Bill's Aviation Log

The basilica is the largest Franciscan church in the world. Its most notable features are its sixteen chapels, many of them decorated with frescoes by Giotto and his pupils, and its tombs and cenotaphs. Legend says that Santa Croce was founded by St Francis himself. The construction of the current church, to replace an older building, was begun on 12 May 1294, and paid for by some of the city's wealthiest families. It was consecrated in 1442 by Pope Eugene IV. The building's design reflects the austere approach of the Franciscans.

Looking the other direction down the nave toward the main entrance.

And here is the monumental tomb of the great man himself: Michelangelo Buonarroti. The tomb was created by Giorgio Vasari with sculptures by Valerio Cioli, Iovanni Bandini, and Battista Lorenzi.

On this trip, we have seen Michelangelo's Pieta in St. Peter's Basilica, plus the Basilica itself, the Sistine Chapel ceiling and the Last Judgement, the Plazza del Campidoglia atop Capitoline Hill, David in the Accademia Gallery, the Medici Chapel design and sculptures, a painting in the Uffizi He was a sculptor, a painter, an architect. He was the original Renaissance Man. He is ranked #49 on most influential people in history, and the highest ranked artist (excluding William Shakespeare who was a literary artist). Not too shabby.

Michelangelo, with Leonardo da Vinci and Raphael, is one of the three giants of the Florentine High Renaissance. Although their names are often cited together, Michelangelo was younger than Leonardo by 23 years, and eight years older than Raphael. Because of his reclusive nature, he had little to do with either artist and outlived both of them by more than 40 years.

Michelangelo died in Rome on 18 February 1564, at the age of 88. His body was taken from Rome for interment at the Basilica of Santa Croce, fulfilling the maestro's last request to be buried in his beloved Florence. His heir Lionardo Buonarroti commissioned Vasari to design and build the Tomb of Michelangelo, a monumental project that took over 14 years to complete.

A great book to learn about Michelangelo's life is The Agony and the Ecstacy by Irving Stone.

Another memorial to a very influential Italian -- ranked #76 -- Enrico Fermi (1901 - 1954), the man who designed the first nuclear reactor, born in Rome, and buried in Chicago, Illinois.

He has been called the "architect of the nuclear age" and the "architect of the atomic bomb". He was one of very few physicists to excel in both theoretical physics and experimental physics. Fermi was awarded the 1938 Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on induced radioactivity by neutron bombardment and for the discovery of transuranium elements. With his colleagues, Fermi filed several patents related to the use of nuclear power, all of which were taken over by the US government. He made significant contributions to the development of statistical mechanics, quantum theory, and nuclear and particle physics.

Fermi left Italy in 1938 to escape new Italian racial laws that affected his Jewish wife, Laura Capon. He emigrated to the United States, where he worked on the Manhattan Project during World War II. Fermi led the team at the University of Chicago that designed and built Chicago Pile-1, which went critical on 2 December 1942, demonstrating the first human-created, self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction.

Another very nice tomb, this one for Antonio di Filippo di Lorenzo Niccolini (Florence, 1701–1769), an Italian abbot, jurist and scholar, who was considered one of the leading figures of eighteenth-century Tuscany.

May 25, 2024 - Classic Italy Florence: Santa Croce Basilica
After touring the Uffizi, our next stop was the nearby Santa Croce Basilica. It wasn't to see the church; it was to see who was buried IN the church. The Basilica di Santa Croce (Italian for 'Basilica of the Holy Cross') is a minor basilica and the principal Franciscan church of Florence. It is situated on the Piazza di Santa Croce, about 800 metres southeast of the Duomo, on what was once marshland beyond the city walls. It's hard to believe this area was once just marshland. The church was large. Here, looking at the main altar.

The basilica is the largest Franciscan church in the world. Its most notable features are its sixteen chapels, many of them decorated with frescoes by Giotto and his pupils, and its tombs and cenotaphs. Legend says that Santa Croce was founded by St Francis himself. The construction of the current church, to replace an older building, was begun on 12 May 1294, and paid for by some of the city's wealthiest families. It was consecrated in 1442 by Pope Eugene IV. The building's design reflects the austere approach of the Franciscans. Looking the other direction down the nave toward the main entrance.

This cathedral was unusual in that there was no ceiling, which gave an excellent view of the wooden roof.

A better look at the high, decorated trussed wood ceiling.

And here is the monumental tomb of the great man himself: Michelangelo Buonarroti. The tomb was created by Giorgio Vasari with sculptures by Valerio Cioli, Iovanni Bandini, and Battista Lorenzi. On this trip, we have seen Michelangelo's Pieta in St. Peter's Basilica, plus the Basilica itself, the Sistine Chapel ceiling and the Last Judgement, the Plazza del Campidoglia atop Capitoline Hill, David in the Accademia Gallery, the Medici Chapel design and sculptures, a painting in the Uffizi He was a sculptor, a painter, an architect. He was the original Renaissance Man. He is ranked #49 on most influential people in history, and the highest ranked artist (excluding William Shakespeare who was a literary artist). Not too shabby. Michelangelo, with Leonardo da Vinci and Raphael, is one of the three giants of the Florentine High Renaissance. Although their names are often cited together, Michelangelo was younger than Leonardo by 23 years, and eight years older than Raphael. Because of his reclusive nature, he had little to do with either artist and outlived both of them by more than 40 years. Michelangelo died in Rome on 18 February 1564, at the age of 88. His body was taken from Rome for interment at the Basilica of Santa Croce, fulfilling the maestro's last request to be buried in his beloved Florence. His heir Lionardo Buonarroti commissioned Vasari to design and build the Tomb of Michelangelo, a monumental project that took over 14 years to complete. A great book to learn about Michelangelo's life is The Agony and the Ecstacy by Irving Stone.

Michelangelo.

Next we come to the tomb of Galileo di Vincenzo Bonaiuti de' Galilei (1564 – 1642), commonly referred to as Galileo Galilei or mononymously as Galileo, the great astronomer, physicist and engineer. He is ranked #13 on most influential people in history. He was born in the city of Pisa, then part of the Duchy of Florence. Galileo has been called the father of observational astronomy, modern-era classical physics, the scientific method, and modern science. Galileo studied speed and velocity, gravity and free fall, the principle of relativity, inertia, projectile motion and also worked in applied science and technology, describing the properties of the pendulum and "hydrostatic balances". He was one of the earliest Renaissance developers of the thermoscope and the inventor of various military compasses. With an improved telescope he built, he observed the stars of the Milky Way, the phases of Venus, the four largest satellites of Jupiter, Saturn's rings, lunar craters and sunspots. He also built an early microscope. Not surprisingly Galileo's championing of Copernican heliocentrism was met with opposition from within the Catholic Church and from some astronomers. The matter was investigated by the Roman Inquisition in 1615, which concluded that his opinions contradicted accepted Biblical interpretations. Galileo later defended his views in Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems (1632), which appeared to attack and ridicule Pope Urban VIII, thus alienating both the Pope and the Jesuits, who had both strongly supported Galileo up until this point. He was tried by the Inquisition, found "vehemently suspect of heresy", and forced to recant. He spent the rest of his life under house arrest.

Galileo.

Another tomb of one of the most influentual people in history, Niccolò Machiavelli,(1469 - 1527), ranked #88. A Florentine diplomat, author, philosopher, and historian who lived during the Italian Renaissance, he is best known for his political treatise The Prince, written around 1513 but not published until 1532, five years after his death. He has often been called the father of modern political philosophy and political science. "The Italian political philosopher Niccolo Machiavelli is notorious for his blunt advice that a ruler interested in maintaining and increasing his power should make use of deceitfulness, cunning, and lies, combined with a ruthless use of force. Denouced by many as an unscrupulous scoundrel, praised by others as a hard-headed realist who dared to describe the world as it really is, Machiavellis is one of the few writers whose works have been closely studied by philosophers and politicians alike. ... The Prince may be considered a primer of practical advice for a head of state. The basic point of view of the book is that in order to succeed, a prince should ignore moral considerations entirely and depend upon strength and cunning. [For example, 'one who deceives will always find those who allow themselves to be deceived.'] There is no doubt that a large number of prominent political figures have read The Prince with care. ... his influence on political theory is indisputable. Machiavelli discussed history and politics in purely human terms, and simply ignored moral considerations. The central question, he implies, is not how people should behave, but how they actually do behave,; not who should have power, but how men actually achieve power. He is rightly considered to be one of the principal founders of modern political thought." -- Michael H. Hart.

Machiavelli.

It became customary for greatly honoured Florentines to be buried or commemorated here. Some were in chapels "owned" by wealthy families such as the Bardi and Peruzzi. As time progressed, space was also granted to notable Italians from elsewhere. For 500 years monuments were erected in the church including those of accompished Italians. Here is a memorial to Guglielmo Marconi, 1874 - 1937, the inventor of the radio, who is ranked #41 of most influencial people in history. He is actually buried in his birthplace at Sasso Marconi, near Bologna.

Another memorial to a very influential Italian -- ranked #76 -- Enrico Fermi (1901 - 1954), the man who designed the first nuclear reactor, born in Rome, and buried in Chicago, Illinois. He has been called the "architect of the nuclear age" and the "architect of the atomic bomb". He was one of very few physicists to excel in both theoretical physics and experimental physics. Fermi was awarded the 1938 Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on induced radioactivity by neutron bombardment and for the discovery of transuranium elements. With his colleagues, Fermi filed several patents related to the use of nuclear power, all of which were taken over by the US government. He made significant contributions to the development of statistical mechanics, quantum theory, and nuclear and particle physics. Fermi left Italy in 1938 to escape new Italian racial laws that affected his Jewish wife, Laura Capon. He emigrated to the United States, where he worked on the Manhattan Project during World War II. Fermi led the team at the University of Chicago that designed and built Chicago Pile-1, which went critical on 2 December 1942, demonstrating the first human-created, self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction.

A very nice tomb of Florentine Marquis Gino Capponi (1792 – 1876), an Italian statesman and historian of a Liberal Catholic bent.

Another very nice tomb, this one for Antonio di Filippo di Lorenzo Niccolini (Florence, 1701–1769), an Italian abbot, jurist and scholar, who was considered one of the leading figures of eighteenth-century Tuscany.

The empty tomb of Dante Alighieri, widely known mononymously as Dante (1265 - 1321). An Italian poet, writer, and philosopher, his Divine Comedy is widely considered one of the most important poems of the Middle Ages and the greatest literary work in the Italian language. Dante is known for establishing the use of the vernacular -- the ordinary, informal, spoken form of language -- in literature at a time when most poetry was written in Latin, which was accessible only to educated readers. Although a Florentene, for political reasons Dante was condemned to perpetual exile from his hometown. He was bured in Ravenna where he lived the last years of his life. Florence eventually came to regret having exiled Dante. The city made repeated requests for the return of his remains. The custodians of the body in Ravenna refused, at one point going so far as to conceal the bones in a false wall of the monastery. Florence built a tomb for Dante in 1829, in the Basilica of Santa Croce. That tomb has been empty ever since, with Dante's body remaining in Ravenna. The front of his tomb in Florence reads 'Onorate l'altissimo poeta' —which roughly translates as "Honor the most exalted poet" and is a quote from the fourth canto of the Inferno.

The tomb of Gioachino Antonio Rossini (1792 – 1868), an Italian composer who gained fame for his 39 operas, although he also wrote many songs, some chamber music and piano pieces and some sacred music. He set new standards for both comic and serious opera before retiring from large-scale composition while still in his thirties, at the height of his popularity. Rossini's withdrawal from opera for the last 40 years of his life has never been fully explained.

We left the church and entered the Sacristy. Cimabue's Crucifix was moved here and hung very high up, fitting perfectly into its surroundings, in 2013 as part of a preemptive conservation programme designed and implemented by the Opera di Santa Croce to forestall the risk of flooding. In 1966, the Arno River flooded much of Florence, including Santa Croce. The water entered the church bringing mud, pollution and heating oil. The damage to buildings and art treasures was severe, taking several decades to repair.

The Sacristy is a large rectangular room with a ceiling made of painted trusses. Its patrons are traditionally thought to have been the Peruzzi, whose coat-of-arms can be seen in the four corners of the room. It is one of the earliest examples of a monumental sacristy in Florence and its size is probably due to its original function as the chapter house, where the religious community would meet during the day and to discuss important business and where it was customary to read out a chapter of the Rule or Holy Scripture, whence its name. In the 15th century the monastery's chapter house was moved to the Pazzi Chapel. The room is decorated with painted imitation marble panels and niches with saints attributed by scholars to Jacopo del Casentino.

Now in the Refractory. Built in the first half of the 14th century, the convent's former refectory is a large rectangular room with a trussed wooden ceiling. The room's original function is underscored by the convivial scenes depicted in Taddeo Gaddi's frescoes on the back wall -- including the Tree of Life and Last Supper (c. 1345-1350) -- because this is the room in which the community of friars shared their meals, usually to the accompaniment of a reading from a religious work. In the course of the 19th century the room was put to a variety of different uses, ranging from a carpet factory to a public works warehouse and, latterly, to a storage facility for works of art. The first kernel of the Museo dell'Opera opened here in 1900 to house such masterpieces as Donatello's St. Louis of Toulouse and Cimabue's Crucifix (now in the Sacristy).

Hanging in the Refractory is this depiction of The Last Supper by Giorgio Vasari (created in 1546-7). This particular artwork shows Jesus with his disciples at the moment he announces that one of them will betray him. The painting was damaged in the 1966 flood; the extremely laborious and difficult restoration was only completed in 2016. Notice the wires it hangs by; they can be used to raise the painting in case of another flood.

Aerial view. Photo from Wikipedia.


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May 25, 2024 - Classic Italy Florence: Santa Croce Basilica

May 25, 2024 - Classic Italy
Florence: Santa Croce Basilica