Please welcome guest blogger Pamela Kelly Phillips from pkphillipsphotography.com
Everyone has a favorite place; a place where thoughts return when they have nowhere else to go. There’s something about Florence that makes it that sort of special.
Considered one of the most beautiful cities in the world, the love affair begins with a view of the Ponte delle Grazie Bridge, one of many classic bridges crossing the River Arno. Very soon,one imaginesa different time and space, walking a similar path to the Great Masters; the likes of Leonardo and Michelangelo. You can almost hear them disputing everything worthy of consideration under the watchful eyes of the Medici.
Somehow the shopping areas well-placed along the piazza do not seem to conflict with the antiquities though they will conflict with one’s purse-strings. The finest in Italian leather can be found among the specialty shops just waiting for the willing visitor. A moment or two of cappuccino (recurrent) sooths the budget and sets the stage for the immersion in Humanism and Intellectualism yet to come. A statue of the poet Dante in the Piazza di Sante Croce offers initial indication of the significant contributions to the Renaissance that stem from this region, prominently highlighted in Painting, Sculpture and Literature.
The Uffizi Gallery, old and famous, was constructed in the late 1500s and became a gathering place for the Renaissance man and his fascination with the Arts. Today, modern Artisans, serve as creatively vivid memorials outside while Fine Art from the world’s most prestigious collections prominently displays within the galleries and surrounding sanctuaries.
I celebrated my birthday – we won’t say which one, at the Piazale Michelangelo, the place to capture excellent views of the city. A ‘people place’, there’s alwaysa celebration in progress or poised to happen.
As you can see, Florence can be a favored place for a memory of your choosing or to share one tucked neatly within its history. But don’t take my word for it,consider it a contention worthy of further scrutiny through exploratory debate, a premise upon which Michelangelo and Leonardo might certainly agree.
