| Church of Sant'Ambrogio |
Sant'Ambrogio was one of the first religious buildings to go up in Florence. Rebuilt in the 13th century and again more recently, the present facade is 19th century.
The interior, 18th-century on an originally Gothic ground plan, is single-aisled with three chapels at the back and eight Renaissance side altars. There were originally a group of 14th- and 15th-century frescoes near the altars but they were seriously damaged in the flood of 1966 and were therefore detaches. Near the Presbytery is the Cappella del Miracolo with a 15th-century Tabernacle of the Holy Sacrament which contains the blood which miraculously appeared in the chalice of a priest, Uguccione, as he was celebrating Mass. The tabernacle which contains the reliquary is by Mino da Fiesole (1481-83); the angels nearby in terracotta are by the Della Robbia while the frescoes on the walls are 15th-century paintings by Cosimo Roselli.
Neighborhood crawl: Sant Ambrogio
I crave an unadulterated Italian experience…and I find that in the Sant’ Ambrogio neighborhood.I am mesmerized by my eccentric Italian neighbors. A rather large, loud and thoroughly delightful family meets for dinner on their terrace during the weekends.. The dog occasionally barks and I smell some very fabulous food from below. And if I look up, I am reminded that maybe I too should do some laundry and hang it out to dry. Probably not.
I live in the middle with an apartment above and below me. I love going to the outdoor market most mornings and buying fresh fruit and often my dinner - home made Italian cooking.
This is Florence, and it was everything I had hoped it would have. An easy ten minute walk from the Duomo, Sant’ Ambrogio sits just far enough from center to filter out most tourists, yet remains close enough to be a vibrant part of the city fabric and easily accessible.
My morning jaunt for a cafe latte in one of the three bars just down the street is perfect. And they open at 8 am or at least I think so which means I sleep in a bit. Lively conversations and wonderful shops to stop and look in the windows as I pass by. It's a little bit of the Italian life that I find so vibrant.
Bike riding, quick walking and fast talking Italians. Dressed is so many inventive styles.
My patio is just a small slice of heaven and I am grateful.
Today I walked to Forte Di Belvedere and there was an exhibition by Anthony Gormley. More on that later and then the views. I hope I dream about those views. Pictures to follow.
Ciao
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