Iedere dag passeren duizenden mensen de kerk van San Carlo aan de drukke Via dei Calzaiuoli. Toch is de kerk zelf zelden open. Tijdens mijn laatste verblijven in Florence trof ik de deuren van het gebouw telkenmale gesloten aan. De ultieme belediging was wel dat iemand een handvol smerige vuilniszaken…
Er zijn van die kerken die jarenlang op een to-do-list blijven staan, simpelweg omdat ze bijna nooit open zijn. De kerk van San Giovannino dei Cavalieri in Florence is zo’n kerk. Ondanks optimistische geluiden op het internet dat de kerk gewoon geopend zou moeten zijn, ben ik er de afgelopen…
I ended my most recent trip to Florence with a visit to the Museo Horne. I had never been to this museum before and had never even passed by it. After my visit I had to conclude that I had definitely missed something all these years. The Museo Horne is…
Long, long ago I had read some information about the Cappella Rucellai, but my memory was extremely hazy. When during a walk in Florence I suddenly saw a sign that directed me to the chapel, I decided to use Google to find out more about the Cappella Rucellai. I liked…
On my way to Arcetri I happened to pass by the church of San Giorgio alla Costa in Oltrarno, Florence. This church can be described with the keywords “small”, “old” (possibly from the tenth century) and “until recently closed to the public”. The good news is that it is no…
The basilica of San Lorenzo is among the oldest and most famous churches of Florence. The church is immediately recognisable by its unfinished façade and the enormous dome of the chapel behind the choir, the famed Cappella dei Principi. There is probably no church in Florence that has a closer…
There is a lot to see in the basilica of Santo Spirito in Oltrarno, and there is a lot more to tell about the building, but unfortunately it is difficult to tell this story and simultaneously show images. The main reason is that it is strictly prohibited to take pictures…
The old refectory (cenacolo) of the Santo Spirito complex houses a very special museum, administered by the Fondazione Salvatore Romano. In the museum we can see the personal collection of the art dealer and collector of ancient art Salvatore Romano (1875-1955). Romano was originally from the town of Meta on…
In the north of Florence there used to be a large monastic complex administered by Camaldolese nuns. This complex of Sant’Apollonia, dedicated to a saint who had all of her teeth pulled out, was founded in 1339. The convent was disbanded in the second half of the nineteenth century and…
None of my travel guides mention the church of San Remigio in Florence, but thanks to a question from one of my colleagues I did end up there during my last stay in the city. He was doing research on a Dutch painter from the nineteenth century who had travelled…
The church of Sant’Ambrogio adjoins a charming little square full of bars and terraces. I happened to pass by the church on a lovely evening, when many people were sitting outside on benches or on the steps of the church. A band was playing enthusiastically, but unfortunately it got a…
A square box at the corner of the Via de’ Cerretani and Via de’ Vecchietti. I think that is a fair description of the church of Santa Maria Maggiore. The church is in fact one of the oldest in Florence. There is probably no truth in the story that it…
The church of Santa Maria a Ricorboli is not mentioned in any travel guide. There was a considerable chance that I would never have visited it, had it not been discussed on the best website about churches in Florence, the unrivalled The Churches of Florence. The article there mentioned a…
The church of Santa Felicita stands close to the famous Ponte Vecchio. Its history goes back to the early Christian age, but in its current form the Santa Felicita dates from the eighteenth century. The most interesting art in the building is older, with most tourists visiting the church because…
One of the main goals of my last trip to Florence was viewing the works of the famous painter Giotto (ca. 1266-1337) that I had not seen previously. Of course it is not always possible to attribute works to this innovative master with certainty, so I had already broadened my…
Met een bezoek aan het Museo Horne sloot ik mijn meest recente trip naar Florence af. Ik was nog nooit in het museum geweest en was er zelfs nog nooit langsgelopen. Na mijn bezoek moest ik concluderen dat ik al die jaren beslist iets gemist had. Het Museo Horne is…
Ik had in een grijs verleden wel eens wat gelezen over de Cappella Rucellai, maar mijn herinnering was bijzonder vaag. Toen ik tijdens een wandeling door Florence plotseling een bordje zag dat de weg wees naar de kapel besloot ik de Cappella Rucellai eens te googelen. Wat ik vond, beviel…
Onderweg naar Arcetri kwam ik toevallig langs de kerk van San Giorgio alla Costa in Oltrarno, Florence. Deze kerk kan worden beschreven met de steekwoorden ‘klein’, ‘oud’ (mogelijk uit de tiende eeuw) en ‘tot voor kort gesloten voor het publiek’. Wat dat laatste betreft: ik trof de San Giorgio in…
De basiliek van San Lorenzo behoort tot de oudste en bekendste kerken van Florence. De kerk is direct herkenbaar aan haar onvoltooide gevel en de enorme koepel van de kapel achter het koor, de befaamde Cappella dei Principi. Waarschijnlijk is er geen kerk in Florence die meer verbonden is met…
In de basiliek van Santo Spirito in Oltrarno valt veel te zien. Er valt nog veel meer over het gebouw te vertellen, maar helaas is het lastig om lezers bij dit verhaal ook plaatjes te tonen. Het is in de kerk namelijk streng verboden te fotograferen. Bij praktisch ieder altaar…