“Bienvenuti!” and “Ciao!” greetings fill the air as we exit Florence airport’s sliding doors. My loving Florentine family has come to the airport to warmly greet us as we enter the beautiful city of Florence, Italy.
After a jet-lag power nap, my family heads off to the “Centro” (the center of town) on the #22 bus. Apart from taxis and buses, cars are not allowed to enter into the Centro anymore. Why is that you ask? The answer is simple: the Florentines want to preserve their historical stone monuments, specifically the Duomo, Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore.
The Duomo is the name given to Florence’s main Basilica. It is easily identifiable by its stunning red brick cupola, designed by Filippo Brunelleschil (the largest brick dome ever constructed.) Adjacent to the Basilica is the towering Campanile (bell tower) designed by Giotto. (Side note: I actually walked to the top of the Campanile- over 400 steps!)
According to my cousin, Simone, there is an ongoing restoration of the Duomo. The multi-colored polychrome marble panel facades on the Basilica need constant cleaning to remove surface dirt and darkness caused by fumes. And why not? It is quite stunning to view the stark white Carrara marble, Prato green marble and Sienna red marble, designed by Emilio De Fabris. Once the cleaning process reaches around the whole building, they have to start all over again.
While I was in Florence this summer, the major restoration that was taking place was to the Baptistery of San Giovanni, which started February 2014. They are restoring the marble walls (composed of Apuan marble, Prato Serpentine green marble as well as marble recycled from ancient Roman buildings and tombs). They are removing 70 years of accumulated dirt and grime. The restoration specialists will also address cracks in the marble as well as calcium deposits due to the rain and exterior elements. The restoration is funded mostly by ticket sales, as there are approximately 8 million visitors annually.
As a restoration specialist, my questions is: How do they clean the marble? Restoration and construction professionals dropped from a rope hooked to the top of the building. They descended down 115 feet to restore the marble covering the eight exterior facades, as well as the roof and Lantern of the Baptistery. Those are some brave restorers! The restoration is scheduled to finish before the opening of the new Museum of the Opera del Duomo as well as before the V National Congress of the Italian Church.
If you ever have the chance to visit Florence, I highly recommend not only walking around this magnificent Duomo, but also the inside of the Cathedral as well as the newly-discovered Crypts below the Church.
I cannot wait until I return to this beautiful city, to see more magnificent marble monuments and to see my wonderful family again. To conclude, I won’t say “Ciao,” but I will say “Arrivederci,” which means, until we meet again.
