See Agnolo Gaddi's frescoes in the Basilica of Santa Croce at eye level.

From time to time, I try to alert my readers to exciting art shows taking place within reach of Borgo di Vagli, and today my strongest possible recommendation is to spend a day in Florence and see Agnolo Gaddi's frescoes in the Basilica of Santa Croce at eye level. This is literally a once in a lifetime opportunity!

The Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence

Some background: as most of you will know, the Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence is the largest Franciscan church in the world and one of the principal sights of Florence. The church as we see it today was consecrated in 1442 and its most notable feature is its sixteen chapels, many of them decorated with frescoes by Giotto and his pupils. Slightly less famous but equally beautiful is a huge cycle of frescoes above the main altar, The Legend of the True Cross, painted by Agnolo Gaddi in the late 14th century and based on the famous Golden Legend written by the Franciscan monk, Jacopo da Varagine. The expressiveness of Gaddi's figures and the drama of their interactions reveals his debt to Giotto, but the colours and eccentric details are all his own. (Incidentally, these frescoes were one of the inspirations for the cycle on the same subject by Piero della Francesca, painted in Arezzo in the middle of the 15th century.)

Part of The Legend of the True Cross, painted by Agnolo Gaddi

For the past five years, Gaddi's frescoes have been obscured by scaffolding during a major restoration. This restoration is now virtually complete but the scaffolding will be left in place for the summer of 2013 and is open for guided tours until it is removed sometime before Saint Francis' Day in October. Seeing the frescoes at eye level, you can see the attention Gaddi paid even to details totally invisible from below. The restoration has cleaned away centuries of grime as well as the work of the 1946 restoration to reveal a huge amount of detail in bright colours, almost as originally painted. It's also interesting to observe how Gaddi painted the figures on the upper levels larger and simpler than those lower down, to make then seem of equal size when viewed from the floor of the church.

Agnolo Gaddi's frescoes in the Basilica of Santa Croce

Aside from being able to examine the details of the frescoes, from 100 feet up you will also enjoy a totally different view of the church interior - one that won't be possible after the scaffolding has been dismantled. As I discovered when clambering up in the ceiling of the Duomo of Sienna, both the structure and the details of a church become uniquely clear when viewed from above.

The guided tour takes place from Monday through Saturday at 11 am and 3 pm and on Sunday at 3 pm, in either English or Italian. The price is €10 and includes the ticket to visit all of Santa Croce - the church, the Pazzi chapel and the museum. (The ticket for just the church and museum would cost you €6.)

Bookings are required and should be made by email sent to booking@santacroceopera.it. The tour lasts about an hour. The climb up the scaffolding is 90 steps, about 7 floors, with pauses from time to time for the guide to explain the subjects depicted as well as the techniques used to create the frescoes and in the restoration process.

For a quick lunch just 50 m away from Santa Croce, try Finisterrae, Piazza Santa Croce 12.

Borgo di Vagli restored mediaeval hamlet in Tuscany Borgo di Vagli has been authentically restored as a Tuscan vacation hamlet. The residences can be bought in the form of fractional ownerships, making a holiday home in Tuscany possible at modest cost. More about Borgo di Vagli fractional ownership.

Fulvio Di Rosa

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