Kaetrena's Architecture Review
After our visit to the glass factory, our group headed straight to Venice,and it was on this fish-shaped isle that I began to see the first of many beautiful edifices. From palaces and piazzas to churches and bell towers, Italy offers a incomparable variety of stunning architecture.
In Venice we started with a tour of the Doges' Palace, which has been built and re-built since the 7th century. When Venice was an independent territory, the leader, or doge, the most senior elected official of the city, and the Palace was his home. While the original building was built in the Byzantine style, the present buildings feature a combination of Venetian Gothic and Renaissance styles. In particular, the Venetian Gothic style -- a combination of influences from mainland Italy, Byzantine, and the Moors -- represent the immense stronghold that Venice held in matters of trade.
Attached to the Doge's Palace is St. Mark's Basilica, which has its own bell tower, called the campanile. I liked it not only because I got to hear the bells ring (the tower houses five bells), but because its simple style is so different from the ornate Palace and Basilica.
In Florence I took massive amounts of photos of Il Duomo, the structure that dominates the city. In the end, though, the romantic image of a quaint bridge hovering over a swift and deep river implored me to share a photo of Ponte Vecchio. Ponte Vecchio is a medieval bridge that spans the wide Arno River at its narrowest point, and it is unique because of the shops that run along the sides of the bridge. These shops were originally run by butchers, but now you'll find purveyors of gold and jewelry in residence.
It rained often during our trip, and the puddles in front of the Basilica di Santa Croce in Florence only added to the church's beauty. Basilica di Santa Croce houses the final resting places of the city's most renowned citizens (think Michelangelo), as well as wonderful frescos, stained glass, and sculptures. The church is located in the Piazza di Santa Croce, only a few steps from the Duomo, and in a nod to our later trip to Assisi, it is the biggest Franciscan church in the city.
In Rome I had the best opportunity to see ancient and modern examples of architecture, and you can't get any older than the temple of Antoninus and Faustina, which is located in the Roman Forum. While the structure was built to honor the Emperor Antoninus' wife (and eventually him, too), to be honest, I was drawn to this structure because it was the most complete ruin on the Via Sacra. Additionally, the shape of the temple, especially the large pillars, gave me the feeling of a grand library space. In comparison, the massive structure that is the Altare della Patria (Altar of the Fatherland) is included here because it is also a place of memoriam to unknown soldiers, and the pillars are also a focal point - so much so that the site is also known as the "wedding cake."
Viewing all of these different architectural styles in Italy drove home the idea that in my experience, American communities sometimes move hastily to tear down older buildings that hold clues to the fabric of our culture and lifeways. It made me appreciate the work of the National Register of Historic Places and all the work they do to ensure identify and preserve America's architectural heritage.