to visit. Fortunately, Florence is not a sprawling town, but rather compact and walkable. The Duomo (Cathedral) and the Piazza Signoria are solemn, lavish places you can’t miss. The building of the dome in the Cathedral, named after Saint Mary of the Flowers (Santa Maria dei Fiori), is an architectural daring by Brunelleschi. In time, this enormous octagonal dome, undoubtedly Brunelleschi’s masterpiece, has become the symbol of Florence.
Opposite the Duomo’s façade, the Baptistery contains Ghiberti’s bronze doors. Their technical perfection, the use of perspective and the realism of the figures embellish the entrance to the Baptistery. Actually, Miguelangelo said they deserved to be the Doors of Paradise.
Piazza Signoria is continuosly walked by the tourists, given that you need to pass through this nice square to go everywhere. The Palazzo Vecchio is the most outstanding building in this square: elegant, superb and proud of itself. Also in this square is the Loggia dei Lanzi, displaying famous statues.
If you like visiting museums, Florence has two of the most recognized worldwide: The Uffizi Gallery and The Academia Museum. The former contains some of the most refined masterpieces of the Renaissance painting, such as Boticelli’s The Birth of Spring and Venus. Then, the Academia is one of Florence’s most visited museums, because it houses Micheangelo’s celebrated sculpture, David, which perfectly reflects the tension of the protagonist, about to slain Goliath. Art specialists say that the sculpture is not well finished, owing to the fact that it was carved from discarded marble. Who cares? It is probably one of the most recognized icons of male beauty (who does not want to have such a six-pack and dorsals?)
Other monumental places are the Palazzo Pitti, the Ponte Vecchio, Santa Croce and the Piazza Michelangelo. Palazzo Pitti was the residence of the Medici family, who were used to living in lavish environments. Hence, you can imagine the series of sculptures, paintings, architectural adornments and ornaments you can find there.
Ponte Vecchio is another symbol of the city, built in the 14th century, specially used by the Medici family to go from the Palazzo Vecchio (in Piazza Signoria) through the Uffizi Gallery towards the family residence (i.e. the Palazzo Pitti), without going out in the street. Santa Croce is an austere Franciscan church, which contains some of the most magnificint tombs in the world (Michelangelo, Macchiavelo, Galilei, etc.). And finally, Piazza Micheangelo, located on a hilltop opposite the Arno river, offers a breathtaking view of the city. No doubt, a place where couples go to kiss. Well, to be honest, the hypnotic views are postcard-worthy and really inspiring for painters.
If you like ice-creams, you can’t miss Grom, in Via Campanile, just off the cathedral. Their tasty, creamy ice-creams are really a delight to your senses. But if what you like is coffee, you know that the Italian way of making the beverage is famous worldwide; then, you should go to Café Rivoire, in Piazza Signoria, where you can breathe the same atmosphere and spirit as the likes of Goethe, Stendhal and Hemingway. Mind you: don’t drink a cup of coffee while sitting in a chair as it is prohibitive! You should take it at the counter instead. However, if you don’t mind the price and the weather is nice, the outdoor tables give you the best front-row seats in town for people-watching.
Finally, if you like going places off the beaten track, leave the city centre and head directly for the much less touristy Porta San Niccolo, where you can find a lot of budget restaurants (e.g. trattorias), pubs and lounge-bars and enjoy the typical ‘Aperittivo’ at 7 p.m. or thereabouts. At this kind of dinner you pay just for the drink (although it is rather expensive; for instance, a glass of wine costs 8 euro), but you can take food from a lot of trays full of pasta, pizza, meat, chicken and fish, so it is good value for money. Moreover, it is one of the most deeply-rooted Italian customs so if you want to adapt to Italy’s lifestyle, you should go and have an ‘Aperittivo’. Happy adaptation, my Godness!
Obviously, I have to omit many reference places in Florence, in order to be concise. For example, I have hardly written about its lively nightlife. Since Florence is packed with Erasmus students, you should go out and hit the town every night. All in all, Florence offers a lot of choice, so you won’t have a dull, predictable holiday. In this sense, the city is extremely rewarding.
If any of you has been an Erasmus student in the north of Italy, you will have noticed I have failed to mention other places. I assume that, as I firmly believe that my tips can be complemented by your suggestions and recommendations, so that we can praise the beauty and enthusiasm of this unique town called Florence.
Wow, mate!! I've just read your text and now I'm willing to visit that amazing city!! It's great to have such an interesting point of view about a place I want to meet some day in my lifetime.
ReplyDeleteActually... I'd just like to go abroad and see the world with my own eyes. Italy is one of my favourite destinations, with no doubt.
Thanks 4 your lovely words!!
C U next week :)
Fatima (C1)