La Gloria dei Traci

We really don't know that much about the Thracians, the people who lived north of the Balkans, in what is now Bulgaria -- the Ancient Greeks describe them as proud barbarian warriors, emphasizing their prowess and the excellence of their horses and weaponry.

Part of the problem is that what few written records they left haven't been deciphered. However, it is gradually becoming apparent that theirs was one of the most important European civilizations, and that their influence on the Greeks was very profound: Orpheus, the poet whose music charmed the animals and softened the hearts of the Gods, was a Thracian, as was Æsculapius, the great healer who became the God of Medicine (his name derives from two Thracian words, As (serpent) and Klepi (to entwine around a stick)).

Though their civilization persisted for several thousand years they never seem to have united, existing rather as a federation of tribes, some of which did rise to great power: the objects found in the earliest level of Troy match those from Thracia, and several centuries later Greek statesmen watched nervously as Kotys, King of the Odrisi, brought the Greek colonies along the Aegean under his sway. The Thracians sided with Brutus and Cassius against Octavian and Mark Anthony, and at Anzio fought on both sides in the battle between Mark Anthony and Octavian (Cassius and Brutus having been defeated). Augustus took advantage of the political fragmentation of the Thracian homeland to move against it, and in 46 AD the region became a Roman province, supplying grain, slaves (whom the Romans were happy to take despite the fact that Spartacus, leader of the great revolt of 72 BC, was Thracian), and even an Emperor -- Massimino Gaio Vero Trace.

WHAT, YOU ARE WONDERING, does this have to do with Florence?

Historians have long known that the Thracians were skilled jewelers. Just how skilled has become apparent in the past 20 years, with the discovery of an extraordinary series of tombs, some dating back to the Enolithic (5000 BC), which are all brimming with spellbinding jewelry. The Bulgarian Ministry of Culture has selected about 3000 objects, many of which have never been out of Bulgaria before, and has organized a show in the crypt of Florence's Santa Croce. If you like jewelry you must see it.

The entrace to the show is from a door immediately to the right of Santa Croce (which you should also visit; it has spectacular frescos by Giotto and his contemporaries, Cimabue's Crucifixion, Michelangelo and Galileo's tombs, and much more -- this link has more awkward text than the one above but has several photos), which opens onto a pleasant grassy cloister with a path that leads to Brunlleschi's Cappella dei Pazzi. The show begins with several panels explaining who the Thracians were and traces their history; there's also a film on them, but that's only in Italian (the captions and explanations are in English too). The objects are in the crypt proper, and are simply marvelous. The fists pieces are the oldest, from the Varna Necropolis, but to look at them you would never dream that they are 4500 years old. The lines are absolutely contemporary, very clean, and the craftsmanship is impeccable. Some of the pieces are also large; there's what one might call a serving dish that could hold several gallons of stew, and lids more than a foot in diameter with arabesque-looking geometric designs, all in solid, very thick gold.

There's also a surprising amount of silver, which is again spectacular -- clean, very elegant lines, much reminiscent of the work of the finest late 18^th century silversmiths. And there's bronze -- small delicate axe heads, beautifully decorated vessels, handles, parade armor, and a rapier that again looks remarkably modern.

Perhaps the most impressive pieces, however, are the Royal jewels -- signet rings, a crown of laurel leaves made of beaten gold, a silver rhyon (a bull's head cup), and beautiful broaches and clasps featuring hunting scenes. One suddenly realizes where Cartier got the inspiration for the puma series of pins and broaches. Across the hall from the royal jewelry is a small section devoted to religious life, with terracotta votive offerings and one of the tablets used to make them, several figurines of the mounted warrior who was the Thracians' main male deity, and several plaques with three curvaceous muses dancing -- the Thracian goddesses of the home.

There are also more recent pieces, from the Roman period, including the head of a larger-than-life bronze statue of an emperor, gladiatorial arms, jewels set with precious stones, and lots of coinage. In all it will take you at least an hour, and perhaps much longer to visit this show. Once you have finished, backtrack to visit the Museo dell'Opera di Santa Croce, home to one of Florence's most important collections of early Renaissance art (admission is included with that of the Thracian show).

Practical details: The show is open daily, from 10 AM to 7 PM, and will remain open until January 11 1998. The photographs are posted with the kind permission of the organizers of the show.