Florence Annunciation

While traveling awhile back,

I collected Annunciations for a client and friend who loved them.

And somewhere along my path of collecting them around Europe,

they have become my favorite as well. 

In keeping with our theme of Italy

for the setting of my novel,

this one is in Florence, Italy.

I love the cornucopia surrounding the scene

and the colorful wings of the angel Gabriel. 

He is often depicted holding the Madonna Lily

(Lilium Candidum)

which is thought to be the basis of the Fleur de Lis

as well as the symbol for Florence.

How fitting! 

I also love that in this depiction,

the Madonna is not putting her hand up

as she is in so many.

Often to me it looks like she is saying "Oh no, I couldn't possibly!"
or "Forget it, do you have any idea what that means?" 

In this one, it looks almost as if her hand is over her heart.

A Greek friend of ours,

who survived a very deadly form of cancer,

looks at every single day as a gift.

And when I see these depictions,

it reminds me to see every day as a gift from God and the universe

,,, for all of us. 

How will we use it?!  

(Photo copyright: Kirsten Steen)

Baptistry Mosaics

As promised,

here are photos of the interior of 

the octagonal Baptistry in Florence from last week.

Oh to be in Florence again! 

I know of an author who rents herself an apartment 

in whichever country she happens to be setting her next novel

and then spends that month writing there. 

One of my future goals! 

And actually, that's why I'm posting photos of Florence,

because part of my novel is set there

and this way we can feel like we're there. 

I love that most of these photos and mosaics

depict angels in them. 

The scene below, of course, needs no explanation.

Can you imagine being responsible for putting all of these tiny mosaics in place?! 

I'm setting up a schedule 

to try to get my novel ready for Beta Readers this summer.

I'm NOT a puzzle person

but writing a novel feels a little like trying to place all the mosaics

in all the right places,
fitting all the correct colors with the right scenes
but without too much rigidity
and more than a splash of imagination.
There's a structured whole yet with individual chapters and scenes
which must have their own flavor and color,
textures and tapestries.

And I'm teaching myself novel writing as I go

so I especially appreciate this last mosaic

of an angel bringing information

during sleep. 

I'm working on the last little bits

of trying to make this book puzzle work

and will take all the help I can get. 

(All Photos copyright: Kirsten Steen)

Bronze doors of the Baptistry in Florence

So while my novel put me in Florence

thought I'd share a couple of exterior photos of the Baptistry. 

The above are the North Doors

created by Lorenzo Ghiberti.

These were originally the East Doors but moved to the North side.

Ghiberti was 21 when he won the competition 

(beating out Brunelleschi!)

and began the commission of the gilded bronze doors

which took him 21 years to finish. 

The first two are the Annunciation (always my favorite)

and the Nativity. 

The doors to the Baptistry are what Michelangelo called

The Gates of Paradise. 

Dante and the members of the Medici family,

as well as most Catholic Florentines,

were baptized in the Baptistry of St. John,

--an octagonal basilica in the Piazza del Duomo 

just next to the main Florence Cathedral--

and was built between 1059 and 1128.

Buried within the quatrefoil,

Ghiberti included plants and insects known to be harmful.

In Medieval thinking,

that was a way of keeping evil away.

Next time a few photos of the 

gorgeous mosaics that make up the ceiling of the interior.

(Photo copyright: Kirsten Steen)

(Info via Wiki)

Ponte Vecchio sunset

Recently I spent a week at my writing retreat on the Oregon Coast

and immersed myself in novel writing

... which put me in Italy. 

So as promised,

here is a bridge view in Florence.

My novel's love interests end up at a villa

overlooking one of my favorite cities in Italy

while they try to save civilization 

from foreign and domestic terrorism. 

Btw, I LOVE how these old bridges

still have shops ON them.

And in medieval times,

people actually lived in houses on the bridge. 

Oh, Florence!

Be still my heart.

(Here's another shot in Florence
from awhile back.)

Next week, Venice!

Ciao.

(Photo copyright: Kirsten Steen)

Uffizi Gallery in Florence~ Travelin' Tuesday

Staying with our Florence theme this week,

the above is located outside the famous Uffizi Gallery

which began construction in 1560 

by Georgio Vasari for Cosimo I de Medici 

and continued until 1581.

(Behind it stands the tower of the Palazzo Vecchio (the old palace)

which has two small cells

and at one time held both

 Cosimo de Medici (the elder) and Girolamo Savonarola. )

Uffizi means offices and it became the offices for the magistrates 

and one of the first public museums

being one of the oldest. 

It houses works from the likes of 

Botticelli, da Vinci, Michelangelo, Filippo Lippi, 

Raphael, Titian, Caravaggio and Rembrandt. 

And this little cutie stands nearby. 

Love these amazingly ornate columns. 

Oh to be wandering the galleries of artworks today

standing in the beauty of such greatness. 

(Photos copyright: Kirsten Steen)

Details from Wiki

Lunch overlooking the David in Firenze

I'm coming to the end of my writing retreat 

and I've decided we need a little more of Florence this week

since that's where I've been in my head. 

This little place is preparing for lunch on the famous square,

the Piazza della Signoria,

the entryway to the Uffizi Gallery and

home of the famous statues you see in the background. 

That is a reproduction of Michelangelo's David on the left of course,

and on the right is Bandinelli's Hercules and Cacus.

And between them is the entrance to the Palazzo Vecchio (or Old Palace). 

Now the Town Hall for Florence

and the home of the Mayor's office and City Council,

it was once the home of Cosimo I before he moved across the Arno River

to the Palazzo Pitti.

That's when Cosimo began calling it the Old Palace. 

And speaking of old,

there's one other photo I just have to share:

In case you are wondering what I will look like when I'm aged,

this is it. 

Permanently bent over my writing

and possibly sound asleep, 

though I cannot guaranty my socks will match anything. 

Can you tell I'm getting punchy?! 

Until we meet again...

ciao.

(Photos copyright: Kirsten Steen)

Florence on my mind...Travelin' Tuesday

I'm busy working on the novel this week 

from my writing retreat on the Oregon Coast

and my characters are in Florence right this minute

so it seemed a good time to pull out some of the Florence photos. 

I don't recall the exact location of this spot 

but pretty sure it is right near the Uffizi Gallery...

and the Arno river...and the Ponte Vecchio bridge. 

The shot reminds me of olives smothered in olive oil

and authentic pizza with red wine...

like this...

My characters are in the midst of a helicopter tour of Florence

with one of the most wealthy moguls in the world

which I never got to do 

but it was fun to write about.

(Photo copyright: Kirsten Steen)

Travelin' Tuesday~Florence, Italy

Just a lovely doorway I spotted in Florence on a walk.

Wishing I was there now sipping a local red and

nibbling olives and bread with nothing but

an afternoon of art and history

to discover.
Sigh...