(Almost) Every Costume Per Episode + Contessina de Bardi’s black gown in 1x08

Medici: Masters of Florence

Se trata de una serie que refleja la máxima importancia de la arquitectura en pleno siglo XV donde el desarrollo renacentista comenzó a florecer y tener su esplendor aún con lo difícil de las costumbres existentes de la época. Es así pues que surge el interés por el arte de una familia, en especial de un ciudadano italiano llamado Cosimo, quien afortunadamente, a pesar de las adversidades logró hacer entender a sus habitantes de Florencia que se debían enfocar para la prosperidad diseños arquitectónicos que fueron ejemplares para el mundo entero, en eso se trató de usar sus recursos económicos para tal fin. Los Medici (familia adinerada) logró enfocar su visión en la parte arquitectónica entendiendo que era la esencia de la belleza de Florencia, ellos fueron capaces de lograr, agrupar personas y explicarles la importancia del desarrollo arquitectónico en la zona para el bienestar de la ciudad. Sin embargo, hubo muchas dificultades al respecto ya que se trataba de una familia pudiente que quiso siempre dedicarse al ramo banquero, pero el gusto, interés y lo mágico de Cosimo en el arte logró dar un enfoque y un cambio en la materia. Así pues, se convirtió en uno de los hombres en poder financiar la Cúpula de la iglesia Santa María del Fiore. También podemos tomar en cuenta que el orfebre Brunelleschi planteó a la familia Medici en especial a Cosimo que la cúpula representaba un reto inmenso por cuanto existía muchos problemas para desarrollarlo en cuanto a peso, medidas, diseños, colores, oposición de la época en cuanto a creencias absurdas.

La peste negra fue quizás el obstáculo más relevante de la época que tuvo la familia Medici ya que los habitantes de Florencia se dejaron llevar por informaciones falsas por parte de Albizzi por intereses económicos y para verse él beneficiado directamente con la caída de la Cúpula y otros fines ocultos en donde por ignorancia tal vez relacionaban la enfermedad con la cúpula y su belleza destruyéndola por considerarla en cierta forma causante de la peste negra, ya que no permitía la entrada de sol a Florencia. En cambio, aún cuando fue destruida continuó la peste negra y se logró demostrar que nada tenía que ver una cosa con la otra. Ese grupo de personas que relacionaron la creación de la cúpula con la peste negra fueron fanáticos religiosos de la época totalmente adversos al desarrollo arquitectónico de la ciudad quienes al final fueron vencidos finalmente por la recuperación y terminación de la Cúpula Santa María del Fiore, una de las obras arquitectónicas más emblemáticas e importantes en el mundo entero.

A trip to... Firenze!

Hi everyone! Welcome to the first column of A trip to…! I’m very excited to start this column because I think traveling is one of the richest things we can enjoy in life. Getting involved in someone else’s culture and language, getting to know other ways of living that are different from ours is the highest form of knowledge.

And to start things off, and keeping with the theme of the rest of the articles I’ve written for this week, today we make a small journey to Firenze, or Florence, as most people know her. I’ve never been to Florence, sadly enough, at least physically. In my dreams, I’ve been there quite a lot, or maybe I just went once and never left. But since I hope to one day finally go there, I have a few things that I’m dying to see and I want to share them with you. So, let’s go to Firenze!

I can only imagine what an experience it is to visit Florence and wonder at all the magnificent works of art build all over the city. A city that in itself is a work of art. Her real name is Firenze, and it's the capital of the Tuscan region (as you know, Italy is divided into twenty regions, and every single one of the as a sort of capital).

As most of you know, Florece has a very strong connection to art since the italian Rinascimentobut in the medieval had already a reputation for being an important center for finance and commercial trade. One of the most important banks of the medieval and Rinascimento times was born here, the Medici Bank ran by the Medici Family, one of the most important florentine mecenes patrons in history (I actually did the experience of researching “patrons” on google and Cosimo di Medici popped up).

I had to read a lot of old traveling journals, all of them to some city in Italy, to do a paper for one of my master’s courses. And I was amazed how every single author was amazed by this amazing city. Some of them called it the City of Flowers, some others called it the Italian Athens and it looks like a city frozen in time, in that period where you could see the importance of culture, art, philosophy. So, since I hope to one day to live there and never leave, I have a list of all the places I want to visit. Get ready!

Piazza del Duomo: Florence's Cathedral Santa Maria del Fiore, with the Duomo engineered by Bruneleschi, Crypta of Santa Reparata, Campanile di Giotto, Battistero di San Giovanni, Museo dell’Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore.

Galleria degli Uffizi, one of the most important italian museums with amazing works of art, mainly connected to the Renaissance

Galleria dell'Accademia, that houses the magnificent word of Michelangelo, the sculpture of David, but it also houses and incredible collection of paintings

Ponte Vecchio, an historical landmark where today you can find jewelry stores, art dealers, etc.

Piazza della Signoria, the place where the florentine republic was born and 'till this day is stll seen has a political center for the city. Here, I'm really excited to city the Palazzo Vecchio (also known as Palazzo della Signoria) e La logia dei Lanzi.

I also want to visit Piazza Santo Spirito, where there's the Basilica di Santo Spirito, also designed by Bruneleschi (I'm a big Bruneleschi fan!)

Now, this one is very important! I did my thesis on some painting of Beato Angelico, so of course I have to visit the Museo Nacionale di San Marco, so I can fianlly see those beautiful frescos right in front of me.

Basilica di San Lorenzo and the Medici Chapel, I'm not sure but I think it's one of the biggest churchs in all of Florence. Another commision offered to Bruneleschi, but he couldn't finish it before he died.

Chiesa di Santa Maria Novella, the first basilica and the main dominican church of the city.

Palazzo Medici, also known as Palazzo Medici Riccardi, was the former home of the Medici Family before they moved to the imponent Palazzo Pitti. Now it's a museum, and I really want to see it!

Another basilica of this amazing city, is Chiesa di San Miniato al Monte, designed by Michelozzo. It holds the magnificent Cappella del Cardinale del Portogallo, a gorgous funeral monument holded in memory of Jaime de Portugal.

Palazzo Pitti, a rennaissance palace that became the official residence for the Medici Family in 1549, when it was sold to the wife of Cosimo I de Medici. Other than the amazing works of art, it also holds the Boboli Gardens, a master piece in itself.

Museo Casa di Dante, na via Santa Margherita. Needs no explanation! As a fan of Dante, I'm dying to see the place where he lived before he was exiled.

Piazza Santa Trinita, another very important point of the city. In the middle, you can find the Colonna della Giustizia, an ancient-roman column, given by Pope Pius IV to Cosimo I de Medici.

As you can see, it's quite a list and I don't think it's all there. For an art historian, especialized in the italian rennaissance, Florence is the very definition of heaven. And that's why I think the moment I set foot on florentine floor, I'll never leave.

Have you ever been to Florence? What did you visit? Have any recommendations? Please use the ask box and let me know!

(Almost) Every Costume Per Episode + Lucrezia Tornabuoni’s white gown in 1x08

(Almost) Every Costume Per Episode + Contessina de Bardi’s purple gown with black trim in 1x07,8

(Almost) Every Costume Per Episode + Contessina de Bardi’s light blue gown in 1x07

(Almost) Every Costume Per Episode + Contessina de Bardi’s green gown in 1x06

(Almost) Every Costume Per Episode + Maddalena’s red and gold kirtle in 1x05

(Almost) Every Costume Per Episode + Contessina de Bardi’s off the shoulder red gown in 1x05,8

(Almost) Every Costume Per Episode + Lucrezia Tornabuoni’s purple coat with gold trim and brown fur trimmed collar in 1x06,7

(Almost) Every Costume Per Episode + Contessina de Bardi’s black gown in 1x06

(Almost) Every Costume Per Episode + Contessina de Bardi’s black fur giornea in 1x07

(Almost) Every Costume Per Episode + Contessina de Bardi’s red cioppa with light brown fur trim in 1x05

(Almost) Every Costume Per Episode + Contessina de Bardi’s purple fur trimmed cioppa in 1x05

(Almost) Every Costume Per Episode + Lucrezia Tornabuoni’s indigo gown in 1x07

(Almost) Every Costume Per Episode + Lucrezia Tornabuoni’s brown fur coat in 1x07