Fiesta delle Donne, Women's Day & Mimosas

             I first saw them in Alberobello, growing in his mom's garden. They were so lovely, brightening the bleak winter, the first signs of spring. My first knowledge of mimosas are little pink balls, and have compound leaves that close up upon your touch. In Chinese, also know as 含羞草（han xiu cao) or "sullen/shy/farouche grass".  I remember enjoy playing with them and watching them response to my touch as a child. Even now, it's simple pleasure to have this "interaction" with a plant.

              Here are what they look like in Italy (or perhaps Europe). I saw them in February and he had plucked them from the garden and adorned the house with it. I couldn't resist having him place in the pouch of his sweater. These yellow balls of lovelies are seen all over in Italy on 8 March, International Women's Day as ladies receive them from friends.

     

              It's funny that Women's Day falls on 8 March. Also know as 三八妇女节 (san ba fu nv jie),  "三八" (san ba) or literally the numbers three and eight in Mandarin. San ba is used to describe people who are nosy or loves to gossip. A stereotype description of women. I was wondering which came first and read up a little on the history of this day. The holiday was predominantly celebrated in communist and socialist countries. After the founding of the People's Republic of China on 1st October 1949, it was proclaimed that March 8 would be made an official holiday with women in China given a half-day off.

              In Florence, many museums and churches are open free of charge to women on International Women's Day. I used this privilege to enter Basilica di Santa Maria Novella, to look at some of the famous frescoes by Filippino Lippi, Ghirlandaio and Orcagna. It's Florence's principal Domenican church and faces the lovely piazza that bears the church's name.

            I love the façade of the church and the above was my second attempt at it, with a slightly different perspective including the sequence of avelli. This array of bichrome arches are the tombs of the church congregation, extending this image of burial at a sacred place to urban periphery.

    19 May 2012

              This was my first attempt of the façade back in May last year. It sparked my interest to learn more about it's architecture and history. The special feature are the ornate scrolls and this I discovered were to solve an geometry problem with something aesthetic. I was able to find more information from this site: http://arthistoryblogger.blogspot.it/2012/05/facade-of-santa-maria-novella.html

           I did a total of 5 sketches of Santa Maria Novella. The expanse of this church, it is impossible to view it in just one single angle. To completely "conquer" it, it was necessary for me to also capture it's side view, viewed from Piazza Unità d'Italia.

   16 June 2012

    04 May 2012
    First sketch of the avelli. 

     16 May 2012
    View behind the glass wall from the tourist centre in Florence near the main train station. I was able to enter on Women's Day to this area that was usually out of bounds to public.