Italian vistas

In continuation to Milan, I was fortunate to also visit Florence, Pisa, and Venice on my recent trip to northern Italy. All beautiful with rich heritage & culture, distinct in their fashion and food yet similar in many ways. And hence all of these compete for space in this blog.

Florence

Florence is the art capital of Italy. All the best-known artists, sculptors, painters, architects and engineers have left their mark on the city. Be it Filippo Brunelleschi (father of the Renaissance, known for the Florence cathedral Dome), Verrocchio(painter and Leonardo's teacher), Leonardo da Vinci (the greatest Renaissance Polymath and my favorite), Michelangelo ( best known for 'The last judgment' painting) and countless others equally notable. An afternoon at Uffizi Gallary will introduce you to the breadth and depth of their artworks.

One of the most important art museums in Italy that holds priceless works spanning across rooms, contributed by the Medici family. There is a large crowd of interested visitors to see the most popular gallery. I had to skip many rooms to see Leonardo's Annunciation painting. It was complete by the artists in 1476 and regarded as masterpiece. I could manage to see few more notable paintings like Doni Tondo, Medusa and many more in a limited time.

There are many other notable architectures near the gallery. However, the most iconic is the Florence Cathedral. Made in white, green, and pink marble, it's unique from any other Italian building. Built-in 1420 by Filippo Brunelleschi, the dome is the 3rd largest in the world. The baptistry in front of the cathedral is equally enthralling with its bronze doors and excellent artwork. The Bell Tower next to the dome is 84.7 meters in height. The view from the top is beautiful. I happen to visit the famous Michelangelo Piazza on the hilltop, which has a replica of David's statue in marble. The city views from the top are breathtaking. Surrounded by hills on all sides, the cathedral dome highlights the skyline. The city is relatively old the Italian villas dot the hills bringing charm and elegance to the region.

The other popular attraction is Ponte(bridge in Italian) Vecchio, an old bridge, but thanks to Insta pictures, it is the most visited place in Florence. It housed goldsmiths in the olden days, making it a hot spot for centuries. The view from the bridge is scenic. Hence you have to wait for your turn to click the perfect snap.

Tuscany, the most popular tourist destination, is known for the Leather and Paper industries. However, Chinese goods have captured the market by selling cheap and duplicate products. Hence it takes a bit of effort to find the original leather makers. I happen to window shop in the bylanes of the old city and found this small workshop. The craftsman & owner was proud to explain the process of leather goods making and why it was expensive and time-consuming. He also explained how mass industries use modified leather materials to retain the shapes. A pure leather item will age with time, forming folds, and will not tear off from constant exposure to the sun words of wisdom that I will cherish for a long.

Pisa

An hour's travel from Florence, a small city better known for its leaning bell tower. Built in 1372, it started leaning in the opposite direction where it is now due to the soft ground beneath. It was a marvel back then as the tower didn't give in to the marshland below. There were multiple renovations to stabilize the lean. The tilt corrected from 5.5 degrees to the current 3.7 degrees. When you enter, the ground floor looks tilted to one side. It is hollow from the inside, and there isn't much to see, but climbing the small 296 marble steps is an experience. You feel like gravitating on one side. The excellent vistas of the city grab your attention and help to get some fresh air. Although it is world famous and back then was a marvel, I feel that there are more marvelous monuments in other parts of the country to explore. The Instagram-able pics and hype of tourists have made it a must-go location, but the nearby Cathedral and Bapistry are worth a visit that many give a miss.

Venice

It's unlike any other city I have visited before entirely on water. I was surprised to see the excellent use of waterways on such a small island. I wonder how they managed to build the entire city with all facilities back in that time. The buildings are colorful and connected through small bylanes, and coffee and souvenir shops are around every corner. The city gets crowded in a few places and insanely quiet in others. The San Marco square is the main tourist attraction housing Doge palace, the cathedral and museums. Nearby gondola rides are also famous, thanks to the movies and social media. The price of a single ride is steep for a short duration. It is more famous for tourists as the locals use motor boats that are fast and cheap. I was amazed to see and ride on the water bus boats similar to our city buses taking numerous stops and connecting the length and breadth of the entire island. There were garage collection boats, construction boats and even ambulance boats. Water Taxis are another common site that operates like Ola & Uber.

Murano, a short boat ride from Venice, is an island famous for its glass-making industry. The glass furnaces of Murano continue to churn out beautiful and artistic artifacts for centuries. Again, it is hard to distinguish between the original Murano glass and the duplicate. The original glass items are worth lakhs of rupees depending on the size, color and shape. I was keen to visit a live furnace workshop, but due to the holidays, the factories were closed. I had to settle in a small museum to view old items to understand the making of glass. The other artifacts that are famous here are Venice's masks. They are very detailed, artistic and colorful. These are popular in theme parties, dance shows, theater and a sightseer's must-haves. Only a few shops now make these masks by hand and sold at very high prices. The rest that we see lined on the streets are factory-made.

Food

Italian cities boast cafes in every nook and corner offering coffee, without which the population can't operate. Italians alone consume 14 billion expresso coffees every year. Like the locals, I went to small cafes to have my favorite Cioccolata clade (hot chocolate), which is so thick that you feel like drinking chocolate syrup. One of the baristas (the person who serves in the cafe) was surprised by my request to add more milk to my drink. She insisted that it kills the clade's flavor. But I was adamant that without extra milk, it would kill my taste buds.

The other fascination is for gelato (ice cream), especially in the evening before dinner as a pastime while hanging out with friends and family. Many gelato brands serve various flavors. I liked the small homely cafes that served traditional flavors. The cafes here act as bars, eateries, and gelateria shops, depending upon the time of the day. The price of the food items varies depending upon if you are having it standing, seated, or take-way.

We can't forget the famous Pizzas and Pasta of the world when in Italy, can we? However, everything tasted bland with no spices, given my Indian taste buds. The pizzas here are opposite to what we get in India, but as they say, when you are in Rome, do as the Romans do, so I ate them all. If I had stayed here for any longer, I would have turned Italian, drinking choco clade and coffee by the hour. And I am sure half the eateries would have offered spicy food after my requests.

Overall, the country offers all the wonders of mountains, sea, monuments, museums, history, fashion and food all at once, making it popular with tourists and locals alike. I left Italy with a mixed bag of experiences and thoughts. The Italian ways rubbed on me, and I hope that lasts a little longer.