It was today, 18th February that Florence celebrates the death anniversary of Anna Maria Luisa de’ Medici.
Thanks to it, there (still?!) is free entry in several museums of the city were, and Santa Maria Novella was one of those.
It has been several time I didn’t enter that door, hence the results are surprizingly amazing!
Look at those pictures to know what I mean, discover the inner side of the first Gothic Church in Florence:
Santa Maria Novella entrance (looking back) – FlorenceSan Thomas of Canterbury, right wall of SMNGiotto Crucifix in the middle of the central aisleSanta Maria Novella – central aisle and altarSanta Maria Novella main altar, Neo-gothic style, rebuilt in 19th CenturyCappella Tornabuoni, magnificent stained-glass windowsfrescoes by Ghirlandaio – final part by Michelangelo Buonarroti
For this last picture it’s worth to say that historical arts tells us that those frescoes were made by Ghirlandaio and its collaborators: one of them was Michelangelo Buonarroti and it is told that he contributed to paint the final part of the fresco…but it also told that Ghirlandaio was so jealous and envied him for his work of arts that decided to dismiss his pupil.
But let’s go on with SMN pictures:
Groin vault in Tornabuoni chapelGiant wooden bookrest of 6th Century (in Tornabuoni Chapel, just behind the main altar)Cloister of Santa Maria NovellaIn Santa Maria Novella’s Cloister
and the the final view:
Santa Maria Novella – front view
I found it very very very interesting, so, even if it doesn’t seem to have an English version, enjoy the virtual tour/map of the Church here, you can have different explanation of what you’re gonna see if you once decide to visit Santa Maria Novella, Florence.
Yes, you have to wait until two or three days before San Valentine’s Day to have the right idea for your lover.
It happens every year, each time you start thinking and watching shop windows, but then you think you want something different, something special that reminds you and you love of that particular feeling.
Anyway, here’s my preparation to San Valentine’s Day… Starting from a tour in Florence, passing by those little vintage shops full of things and old tools and books and posters..
Santo Spirito Street – Florence
going towards those refined and polish shops as the Rinascente, where you can enjoy its facade that is totally dedicated to the new fragrance of Ferragamo ‘Emozione’:
Rinascente Florence Emozioni Ferragamo
arriving to a fantastic idea, an homemade one.. that’s it! Here you are the solution:
San Valentine’s choko-biscuits
I know they will be very appreciated 🙂 above all if thinking about San Valentine Day’s I was sure to have…
…in Naples.
Imagine having lunch at home, because you man loves to prepare lunches for you..and you also have at your disposal a fish market where fish is very cheap and fresh and it has a wonderful taste:
Fish market
and you can add some very good raw fish, enjoy this picture where you can see oysters (top!), razor shells, smooth clams and some others mollusks:
Raw fish: oysters, smooth clams, razor shells
Zoommm in the oyster:
Then, it’s time to enjoy the nice sun outside, so let’s have a walk in one of the man street – Via Toledo, also called via Roma – that goes straight to Piazza Plebiscito. At first, you meet a surprisingly great juke-box (with a poor man inside!) designed by Baci Perugina: you just need to choose your song and it starts… (then I discovered all the songs were part of Tiziano Ferro’s archives because of a particular partnership between him and Perugina brand, they created a limited edition for this loving occasion):
Baci Perugina and Tiziano Ferro for limited edition ‘Autografi d’Amore’
Let’s finish the tour with something more pretty and less popular, in one of the narrows that lead to ‘Quartieri Spagnoli’ of Naples..a green and red Gallery of Love, full of flowers:
Love Gallery – Quartieri Spagnoli Naples 2015
Hope you enjoyed your San Valentine’s Day and mine too! 🙂
Actually, it’s happening even more often to have an alternative Saturday night.
Maybe because now the Saturday night is becoming the Friday night, after a long week spent working..
maybe because things are changing, and you start to understand you don’t always need to go clubbing or dancing to have your Saturday night. Anyway let’s enjoy together this new opening in Florence. I passed several times just in front of it but never stopped there. It looks like a mix of a perfume shop, a saloon, a tea house, a posh Italian bar. And it is.
They said it’s a totally new concept store: they sell perfumes, home fragrances, but also teas, tea cups and coffee pots and all the staff you can have in your kitchen. And you can also enjoy a meal, or a chocolate, infusions and cakes, pies, muffins and go on..
Look at those picture to better understand what I’m trying to say, read what it’s written on the first one, then go on..
Living style. Rooms become the perfect stages for a creative contemporary collection. Taking a new eye to the home.Teatro dell’Ozio shop – handmade bags
The first lines of the picture show the concept of what you can see in the surrounding area of your seat (a comfortable sofa or white comfortable chairs made of wood). Then enjoy the ambient: a mix of ancient arches, romanic tiles, black libraries and branches that seem to be the dark touch of this place:
Teatro dell’Ozio – Florence
And then, it follows the bathroom area (?!) – well I’m joking, this is the privè:
Teatro dell’Ozio – Florence
Here it follows the shopping area:
Teatro dell’Ozio – Florence
We finally went for a set of infusions and a chocolate muffin with pistachios cream:
Infusions in Teatro dell’Ozio
..really hard to remember their ingredients, but their taste and flavor were very palatable and helped feeling relaxed for this alternative Saturday night.
I’m not very passionate about vintage, in the sense that I don’t like to wear vintage clothes and dresses from the past, look like old women even if you are just a twenty-years old girl. Anyway, it took place a very weird vintage fairy during last weekend in Florence. People say it’s the very end of Pitti weeks – even if I don’t really agree with this. ‘Pitti people’ really look like different from the ones I saw there, in Stazione Leopolda.
It was very enjoyable, because of people, music, clothes, accessories and atmosphere all around: not only vintage clothes, but also self-made clothing, tissues, old baggages and glasses and go on…
Vintage clothesVintage bags – not so expensive bagsVintage collections! flowers, postcard, old memories
And now the best snapshots, old clothes that look like curtains, people that look like some old movies’ characters (very impressive) and some view forms of the place from different perspectives:
Vintage accessories – view from a mirrorOld curtains (?!)impressive peopleVintage CollectionVintage Collection
don’t miss the next Vintage Selection event, let’s see in 2016!
