Florence #5: I kid you not

Today I was overwhelmed by Art. I think I have a Syndrome.

This morning we visited the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella. The photo shows part of the Fresco by Andrea di Bonaiuto da Firenze in the Spanish Chapel (c. 1365) (More info here) and is just one of many photos of Amazing Art that I took today, including Masaccio's "Trinity" that features in my Art lessons on linear perspective. To see it for real was one of several overwhelming moments in this shrine of Italian Medieval and Renaissance 'Who's Who" (including Giotti, Botticelli, Brunelleschi, Lippi) in Art. Inside the chapel, having already been in the Church for some time in a stupor of, well, "art saturation", I was then rendered motionless as I stood and stared at the surrounding walls and ceiling partially pictured here. There are no adjectives that adequately express the wonder I felt while staring at these frescos that provide a perfect path back to 1365. Such elegance.

As if that wasn't enough, in the afternoon we went to the Galleria dell'Accademia (here) to see Michelangelo's 'David', and yet more Botticcelli, Giotto and exquisite guilded altar triptychs, you know - usual stuff - ya-di-ya-di-ya.

The art academy also included a fabulous collection of musical instruments from the private collections of the Medici and Lorraine grand dukes of Tuscany, including a tenor viola by Antonio Stradivari, the cello that belonged to the same quintet made in 1690 for Grand Prince Ferdinando, a Stradivarius violin from 1716, and a cello by Niccolò Amati from 1650 as well as spinets, harpsichords, serpent, wooden flutes and clarinets, hurdy gurdy, tromba marina, ... la-de-la-de-la

By late afternoon we both agreed that we could take no more. Art overload.


"Stendhal syndrome is a psychosomatic illness that occurs as a reaction to art. Stendhal syndrome can be experienced by anyone overwhelmed by artistic masterpieces. It most commonly occurs, however, in individuals visiting works of art in Florence, Italy, which is why it is also called Florence syndrome by some. It is such a frequently occurring syndrome in this part of the world that hospital staff workers in that area report that symptoms are commonly recognized when disoriented patients arrive at a hospital soon after admiring nearby works of art."
- http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-stendhal-syndrome.htm

Utterly blown away.


Note to self: partial normality returned when (1) visiting the street market we both bought an Italian leather handbag; (2) I had a half in a bar called 'pub' on the way home; (3) dinner was in the same restaurant as last night which is to say 110% yummy Italian cuisine.