Friday 6 August 2010

Day 121

Day 121.Thursday29th July
Pitti Palace.

A hideous, enormous pile the colour of sun dried cowpats, the Pitti turns out to be hugely enjoyable. Were off to a bad start, south of the river (even Florentines call the area “over there”) it’s a long walk from the car park and after climbing the stairs in the unbearable heat I have an attack of heat stroke. Running wet and cold and clammy to the touch it takes me an hour to recover. The first few galleries are so so, so when we arrive in the larger main gallery we are unprepared for the glories that await. Raphael, Rubens, Titian, Canova and Caravaggio to name but a few. Hideously guilded, over decorated rooms but walls running with the most ravishing paintings.
The gallery on the next floor (the place is vast) has a chronological display of Italian art from the mid 18th C onwards and we are nourished by the discovery of brilliant artists we have
never heard of.
During our visit the sky's fill with clouds and its starts to rain, a gentle patter to start with. The wind builds and we are engulfed in the most spectacular rainstorm. Windows blow in, curtains fly and pictures rattle in their frames. Sleepy attendants transform before our eyes wrestling with widows, shutters and retrieving the curtains from the celings. The outer courtyard becomes a spontaneous Niagara and we wonder how on earth we will get back to the car.
Then, its over, and we trot to the car in gleaming clean streets breathing delicious cool air. Napoleon.

2 comments:

  1. We could do with some of that rain over here, honestly we could. While the weather has stopped being the glorious summer is was a while ago and it did rain a bit on Friday evening, we have had nothing like this. The fields around Deanshanger are dried to an absolute crisp, and the walk at Hill Head crackles underfoot.

    Meanwhile, back to the Art. Here we go again, I thought, more b****y baroque! But hey, quite liking the woman with the red boobs above and I admit a room hung with the great works of the Ninja Turtles and their mates does sound pretty spectacular. But even so, you do have to be there to really appreciate it I think.

    Hilary
    xxx

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  2. well I'm a bit behind on the blog but I would have cared very much if it hadn't rained as Hils had wished on my birthday so as to scupper my beach party!!!

    Its meant to be getting quite hot here according to the papers but the bbc 5 day forecast has forecast rain rain and more rain!

    You sure you want to come back!

    Fi
    xx

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