UNCOVERING FIRENZE

Florence: the city of flowers... well, I'm not sure about the flowers, but Florence is definitely the city of all things fabulous. Right when you step onto the streets of Florence you are instantly met with the most fabulous looking Italians, shopping in fabulous stores, surrounded by fabulous architecture. It was definitely much more spectacular than our small town of Castiglion Fiorentino that housed a few small shops and our favorite local bar, La Posta. As soon as we stepped into the Piazza, I knew this day was going to be, well, fabulous.

So we walked and marveled at the streets of this tourist city, watching intently to ensure we don't fall into the hands of a pick pocketer while simultaneously feeling, once again, inferior to the fashionable dogs of Italy. The sights of Florence were as expected- fabulous. As we touristed through the city, we "listened" to our guide, who was more keen on us learning the history than recording it through our camera lens (crazy right??). As we creeped around the corner of a not-too-fabulous street, there it was. We had come into the presence of what can only be described as the most exquisite piece of architecture I have ever had the pleasure of witnessing...

Basilica di Santa Croce: the Church of the Holy Cross, the Temple of the Italian Glories, the largest Franciscan church in the world. This was my classroom for the day. This basilica is the definition of words not being able to live up to majesty. Walking into this basilica was like walking out of the world and into the presence of God (I know that sounds dramatic, but that's because it was). I have never been in so much awe in my life.

The artwork. The statues. The stained-glass. The temperature. Everything within these walls made you stand at attention and notice the significance of this Basilica. There, in my presence laid to rest was Michelangelo, Galileo Galilei, Machiavelli along with many others. And that's just the dead. The living artwork included Donatello, Cimabue, and Giotto. So, basically this church housed the backbone (literally) of the most genius men in history. And I was standing 10 feet away from them. Pretty cool.

So, lets talk about Giotto's artwork real quick. Let me tell you something: if I was Giotto I would be pissed. This man spent almost his entire life painting frescos on the walls of this Basilica. Creating life out of smashed up rocks and inventing technique out of thin air. Imagine putting your heart and soul into a fresco so beautiful and so vast that people literally stand in awe of the art for centuries upon centuries. AND THEN, imagine if someone just decided to paint over your life's work because, oh, it was momentarily "out of style."

Talk about a bummer.

I shed a small tear thinking of how tragic it was that someone covered a masterpiece in order to fit with a trend. So much love put into a piece of art, only to be forgotten by so many generations. Luckily, for our generation, this is not the case. Professionals for years have done us the ultimate service of uncovering the frescos created by Giotto on these walls so that his ingenious work could once again be awed upon. Although there are some parts that have been ruined and colors that have faded; the artwork is still as magical and unforgettable as I'm sure Giotto thought it to be.

Florence is big and bustling and full of fabulous things; but, I can guarantee that no matter your preference of labels or posh canine attire, every person that stands in the midst of Basilica di Santa Croce is brought down to the bare minimum of marble stone, rock-crushed color, and the bones of the man who touched the stars. This temple demands the respect it is due after withstanding centuries before us, the time in its present, and the centuries it will stand long after we are gone. That, if nothing else, is something to marvel at.

So it goes: there, in the fabulous city of Florence, where details of its history may sometimes be masked now by the fancy stores and the buzz of chatter from the rush of tourists- all it takes is to step out of the world and into the presence of God in order to uncover the original beauty of Florence.

<3 Amanda.