Last
weekend we took a program trip to Northern Italy, making stops in Florence and
Venice. The expedition quickly turned
into my favorite of the summer. Both
cities were incredibly enchanting to me:
Florence with its trove of treasures in the Uffizi Gallery and Accademia
and Venice with its maze of small streets and canals guiding you from one
jaw-dropper to the next. If I tried to
list all of my favorite things about each city, this post would drag on longer
than the Twilight saga, so I’ll try to be as selective as possible.
FIRENZE
1) The
Uffizi Gallery. I have never been as
continuously gobsmacked by a museum as I was by this one. It’s MASSIVE – three stories of room after
room of priceless paintings and sculptures.
Caravaggio’s famous Medusa head, Botticelli’s Birth of Venus, several
Leonardo da Vinci pieces, some Raphael and Michaelangelo. You know, no big deal. The Gallery was incredible.
2)
Michelangelo’s David sculpture. Ok,
WOW. I almost have no words for this,
but it’s me, so let’s be real, I always have something to say. The amount of emotion portrayed in David’s
face is astounding. He looks so human –
you can just imagine the setting, and David’s thoughts and feelings in the
moment before he takes on Goliath. Our
professor was lecturing on him, and I just stood there staring up at this
massive sculpture in awe. I cannot get
over the David. Probably my favorite
sculpture I’ve seen yet.
3) What is it that makes cities so incredible at
night? A group of us went exploring
after dinner, and we walked into the heart of Florence, soaking in the beauty
and life of the bustling city. We
witnessed a hilariously awkward streetshow, several AMAZING chalk artists, and
the beautifully lit up riverwalk. Take
me back.
4) The
Duomo. Whoa. That is one large dome you might say. The inside is really cool and takes a lot of
inspiration from Dante’s Inferno –
nerd moment! Several of us climbed to
the top, and the views from the top were spectacular. The country surrounding Florence is gorgeous
and totally worth the perilously steep trek to the top.
VENEZIA
(Ok, this is going to be really hard. I
basically loved everything about Venice…ahhhhh!)
1) St.
George’s Campanile. We climbed up the
bell tower at this church and got to look out on the lagoon, the city, and the
ALPS. Yes, you can see the Alps from
Venice. I HAD NO IDEA. It was incredibly beautiful, and I couldn’t
help but imagine what Venice was like in its prime with painted facades along
the canals, a bustling port, and beautifully outfitted courtesans.
2) Tintoretto’s Crucifixion of Christ in the
Scuola Grande di Sant’Rocco. I’ll be
honest – I actually shed tears while looking at this. I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s this massive – seriously humongous –
painting of Golgotha. Jesus is at the
very center of the canvas hanging on the cross, surrounded by the action of the
other characters. I love how Tintoretto
includes so much, but none of the focus is taken from Christ. Wherever you look in the painting, some
detail points your attention back to the cross.
It’s not only an incredible work of art, but it’s also an amazing
analogy for life: I need to fix my eyes
on the author and perfecter of my faith, Jesus Christ. This is definitely my favorite painting.
3) Teatro La Fenice. The Venice Opera House. The royal box, the ballroom, the ornate
ceiling, the salon. I have no words for
the beauty of this theater. It’s my
dream in life to go back and attend an actual performance.
4) St.
Mark’s Basilica. Holy cow. The mosaics inside this church are
insane. It’s so beautiful. I wasn’t a huge fan of the Byzantine style
before I came to Europe this summer, but St. Mark’s has officially won me
over. And it’s not only the inside of
the Basilica – the façade is so ornate and just plain massive. Architecture nowadays cannot hold a flame to
these old buildings in my book.
Ok,
I’ll stop. But the next time you see me,
you should ask me about Florence and Venice – your ear might fall off, but I’ll
love you forever!
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