FLORENCE
110
FLORENCE
see canonized (Sieveking, Gesch. der platon. Akademie
lu Florenz, Gottingen, 1812), and of an equally pas-
sionate zeal for the restoration of all things in Christ
(see Savonarola). For its role in the restoration and
development of classical literary taste, both Greek
and Latin, see Humanism, and for its share in the
growth of the fine arts see Renaissance.
Institutions and Buildings.— Florence is the seat of a university, and possesses also an institute of social science, conservatory of music, a botanical garden, and an observatory (astronomical, meteorological, and seismological) . Various scientific societies have their centres there, e. g. the Accademia della Crusca, whose famous Italian dictionary is one of the glories of the city. The city has four libraries containing many rare manuscripts. The Biblioteca Nazionale, one of the largest and most important in Europe, founded in 1861 by merger of the famous Magliabecchiana and the former (Pitti) Bibliotheca Palatina; the Lauren- tiana, founded in 1444 by Cosimo de' Medici; the Marucelliana, containing a collection of brasses; the Riccardiana. The State archives are the most im- portant in Italy. Various art collections are: the Uffizi Gallery; the Pitti, in the old palace of the grand dukes; the archseological museum with its fine collec- tion of coins and tapestries; the Museum of the Duo- mo or cathedrul; the Accademia delle belle arti (Acad- emy of the Fine Arts) ; and the Casa Buonarroti (house of Michelangelo). The charitable institutions include: the Great Hospital {Arcis pedale) of Santa Maria Nuova (1800 beds), founded in 12S5 by Falco Porti- nari, the father of Dante's Beatrice; the Hospital of the Innocents, or Foundling Hospital (1421); a home for the blind; an insane asylum, and many private chari- ties.
Among the numerous charitable works of Florence the most popularly known is that of the "Confrater- nita della Misericordia", founded in 1244, and at- tached to the oratory of that name close by the cathe- dral. Its members belong to all classes of Florentine society, the highest as well as the lowest, and are bound to quit all work or occupation at the sound of the oratory bell, and hasten to any scene of accident, violent illness, sudden death, and the like. The cos- tume of the brotherhood is a rough black robe and gir- dle, with a hood that completely covers the head ex- cept two loopholes for the eyes. Thus attired, a little group may frequently be seen hastening through the streets of Florence, bearing on their shoulders the sick or the dead to the specific institution that is to care for them (Bakounine, "La misfricorde k Florence" in "Le Correspondant", 1884, 805-26).
The chief industries are the manufacture of majol- ica ware, the copying of art works and their sale, also the manufacture of felt and straw hats.
The more noted of the public squares of Florence are the Piazza della Signoria (Palazzo Vecchio, Loggia de' Lanzi, and the historic fountain by Ammannati) ; the Piazza del Duomo; the Piazza di Santa Croce, with its monument to Dante; the Piazza di Santa Maria Novella, adorned by two obelisks. Among the fa- mous churches of Florence are the following: Santa Maria del Fiore, otherwise the Duomo or cathedral, begun in 1296 by Arnolfo del Caml:iio, consecrated in 1436 by Eugene I V, and called dei F/ore (of the flower), either in reference to the name of the city or to the municipal arms, a red lily on a white ground. It is about 140 yards long, and badly proportioned. The admirable Campanile was begun by Giotto, but fin- ished by Taddeo Gaddi (1334-.36). The majestic dome is by Brunelleschi (1420) and furnished inspira- tion to Michelangelo for the dome of St. Peter's. The fagade was not completed until 1887; the bronze doors are also a work of recent date. The Baptistery of San Giovanni dates from the seventh century; it was re- modelled in 1190, again in the fifteenth century, and is octagonal in form. San Giovanni was the old cathe-
dral of Florence, around which in Lombard times
(seventh and eighth centuries) the city grew up. Some
have maintained that it rises on the site of an ancient
temple of Mars. Dante mentions it twice with ven-
eration in the Paradiso (xv, 136-37; xvi, 25-27).
The three massive bronze doors of the Baptistery are
unparalleled in the world; one of them is the work of
Andrea Pisano (1330), the remaining two are the
masterpieces of Lorenzo Ghiberti (1403^7), and were
declared by Michelangelo fit to serve as the gates
of paradise. Santa Croce (Franciscans) is a Gothic
church (1294-1442), with frescoes by Giotto and his
school. It is a kind of national Pantheon, and con-
tains monuments to many illustrious Italians. In the
cloister stands the chapel of the Pazzi family, the work
of Brunelleschi, with many rich friezes by the della
Robbia. (Ozanam, "Sainte Croix de Florence" in
"Poetes franciscains ital.", Paris, 1852, 273-80).
Santa Maria Novella, the Dominican counterpart of
Santa Croce, begun in 1278 by Fra Jacopo Talenti da
Nipozzano, is also a Gothic edifice. The fafade is by
Leone Battista Alberti. The church contains frescoes
by Orcagna, Ghirlandaio, and Fra Lippo Lippi. In its
Ruccellai chapel is the famous Madonna of Cimabue.
Or San Michele, a unique artistic monument, was
meant originally, it is said, for a corn-market, but was
remodelled in 1336. On the exterior walls are to be
seen admirable statues of the patron saints of the
various Florentine guilds, the work of Verrocchio,
Donatello, Ghiberti, and others. San Lorenzo, dedi-
cated in 393 under the holy bishop Zanobius by St.
Ambrose, with a sermon yet preserved (P. L., XIV,
107), was altered to its present shape (1421-61) by
Brunelleschi and Manetti at the instance of Cosimo de'
Medici. It contains in its sacristies {Nuova, Vecchia)
tombs of the Medici by Verrocchio, and more famous
ones by Michelangelo. San Marco (1290), with its
adjacent convent decorated in fresco by Fra Angelico
was the home also of Fra Bartolommeo della Porta,
and of Savonarola. Santissima Trinita contains fres-
coes by Ghirlandaio. Santa Maria del Carmine, con-
tains the Brancacci Chapel, with frescoes by Masaccio,
Masolino, and Filippino Lippi. Other monumental
or historic churches are the Santissima Annunziata
(mother-house of the Servites) and the Renaissance
church of Ognissanti (Franciscan).
Several Benedictine abbeys have had much to do with the ecclesiastical history of Florence. Among them are San Miniato, on the Arno, about twenty-one miles from Florence, restored in the eleventh century, since the seventeenth century an episcopal see (Cap- pelletti, "Chiese d' Italia", Venice, 1862, XVII, 305- 47; Rondoni, "Memorie storiche di San Miniato", Venice, 1877, p. 1148); La Badia di Santa Maria, founded in 977 (Galletti, Ragionamenti dell' origine e de' primi tempi della Badia Fiorentina, Rome, 1773); San Salvatore a Settimo, founded in 988; Vallombrosa founded in 1039 by St. John Gualbert. All of these being within easy reach of the city, exercised strong religious influence, particularly in the long conflict between the Church and the Empire. Besides the pub- lic buildings already mentioned, we may note the Log- gia del Bigallo, the Palazzo del Podesta (1255) now used as a museum, the Palazzo Strozzi, Palazzo Ric- cardi, Palazzo Rucellai, and several other private edi- fices of architectural and historic interest.
Episcopal Succession. — St. Frontinus is said by local tradition to have been the first bishop and a dis- ciple of St. Peter. In the Decian persecution St. Mini- atus (San Miniato) is said to have suffered martyrdom. It is to him that is dedicated the famous church of the same name on the hill overlooking the city. It has been suggested that Miniatus is but a form of Minias (Mena), the name of a saint who suffered at Alexan- dria. In 313 we find Bishop Felix mentioned as present that year at a Roman synod. About 400 we meet with the above-mentioned St. Zanobius. In the
