Overview

The real name of the Duomo is the Cathedral of S. Maria del Fiore, or St. Mary of theFlowers, the flower being the Florentine lily. Florence herself is called the City of Flowers, and that, in the spring and summer, is a happy enough description. But in the winter it fails.A name appropriate to all the seasons would be the City of the Miracle, the miracle beingthe Renaissance. For though all over Italy traces of the miracle are apparent, Florence wasits very home and still can point to the greatest number of its achievements. Giotto (at thebeginning of this quickening movement) may at Assisi have been more inspired as apainter; but here is his campanile and here are his S. Maria Novella and S. Croce frescoes.Fra Angelico and Donatello (in the midst of it) were never more inspired than here, wherethey worked and died. Michelangelo (at the end of it) may be more surprising in theVatican; but here are his wonderful Medici tombs. How it came about that between theyears 1300 and 1500 Italian soil-and chiefly Tuscan soil-threw up such masters, notonly with the will and spirit to do what they did but with the power too, no one will ever beable to explain. But there it is. In the history of the world two centuries were suddenlygiven mysteriously to the activities of Italian men of humane genius and as suddenly theDivine gift was withdrawn. And to see the very flower of these two centuries it is toFlorence we must go

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