Displays of Power in the City

Introduction and Justifying the Chapter

In this chapter I want to compose and describe a set of places and monuments I found best represented the different eras of Renaissance and Baroque architecture, and how regardless of the time period, there is always this tendency to display power with certain motifs and with a certain purpose in mind. Specifically, I wanted to explore how this varies and apply some of the knowledge from the class, especially looking at how architecture is a political act, whereby someone may be justifying a certain ideology and how a building functions beyond a basic necessity, and what discourses are being disseminated or challenged at that very moment. I realize there were many routes I could've taken for this chapter and how I could've applied the knowledge of our lectures and readings, but I believe this is good way to exemplify how architecture can capture a specific moment in time, but also how we must be critical of these huge monuments, who they're built for, who built them, and what mechanisms of exclusion might take place.

Florence

First Stop: Palazzo Vecchio

The Palazzo Vecchio is a perfect example of how power produces space as well as emanates and is reproduced from those same spaces. For context, in 1495 there had been a new regime and a space was needed for people to meet and discuss the city and I suppose city-making, so a structure likened to a parliament building needed to be built, hence this great hall that could fit over 500 people. But the images we see and this elevated hall is not what this original building looked like.

When the Medici family regained their power, elevated their status, and Savonarola was removed for being a heretic, the building was transformed to symbolize this transition of power and become a place fitting for the new Dukes of the city. Hence the roof was ceiling became 7 meters higher and was heavily embellished with the gold and facades we see here. Essentially, this space went from a public space to being inhabited by the Medici as a palace because Cosimo I wanted a home suitable for his noble wife, Eleonora of Toledo, Spain.

The art in this room was meant to record and portray Tuscany and how control had been extended and consolidated, such as over Sienna. We also see an uncontained exuberance and Cosimos’s own depiction as the centre of this universe and as comparable to God, which is quite telling of his own self-perception and I suppose the Medici's humanistic tendencies.

The Palazzo's Frescoes and Ornaments

The above fresco continues this same godly association, except this time with the ancient or pagan gods. In this room is this large fresco of Saturn, which is said to be directly one floor above Cosimo's quarters. Some quick research indicates that Saturn was a symbol for religion, harmony, and abundance, so its clear what kind of metaphor is being forged here between this heavenly god and his supposedly earthly equivalent.

What struck me in this Palace, which I had yet to really see in Florence, was the innumerable use of gold, especially for the trimming or ceiling. On the top right we see an extremely decadent use of gold for a ceiling in one of the many rooms in the palace. It tells us of the wealth that could be commanded (as in being able to afford and decorate with such a precious material), but also how wealth is simultaneously displayed and made to seem infinite in the endless detail and engravings. Like many of the rooms we witnessed, this one certainly took us aback and continued to make us all wonder and murmur at how human beings could produce such work within a lifetime or so. Even the following fresco was so unbelievably dainty, that one couldn't help ask how this could be done and replicated to perfectly within a reasonably short amount of time. It also indicates that we know little of the apprentices or workers that aided these artists and their unseen skill in being able to reproduce this work throughout the building.

Around the Palazzo

Even from outside we see some meaningful landmarks and allegories through these contrasting sculptures. On the left shows a dramatic angle of two sculptures in Loggia dei Lanzi, and on the right is the Fontana del Nettuno (fountain of Neptune) that is shown right in front of the Palazzo Vecchio (created in mid 16th century). After some quick google searches, I found out that the fountain was commissioned by Cosimo I Medici and was meant to create a strong presence in Piazza della Signoria. Specifically, it was meant to differentiate itself from the fountains of antiquity through its impressive scale and water iconography. Fitting for the opulent and grand aura within the Palace. I think its interesting that even today, in the wake of a globalized entrepreneurial urbanism, we see cities compete for their position through monument making and record breaking, trying to find new ways to stand at the top or boast, and although different in many ways (e.g. this is done today to attract investors, larger scale, etc.) it doesn't seem too different than what this fountain is trying to do.

Other examples in and around Florence

Here, although not so obvious, was a Medici palace we visited briefly, but for which I want to include because, like many things we learnt of, was a detail I couldn't unsee. If one pays slightly more attention, one will notice that there is a gradient with the layering of the bricks on each floor. The lowest floor has a rusticated façade (least 'refined'), the middle is ashlar (more refined and smaller bricks), and the top is the smallest and most refined of the brickwork. This clearly reflects Medici philosophy since it is a revived idea from antiquity and copies Greek architectural elements that display a sense of heaviness as a display of power and wealth. This marks a kind of boasting on the part of the Medici's, which wouldn't have been in line with the Church's 'humility', and symbolizes the move towards humanism and the renaissance, overall creating a kind of divergence from the representations and philosophy of the Church.

Above is the fountain of Neptune that we saw at our day trip to Bologna from Florence. As per our tour guide's thorough explanation, there are are several symbols to decipher from this fountain. The one that struck us all the most were the mermaids on each corner holding their breasts as a symbol for prosperity and abundance. A less obvious one was the cross of keys we see above the family crests. This was meant to represent the alliance or co-existence between Bologna and the Vatican state of which it was under. Although it had this representation of the Pope, the family crests, including the Medici crest slightly seen on the left, are meant to indicate you really runs the show.

Rome

The front of the Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran. I did my second assignment on this building, but even before I was sure this was a good choice, I was confident that this entrance, and the dramatic figures inside the building, would perfectly contrast the Renaissance displays of power we had seen in Florence.

For me, this space symbolised that rare connection between oral/textual knowledge and experitnial knowledge, and how it embeds it more fruitfully when you actually begin to view and infer the dynamics of this city by seeing it in person. In a more articulate way, one did not need to be an expert to tell that this space had a nuanced story to tell. The crests, including the Medici crest, the mostly vertical-orientation, and the added ornamentation and drama made it clear that there was a lot going on at once.

Not to over repeat myself, but this basilica can also be compared to the idea of the city as a palimpsest, in that it experienced many renovations, changes in power, and destructions (whether intentional or not), which caused it to have many interlapping layers of history. Like what Peter C. Claussen (2020) and Laurie Nussdorfer (1997) had argued, this building documents within it a history of changing power dynamics, rivalries, and a desire to make the building appear as harmonious, although contention and continued attempts to assert power had defined its structure.

Other Monuments in Rome

The Trevi Fountain

I think I was quite lucky that we happened to visit this place in the evening as opposed to the afternoon. It gave a grander and more dramatic aura, especially with the lighting. What no one tells you is just how large this fountain is: seriously - no photo does it justice. As per an article that quotes HV Morton, the fountain is “[r]eflective of the Roman importance of water and power, the Trevi stands as ‘an imperial gesture, flamboyant and triumphant, the kind of fountain that any Emperor would have erected who desired to impress upon the populace the virtues of new water and his own virtue in introducing it.’ […] Its intention is not easily lost on the viewer. Even the most accustomed local will likely be drawn in by the fountain while passing through the square." Even if the fountain functioned in relation to aqueducts, it traversed that point of basic necessity and space, to meaning-making and place.

Victor Emmanuel II Monument or Vittoriano

I regret not taking better photos at this building or for taking advantage of my ticket to see the rooftop view of the city. Nonetheless, encountering it on our every excursion never got old. I spoke with a volunteer at our hostel, who had been in Italy for a couple months, and he said that when you opened your heart to the city, the city would open itself up to you. He elaborated and said that in a weird way the city's large monuments start to feel like knowable and almost sentient beings, passing them everyday and their permanence in the urban fabric gives the city an almost impossibly magical feel. He articulated it better than I could've. I think that's how I felt about the Colosseum when I first saw it, and it was certainly the case with the Vittoriano. Even with its grandeur and clear power stance, in today's contexts these spaces become viewed differently. For tourists they are places to immortalize on their phones, for locals they may be a nuisance or a sign of over-commodifying and valuing the old, while also being a symbol of nationalist pride. There's perhaps even more perspectives that I am not aware of, but it is fascinating how the original functions of these powerful architectural feats become changed with time.

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