Ep. 15 - Florence, Italy
Our 15th five minute adventure takes us to the intersection of religion, culture, and politics. It just so happens to be one of the coolest cities in Italy and the whole of Europe. Join Mark and discover the birthplace of the renaissance: Florence, Italy.
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Transcription:
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Hello and welcome to the 15th installment of The Friday Take Five, a podcast where we take just about five or so minutes every Friday to step back from the craziness of life and delve into history and adventure. I’m your host, Mark Moran, and I do my best each week to scratch an itch for travel bugs and history lovers alike. Every episode, we take a look at a new place with a new story. I’m always hoping that you’ll walk away with a renewed appreciation for history and a new travel destination to add to your bucket list. Now hey, let’s get discovering.
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I figured I wouldn’t be able to hold off long before making a return trip to Italy. Honestly, I’m surprised I managed to make it 15 episodes before coming back to one of, in my humble opinion, the best countries in the world. With this one, we’re taking on the birthplace of the renaissance, and frankly, one of my favorite historical locations in the world, Florence, Italy.
Florence’s story, like many places in South and Western Europe, begins in ye olde BC times. It was a Roman settlement founded in roughly 60 BC. Early on, the city became affiliated with the Catholic Church, with the founding of the Archdiocese of Florence in the first century. Throughout history, it continued to be a religious hub, but it also created an environment for other influences to thrive. Florence became an intersection of religion, science, culture, and politics during the renaissance.
In the aftermath of the Black Plague, Europe was primed for a rebirth. The wealthy Medici banking family were patrons of the arts, and had the money to buy power. They landed various seats of power as heads of state or as heads of the church throughout their dynasty. Their money funded developments in the arts and humanities that would kick off a new era for the world. Cosimo and Lorenzo de Medici funded the likes of Ghiberti, Donatello, Michelangelo and Leonardo DaVinci.
Unsurprisingly, that funding led to some incredible technological advancements and the creation of some of the most incredible works of art that are still famous to this day.
Take Leonardo Davinci for example. Though famously known for the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper, he also conceptualized planes, tanks, helicopters, solar power, calculators, plate tectonics and more, hundreds of years before modern scientists.
The Medici money helped fund other incredible things as well that would go on to live continually in Florence, which I was lucky enough to be able to experience myself. A few of my can’t misses are the statue of David, the Uffizi, and the Duomo of Florence.
Michelangelo studied at the Humanist institute founded by the Medici family, and in his career he would go on to craft the statue David, which is on display over 500 years later and is still to this day an absolute wonder to behold. I remember standing there, looking up feeling completely dwarfed, just marveling at this giant marble statue, and the detail that was just absolutely incredible to me.
Next, is the Uffizi, which originally was an office building constructed by and for the Medici family to consolidate administrative control of the Florentine Republic. However, later it became a museum that continues to hold priceless renaissance artifacts. The Uffizi was one of my favorites purely because I’m a huge fan of renaissance art and this museum was absolutely chuck full of it.
Last, but definitely not the least in terms of my must sees, was the Duomo, a massive domed cathedral in the heart of Florence. We were lucky enough to be able to stay in a hotel in which you could stick your head just out the window, look to your right and see the incredible church no more than 300 feet away. If and when you get the chance, I’d highly recommend climbing the bell tower adjacent to the dome, as it lends itself to some incredible views of the city and great pictures of the dome itself. The cathedral was commissioned by, you guessed it, the Medici’s in 1296. And after competing in a design competition, Filippo Brunelleschi ultimately won the contract and proceeded to build the dome without any scaffolding, which at the time was revolutionary. The dome stands today at an impressive 357 feet and is a hallmark of the wonderful Italian city.
Any trip to Italy, in my opinion, should not be complete without a stop in Florence. The city has such a unique balance of religious, political, and artistic influences that have continued to keep the city relevant for hundreds of years after the Medici’s first ascent to power. So make sure that you get to Florence, see the sights, experience the history, and don’t forget to grab yourself some gelato.
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Hey there! Thanks for listening to another episode of The Friday Take Five. If you haven’t already, be sure to give us a 5 star rating on podcasting platforms, and don’t forget to turn on notifications and automatic downloads to keep up with new episodes. Have your own stories about Florence, feedback or recommendations on places / stories for us to cover? We’d love to hear it so follow and DM us on socials @FridayTakeFive or email us at thefridaytakefive@gmail.com. Stay curious, stay adventuring, and have a great weekend!
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