Piazzale Michelangelo: A Love ♥Letter to Florence

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Since I’m going to take you to one of, if not, the quintessential viewpoint in Florence, let’s start with a little background… (and don’t pass up the videos I took for you!)

Piazzale Michelangelo — *Hello Florence!!*

♦ How It All Came to Be…
When Florence was the capital of the Kingdom of Italy (1865 – 1871), the city initiated an urban renewal/renovation or “Risanamento” which included many neighborhoods as well as the walkways along the river, lungarni (plural for lungarno) including the Oltrarno.

In 1869 Giuseppe Poggi, the Italian architect in charge of the entire project incorporated the panoramic walk along Viale dei Colli, and designed the terrace and Piazzale Michelangelo.

The dedication is obvious. After all, who better than Renaissance sculptor Michelangelo and his David who has long stood as a proud symbol of the“cradle of the Renaissance”?

Of course this David is a bronze copy mounted on a pedestal flanked by bronze copies of the four allegories of the Medici Chapels of San Lorenzo. It took nine pairs of oxen to transport the monument in June, 1873.

♦ Getting There…
There are multiple routes and ways to find your way to Piazzale Michelangelo whether it be on foot or by bus and car. I’m going to take you up via my rione (neighborhood) where I start my climb… San Niccolò.

My route takes me past the neighborhood bars, corner alimentari and trattorie through Porta San Miniato and then the fun begins…

Do I take the stairs (there are about 160 of them) or the winding road? Both will ultimately get us to Piazzale Michelangelo as well as San Miniato. In either case, the ascent is a good steep climb… Ready? Put on your walking shoes and let’s begin…

If we take the stairs along Via San Salvatore al Monte, you may notice the Dante plaque which makes reference to this very path as well as the stations of the Cross leading up to basilica of San Miniato al Monte.

->> MOVIE: Walk with me to Piazzale Michelangelo <<-

About half way up is the entrance to the lovely Giardino delle Rose (Rose Garden). This is a worthwhile “side trip” not only to catch your breath but to enjoy the view and (soon) the lovely well-tended garden and charming Folon sculptures. Who can resist…

The other choice is to follow the gently winding road, Via Del Monte alle Croci, which offers some stunning views along the way.

♦ Whew! It’s all about the view!
Of course, the reward, besides having done it,is at the top…

**->> MOVIE: Quintessential View of Florence <<-**

And the extraordinarily spectacular panoramic view of Florence which one could argue, is that this view of Florence is definitely worth a little sweat!!

Postcard perfect? Trite and cliche? Yes, I know but so true! It really is a must for any visitor and for me, a must return…often!

♦ The View that Michelangelo May Have Enjoyed?
Recently re-reading “The Agony and the Ecstasy” (and loving it!) – aside from all of the references to what are becoming familiar streets and neighborhoods now – several of the passages in particular caught my attention. The young Michelangelo would often cross Ponte alle Grazie to the Oltrarno and, climb the hills up to the nearby Forte Belvedere to sit and take in the view of his city…

It seems to me that, be it fact or almost fact, these familiar paths and roads take us very close to what is now Piazzale Michelangelo. The idea that he found this vantage point, this view of Florence, as his refuge from a difficult and frustrating family and a place to indulge in his love of his city is quite poignant to me…

He too would have looked across the Arno and seen so many of the familiar landmarks that we see today; the Duomo, Santa Croce, Palazzo Vecchio, the Bargello, and the not too distance hills of Settignano and Fiesole.

->>MOVIE: Join Me & David at Piazzale Michelangelo <<-

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♦ Piazzale Michelangelo
The Loggia
The loggia was designed by architect Giuseppe Poggi. The original plan was that it would house a museum of the works of Michelangelo. This plan never materialized and today it is an elegant restaurant with a generous terrace.

In front of the loggia, there is a water feature and lovely landscaping and floral beds. On the wall of the balcony there is a plaque and tribute to Poggi:

This inscription reads:
“Giuseppe Poggi architetto fiorentino volgetevi ecco il suo monument MCMXI”
(Giuseppe Poggi, Florentine architect, turn around, here is his monument MCMXI)

The Monumental David, The Giant

And then, of course, center stage and needing no introduction is David…

No matter what the weather or time of day, it’s all about David…and what more perfect place for him? Presiding over his city. Proud, heroic, glorious and simply magnificent.

Piazza Poggi and Porta San Niccolò
On foot, we can descend by either of the routes we came up or we can wind our way down leading to Porta San Niccolò and Piazza Poggi. Referred to as “Le Rampe del Poggi” (Poggi’s Ramps), they had fallen into disrepair until only a few years ago (June 2019) when they were conserved and restored.