From the Vault
Writings from my travels in Europe, my jewelry life while living in NYC - and more…
Gems: a tour guide, the beginning…
In early 2008, I embarked on a five-month trip in search of antique jewelry collections in the museums of Europe. My intention was to write a guidebook about it and change the direction of my life. There were many surprises along the way, including my newfound desire to write about so much more than just jewelry. When you are traveling for that long a period, you have time to relax into what’s really happening all around you. Your priorities shift, you realize you are spending more time looking at art, architecture, and people in cafes, than jewelry. My love for jewelry, its beauty and history were still there but there was this whole other world I was immersed in and enjoying immensely. Needless to say, this was confusing to me at the time and I felt like I wasn’t following the plan - but that’s what happens when you allow life to unfold around you, not trying to make it fit into what you think you should be doing. It can be challenging to let go of the reigns, but the gifts are immeasurable if you do. First up Florence (Firenze) - not my first time there but my first time as Gems: a tour guide.
On the Ponte Vecchio
During my five-month trip in Europe, I spent a total of 6 weeks in Italy, with my home base in Lucca, a charming walled city near Pisa. I traveled to Florence & Rome, both twice within that time, finding some amazing jewelry in both cities, including the outstanding collection at the Palazzo Pitti but for this blog, I want to share a snapshot of some of the things I love about Firenze. Honestly, I could write countless posts about Italy in general, but we’ll start with this.
Arriving in Florence is always exciting, and I was eager to see some old favorites as well as discover new treasures. Here I am on the Ponte Vecchio (old bridge), one of the most unique attractions and dating back to the 1300’s, it serves as the jewelry and silver center of the city with its many shops selling these wares. It’s also a fun way to cross the river Arno to places such as the Boboli Gardens and Palazzo Pitti.
Pigeon with a view
Typically, when I first arrive in a city, I like to get to a higher vantage point, so that I can see the layout before me. This can really help you get your bearings. One of the best places to do this in Florence, is across the river Arno, up the hill at the Piazzale Michelangelo. The park, created in 1869 by Florentine architect Giuseppe Poggi, was intended to house several bronze replicas of Michelangelo’s work. Not all went to plan but you will see a towering replica of the Statue of David there, overlooking the city. The original David, definitely worth the crowds to see, is at the Accademia, in town. I will be writing a separate post about my time spent with the David, at a later date. While you are taking in the gorgeous views, buy a cappuccino or lunch and stay awhile. It’s also a wonderful place to have an aperitivo or watch the Tuscan sunset.
The Medici Palace
This spot was not on my itinerary for this trip but became an unexpected haven for me during an impressive thunderstorm one afternoon. Formidable from the street, it is not what you might usually consider a palace to look like - but for the Medici’s, the art-loving ruling family of Renaissance Florence, it was home. And home it was, to some of the most famous artists of that period, as the Medici’s hosted and sponsored the likes of Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci & Botticelli, just to name a few. Once I realized where I had stumbled into, to escape the storm, I was transported back in time and literally felt the energy of this powerful place and the historical giants who lived, created, and ruled there. Perhaps the storm and its thundering rain pouring into the open courtyard helped? I will be writing a future post about what happened that day at the palace and the unexpected treasure I found. Stay tuned!
Santa Croce
Exquisite detail on this tomb found on the grounds of Santa Croce. Often times people will only go to the main part of the main attraction, in this case, the basilica of Santa Croce with its many famous inhabitants entombed there- but there is more to discover at Santa Croce with a leather school (scuola del cucio) and leather goods shop on the property and the lovely cloisters where I happened upon this beautiful marble tomb of a young, French-West Indian poet named Louise de Favreau, only 17 when she died. Her parents hired the talented French sculptor, Félicie de Fauveau, to design and sculpt the tomb using one of their daughter’s poems as inspiration. I focus here on the feet, as I was absolutely blown away by how the sheer “fabric” clings to them, while not missing any detail. Astonishing. There is so much beauty in the world, often missed when we are in a hurry to get to the next thing and the next thing… Slow down, wander off the beaten path, take in your surroundings - there is so much to see.
Detail, detail, detail…
The Pitti Palace houses many impressive collections, including paintings, silver and decorative arts, a fashion history museum and one of the best jewelry collections in Europe. As I was perusing the incredible portrait gallery one day, the beautiful detail of this frame caught my eye, more so than the lovely painting it housed, by Edoardo Gelli. The hand-carved gilded frame of nereids (the sea-nymph daughters of Nereus, in Greek mythology), were swimming and floating in their aquatic world of gold, so beautifully representing the style of Art Nouveau at the turn of the century - or Stile Liberty, as the movement was known in Italy. Next time you are in a museum, take a look at the frames, oftentimes they are a work of art in their own right.
The people…
I couldn’t resist snapping this pic of an Italian family walking near the Duomo. It was a late Sunday morning, and I was imagining them heading to some wonderful local ristorante where they would meet family & friends for a delicious lunch (pranzo), whiling away the afternoon with stories and laughter. Right?! It is not a lie when you hear that the Italians have a high sense of style, they do!
Gems: a tour guide map of Florence
I am a map girl and proud of it :) Once back from my multi-month trip in Europe, I set out to create maps (mock-ups on real maps) of the places I would write about. Here is my map of Florence, complete with a legend of icons (upper right side) representing the gem collections I saw, as well as art and architectural points of interest, viewpoints, cafes & restaurants I liked, the all-important Mercato Centrale (for all your picnic & culinary needs) and parks & gardens for strolling and relaxing. Of course, there is so much more to see and do than I have highlighted on this map - but I was writing a different kind of guidebook, not always about the main attractions but what I considered to be gems of that city. Creating maps is a lot of fun!
Palazzo Strozzi
There is always time to pause and enjoy a local caffé. This, a much-needed stop in a busy day of museum-ing and walking all over Florence. My friend and I having a chance to rest our feet, get some energy-boosting caffeine, sample some delicious treats (I believe this was a pear and chocolate torta ?) and chat about all the amazing things we’d experienced so far that day. Resting and taking in the atmosphere of where you are visiting is just as important as seeing all the art and sites that it has to offer. This charming little spot was in the Renaissance courtyard of the Palazzo Strozzi and a perfect rest stop after seeing their art exhibitions.
I hope you enjoyed this little trip around Florence! I will be sharing more of my favorite spots and stories of this wonderful mecca for art and culture, in future posts. Alla prossima!
-All images are my own.
-Wendy (aka: gemsatourguide)