Last day in Panicale

Over the years we have become very attached to Panicale so it is always very sad when we have to leave. We still have ten days of adventures to go before we return to Australia but leaving here does have a finality to it.

One last visit to Castiglione del Lago this morning where I bought a couple of things I wanted and Kel visited Walter for a hair trim.

We bought our lunch and went down to the lakeside to eat, as we really enjoy doing. 

Then it was home to iron, pack and return the house to the way we found it.

At aperativi time we went up to the piazza for one last drink at Bar del Gallo, then we crossed the piazza for dinner at Il Gallo nel Pozzo.  It was perfection; interesting menu, delicate flavours, beautifully presented and all thanks to a great team headed by Simone and Lorena.

 Sitting right on the centre of the piazza keeping an eye on things.

Penultimate day in Panicale

What did we do on our second last day in Panicale, other that sorting out the suitcases?

We enjoyed our garden!

This evening was our last Musica Insieme, Looking Back/Forward; music for flutes from the Renaissance to today. The two performers, Elisabeth Wirth and Christina Hahn,  presented a stunning programme but the fascinating thing was that they didn't actually play flutes. They had a variety of wooden recorders and similar instruments and also Paetzold contrabasso square recorders. Amazing things! The performers breathing technique and vocal imput created music like we have never seen before. Brilliant!

The quality of musicians that they bring to Panicale for Musica Insieme is incredible. These two young ladies came from the Mozarteum University of Salzburg.

Another trip to Firenze part 2

After lunch we headed off to the Basilica di Santa Croce. We crossed back over the Arno and as I looked back I could see the Bardini Gardens that we had visited two weeks ago. You can certainly get a feel for the steepness of the garden.

What a handsome boy!

The Basilica of Santa Croce was built for the Franciscans in 1294 on the base of a former church from 1212. It also is huge with many additional buildings and areas. The church itself has sixteen chapels.

Artistically it is noted for the fresco cycles on Saint Francis and the Story of the True Cross by Agnolo Gaddi in the Capello Maggiore, behind the altar. These date from 1380.

There are also frescoes by Giotto and, in the refectory,  a stunning Last Supper and Tree of Life by Taddeo Gaddi, father of Agnolo.

A panel Histories of Saint Francis dating from 1250 features Saint Francis and surrounding him the important points in his life and mission.

I'm  also a bit partial to the ceramic work of Andrea della Robbia.

However, Santa Croce is most notable today for the many famous Italians buried there.

Marconi

Leonardo da Vinci - memorial only

 Galileo

 Michelangelo
Designed by Vassari, the statues represent sculpture, architecture and painting.

Arts mourning the death of Michelangelo

 Dante

 Rossini

Machiavelli

There is also a statue honouring Florence Nightingale who was born in Florence in 1820, and from where she gained her name.

A small courtyard leads to the exit and allows views of the belltower and dome.

Following on from my comments about paying to enter churches, this one cost €8 (A$12.75) each but we did get another two hours plus of entertainment and we have helped to preserve these treasures for future generations.
We have changed our minds about refusing to pay large entry fees to go into historic buildings.

Another trip to Firenze - part 1

When I heard that my friend Sandra from South Australia was going to be in Florence/Firenze when we were in Panicale, I thought this would be a good opportunity to meet up for the day. 
Again we did the train trip from Castiglione del Lago, leaving home at 7.20 am and arriving back at 7.10 pm. What a lovely day we had.

Sandra had her list of places to see and as the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella was the nearest to the station we went there first.

Originally a Dominican Monastery, it was built by the friars between 1279 and 1357  partly on an older base. The exterior is deceptive as this is a massive complex with the main church, many chapels, an internal cemetery, the refectory, the small and the large cloisters all open to view.

The collection of art works is worth the visit alone. The most notable being Masaccio's Trinità, the Ghirlandaio frescoes behind the main altar and the Giotto free standing Crucifix.

Trinità by Tommaso Guidi, called Masaccio - 1424.

Frescoes in the Tornabuoni Chapel by Domenico Ghirlandaio and his school 

1485 - 90.

Giotto Crucifix - 1288.

This 17th century ironwork gate to a chapel is noteworthy.

The internal cemetery had interesting stones dating back centuries and it was in this area that we could see how high the flood waters had come on numerous occasions when the Arno River has broken its banks. Many frescoes have been damaged beyond repair.

Frescoed ceilings in room off the small cloister.

The Grand Cloister has a series of frescoes around the walls telling of the life and work of San Domenico and his followers.

An example, the death of San Domenico.

Another vignette - The  meeting of Saint Dominic and Saint Francis.

Sandra and I sat to further contemplate this amazing fresco cycle.

It was certainly lunch time by the time we emerged from the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella.

I must say that I struggle with paying high entry prices to enter churches. On this occasion it was €7.50 (A$12) each, but there is quality art and so much else to see that it was worth paying the entry fee. Also as the ticket said 'Thanks to you the past will always continue to have a future', and that is a very valid point.

                                                                                                                To be continued