2. ST. PETERS SQUARE QUIZ: True or False
a) Bernini was assigned by Pope
Alexander VII to construct St.
Peters Square.
b) It took 120 years to construct
St. Peters Square.
c) Italians are artistic.
d) Italians don’t mind spending
a little time on a project.
Answer: True for all of the above.
140 statues
on 284
columns
and every
one unique
3. WHAT AM I LOOKING AT ?
The Colosseum built of concrete
The Arch of Constantine is a triumphal arch in and stone is considered one of
Rome, between the Colosseum and the Palatine Hill.
greatest works of Roman
It was erected by the Roman Senate to commemorate
Constantine I's victory over Maxentius at the Battle architecture and engineering. It
of Milvian Bridge on October 28, 312. is capable of holding 50,000
spectators.
The Trevi Fountain has Neptune (God
of the sea) as the central figure , flanked
by two Tritons. One struggles to master a
very unruly "sea horse", the other leads a
far more docile animal. These symbolize
the two contrasting moods of the sea.
4. THE COLUMN
OF
MARCUS
AURELIUS column
detail
The monument commemorates emperor Marcus Aurelius' military campaigns
against Germanic tribes who lived near the Black Sea.
Made of carrara marble and some 30 meter high by 3.7 m wide, it bears a spiraling
band of reliefs depicting events during the imperial campaigns in the north.
Inside is a spiraling staircase that leads above to a platform where a statue of Marcus
and his family used to stand. This statue was replaced by a statue of St. Paul on order
of Pope Sixtus V.
5. MORE ROMAN HIGHLIGHTS
The Spanish Steps The Pantheon
The Pieta by Michelangelo The Fountain of Neptune
. . . and while Rome offers much more to see , other cities beckon.
But first a break.
6. THE BREAK …..
In North America we have enjoyed the benefits of many Italian imports .
Fine wine, pizza, and Sophia Loren immediately come to mind.
But we also got the Mafia. However, on the bright side, the later was not all bad
because it spawned a show called The Sopranos.
Here comes the break part.
In one memorable scene you may recall that the elder boss, Uncle Junior
(Dominic Chianese) was coaxed into singing at a family get together.
He sang the beautiful Italian song Core N’Grato (Ungrateful Heart).
Have a listen.
…. and now ,
moving right along
7. THE BEST OF PISA The Bell Tower
The Duomo
The most famous of the
buildings, the Leaning Tower,
The Baptistry
began it's tilt during construction.
This was caused by an inadequate
foundation on ground too soft on one side. The tilt
increased in the decades before the structure was
completed, and gradually increased until the
structure was stabilized (and the tilt partially
corrected) by efforts in the late 20th and early 21st
centuries. Clearly there are some citizens of Pisa
who, are to this day, happy with the imperfection
as demonstrated by the video.
8. Lucca is a city and comune in Tuscany, Central Italy,
L situated on the river Serchio in a fertile plain near the
U Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province
of Lucca. Among other reasons, it is famous for its
C intact Renaissance-era city walls. Lucca is also known
C for its churches, saints and really good food.
Lucca Walls
A …. But Lucca is probably most famous as the birthplace
of Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924) .There is little doubt
today, that of all operatic music, Puccini's is the most
universally known. La Bohème, Madame Butterfly and
Turandot are among the most frequently performed.
"Nessun dorma" ( None shall Lucca from above
sleep) is an aria from the opera
Turandot and is one of the best
known tenor arias in all opera.
Cathedral San Michele
PUCCINI
9. FLORENCE
Florence (Firenze) is famous for many things and abounds in highlights. I would like
to focus on two. First the city’s cathedral. It seems that almost every city in Italy has a
Cathedral … some have two or more … but Florence has outdone itself in the
magnificent cathedral Santa Maria del Fiore. (Saint Mary of the Flower). With its
octagonal dome higher and wider than any ever built, with no external buttresses to
keep it from spreading and falling under its own weight, the technical difficulties
were some of the greatest ever faced – and overcome - in the history of architecture .
The dome was constructed with 4 million bricks and remains the largest brick dome
Ever built. The overall construction time was 140 years (1296 – 1436). As earlier stated,
Italians don’t mind spending a little time on a project. Have a look.
12. The exterior of the cathedral is faced with
polychrome marble panels in various shades
of green and pink bordered by white.
The three huge bronze doors date from 1899
to 1903. They are adorned with scenes from
the life of the Madonna.
15. FLORENCE PART II (NOTICE THE ROMAN NUMERALS)
In and around the Uffizi Gallery
Here, the demi-god, Hercules, who killed Cacus,
is the symbol of physical strength desired by the
Medici. The pause suggests the leniency of the
Medici to those who would concede to their rule,
and served as a warning to those who would not,
as this pause can be indefinite or temporary.
H
E
R
C
U
L
E
S
NEPTUNE
17. THE BEST FOR LAST
A replica of the statue of David stands outside
the Uffizi Gallery. The original now resides in the
Accademia Gallery. When viewed from the front,
the upper portions seem much larger than natural.
But, when viewed from below, which is generally
the case, because of the height of the statue (17 ft.),
this perspective creates the illusion of proportion.
There, in part, lies the genius of Michelangelo who
created the statue when he was 24 over a period
of 3 years.
To see and gaze at the original David was an
exercise in fascination.
18. … and finally SCENES OF VENICE
If a trek through Italy were to be
considered a series of main courses
then Venice would be the dessert.
Gondolas ready to roll…
or should I say row
The Grand Canal
19. St. Mark’s Square
In 2007 two cups of coffee and a
small dish of ice cream in
St. Marks Square cost 17 Euros
( about $25.50 CDN). Knowing
that a return visit would not be
in the near future it was well
worth it. In fact it was a
necessity.
St. Marks Basilica The Doge’s Palace
20. ON THE CANALS
Typical Canal
Bridge
of Sighs
The Rialto
Bridge
