A Wanderer in Florence

A Wanderer in Florence

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Title: A Wanderer in Florence
Author: E. V. Lucas
Release Date: January 21, 2004 [EBook #10769]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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WANDERER IN FLORENCE ***

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A WANDERER IN FLORENCE
By E.V. Lucas

Preface
A sentence from a "Synthetical Guidebook" which is circulated in the
Florentine hotels will express what I want to say, at the threshold of
this volume, much better than could unaided words of mine. It runs
thus: "The natural kindness, the high spirit, of the Florentine people, the
wonderful masterpieces of art created by her great men, who in every
age have stood in the front of art and science, rivalize with the gentle
smile of her splendid sky to render Florence one of the finest towns of

beautiful Italy". These words, written, I feel sure, by a Florentine, and
therefore "inspirated" (as he says elsewhere) by a patriotic feeling, are
true; and it is my hope that the pages that follow will at once fortify
their truth and lead others to test it.
Like the synthetical author, I too have not thought it necessary to
provide "too many informations concerning art and history," but there
will be found a few, practically unavoidable, in the gathering together
of which I have been indebted to many authors: notably Vasari,
Symonds, Crowe and Cavalcaselle, Ruskin, Pater, and Baedeker.
Among more recent books I would mention Herr Bode's "Florentine
Sculptors of the Renaissance," Mr. F.M. Hyett's "Florence," Mr. E.L.S.
Horsburgh's "Lorenzo the Magnificent" and "Savonarola," Mr. Gerald
S. Davies' "Michelangelo," Mr. W.G. Waters' "Italian Sculptors," and
Col. Young's "The Medici".
I have to thank very heartily a good English Florentine for the
construction of the historical chart at the end of the volume.
E.V.L.
May, 1912

Contents
Preface
Chapter I
The Duomo I: Its Construction
Chapter II
The Duomo II: Its Associations
Chapter III
The Duomo III: A Ceremony and a Museum
Chapter IV
The Campanile and the Baptistery
Chapter V
The Riccardi Palace and the Medici
Chapter VI
S. Lorenzo and Michelangelo
Chapter VII
Or San Michele and the Palazzo Vecchio

Chapter VIII
The Uffizi I: The Building and the Collectors
Chapter IX
The Uffizi II: The First Six Rooms
Chapter X
The Uffizi III: Botticelli
Chapter XI
The Uffizi IV: Remaining Rooms
Chapter XII
"Aèrial Fiesole"
Chapter XIII
The Badia and Dante
Chapter XIV
The Bargello
Chapter XV
S. Croce
Chapter XVI
The Accademia
Chapter XVII
Two Monasteries and a Procession
Chapter XVIII
S. Marco
Chapter XIX
The SS. Annunziata and the Spedale Degli Innocenti
Chapter XX
The Cascine and the Arno
Chapter XXI
S. Maria Novella
Chapter XXII
The Piazza Vittorio Emmanuele to S. Trinità
Chapter XXIII
The Pitti
Chapter XXIV
English Poets in Florence

Chapter XXV
The Carmine and San Miniato Historical Chart of Florence and Europe,
1296-1564

List of Illustrations
In Colour
The Duomo and Campanile, From the Via Pecori
The Cloisters of San Lorenzo, Showing the Windows of the Biblioteca
Laurenziana
The Via Calzaioli, from the Baptistery, Showing the Bigallo and the
Top of Or San Michele
The Palazzo Vecchio
The Loggia of the Palazzo Vecchio and the Via de' Leoni
The Loggia de' Lanzi, the Duomo, and the Palazzo Vecchio, from the
Portico of the Uffizi
Fiesole, from the Hill under the Monastery
The Badia and the Bargello, from the Piazza S. Firenze
Interior of S. Croce
The Ponte S. Trinità
The Ponte Vecchio and Back of the Via de' Bardi
S. Maria Novella and the Corner of the Loggia di S. Paolo
The Via de' Vagellai, from the Piazza S. Jacopo Trafossi
The Piazza Della Signoria on a Wet Friday Afternoon
View of Florence at Evening, from the Piazzale Michelangelo
Evening at the Piazzale Michelangelo, Looking West

In Monotone
A Cantoria. By Donatello, in the Museum of the Cathedral
Cain and Abel and Abraham and Isaac. By Ghiberti, from his second
Baptistery Doors
The Procession of the Magi. By Benozzo Gozzoli, in the Palazzo
Riccardi
Tomb of Lorenzo de' Medici, Duke of Urbino. By Michelangelo, in the
New Sacristy of S. Lorenzo
Christ and S. Thomas. By Verrocchio, in a niche by Donatello and
Michelozzo in the wall of Or San Michele
Putto with Dolphin. By Verrocchio, in the Palazzo Vecchio

Madonna Adoring. Ascribed to Filippino Lippi, in the Uffizi
The Adoration of the Magi. By Leonardo da Vinci, in