Cloister of the Scalzo — Attraction in Florence

The Chiostro dello Scalzo is one of the most charming cloisters of Florence. This is due to the cycle of frescoes on the life of John the Baptist that Andrea del Sarto painted in the cloister. A stone's throw from the Duomo the Chiostro dello Scalzo is still relatively unknown, so it is worth a visit f you want to discover Florence off the beaten path. A place where you can admire beauty under a contemplative calm. The cloister belonged to a religious order which had devoted itself to John the Baptist, the Compagnia dei Disciplinati di San Giovanni Battista. Soon, however, they were nicknamed il scalzo, 'the barefooted', to the monk who carried the cross and walked barefoot during the procession, as a sign of humility and modesty. The congregation was founded in 1376 and originally settled in the Chiesa di Sant'Jacopo. In 1478 they built a new cloister in Florence and commissioned the artist - and member of the fraternity- Andrea del Sarto to paint a cycle of frescoes with twelve scenes from the life of John the Baptist; not only the patron saint of the monastic order, but also of the city of Florence. The frescos are done entirely monochromatic, in terracotta brown and grey tones, and are - in my...

A hidden gem right off some of Florence main tourist busy attractions is this quiet marvel. A cloister to a church that no longer exists, this site has a series of frescos by the lesser-known but nevertheless great Mannerist master of the early sixteenth century Andrea del Sarto who worked on it off and on for much of his career. The cycle depicts key events from the life of John the Baptist in subtle monochrome. Free to visit but open only in...

Quando ti avvedi di esser entrato in un luogo che è stato, con alterne vicende, per più di quindici anni un cantiere dove due sommi artisti si sono cimentati per decorarne le pareti a monocromo con la raffigurazione delle storie di San Giovanni il Battista, credi di avvertire una sensazione strana e ti domandi perché Andrea del Sarto ed il Francabigio, autore il primo della maggior parte dei riquadri ed il secondo intervenuto a realizzarne due per l'assenza prolungata del maestro, non abbiano utilizzato il colore per dare maggior corpo e risalto alle composizioni. Poi, sopravviene quella sensazione particolare di chi osserva il bello e la perfezione delle figure ritratte e la raffinatezza e sontuosità delle linee e della forma e soprassiedi e ti limiti ad ammirare la bellezza del ciclo pittorico di...