I remember when my parents and sister came to visit, nearly 30 years ago, and the morning conversation got around to what we were going to do for the day. My sister’s reply, “Please, not another cemetery.” I proudly admit; I am like my parents. Give me a good cemetery for entertainment anytime. Or as Mike Stanley would say, “There is nothing as uplifting as planning a funeral.”
Today, I spent most of the afternoon in the Gothic Santa Croce, touted as the “Florentine Westminster Abby.” Started by the Franciscan friars it had the same architect as the Duomo, although the architect never saw completion of either. There are 250 floor tombs and dozens of massively elaborate shrines and entombments at the sides of the church. The 7000 pipe organ, though no-longer the largest in the world, still boasts the best sound production in the world due to the structure of the church.
Among the many famous and infamous people planted here are: Michelangelo, Galileo, Machiavelli and Rossini.
Michelangelo was buried in Rome, as he had wished. However, since this was another church controlled by the Medici their wish for prominence over-rode Buonarroti’s wishes and his body was brought here. In addition, Galileo Galilei was in deep water with the church so the Franciscans brought his body here and built him a remarkably beautiful tomb. However, to stave off the church’s desire to remove the body, the Franciscans buried him secretly somewhere else in the church.
It was a wonderful afternoon among the dead.
Your pictures for tonight (with available light) are: Galileo’s tomb, Michelangelo’s tomb, inside view of the church, Niccolini tomb (by my favorite Pio Fedi; this statue is the inspiration for the Statue of Liberty) and the tomb of poet Vitturio Alfrieri.
