Written by Wylan, High School/Pre-College Student Correspondent for CET Florence: Italian Food, Art, and Society, Summer 2019
It’s kind of crazy to read about Italy in a textbook and see it when I wake up in the morning. Florence, the cultural center of the Renaissance, is the mecca for art and history. For years, I would flip through catalogs of medieval churches, just to fascinate. These memories would be accessed in times of comfort, to escape. It did not matter what I was doing or when; I’d start to fall into a daydream.
If boredom hit in, I’d zone out and look into the Renaissance. The red viny Tuscan buildings would emerge from the floor as the smell of cheese would waft upon the air. In the distance, a bearded man chips the last touches of his gray sculpture, “David,” he cried.
The imagery made me dig deeper into the light. As a squire, I’d joust the neighbors with tree branches during the day. Then, to find yourself in the future deep in heavy booklets on chivalry at night. All of this was in a flash of vision before I clicked on the CET button to submit.
3 months and flights later, the smells of the mold overcame the surface on my nose. I gaze into the eyes of a once google searched image: The Santa Maria del Fiore. The Duomo stands out against a sea of Red Tuscan structures. As I walk inside, I would look up into the sky and see a holy metaphor, to realize once stood here were the real individuals. Not in a book, but were once living and breathing. To travel in the past, one can visualize Giorgio mixing dyes as the visionary strikes his brush on a blank canvas of a dome. I think he could not have judged the future of the impact of the last judgment.
The exterior symbolizes a horizontal and vertical transcendence to the dark past in the Medieval Times. It retells the story of the holy matrimony of the center in the world, the Renaissance.
Words and font could not describe what it feels like to study abroad. Pictures on a computer screen will not give the same feeling. That night I did not have to dream.
Fun Note: Lined by the Duomo Local artists will flaunt their artistic ability. With drawings and paintings hanged, the artist will charge reasonable prices for a small self-portrait. Mine came with a comical relief of a guitar and a bright smile. It reflects the local culture of individuals and the rich heritage of the artist.