Lost in the labyrinth.  Lost in thought.  I looked up and saw Leonardo standing in the shadows.  The only way to visit Florence is to get lost; staying open to what unfolds.  In the twilight it was Leonardo da Vinci who beckoned me down a small alley near the Ponti Realto Bridge.  Still enveloped in the magic of the exquisite art of Pittti Palace, I caught Leonardo out of the corner of my eye.  Standing 100 meters down a tiny lane, I was led towards him, like moth to flame.  As I got closer I realized it was a life size color cut-out of the famous inventor.  Behind him was a man sitting at a small desk, in front of a hidden cathedral, next to the Galleria degli Uffizi.  He was selling tickets to tonight’s performance of Three Tenors.  Two tickets left.  Coincidence or just another gift that the back alleys of Florence have to offer?

Our return was a typical Florence evening stroll full of surprises.  First we delighted in a black chocolate vegan gelato, next to the 20-foot fountain of melted chocolate.  We then were treated to buskers singing and playing music in an adjoining square and finally music and shows under the shadow of Michelangelo’s David.  

A mesmerizing and unique production awaited us in St Stefano al Ponte Vecchio.  A church cleared out during the war, now acting as a concert venue, it has sharp acoustics and warm ambiance.  What happens when you combine 3 Tenors with ballet, a grand piano and a mandolin?  Magic.
After the standing ovation we floated back out in to the streets of Florence that led home.  Once there we slept like babies, lulled to sleep by the memories of the grandeur of Florence just outside our walls.

Florence is the cradle of the Renaissance.  Florence is where da Vinci and Michelangelo crafted some of the most loved and enduring art of all time, and where the Medici family built an empire.  We stayed 1 block from San Lorenzo church, next to Medici Palace.  Having just watched the Medici series it was fun to retrace the steps of this prestigious Italian family.  The show was fiction but many of the scenes were in Florence and we had the feeling of walking on the same stone streets and doorsteps as these famous figures since the 11th century.

The Medici family is of note as they started off as merchants and by playing their cards right and marrying into influential families of royalty, made their way to the top as the first bankers of Florence.  Florence had been decimated by a flood, the black plague, and default on a loan to England.  The Medici’s swooped in with money and bailed out the sinking city.  Relatives and friends were placed in strategic places and when a favorable decision was to be made they could count on their vote.  With the usual bribery of money, a criminal cousin was elevated to the rank of Pope and he ensured that the papal accounts were handled by the Medici bank.  Their position was set.  Luckily for Florence the Medici family was not only involved in manipulation and intrigue (as are politicians today) but they valued the Arts and hoped to create a better life for Florentines.  The Renaissance blossomed with this golden age, during which geniuses such as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Pontormo shone brightly.  To this day the Italian culture is deeply soaked in an appreciation of the good things in life. 

The Duomo, the massive dome of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, is an architectural and innovative wonder in the center of Florence.  It was completed in 1434, largest masonry dome in the world.  The church was literally built for centuries as it was designed and redesigned and enlarged.  For over a century there was a gaping hole in the ceiling at one end because they couldn’t figure out how to complete the cupola and finish the dome.  Finally, they decided to hold a competition.  All plans were rejected as unfeasible.  The feat seemed impossible.  Then a wild plan was proposed by Brunelleschi, not an architect but rather a goldsmith.  He ‘thought outside the box ‘and built the dome in 16 years, utilizing tools he designed and built to handle the massive stones and bricks.  An architectural wonder, built without scaffolding or a wooden frame, this dome stands to this day a beacon to the ingenuity and genius alive during these golden years.

Unfortunately, Brunelleschi’s diagrams and plans were destroyed and when the outside and cupola were completed there wasn’t an engineer in Italy who could figure how to put the brass ball and cross on the very top.  Faced with the problem a local engineer mentioned it to his teenage, apprentice who jumped in with both feet – recreating the tools necessary to raise the massive golden ball.  These same building cranes are seen around the world today creating our skyscrapers and concrete jungles. The apprentice’s name:  Leonardo da Vinci!

 Leonardo da Vinci, artist, architect, inventor never thought within the box.  Admiring his works for years we relished in seeing replicas of all his famous inventions at the museum dedicated to his memory.  Another hidden treasure of Florence is the secret passageway built by the Medicis, the Vasari Corridor.  Grand Duke Cosimo commissioned this anomaly in 1564.  This walkway goes from Palazzo Vecchio, through the Uffizi Gallery, over the Ponte Vecchio, over the front of a church, and finally into the Boboli Gardens, which are next to the Pitti Palace where the Duke lived with his wife and family. The Corridor is featured in Dan Brown’s Inferno; the protagonists hide out in the faux grotto at its exit, and desperately try to get through the door while they are being chased down with a drone controlled by evil forces. 

Avoiding the dirty streets below, plus allowing sneaking between bedrooms, this passageway was perfect except for the butcher shop lining the Ponte (bridge) Vecchio.  Stinking to high heavens, Cosimo ordered their replacement with goldsmith shops.  Mussolini invited Hitler to walk the Corridor over the bridge in WWII.  Realizing many famous irreplaceable paintings were hidden along the walls, he ordered his retreating troops to Not blow up Ponte Vecchio.  It was the only bridge left standing.

Walking across this historical monument we were drawn in by the many high class jewelry and goldsmith shops. Entering the shop displaying the finest jewelry, Joseph was met by their top salesman.  Soon it became apparent that Joseph was from this elite world of top gems and fine jewelry, and we were led up a narrow passageway to the exclusive showroom, overlooking the river.  Soon we were joined by the 80 yr. old Madame of the shop, and spent the next hour reminiscing about the glory days of fine gems and jewelry.  Turns out her husband had bought her large diamond wedding ring in DeYoungs of Boston, Joseph’s first job as top gemologist.  We were treated to fine wine and canapés, then brought up a narrow flight of stairs to feast our eyes on the latest creations by the shop’s two goldsmiths.  You just never know what a day of traveling with the Gill’s will unfold.

And so we continued walking the streets of Florence.  It is like walking through a colorful incunabulum, hand painted history book.  All the big players and golden minds that shaped our arts and sciences, were born in or moved to Florence to invent a new society.  Our day had come.  The arts and sciences blossomed in spite of the fact that mankind, with its often puzzling human nature and tendencies towards greed and conflict, threw up obstacles in their way!  Amazing what can be accomplished when monies and energies are spent on the Beauty and Magnificence of humanity rather than its destruction!  Our day shall come again!

And so it goes…………………………………..Next off to visit the ‘Godfather’ on the historical island of Sicily.   Until then Keep Laughing, Keep Living Life to the Fullest, and remember If you can’t live longer, live deeper.   We are glad you stopped by.   Take care!

Love, Light & Laughter, 

xo  Nancy & Joseph