Praying in florence

P RAYING IN FLORENCE PABLO DE MELLO

P RAYING IN FLORENCE DESIGN, PHOTOS AND TEXTS

PABLO DE MELLO

Contents Santa Maria del Fiore

12

Battistero di San Giovanni

16

Basilica di Santa Croce

20

Basilica di Santo Spirito

22

Basilica di San Lorenzo

24

Basilica di San Marco

26

Basilica di St. Maria Novella

28

Basilica di San Miniato

30

Basilica di St. Maria del Carmine

32

Basilica SS. Annunziata

36

Chiesa Russa Ortodoxa

38

Grande Sinagoga di Firenze

40

I

taly, land of faith and passion. Art and beauty.

Land of so many beliefs.

Land of the catolicism. And land of renaissance. Where man met himself and started to walk alone.

apparently contradiction: the luxury of the shops and the inumerous saints posted on the streets. Churches everywhere for all beliefs. Revolutionary pieces of art in all places. Beauty everywhere.

Florence has a fundamental role to Italy in this scenery. At the same time it holds some of the most beautiful churches and temples in Italy, it is considered the place where the renaissance genious of art and science found a safe place to work and develop the ideas that would change the world forever.

Coming to Florence makes us think about all of these topics. In times of changes it was fundamental to make me look to my life in a different way. There, I lived and breathed beauty and faith everyday.

Beauty of life and work. And faith in a better future.

In every corner we can find some examples that shows this

This book is a tribute to the beautiful temples that I visited during my days in Florence.

BASILICA S. MARIA DEL FIORE

A

shtoning.

Breathtaking.

Marvellous. Well, adjectives are few to describe the impressions we have facing the Duomo for the first time. The huge dimensions combined with the geometric balance makes us think about faith. What is the limit of our belief? We also feel the obssessive decoration allied to the endless statues of saints.

Well, all said about this church is true and goes beyond.

The Dome was projected by Brunneleschi and is considered an remarkable achivement of architecture and still remais the biggest in the world.

It was constructed between 1290 to 1436 and was a gothic project of Arnolfo di Cambio.

Surrounded by medieval buildings, it is a vision that will remain forever in our minds.

The façade was only completed in the ‘800. The campanary tower was a Giotto’s project.

Inside, we can find out artwork

by Vasari, as the fresco of the dome, Paolo Ucello, Balducci, Zuccari, Luca della Robbia, Donatello and Andrea del Castagno.

BATTISTERO DI

SAN GIOVANNI

T

he holly baptistery, one of the oldest buildings of the city, still evokes magic visions. Built in Romanesque style over a Roman temple dedicated to Mars, it is a symbol of Florence.

In front of the Duomo, it holds the Paradise Doors, sculpted

by Pisano, Ghiberti and Michelangelo.

Personalities as Dante and the Medicis were baptized there.

Inside, there is a magnificent mosaic ceiling and artwork by Donatello, Gaddi, Pisano and others. Magic and remarkable visit!

BASILICA

SANTA CROCE

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anta Croce! One of the most loved churches by the Florentine. Its elegant and harmonic marble façade is a sublime masterpiece of faith and art, beauty and grace. Called as Temple of the Italian Glories due to the many great men buried there as Michelangelo, Galileo, Machiavelli and Rossini.

The legend says that Saint Francis founded this church by himself. The fact is it was built in Romanesque style in the end of the XIII century over another church designed by Arnolfo di

Cambio. The façade was only completed in the end of the XIX century.

There are many chappels adorned by important frescoes as the Cappella dei Pazzi, masterpiece of the Renaissance as well as the monk’s refectory.

The funerary monuments are also famous and Dante’s one is spectacular. The fundamental Cimabue’s crucifix is there as many important artwork from Della Robbia brothers, Vasari, Orcagna, Gaddi, Donatello and others.

Simply unforgetable!

BASILICA

SANTO SPIRITO

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ne of the most characteristic churches in Florence because its clean and gorgeous façade, Santo Spirito is located in Oltrarno, the other side of the Arno river.

It became built in the end of the XIV century designed by Brunelleschi and the style was

the same as the others, with the Latin Cross and many columns in the right proportion.

There are important artworks as the Michelangelo’s Crucifix and many frescoes by Ghirlandaio, Buontalenti, Lippi and Fra Bartolomeo for the side chappels.

It is located in the bohemian piazza.

BASILICA

SAN LORENZO

O

ne of the largest churches in the city, San Lorenzo became the spiritual temple of the Medicis, the ruler familiy of the medieval and renaissance Florence. The architectural style is a milestone of the renaissance and was designed

by Brunelleschi. There are some innovations as the large

use of proportions. It houses the famous Medici Chappell with its Micheangelo tombs and the Laurentian Library, a precious gem of culture. The unfinished faรงade is a mark of the florentine style.

We can find artwork from Donatello, Verrochio, Fillipo Lippi and Bronzino.

BASILICA

SAN MARCO

W

orldwide famous because the magnific paintings of Fra Angelico, the San Marco Basilica is a must seen in the Florence sacre tour.

The church, built in 1443 in Romanic style designed

by Giambologna. The later faรงade in Neo-Classical style came up only in the XVIII century. It hosts the church and a convent, converted in a special museum to shelter uncountless workpieces o Fra Angelico. The religious artist

also painted the frescoes in every cell of the convent. His painting is clearly inspired by the humanist values from the renaissance although the sacred and traditional thematic. The grace and the colours, the form and the movements cause deep impressions.

San Marco is also important because it housed the Savonarola monk, a controversial spiritual leader. We can find out more artwork from artist such Fra Bartolomeo, Pico della Mirandola and Ghirlandaio. A must seen.

BASILICA

S. MARIA NOVELLA

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basilica of the city. The famous architect Alberti designed the façade inspired by the humanist values about proportions and harmony.

It is located near to the train station and the Arno River.

Was built in the romanic architectural style between 1246 and 1470, in several moments.

It is considered the first great

The interior is designed in the traditional Latin cross and holds any important chappels of the most respected florentine families as Strozzi, Gondi, Mantova and Rucellai. The artwork shelted includes the impressive Masaccio masterpiece considered the first renaissance paint and more from Giotto, Botticelli, Ghirlandaio, Vasari and many more.

ne of the most beautiful churches of Florence and, for that, one of it’s symbol. One of the florentine trio of churches along with the Duomo and also Santa Croce.

The façade is a unequivocal example of the renaissance art and inspired many artists through the centuries.

BASILICA SAN MINIATO

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ust behind the famous Michelangelo bronze statue of David there is the Basilica of San Miniato where the view of the city is something from out planet. It is a romanesque church erected between the x and xiv centuries.

head in the hands crossed the Arno River and layed down over the mountain. True or not, the fact is San Miniato is one of the most beautiful churches in Tuscany. Its facade was the model for many coming later, including the Duomo and Santa Croce.

The decoration was made by Luca della Robbia and the crucifix by Agnolo GaddĂŹ.

There is still a monastery of the Olivetans order behind it.

During the middleages, its campanary was used by Michelangelo to base a weapon against the Siena’s siege.

The legend says that San Miniato coming from Rome with his

The cemetery next holds the bodies of famous musicians, writers, artists and so on.

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S MARIA DEL CARMINE

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his is a Carmelite church situated in the Oltrarno side of the river and is world famous because the Brancacci’s Chapell painted by the renaissance master Masaccio.

It was built in 1282 as part of a monastery that still exists. The initial romanesque-gothic style was renovated in baroque until

a fire destroyed part of it. Later, it came in rococo style. The facade is still unfinished as many florentine churches.

The frescoes of Masaccio is considered the first masterwork of art of the Renaissance and tells biblical stories as the genesis legend of Adam and Eva. A mustseeing for art lovers.

BASILICA

SS ANNUNZIATA

L

ocated in the piazza with the same name, SS Annunziata is a church built in 1481 by the famous architect Leon Battisti.

Its arches keeps the look of the near Brunneleschi’s Innoncenti building, a real mark in the architecture history. The interior is all baroque and still

keeps pieceworks of great artists as Giambologna, Bronzino, Perugino and Jacopo da Empoli.

It is an amazing example of rennaissance art. The simplicity and clear of the outside in direct contrast to the rich and solene interior can shock the visitor with its beauty.

CHIESA

RUSSA ORTODOXA

A

n incredible temple located near to the Stazione. Close to the Mugnone river there is this Orthodox Russian church with those particular and colorful towers. It was built in the Byzantine style between 1899 and 1903.

The day we visit there was a ceremony. The ambient was full of incense. There were some russians and greeks religious and a couple of monks wearing those beautiful clothes and singing sacred chants. Unforgetable experience. The visit is very worthy.

GRANDE

SINAGOGA

T

he light green dome of this spectacular temple can be seen from the hills competing with the Duomo.

The Sinagogue is located about a kilometer from Santa Crcoce and offers string testimonial about the strong faith of the Florentine people. Because the magnificence of this building, built in the end of the XIX century assembling arabic and italian styles. The interior shows uncountless mosaics and patterns evoking infinity beauty.

Worth the visit.