Photo Of The Day: Palazzo Vecchio
Friday, May 22nd, 2009
Sitting on the steps of the Palazzo Vecchio underneath one of the copies of Michelangelo’s David in the Piazza Signoria, I noticed it was a warm night in Florence. It was September something, in 1986, and roadies were working like a hive of bees setting up equipment for a free concert that was going to be held the next evening. The piazza blazed with stage lights. That night my orientation to Florence was still not complete. I had only just arrived in the city and was still overwhelmed by it. That night it seemed that the entire town was making its evening passeggiata through the square. Something I did not know at the time, is that it happened every evening.
Looking up and over my shoulder from where I sat on the steps, I saw this view of the two kinds of stones of Florence. Marble carved into an exact copy of one of the most famous sculptures in the world, and the hewn, heavy, rusticated, stone of the palace.
passeggiata = From the verb passeggiare which means to take a walk. Every evening the Florentines take a walk through Florence and along the river before dinner. This is a very Italian tradition and not limited to Florence. Many people are still out well into the night and you can find people walking arm in arm, greeting each other, gossipping, shopping, and thoroughly enjoying the weather.
rusticated stone = Stone that has a rough appearance to it. You will find rusticated stone throughout Florence.
