Friday, June 15, 2001, Rome to Florence via Orvieto:
The next morning we
searched high and low for the Hertz office; finally finding it deep within the
parking garage under the Borghese Gardens. With our Opel station wagon
loaded down with (too much) luggage we drove out of Rome, getting lost on our way
to the Autostrada to Florence and getting an unexpected tour of a Roman
residential neighborhood filled with apartment buildings, shops and
schools. It's always interesting to see the places where a city's middle classes actually live.
We stopped in
Orvieto – a beautiful old walled town perched atop a mesa – for lunch right
across the square from the Gothic cathedral (Santa Maria Assunta).
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| Orvieto Cathedral, Santa Maria Assunta, west facade from our lunch table. Photo by Blomme-McClure |
The exterior is horizontally striped white travertine and blue-grey basalt except for the elaborate three-door Gothic west front, considered a masterpiece of the middle ages. The colorful mosaics show scenes from the life of the Virgin, with her coronation depicted in the top center gable. The bas reliefs depicting Old Testament scenes on the piers between the doors are among the finest 14th century sculptures anywhere.
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Orvieto Cathedral, Rose Window in west facade created by Orcagna between 1350 and 1380 AD.
Statues of the 12 Apostles in niches across the top; statues of Old Testament prophets in double niches
on each side; four 'Doctors of the Church' in mosaic corner spandrels; head of Christ in center.
Photo by Blomme-McClure |
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Bronze statues of an Eagle, symbol of the Evangelist John, and an Ox, symbol of the Evangelist Luke,
by Lorenzo Maitani on west facade of Orvieto Cathedral. Photo by Blomme-McClure |
The interior is also striped in the same black and white stone and seems very high, although after visiting the great gothic cathedrals of France and England, the round arches and exposed wooden roof beams are a bit disappointing.
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| Nave of Orvieto Cathedral looking west from the altar. Photo by Blomme-McClure |
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Apse and Altar of Orvieto Cathedral.
Gothic frescoes on three sides of Apse depicting scenes from the life of the Virgin were created
by Ugolino di Prete Ilario with help from others circa 1370.
They restore the frescoes once every 100 years. Photo by Blomme-McClure |
There is a lovely crucifix in the second
chapel on the north aisle and lots of other wonderful art.
The views from the walls of Orvieto out over
the surrounding countryside striped with vineyards and dotted with villas is
captivating.
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| View from the walls of Orvieto. Photo by Blomme-McClure |
The highlight of the
day, though, was arriving in Florence and being escorted to our room (#305) at
the Loggiato dei Serviti (Piazza SS. Annunziata 3, Firenze; 055 28.95.92 or 055
28.95.93). It must be the original “Room with a View” – a corner room on the
top floor. In one direction we had a view over tiled rooftops to the Duomo and Campanile bathed in the glow of the late afternoon sun when we arrived. From another window we could see the bell
tower of San Marco rising above the skylight over Michaelangelo’s “David” in
the Accademia. The concierge confided to us the next morning that it was
the best room in the hotel and that she tried not to give it to those who
requested it (the Loggiato had recently been featured in an article in one of the
airline magazines which mentioned this room by number).
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View of the Duomo and Campanile from Room #305 of Loggiato dei Serviti, Florence.
Photo by Blomme-McClure |
Carl’s room was two
floors lower with no particular view, but with a lovely 4-poster iron bed with
white gauze draperies. We all loved the
hotel and found the staff to be both efficient and very kind and friendly.
The Loggiato sits on
the square directly across from the
Ospedale degli Innocenti designed by Brunelleschi. The entrance is on a loggia that mirrors the
more famous one of the Ospedale with its medallions of infants – each one
different – by Andrea della Robbia between each arch. On the north side of the square sits the lovely
church of Santissisma Annunziata which we visited on Sunday morning. It contains lovely frescoes and a
“miraculous” painting of the Annunciation which was “completed by an angel”
when the painter fell asleep in front of the unfinished work.
The beauty of the
square was somewhat marred by an outdoor café with a stage backed by a large
movie screen and an adjoining photo exhibit in a big white tent. Latin American
music blared from the stage almost every night as we went to and from the hotel, but none of the din
penetrated to our rooms. They continued
to offer the serene calm of the old city – especially the Duomo spotlit against
the dark sky viewed from our “room with a view”.
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| Looking down Via Dei Servi toward Duomo, Florence. Photo by Blomme-McClure |
After settling at
the hotel, we walked out to the Duomo where the light of the setting sun on the
west front and campanile created a warm rose and gold aura, then on to the
bustling Piazza della Republicca and the Piazza della Signoria.
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| Evening light on west facade of the Duomo, Florence. Photo by Blomme-McClure |
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Lorenzo Ghiberti's 'Gates of Paradise' -- the east doors of the Baptistry, Florence with
our friend, Carl, in the foreground. Photo by Blomme-McClure |
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Detail of the 'Story of Joshua' panel of Lorenzo Ghiberti's east doors of the Baptistry, Florence.
Photo by Blomme-McClure |
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Baptistry, Duomo and Campanile in setting sun, Florence.
Photo by Blomme-McClure |
They were just setting up a stage in front of
the Palazzo Vecchio for a brass band concert as we wandered through.
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| Palazzo Vecchio on Piazza della Signoria at sunset, Florence. Photo by Blomme-McClure |
We strolled over the Ponte Vecchio, always packed with tourists and
unfortunately a heavy police presence, and into the neighborhood of Oglisanti
on the far bank of the Arno, before turning back to search for a place for
dinner in the Piazza della Signoria and the Piazza della Republicca.
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| Twilight on the Arno, seen from the Ponte Vecchio. Photo by Blomme-McClure |
We finally settled on Ristorante Il Bargello
in the Piazza della Signoria, but the only table was inside – so we couldn’t
hear the band concert very well. The food wasn’t
good, the service was lousy, there were little flies buzzing around everywhere,
and they proceeded to begin closing up before our meal was finished. An unforgettably awful meal to end an otherwise lovely day.
