Sunday, June 2, 2013

In ArsOpulentaland, the delight is in the detail

When people tour an iconic place like Florence, they're often dazzled by the big sights like the Duomo, Palazzo Vecchio, the Uffizi. There are so many "important" things to see, their eyes tend to filter out the details, the little extras that give nuance and life to a city like this. As they walk through the narrow streets and alleys of the old city, eagerly hunting down the next photo-op, what they miss are these teeny delights.

A bricked-up "wine door" © Eugene Martinez
On the wall of Palazzo Vecchio by some guy with a hammer and a chisel  © Eugene Martinez
Via Zannetti  © Eugene Martinez
The Oratorio of la Madonna delle Grazie  © Eugene Martinez

Palazzo Medici-Riccard: stones tagged by Michelozzo for use on the facade  © Eugene Martinez   
Church door  © Eugene Martinez

Portion of a Roman inscription on the Baptistry wall  © Eugene Martinez

An amusingly embellished letterbox slot  © Eugene Martinez
Alms collection box  © Eugene Martinez  
Ancient stone walls often have secrets  © Eugene Martinez
Mysterious messages on the church of Sant'Ambrogio © Eugene Martinez






Ancient walls tell ancient stories  © Eugene Martinez
A bronze banister in Palazzo Vecchio  © Eugene Martinez
The Tabernacle of Le Fontanelle  © Eugene Martinez

When I tour with my clients, I make sure that they see the little things as well as the big. Together, they tell the stories of the people who made and make Florence, Firenze and... Ars Opulentaland!