Liberty in Florence

Mention Florentine architecture and one usually thinks of the Renaissance –Brunelleschi, Bramante, Michelangelo, Buontalenti, Vasari, and many more, in part because they rebuilt the city during the 14^th and 15^th centuries (some earlier works, notably Arnolfo di Cambio's Palazzo Vecchio and Giotto's bell tower by the Duomo, did survive), and in part because they had such a tremendous influence on their successors that for centuries thereafter most Florentines built in a fairly renaissance style. There were some exceptions, notably the Baroque San Gaetano and Ognissanti, but not many; part of the problem was no doubt that Florence itself was no longer the artistic trend-setter – that honor had passed to Rome when Michelangelo and his colleagues moved south, and never returned. The other reason for Florence's building slump was more practical, and somewhat sadder – the city's fortunes faded along side those of the Medici family, and when Gian Gastone died in 1737 Florence passed under the House of Lorraine. The new grand duke was among the most enlightened rulers of Europe, but he was still foreign, and the region remained a backwater.

The decision to move the Italian capital to Florence in the 1860s resulted in a tremendous wave of urban renewal that opened all sorts of possibilities: The old city walls were torn down to provide room for avenues to speed traffic, elegant middle-class homes were built on the boulevards, and a huge, crumbling section of the hart of town was gutted. Building was still going on in the 1880s when a new style arrived from France: Art Nouveau. Progressive architects adapted it suit their needs and an Italian variant emerged, the flamboyant and fun Liberty style, which is characterized by intriguingly free geometric motifs, fanciful animals and elegant floral patterns. It proved extremely popular form about 1880 until 1920, then faded away under the imposing diktat of Fascist architecture.

Though the fascists did order some Liberty buildings torn down quite a bit survived, including a couple of spectacular buildings in the heart of town. The rest is beyond the Viali built in the 1860s, and can be great fun to seek out, especially since doing so will lead you into the residential neighborhoods few tourists see. This itinerary will take you about 5 hours to complete, and includes the non-Liberty things you will see along the way.

You will want to begin in Piazza del Duomo; if you haven't yet had breakfast try Scudieri, the bar at the corner of the Archbishop's palace. Exit the piazza on Via de'Pecori and turn left onto Via Brunelleschi; the first building on the right, the Magazzino Pola & Todescan (the owners have since changed), has Giovanni Paciarelli's spectacular Liberty façade with statuary and colorful tiles. Continue to Piazza della Repubblica, which was built by tearing out the ghetto and the old central market in the 1870s, and exit the square through the archway with the plaque commemorating the "salvation of the neighborhood after centuries of squalor." Follow Via Strozzi past Palazzo Strozzi, checking to see what show it's hosting, and turn left onto Via de'Tornabuoni, home to many of Florence's most elegant stores.

Via Tornabuoni leads into Piazza Santa Trínita; the Column of Justice in the middle of the square is from the Baths of Caracalla, and was given to Cosimo I de'Medici by Pope Pious IV in 1560. Cosimo placed it here to celebrate his victory over his rivals at Montemurlo in 1537, and changed the inscription when he was declared Grand Duke in 1569. Tadda's statue of Justice, intentionally placed looking away from the Palazzo Vecchio, was added in 1581. Palazzo Bartolini Salimbeni (N° 1) was designed by Baccio d'Angelo in the 1520's, and reveals the influence of his stay in Rome. Vasari decided it was graceful, but many other critics thought the architecture was better suited to a church: The inscription over the door, Carpere promptius quam imitari -- it's easier to criticize than imitate -- was Baccio's reply. The window sills bear the motto Better not Sleep (adopted by the Poet Gabriele D'Annunzio) and the building has friezes with poppy flowers, in reference to a dinner during which a Salimbeni merchant is said to have drugged his guests to insure that he would be the first to place a bid for an important lot of merchandise that was being auctioned off the next morning.

The church facing the palace, Santa Trínita, was founded by the Vallombrosians in the 11th century (when it was outside the city walls), and subsequently patronized by many of Florence's wealthiest families; as a result it was rebuilt many times, and could now serve as the text for a good course on Italian art history. To begin on the outside, the elegant Late Renaissance façade is by Buontalenti. However, when you enter the church and turn around, you will see the delightful Romanesque stonework that emerged when the building was restored at the turn of the century. The same restoration also revealed the floor of the 11th century church, under the present floor, and a crypt. Though the floor mosaics that were found are now in the Bargello, the capitals of the columns of the crypt are still there. The crypt is generally kept closed for safety reasons, and to see it you will have to make an appointment with the custodian (he'll most likely ask you to return another day -- tip him). You will also note, flanking the main door, two beautifully carved tombstones (the bones were transferred to the church's ossuary when the stones were removed from the floor).

The fourth chapel on the right has Lorenzo Monaco's Saints, Prophets, and the life of Mary (1420-25) and his Annunciation. It's an interesting chapel, because Lorenzo mixes styles with a surprisingly pleasant result. The Annunciation at the altar is done in the High Gothic style, with stylized figures (convincingly rendered) set against an equally stylized background. The frescoes on the walls, however, reveal that Lorenzo was well aware of the new developments in painting introduced by Masaccio: He displays a firm grasp of the newly emerging Renaissance style, painting natural looking people who are solidly anchored to their backgrounds.

Continuing on to the right transept, we cross into the High Renaissance. Domenico Ghirlndaio's skill with a brush is astonishing, and you find yourself half expecting a breeze to stir the boughs of the trees or rustle the delicate gossamer veils of the ladies. The wall of the transept, above the chapels, features David, and the Tiburtine Sybil telling Augustus of the birth of the Redeemer. The Sassetti family chapel, which is the rightmost of the two chapels, has his scenes from the life of Saint Francis. In the background of the Approval of the Rule of Saint Francis by Pope Onorio III (in the lunette) there are the Palazzo Vecchio and Orcagna's Loggia, while Lorenzo il Magnifico and Mr. Sassetti are in the foreground to the right, and Agnolo Polizziano is leading Lorenzo's sons, Piero, Giovanni, and Giuliano up the stairs. To the left, Saint Francis dons his habit, and to the right, in a fresco attributed to Domenico's brother Davide, he undergoes a trial by fire before the Sultan (Francis went on a crusade and returned horrified by what he'd seen). The next level down, to the left he receives the Stigmata before a realistic representation of the Santuario della Verna, an abbey in the wild mountains between Florence and Arezzo. The miraculous revival of the fallen boy occurs in Piazza Santa Trínita, and Sassetti's children fall to their knees (on the left); note the old Romanesque façade and Ponte Santa Trínita as it was before the great flood of 1557. The Saint's death is to the right. Francesco Sassetti and his wife, Nera Corsi, are in the tombs, and are also shown kneeling facing the altar.

The altarpiece, Domenico's Adoration of the Shepherds, is simply beautiful. It's also quite important, because he included classical elements, such as the sarcophagus manger and the Corinthian columns holding up the roof of the shack (one is dated 1485), and based the poses of the shepherds on those of the Flemish master Van der Goes's triptych (now in the Uffizi). We therefore have evidence of the newly awakened interest in the Classical world that was one of the characteristics of the High Renaissance, and also get an idea of the impact the Flemish style had upon the great masters.

The sacristy, to the right, is a step back in time. Though Abbot Baldini had the entire church whitewashed "to display his love for it" in 1685, a number of early 14th Century frescoes survived, and were moved here during the restoration following the 1966 flood, including a Noli me Tangere (Jesus saying "Don't hinder me" to the Magdalen as he leaves the tomb, generally mistranslated as "Don't touch me") by Puccio Capanna, a Pietà, and a Crucifixion clearly based on Giotto's. Compare the stilted figures in which there's no telling how a body might fit under the folds of the robes, and the simple, almost surreal landscapes, with Ghirlandaio's; the two might almost be from different worlds.

Returning to the right transept, the crucifix in the chapel to the left of the Sassetti chapel is known as San Giovanni Gualberto's crucifix, because Jesus is said to have nodded his approval to the saint when the man pardoned his brother's assassin. The crystal reliquary on the altar contains a fragment of the column Jesus was tied to when he was whipped.

The frescoes surrounding the main altar were alas painted on dry wall, and about all that is left are the Patriarchs on the ceiling, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David. The crucifix by Cimabue that was once above the very pleasant 15th century alter is now in the Accademia. With the first chapel to the left, the Cappella di San Pietro, we enter the baroque with a rush. Christ walks on water to save Peter (to the right) and Peter holds the keys (to the left). The contrast between Felice Palma's bronze Christ and the jet black of the stone behind the altar is fascinating.

The next chapel has the decapitation of a saint and the Flaying of Saint Bartholomew, by Giovanni del Ponte, and, to the left, the tomb of Bishop Benozzo Federighi, one of Luca della Robbia's masterpieces.

Returning towards the front of the church, the first chapel on the right has a pretty statue of the penitent Magdalen, dressed in hair, that was begun by Desiderio da Settignano and finished by Benedetto da Maiano, in about 1464. Two chapels further down is the Cappella di Santa Caterina, which has scenes from her life on the walls, and an Annunciation by Neri di Bicci (note the expulsion from the garden in the background). Though the painting is about the same age as Lorenzo Monaco's works in the Cappella dell'Annunziata (across the isle), Neri was far less skilled, and was obliged to twist his extremely stylized figures to fit them into a building that is much too small for them.

Exit the church and take Via del Parione; just before you reach Piazza Goldoni duck into the University of Florence (N° 11b) to see a beautiful Renaissance spiral staircase. Cross Piazza Goldoni and take Borgo Ognissanti; the upside down house (N° 12) supposedly has all the decorative elements of the balconies and the windows inverted because the then chief of the city planning commission said he would only allow the new building if it was built from the top down.

Continue on down the street; the Galleria at N° 26 is Giovanni Michelazzi's most interesting work, and captures the essence of what Liberty architecture is all about. It's also one of Florence's most beautiful buildings, a beautifully imaginative solution to the problem of what to do with a tall narrow space that contrasts very pleasantly with the Baroque façade of the nearby Ognissanti.

Built as a Gothic church in the 1200s, Ognissanti was transformed into one of Florence's first Baroque churches by Bartolomeo Pettirossi in the 1620's (the façade, by Matteo Nigretti, dates to 1637). When you look up from the center of the nave your first thought will be that Messers Romei and Bonucci tore off the roof of the church; while there are a number of painted ceilings of this kind in Rome, in particular S. Ignazio, this is the only important one in Florence. Above the second alter to the right Domenico and Davide Ghirlandaio's Madonna della Misericordia (1473) watches over the Vespucci family; the young man between the old man's back and the Virgin is said to be Amerigo, while the girl with the red cape and the green robe may be Simonetta, Giuliano De'Medici's beloved, who married a Vespucci following his assassination. The Pietà below the Madonna, which was at one point covered (note the scrape marks) is also by the Ghirlandaio brothers. The next chapel has an early work by Santi di Tito, the Virgin Enthroned (1565), and the following one has the Martyrdom of Saint Andrew, by Matteo Rosselli. The men seated above the confessionals are Saints Jerome, to the left, and Augustine, to the right, respectively by Domenico Ghirlandaio and Botticelli.

Botticelli lies under a stone in the second chapel of the right transept, while the habit Saint Francis was wearing when he received the Stigmata is in the first chapel to the left of the main altar. The sacristy, off from the left transept (open afternoons), has several Early Renaissance works, including a Crucifixion by the school of Giotto, another by Taddeo Gaddi, and the Resurrection and Ascension by Agnolfo Gaddi. There's also an Annunciation, copied from the Annunciation painted by an angel in Santissima Annunziata.

Ognissanti was and is a monastery, and has a beautiful cloister that is also off from the left transept (note the three pilasters that support the transept, whose Gothic origins are quite clear from the outside). The frescoes in the lunettes underneath the arches, which were badly damaged in the 1966 flood, show scenes from the life of Saint Francis. The refectory (open Mon, Tue, Sat, 9-12), has one of Domenico Ghirlandaio's Last Suppers. Judas is, per tradition, on the opposite side of the table from everyone else. The tablecloth, with its griffin embroideries, is spectacular, while the birds in the garden beyond the windows are quite fun. The refectory also has several sinopias (the line drawings that artists follow when painting frescos) that were separated from their frescos during the restorations that followed the 1966 flood.

When you emerge from Ognissanti, the church with the pretty dome you will see on the other side of the river is San Frediano. Turn right onto the Lungarno and cross Ponte Vespucci, which was built after the war – it's the most recent of Florence's bridges. The dam that crosses the river between San Frediano and the far side of Ponte Vespucci is the Pescaia di Santa Rosa, one of several spillways designed to guarantee a supply of water to mills (which have since been removed) during periods of drought; it is now used as a sun deck during the summer by those who can stand the heat and the smell. Continue down river to the Torrino di Santa Rosa, a tower built in 1324 and modified substantially since. Popular tradition holds that the fresco in the tabernacle, a Pietá, is by Ghirlandaio. Follow the walls to the Porta San Frediano, the massive gate built astride the road to Pisa in 1332. It's Florence's largest gate, and it's hard to imagine how anyone could ever have moved the doors, which are 43 feet high and weigh 33,000 pounds each. Walk down Borgo San Frediano and turn right onto Via San Giovanni; the tabernacle at the corner, restored by a group of pious people a century ago, contains a 16th century Madonna. The little tabernacle set into the façade of N° 6 is considerably older, and commemorates the Miracle of the Bread, when two starving spinsters prayed to the Virgin and found their bread chest full. Continue down Via San Giovanni, turn left on Via Dell'Orto, then right on Via Camaldoli, which leads to Piazza Tasso. Cross the Viale onto Via Villani (the Vecchia Bettola, on the corner to the right, is a very trendy Florentine restaurant) and turn left onto Via Giano della Bella; there are a number of Liberty buildings, including Giovanni Michelazzi's very pretty Villino Lampredi, which has fanciful winged horses supporting the balconies.

Follow the street until it merges with Viale Petrarca and follow that to Porta Romana, which is somewhat squatter than Porta San Frediano (it was rebuilt with artillery in mind); turn up Via del Poggio Imperiale, and just past Via Cantagalli you will see another pretty Liberty building. Backtrack a little ways, to the bus stop on Viale Macchiavelli, and take the bus around past San Miniato and Piazzale Michelangelo (they merit a walk of their own), and on down to Piazza Ferrucci; cross the river on Ponte San Niccolò, walk up to Piazza Beccaria, and bear right onto Via Scialoia.

The Villino Ravazzini, on the corner with Via Scipione Ammirato, has a delightful floral tilework elements in the façade that were done by Galileo Chini, an artist whose distinctive work was prized and sought after throughout Europe. A few steps down Via Scipione Ammirato you'll find the Villino Broggi Caraceni, a stunning example of Liberty architecture with fascinating sea monsters worked into the decorations.

Continue down Via Scipione Ammirato to Via Capo di Monte and turn right; slightly beyond Via Gioberti you will reach Casa Antonini, whose façade, by Adolfo Coppedè, has been termed "secessionist" by some art historians – not sure what they mean, but it is fun. Return to Via Gioberti and turn right, at the intersection with Via del Ghirlandaio you will come to the house Ugo Giusti designed for Galileo Chini in 1914. Again, very pretty, and you'll find many more Liberty buildings in this neighborhood. There is more Liberty architecture in Florence, especially in the Campo di Marte area, but getting to it from here requires a rather long walk. To return to the heart of town continue down Via Ghirlandaio to Via Fra Giovanni Angelico and take the Number 14 bus; if you want still more modern art I suggest you get off in Piazza del Duomo and make your way to Palazzo Pitti's Galleria di Arte Moderna, where you will be able to admire works by Galileo Chini, Giovanni Costetti, and Adolfo De Carolis, among others. The Galleria also has an impressive collection of works by the Macchiaioli, a group of Tuscan painters whose technique brings to mind the Impressionists, though the feel of their paintings is quite different.

Of course there is also Liberty architecture in the rest of Tuscany. In particular, Viareggio's boardwalk is almost all Liberty, as are the spas at Montecatini. Both can be easily reached by bus, and make very pleasant day trips from Florence (Viareggio is also a nice place to swim during the summer); busses depart from the Lazzi station by Santa Maria Novella.

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© 1997 Kyle Phillips