An evening in Florence is extremely magical. Everything comes alive, from the medieval architecture to the roving bands of locals and tourists alike. You are never far from eye-catching structures that soar skyward into the dark abyss. Charming cafes and trattorias full of chatting people line the winding cobbled streets. Merry-making is in the air.
The Ponte Vecchio, or ‘old bridge,’ was once lined with butcher shops. This is no longer the case, thank goodness. Today it is bedecked with lovely jewelry shops. You need not wander far before you hear the beat and rhythm of a nearby local band, wholeheartedly doing their best to entertain you.
Giorgio Vasari, early sixteenth century architect, was commissioned by the Medici to build a corridor that ran from the Uffizi Gallery to the Medici Palace on the opposite side of the Arno River. Here you can see the corridor continue over the top of the shops with its neat line of square windows.
Medieval and dauntless stands the Palazzo Vecchio, an important landmark of Florence since 1322. Constructed by Florentine architect Arnolfo di Cambio, the impressive Romanesque-style crenelated fortress is rock-solid. A huge bell at the top of the tower was used to call the citizens to meetings or warn them of fire, flood or enemy attack.
To the right you can see the looming arches of the outdoor “sculpture museum,” called the Loggia dei Lanzi.
Notice below the magnificent display of light and shadow on these figures in the Loggia. They appear very dramatic, especially at night.
Across from the Palazzo Vecchio on the Piazza della Signoria is the Loggia dei Lanzi, built in 1382 and designed by Orcangna. It was named after the Lancers, the bodyguards of Cosimo I who took up lodging on this spot. The Loggia is actually an outdoor museum, with twisting and grasping statues that appear especially spectacular at night-time.
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Cosimo I de’ Medici hired architect Giorgio Vasari to build offices for the Florentine magistrates in 1560. Later, after the fall of the ruling Medici’s, it became a museum officially open to the public in 1765. Today it houses many famous paintings by the masters. Giotto, Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Titian and Caravaggio lead the parade.
Florence by night is an entirely different world. It is a world of artistic appeal to the senses, of mystery and intrigue. A world revealing shades of a former time.
The two ladies are sitting on an ancient Roman sarcophagus that is filled with water. Cupid stirs the water while a faucet on the front of the coffin pours water on a sprouting plant. As if this isn’t enough to rouse attention, strange things are happening in the background. A fortress, set on a hill behind the gowned lady, is a typical symbol of war and humanity which could symbolize the profane (worldly). A hunter on horseback is seen riding up to the fortress, but between him and the clothed woman are two rabbits, symbols of fertility. On the other side behind the naked lady is a church which could symbolize the sacred. Two hunters on horseback and a dog (symbol of domesticity) hint that the nude woman is Venus (connection with the hunt). But one would think that the clothed woman would represent sacred love, and the naked one worldly, or profane love.
Timeless Italy Travels 