Sunday, January 29, 2012

Florence-museum of natural history, palazzo vecchio and brancacci chapel

Crystals in the exhibit

the colors of the crystals were really stunning






one of the only crystals that was from the States, from Michigan, called the horse

crystals in very odd shapes

stuffed wombat

stuffed anteater

stuffed hedgehogs



inside the palazzo vecchio, a tree made of poinsetta plants

fresco in palazzo vecchio

palazzo vecchio, lovely wood ceiling

brancacci chapel, with frescoes by massaccio,  expulsion of adam and eve  from paradise . painted  about 1425

brancacci chapel, sometimes called the sistine chapel of the renaissance

brancacci chapel
Having time to explore places I had never seen on a very, cold Sunday morning while others went to visit the Davanzati Museum I went to see the Museum of Natural History, called "La Specola". It is a part of the pitti palace museum complex.  There was a wonderful exhibit of crystals from around the world, about 5 rooms full, one more stunning than the next. For most of my visit I was the only one in there. Afterwards I went into the natural history part of the building. This was a huge step back in time with old wooden cases filled with animals of all kinds. Unbelievable stuff, lions with cubs, hippos, rhinos, all kinds of animals from Australia, snakes, rooms full of birds, a whole section of human body insides (most of which I skipped).
We headed to lunch after a walk and then took in the lovely Brancacci chapel frescoed in the 15th century by Masolino, his pupil Masaccio, and finished by Filippo Lippi. A great way to end another successful trip to Florence.

Florence- Santa Croce and more Dec 2011

Facade of Santa Croce. the largest Franciscan basilica in the world

Giotto in santa croce

renaissance fresco, santa croce, blood and more

Michelangelo's tomb in santa croce. The three women representing sculpture, art and architecture

galileo's tomb santa croce

santa croce cloister at dusk

st tobias and the angel

st elijah's fire stained glass in museum in santa croce

santa croce cloister at sunset

facade of santa croce after dark

the missoni window, tree was covered with christmas balls made of missoni materials, very cool

incredible 3 -D Gucci window

very cool dress and window display, again the winter white which was all over the place

reds and greens for Christmas

even the ponte vecchio decorated for Christmas!

view from hotel window- Duomo and the tower of the palazzo vecchio

another view from hotel room-pitti palace

and the view of the pitti palace in the day

Florence-small museums Dec 2011

duomo in florence on a full moon evening in nov

You can never tire of this

such a beautiful site

and in the day in Dec

Baptistry in front of duomo, florence
lovely byzantine stone carvings in the salvatore romano foundation, next to church of santo spirito

this was roman, had never seen a Roman cat before, same museum as above

fresco on wall of what was refectory for Santo Spirito, is now the site of the salvatore romano foundation
funny nativity scene.  Bardini museum

Bardini Museum, great collection and loved the blue walls

the original porcellino is in the Bardini. The one at the market near the duomo, where everyone pets the nose for good luck is a copy of this.

lovely wall fresco in Bardini

liked this painting of St. Peter meeting St. Paul

great camels and boar

wonderful wooden and stucco ceiling with a huge collection of madonnas on the walls

Very pretty ceramic angel

silver horse armour

wonderful display of christmas cookies in a florentine cafe
Being able to visit Florence for a few days in Nov and Dec 2011 was great. No crowds, great weather and was able to enjoy seeing some of the smaller, wonderful museums which I never get to enjoy. Both the Romano Foundation and the Bardini are the collections of private individuals and well worth visiting.