Florence and Cosimo Medici

That is Cosimo Medici and me in one of the piazzas in Florence. I like Cosimo. Cosimo was a highly successful banker, read rich like he was the Pope's and the Vatican's banker - for real, and he lead Florence to military success over the neighboring city states establishing Florence as a leading independent City State.

Though Cosimo lived in the late 1300s early 1400s he liked to picture himself as a Roman General like Caesar and so did dress up. And that is him below. Me, I liked the Lone Ranger and did dress up too, but stopped about the time I was 10 or 11. Of course, I was not the Pope's banker either.

Cosimo liked art. He and his descendants were major sponsors of artists like Michelangelo and this painting of the Holy Family. A revolutionary painting too. They are not pictured as royalty. Notice that? Bet you did't at first. Also the folds in Mary's robes are special and the men in the background are in the poses of Roman and Greek Gods for a reason I forgot but the placement of all the people do form a cross. Just a little art appreciation here for you.

Sculpture is a specialty of public places in Florence. Here is Aeneas doing heroic deeds. Lots of naked bodies on display. Men seemed to suffer particular indignities over the centuries as a result too.

The Arno River runs through town and wouldn't you know it. Several picturesque bridges cross it.  This is one of the more picturesque. The second story passageway above the colonnade along side the river,  crossing the bridge and in the photo below emerged from the building we were in, the Uffizi Museum.

The Uffizi was the initial home of the Medici family until they felt it was too small and they built a new summer home across the Arno. The passageway was was their way to get from "one 'place' to the other"  without having to be on the street. Sometimes families did not get along with other families in Florence. The towers built as part of the palaces here are for protection as well as my tower is bigger than your tower.

Over the years the Medici family started buying art, especially one of the Pope's nephew Medici family leaders Ferdinand - perhaps though Cosimo did some buying too, and they purchased a lot of portraits and commissioned a lot too. I liked these two among several. The young man is by Guisto Sustermans who painted during the mid 1600s.

I forgot who painted this woman who is believed to be a nice of Cosimo as it is believed the necklace she is wearing belonged to Cosimo's wife. Any rate, note the detail and precision of the artist. These guys were good.

Check out the eye and the hair. The hair looks like it was just washed and was prepared especially for the sitting. Each individual hair captured —

Now check out the detail in the jewelry in the gown she was wearing. And the jewelry around her neck. Yes a little care and detail. Some skill involved. This is why I like classical art.

Oh and Michelangelo was a pretty good at carving too. This is David. There were a lot of people trying to see him. They should. David is dressed in a sling shot and is holding a rock. Either about to or just has killed Goliath. You will have to ask Michelangelo.

My photos simply did not do this sculpture justice. Check it out on the internets.

We are in Lucca now and have continued to have difficulty with internet, especially uploading photos to the blog, so not sure how regular blogging will be. Florence was nearly impossible, here it is a bit better and we will have more "down" or slow time so hopefully I can catch up a bit.