GLOBAL TREASURES: Florence (Piazza San Giovanni)
Global Treasures: Piazza San Giovanni
Television Director: Ullman, Frank
Producer: Scarson, Peter O.
Catalogue Number: GTR-DVD-1058
UPC: 879061006579
Global Treasures - History's Most Protected Monuments - Heritage is our legacy from the past, what we live today, and what we pass on to future generations. Our cultural and natural heritage are both irreplaceable sources of life and inspiration. Places as unique and diverse as the wilds of East Africa's Serengeti, the Pyramids of Egypt, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and the Baroque cathedrals of Latin America make up our world's heritage. Join us as we explore one of these protected monuments.
Florence is today's capital of Tuscany, a city of art and joie de vivre.
In the heart of the city is the Piazza San Giovanni with its Duomo, Campanile and Battistero. After the cathedrals of Rome, Milan and London, that of Santa Maria Del Fiore is the fourth largest in the Christian world.
Over the northern gate is a relief that is a masterpiece of Early Renaissance relief work. The three-sided cathedral was designed to symbolize a Latin crucifix. The main body of the cathedral is 153 metres long and 23 metres tall, but in comparison with its huge dimensions, its interior is somewhat bare. In the adjoining Cathedral Museum, there is a fascinating collection of pulpits that were designed for special occasions by the most prominent artists of the day.
The Firenze Academy has altered the face of European culture, and at the beginning of the 15th century, the young Cosimo De Medici became a follower of Plato's doctrine and philosophy. Four hundred and sixty-three steps within the Academy's two-tiered dome lead to a superb view that extends over the length and breadth of the old city.
With its impressive 107-metre-high dome, the Battistero is a stunning building, and its Laterna, completed in 1572, is a masterpiece created by Brunellechi.
The Piazza San Giovanni exudes a powerful ambience, and even today it is still possible to feel the remarkable artistry of its historic past.
