For the conversation portion of our class, we moved to another classroom that I had not been in before. The ceiling is interesting but it is tiny and dark because the small window faces an inner open area that gets no direct sunlight.

After class I did a quick sketch in the Loggia di Lanzi of Cellini’s Perseus (the backside of the statue)

Then had lunch in Caffè Verona at the Ospedale degli Innocenti, where I could sketch the Duomo.

I had tortelli mugellani, a ravioli-like filled pasta. Mugellani comes from the Mugello area where they must grow potatoes because the pasta is filled with potato and a bit of cheese. I have had it with different sauces. This one was with a tomato sauce. I used a slice of bread to “scarpetta”, bread formed into the shape of a shoe (scarpe) to mop up sauce. So pasta, potato and bread—triple carbohydrate meal!

After I sat in Piazza della Santissima Annunziata, which is the piazza outside the Ospedale, and sketched the Ospedale, a building designed by Brunelleschi.

I took a break from sitting on concrete to look inside the portico of Santissima Annuziata. I think seven weeks ago I may have posted photos of the frescoes inside which are mostly by del Sarto but also one Pontormo and one Rosso Fiorentino.

Later in the afternoon our group went to Palazzo Budini Gattai which is entered off of Piazza Santissima Annunziata.

The garden wall shares the wall of the Accademia where Michelangelo’s David is housed.

We went for a talk about the history of opera lirica (simply, opera as we would say in English).

One member of a string quartet described the history of opera which started in Florence with the opera L’Orfeo or Orpheus and Eurydice in 1600. The quartet then performed a piece from the opera accompanied by a tenor. They then described subsequent developments, Rossini, Donazetti, Bellini, Verdi and ending with Puccini. (I’ve forgotten someone.)

After describing the developments contributed by each composer, the quartet would play and the tenor sang arias for most of the composers.

It was very enjoyable.