Florence, Italy, is well-known
for its art. Techno Tourist also found
beauty in the architecture of this city made for walking - and eating,
shopping, and exploring! It only takes
about 30 minutes to walk from one end of historic Florence (Firenze in Italian) to the other. Of course, stops to take in the city sights
are not included! In this blog entry,
Techno Tourist describes the architecture of the famous Ponte Vecchio as well
as how Michangelo's famed David sculpture is maintained.
Ponte Vecchio
Much of historic Florence
sits alongside the Arno River. A series
of bridges span the river to connect the two sides of the city. The Ponte Vecchio (Italian for old bridge) has a long history:
- The original bridge was the only bridge over the
Arno River in Florence until 1218.
- It was rebuilt in 1345 after being wiped out in
a flash flood.
- It was the only bridge over the Arno River in
Florence not destroyed by the Germans in WWII.
- Shops have been a part of the Ponte Vecchio
since the 13th century; they were limited to goldsmiths and jewelers
in 1593 by Ferdinand I.
The Ponte Vecchio was originally
constructed of wood, but after being destroyed by a flood it was rebuilt of
stone. The bridge is constructed of
bearing masonry and stone arches. There
are three arches; the center arch spans 98 feet and the outer two arches span
77 feet each. The rise of the arches
ranges from 11.5 to 14.5 feet.
While it was fun to look at the
shops on the bridge, the Ponte Vecchio is best viewed from a distance or from
atop a nearby bridge. It doesn't even
seem like you're on a bridge until you reach the center of the Ponte Vecchio -
at that point there is a gap between the shops on either side, and a view of
the Arno River is provided.
Michelangelo's David
The original David sculpture,
created from marble by Michelangelo from 1501-1504, is now housed in the
Accademia Gallery of Florence. There are
also two outdoor replicas in Florence - one is located outside the Palazzo
della Signoria and the other is in Piazzale Michaelangelo. (The photo is of a replica - photography was not allowed in the Accademia.)
Interestingly, David's hands and
head are disproportionately large. This
may be because the statue was intended to appear atop a cathedral.
An attack by a man with a hammer
in 1991 (he damaged the statue's toes) enabled analysis of the marble used in
the sculpture. It was determined that it
came from the Frantiscritti quaries of Miseglia. David was cleaned in 1843 and 2003 due to
marble degradation.
The statue is monitored by fiber
optic sensors because of cracks that exist in the lower areas. It has shown sensitivity to vibrations and
temperature variation even without the presence of seismic events. The growth of the cracks is also
monitored. The casual observer may not
even notice the system; the sensors blend with the coloring and a computer sits
unobtrusively behind the statue. A Smartbrick is attached to the base of the rear of the statue.
Copies of David exist
all over the world, but the bronze one atop Piazzale Michelangelo is
particularly stunning. Nine pairs of oxen
carried the materials for the monument to the top of the hill in 1873. The view is well worth it despite a long,
steep hike to the top. The backdrop to
one side of David is rolling hills leading to mountains; the other is the Arno
River, bridges, and the city of Florence.
Resources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence
http://wikitravel.org/en/Florence#b
http://www.visitflorence.com/florence-monuments/ponte-vecchio.html
http://www.italian-architecture.info/FL/FL-007.htm
http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Ponte_Vecchio.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_(Michelangelo)
http://en.firenze.waf.it/museo_dett/27-state-museums/3174-the-accademia-gallery.html
http://www.ndt.net/article/art2011/papers/PASCALE%20-%20NDT%2044.pdf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piazzale_Michelangelo
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Re: Techno Tourist Visits Italy: Florence
