Monthly Archives

June 2016

Scarpe Diem: Florence’s Salvatore Ferragamo Museum

IMG_2791Descend the staircase in the stunning Palazzo Spini Feroni, which houses the flagship Ferragamo store and serves as company headquarters, and you’ll be greeted by walls of Salvatore Ferragamo’s strikingly beautiful shoes, artfully displayed, of course. Though they play a major role in the Museo Salvatore Ferragamo, a marvelous small museum on Florence’s posh Via Tornabuono, there’s much more to see than fabulous footwear.

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Ferragamo’s shoes may themselves be considered works of art.

The Museum tells the story of the man, who grew up outside of Naples, the eleventh of 14 children and became “shoemaker to the stars”; the company, which became synonymous with beautiful and comfortable shoes that were widely imitated; and the city of Florence itself.

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Visitors can learn about Florence’s fascinating history at the museum.

Stunning masterworks of 17th and 18th century Florentine art, a look at the palazzo’s chapel with frescoes by Bernardino Poccetti, artful fashion, and company’s history are all part of the museum experience www.ferragamo.com/museo.

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There is much more to see than shoes at the Museo Salvatore Ferragamo.

IMG_2800In addition to the innovatively designed shoes for which the company is known, the signed lasts created for Marilyn Monroe, Rita Hayworth, Sophia Loren and so many other movie stars and well-known names, past and present, are on view along with Ferragamo’s leather working tools.

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Wooden lasts created for movie stars, royalty and other recognizable names hang on the museum’s walls.

The company’s history is cleverly presented in photographs displayed on racks like tourist post cards.

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These “picture postcards” give visitors a glimpse of the company’s past.

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Video and still photos tell the story of Salvatore Ferragamo and the company he created.

Beautiful sculpture, noteworthy paintings, historic books, documents, and more from the family’s extensive collection compete for visitors’ attention. Classical music such as Corelli’s Le Sonata per Violino, Violone e Cimbalo plays in various gallery spaces, adding to the ambiance.IMG_2824

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IMG_2807Along with the permanent collection, the museum hosts rotating exhibitions. The current show, Across Art and Fashion poses the question, “Is fashion art?” and examines the relationship between the two.

IMG_7570The famous building, constructed in 1289, is itself part of the museum. Among other things, the Palazzo Spini Feroni was once home to the City Council when Florence was the capital of Italy. Salvatore Ferragamo purchased the Palazzo in 1938, after returning from America, and it has served as Ferragamo’s headquarters since that time.

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During it’s long and colorful history, the Palazzo Spini Feroni was home to Florence’s City Council, a hotel and art galleries before becoming Ferragamo’s headquarters.

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Salvatore Ferragamo’s widow, Wanda, was instrumental in creating the museum.

Through the efforts of Ferragamo’s widow and family members, Museo Salvatore Ferragamo was founded in 1995 after an exhibition at Florence’s Palazzo Strozzi went on tour, hosted by New York’s Guggenheim Museum, the County Museum of Los Angeles, London’s Victoria & Albert Museum, and Sogetsu Kai Foundation in Tokyo among others. The traveling exhibition became the basis of the permanent collection at the museum.

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Phone or email for private guided tours.

Private guided tours can be arranged on the first Saturday of each moth at 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. by emailing museoferragamo@ferragamo.com or by calling +39 055 3562466. The museum also hosts special events. Check the website www.ferragamo.com/museo for details.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pitstop in Pisa

If you’ve never been and you’re in the area, it’s worth a stop to see Pisa’s famous Leaning Tower and the Campo dei Miracoli or Square of Miracles.  The Tower, or Torre, which was begun in 1173 and not completed until 1399 almost 200 years later, is one of the most recognizable and visited sites in Italy.

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Go ahead– it’s why you’re here!

It’s easy to reach Pisa from Florence by car or train. We stopped on our way back to Panzano from Lucca. Park in one of the signed lots close to the piazza. There is a bit of an “element” looking to take advantage of tourists near the Campo dei Miracoli so it’s worth putting your car in an attended, paid lot. If you’ve arrived by train, take the LAM Rossa bus from the station in the direction of San Jacapo and get off at Torre.

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Site map of the Campo dei Miracoli shows where everything is located.

If you’re feeling energetic, you can climb the 251 steps to the top of the Tower, for a fee. Children under the age of 8 are not allowed up into the Tower for safety reasons and children between the ages of 8 and 18 must have an adult accompany them. Opening hours and ticket prices are available at here, the official tourism website for Pisa.

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Part of the fun is watching everyone else take their photos.

Take the requisite photos, enjoy watching others take theirs, and then visit Il Duomo, Pisa’s cathedral. It is really beautiful and has the holy doors or porta santa open for the Catholic Church’s Jubilee Year of Mercy. Inside, in addition to the spectacular architecture, you’ll find art treasures like 700-year-old depictions from the bible, works by Ghirlandaio, the tomb of the Holy Roman Emperor Henry VII, a beautiful mosaic by Cimabue, and a carved pulpit by Giovanni Pisano. Photos are not allowed inside.

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Take the time to come inside. There is no charge to enter Pisa’s magnificent Il Duomo.

The Baptistery, though not as spectacular inside as the duomo, is also worth seeing if time allows. The Museo dell’Opera del Duomo, which contains many of the artworks formerly housed in Il Duomo, the Baptistery and the Camposanto (cemetery) is also located on the Square of Miracles.

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Construction on the Baptistry began in 1152 and is the best known work of Pisan architect Diotisalvi.

Entrance to the Cathedral is free but you must collect an entry coupon at the ticket office on the square. For tickets and admission information for the Baptistry, Museum and Camposanto click here.

Day Tripping– Lovely Lucca

The lively and lovely small city of Lucca is the birthplace of Giacomo Puccini and a wonderful place to spend one day or several. We’ve had a few day trips from our home base in Panzano in Chianti (www.stayitalia.com more on that in another post) and keep promising ourselves to spend more time here.

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Lucca is a popular destination for visitors to Tuscany and easy to reach by car or train from Florence.

You cannot drive inside the walled city. You must park in one of the lots outside. Be sure to look for the pay station if you park in any area with blue lines. White lines mean free parking, but blue lines require payment. We were so excited to get a spot near the Porta Santa Maria that we didn’t even notice we were in a pay zone and came back to find a parking ticket on our windshield. Note—if you get a parking ticket, pay it while you are still in Italy at any Post Office. You can do so with cash or credit card and you’ll avoid paying your car rental company the fee they charge to provide the Italian government with your information plus you’ll avoid the hassle of paying via wire transfer/foreign currency once you return home.

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Bicycling is a popular means of getting around in Lucca– inside the city walls and on top of them.

Once you get inside the walls, Porte San Pietro is the main gate–find an Info Point—Porta Santa Maria or Porta San Donato both have them. Pick up a tourism map which has several itineraries for exploring the town. Itineraries are in Italian, English and German and include opening times, closing days, and other important information for the major sites such as museums and churches.

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Visitors and locals alike stroll or bicycle around Lucca’s famous medieval walls. Bicycle rentals are readily available.

Lots of people go to Lucca to “walk the wall” or ride bicycles around the city on the top of its ancient fortifications—Passaggiata delle Mura. The medieval walls built in 1544 replaced earlier Roman ones and extend 4,195 meters around the perimeter of Lucca. There are plenty of bicycle rental places just inside the walls, particularly near the Porta Santa Maria. It was a blustery, rainy day when we were there a few weeks ago, so we put this on our list for next time.

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Now a place for picnics and soccer practice, the grassy area around the walls was once a moat.

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If you have time for a delicious and leisurely lunch (or dinner), go to la Buca di Sant’Antonio, Via della Cervia 3, 55100 Lucca +39058355881 www.bucadisantantonio.com. The restaurant specializes in traditional cuisine of the area and the food is delicious.We’ve had several memorable meals here.You must reserve a table because the restaurant is quite popular.

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Put Buca di Sant’ Antonio on your list of delightful restaurants in Lucca.

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Maccheroni lucchesi al sugo di coniglio– housemade pasta with rabbit sauce– as delicious as it looks.

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Puntarella alla Romana– a crisp, bitter salad topped with anchovies widely regarded as a Roman specialty.

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Petto di faraona all’ uva moscato– guinea fowl in a wonderful moscato wine sauce with crispy pancetta. Yum!

The Church of St. Michele in Foro is one of Lucca’s “must visit” sites. It was built on the site of the Roman forum in the 11th and 12th centuries and is still the center of city life. The church has works by Luca della Robbia and Fillipino Lippi, among others.

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This beautiful church is worth seeing both for its architecture and the wonderful art inside.

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San Michele in Forno.

Piazza San Martino is home to Lucca’s duomo of the same name. Built in the Gothic Romanesque style, this beautiful church contains some important artworks by Ghirlandaio, Tintoretto and Fra Bartolomeo as well as the Holy Face of Lucca, a wooden Christ on a crucifix attributed to Nicodemus, as legend has it.

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The anfiteatro is another of Lucca’s attractions. Built in the second century AD, the amphitheater’s former arena is now home to many shops and restaurants built into the ancient Roman walls, which are interesting to see from both inside and outside.

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This Roman amphitheater once hosted games and gladiators. Now it’s a popular dining and shopping destination.

The Torre delle Ore, or clock tower, dates back to 1390. It is the tallest tower in town and has 207 wooden steps that ambitious visitors are welcome to climb.  In its early days, the time was announced by bells alone but a clock face was added in 1752.

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Hardy souls who climb the tower can see the hand-wound clock mechanism from the 18th century. It’s still working!

Lucca has a Puccini Museum, of course, which is at Corte San Lorenzo 9 (near the Piazza Citadella)– the composer’s birthplace. The museum features furnishings, artworks, pianos, musical scores and other personal belongings including letters and notes from and to Puccini.

Shopping seems to be a popular past time in Lucca and there is no shortage of brand names from which to choose.

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Lucca has plenty of stores to keep shoppers happy.

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This giant sewing machine is a clever advertisement for the Milanese menswear maker.

Lucca is perfectly suited to those who like to wander, and we do, but after awhile we needed a break and stopped in for a gelato at De’Coltelli, 10 Via San Paolina, www.decoltelli.it . Definitely seek this one out for their terrific artisanal gelato offered with complimentary panna (thick, sweetened whipped cream), which just adds to the deliciousness!

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Panna is offered free as a thank you to gelato lovers here.

If it’s a drink or coffee you crave, pop in to The Dark Side—a cool little bar at 24 Via San Frediano at the corner of Via Angillara near the Church of San Frediano.

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Come over to the Dark Side. You’ll be glad you did.

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Step inside San Frediano for the beautiful baptismal font and works by Sienese sculptor Jacapo della Quercia, Matteo Civitali, and Amico Aspertini. The stunning facade features a golden mosiac depicting the Ascension.

Although we had come in for a quick coffee, we stayed for more than a half hour. The bartender was really friendly and he gave us tastes of some popular aperitivos along with descriptions of everything we sampled.

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Our knowledgable and friendly bartender at the Dark Side.

The Dark Side’s complementary snacks, served with drinks, looked abundant and delicious, but we were off to Pisa.