Inflo Incredible Florence, exhibition's catalog

multimedia time machine experience la macchina del tempo nel cuore della cittĂ

Incredible Florence: the idea

5

Made in Florence

7

Here the adventure begins...

8

An incredible dream

9

The harmony of history

10

The technology

11

The timeline

14

Roman Florence

18

Medieval Florence

26

Renaissance 40 End of an era

58

A new beginning

62

Contemporary age

68

“Art is not the representation of a novelty, rather a novel form of representation�

Ugo Foscolo

2

3

4

Incredible Florence: the idea The idea for Incredible Florence comes from a simple consideration, fruit of my past professional experiences in publishing and my more recent encounter with the great potential of state of the art multimedia technology.

Everyone speaks of Florence, in a more or less appropriate and comprehensive fashion, of its history, of its great artists, intellectuals, leaders, politicians, and tyrants, but aside from a few authoritative publications, there have never been shows or, even better audio-visual productions that have told of its greatness, of its grandiosity, with a angle of pure entertainment. That is, trying to educate while entertaining the so-called transversal audience, transversal in age and in culture.

A thought that began to swirl around in my head in February 2015 when, taking full responsibility for the project, I managed to convince the Board of Directors of the Crossmedia Group to take on the management of the Santo Stefano al Ponte (not “Vecchio,” mind you!) church. Soon we were asked to organize an exhibition inside the Church, which became an Auditorium in the ‘80s, an immersive show (very few of us knew what it meant at the time) about Van Gogh. The success and resonance of the event were huge, immediate, and unexpected: in a few weeks 80 thousand tickets were sold.

It was from this experience that the seed for Incredible Florence began to germinate in the heart of our company, already leader in the production of multimedia products for the italian cultiral heritage. The team of experts that carried out the project was enthusiastic from the start in the creation of an immersive video installation that is projected simultaneously on 11 wide screens, accompanied by lights and special effects, an original soundtrack, 3D reconstructions, and brief texts. A work that will involve and move visitors, touching their hearts as well as their minds!

An ambitious aim, I realize that, that of managing to retrace in a simple but not banal, light but not superficial way the history of Florence and of those who, through the centuries, made it so special.

Good “immersion” to all!

Federico Dalgas President of Crossmedia Group

Great masterpieces come to life and show themselves in an unprecedented form. Detail of the Last Jedgement by Coppo di Marcovaldo, mosaics from the cupola of the S. Giovanni Baptistery (1224-1330).

5

6

Made in Florence Florence is the place in the world where modern man was forged, ensuing from the great Greek and Roman civilizations. The Pianta della Catena, painted at the end of the 15th century, depicts the new Athens, in the middle of which Brunelleschi’s cupola rises, sublime display of the Florentine people’s visionary intelligence. In later times, travellers from the North celebrated Florence as the city of Art – of Dante and Lorenzo de’ Medici, of Botticelli and Michelangelo. To this day, great scientists consider Galileo the founding father of any scientific revolution. Another veritable world-important star is Amerigo Vespucci, daring traveller, author in 1504 of the letter Mundus Novus. In Florence mankind was elevated to great miracle at the center of the universe, and here the death penalty was abolished for the first time thanks to the enlightened Grand Duke Leopoldo. Here plagues were overcome, as were floods, sieges, bombings, and conspiracies; walls and tyrannies were torn down. I would like to sit inside a time machine so as to experience the salient phases of this incredible history.

We enjoyed building it. A passionate workgroup, that had no fear in facing such a vast and complex theme. A little under two thousand years. Tens and hundreds of great artists and masterpieces, thousands of facts big and small. It took a lot of courage to choose, pick, and discard. We followed Horace’s teaching: instruct and delight.

I.e. set up a show that is both convincing and touching, to transmit knowledge without being boring or letting down an audience of both adults and kids. A little less than an hour devoted to Florence. It should be an unforgettable story. As we set to work, I could imagine stepping in an out of the fiction. Strolling once again through the places where great men of the past walked. Discovering an even greater love for the city, a greater desire to come to know its history in depth… and hearing Dante recited through the streets: “Love that moves the sun and the other stars.” A history as a comedy. A show as a homage to beauty and history.

Sergio Risaliti

Thanks to the 3D reconstructions based on original documents, we travel through time and space. Reconstruction of the skeleton of the Santa Maria del Fiore Cupola (1420-1471), Filippo Brunelleschi’s masterpiece.

7

Here the adventure begins...

“What is it you want to do? The history of Florence in half an hour?”

These guys are nuts, I thought. But after the first meeting I went nuts too, infected by the general enthusiasm, and just said: “Look, half an hour isn’t enough to tell the history of Florence… you need at least 40 minutes.” Basically I was completely hooked. The wonderfully crazy idea was to try to turn 2000 years of history into a grandiose spectacle, into a journey through time and art.

Plus, it was a great chance to go over Florence’s history – so interesting, so stunning, sometimes cruel, sometimes touching, full of upheavals, of coupes de theatre, of betrayals, of generous gestures, of blood and heroics. I spent entire days rereading the history of Florence, discovering with pleasure all that I had forgotten. I hope historians will not be offended by what we made more spectacular or skipped over, for the playful moments we conceded ourselves. Our intention was to take you on a journey through time, to bring you face to face with great historical figures and their grandiose works, a magic trick possible today. My job, besides giving these 2000 years a narrative rhythm, was to give voice to the great historical figures that made Florence grand and famous throughout the world. An unforgettable adventure.

Telling 2000 years of history in 40 minutes? It may seem crazy, but that’s why I enjoyed this adventure, because it was pure madness.

Marco Vichi

The installations interact with the location, transforming and enhancing it. Detail of the Christ the Judge by Coppo di Marcovaldo, mosaics of the cupola of the S. Giovanni Baptistery (1225-1330).

8

An incredible dream We had a dream. We travelled along the stream of time until we reached the days when Florentia was founded in 59 BC. Following the stream, we witnessed the city’s transformations and met artists and intellectuals of all times; Dante Alighieri the “Supreme Poet”, Brunelleschi the architect, Michelangelo the master craftsman, Galileo the astronomer.

On our way we became acquainted with the members of the dynasty that held the city’s destiny in hand for such a long time: Lorenzo the Magnificent, Cosimo I. We had an incredible dream “A time machine in the heart of the city.”

We built a “time machine” to present to the traveller 2000 years of the city’s history in just 40 minutes, to understand who and what produced the miracle of art and beauty we see today, and how all this began…

Many scenes were constructed finding inspiration in famous artists and film directors; we took the cue from Gustave Dorè’s drawings for Dante’s Inferno and Paradiso: in the 31st canto of Paradiso, a vortex of angels wheels around the Empyrean, while the light of God propagates through the surrounding space.

Night falls, Galileo steps in, looks at the moon, then we return to our times, Earth is seen from spaces, few sequences inspired by the great director Stanley Kubrick, accompanied by Verdi’s music. We all have our time machines. Some take us back in time and are called memories. Some carry us forward and are called dreams.

We like to think that as the unwitting traveler steps into our “machine,” and as he is carried away by the incredible memories of Florence’s history, he will be able to feel the dream of his own future blossom inside!

Vincenzo Capalbo, Marilena Bertozzi

The history of Florence and of the individuals that made it great is presented in a passionately entertaining key.

The fresco Dante and his Poem by Domenico Michelino, Santa Maria del Fiore (1465).

9

The harmony of history When Crossmedia Group asked me to compose the music for Incredible Florence, I was honored to undertake a task I found fantastic and stimulating from its first description: nearly one hour of images, animations, lights, special effects, and music recounting the history of Florence from Roman times to this day. The music was not supposed to be mere “background music,” rather, it was to be used where it was really needed, but above all, it should be important and have great character. As I thought it over, I had an idea – simple and even banal if you want. I could draw from the thousands of pieces written by classical musicians, from Guido D’Arezzo to Debussy. The creative idea was to compose a mosaic, taking the themes and structures of the great figures of the past to reconstruct with electronic instruments – but not only – an original musical canvas, in total freedom and audacity. So you find Vivaldi alongside Schumann, Bach, Borodin and many others; my favorites, but not always: I sometimes felt the need to make more pragmatic choices. It was necessary for me to listen to hours and hours of music, followed by the hard work of arranging, and then working with the directors, ready to make changes even at the last moment. The beautiful setting of Santo Stefano al Ponte became for weeks a gigantic rehearsal studio; here all the problems that arose along the way were always solved instantly and brilliantly thanks to the expertise of our outstanding technicians. I believe I can finally say that the wager was won: I am happy with the outcome and I hope the public of Incredible Florence will be, too. I trust that the great musicians of the past will forgive me: they are always curious about novelties.

Marco Lamioni

We can admire the reproduction of masterpieces of Florentine artists all collected in a single space. Diagram of the proportions of the human body or Vitruvian Man by Leonardo da Vinci (1490).

10

The technology It is mainly thanks to the innovative proprietary MATRIX X-DIMENSION® technology, designed exclusively for this video installation, that it was possible to create a literally immersive experience of the over 2000 years of Florence’s history.

40 minutes in which images, lights, colors, music, and sound envelop the audience. Technology and architecture become one, making it possible to fully experience the illusion of being transported in an incredible journey through time.

24 laser projectors transmit over 40 million pixels to the 11 widescreens of the majestic and breathtaking display. The main screen, with its 10x13 meters, reproduces images and film with a resolution 6 times greater than Full HD. Another 8 4x7 meter screens and two tulle cloths generate enveloping 3D effects on the structure emphasizing the location’s spaces.

12 SPOT LED spotlights complete the impression creating plays of light harmoniously synchronized with the narrative and the show’s emotional accents.

So as to optimize the acoustics of the location, a state of the art 3D audio system propagates sounds and the original soundtrack.

The display as a whole required a considerable amount of work and problem solving ability: just think that to connect the technical equipment to the computer controls, over 5 km of cable were used.

A technologically complex endeavor, designed and carried out in accordance with the basic principle of multimedia representation: the use of technology must never be an end in itself, rather a means for the enhancement of the contents of which it is an instrument.

Past history is connected to the present in a constant flow of events and ideas. Study on the forbear of the cannon, Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1419).

In the next pages The Birth of Venus, Sandro Botticelli (1482-1485).

11

12

13

the timeline Founding of the Roman castrum Florentia between the high Arno valley and the Via Cassia

59 b.C.

The city becomes the seat of the legion on stance in the Tuscia region.

Radagaiso’s Ostrogoths occupy Florence, but are defeated by the Roman general Stilicho. The city’s first cathedral, Santa Reparata, is founded to commemorate the battle

The Longobards conquer the city

Matilda marchioness of Tuscany orders the construction of new city walls. At her death without heirs on July 24th 1115, in Florence and in other cities communal autonomies are established

285

406

570

1078

286 about 15.000 inhabitants

The fights between Guelphs and Ghibellines begin

The first gold florin is coined. It will be the city’s currency for six centuries and the European currency of reference in the Middle Ages and in the Renaissance

1216

1252

58-50 b.C.

380

410

571

1096

1215

Julius Caesar conquers Gaul

With the Edict of Thessalonica, Christianity becomes the official religion of the Roman Empire

The Visigoths, led by Alaric, sack Rome

Birth of Mohammed

Beginning of the first crusade for the liberation of the Holy Land

John Lackland seals the Magna Carta

Lorenzo il Magnifico, patron of arts and skilled politician, dies

Michelangelo’s David is placed in front of the Palazzo della Signoria. Leonardo and Michelangelo are chosen to paint the Battle of Anghiari and the Battle of Cascina in Palazzo Vecchio

Charles V lays siege to Florence. 1532, Alessandro de’ Medici is nominated first Duke of Florence, the first edition of Niccolò Machiavelli’s The Prince is published

Pope Pius V names Cosimo I grand duke: the Grand Duchy of Tuscany is born

1492

1504

1530

1569

1552 59.000 inhabitants

1279 Genghis Khan’s Mongol Empire is the vastest land domain in history

Death of Galileo Galilei, father of modern science

Death of Grand Duke Gian Gastone, the Medicy dynasty becomes extinct.

The Grand Duchy passes to the House of Lorraine

Grand Duke Pietro Leopoldo issues a new Penal Code: Tuscany is the first state in the world to abolish the death penalty

1642

1737

1786

1622 76.000 inhabitants

1794 81.000 inhabitants

1492

1519-21

1620

1768

1789

On October 12th Christopher Columbus lands in San Salvador.

The colonization of the Americas begins

Charles V is crowned emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. 1521, Pope Leo X excommunicates Martin Luther. Hernan Cortés conquers the Aztec empire

The first Pilgrim Fathers arrive in North America on board the Mayflower

James Cook sets off on his voyage to Australia

On July 14th the French Revolution begins

Legend 14

Roman period

Medieval period

Ranaissance

Arnolfo di Cambio begins building the last city walls; in 1296 the first stone of Santa Maria del Fiore is set; in 1299 works begin for the Palazzo del Comune

1284

Dante Alighieri, founding father of the Italian language, is expelled from the city.

During his exile he writes the Divine Comedy

The ‘black plague’ arrives in the city.

Giovanni Boccaccio’s Decameron is set during the outbreak

Ghiberti and Brunelleschi take part in the contest for the second door of the Baptistery: the former wins, but the latter’s piece is to this day considered the first example of Renaissance art

1302

1348

1401

1338 about 100.000 inhabitants

1309

1822

1815 Napoleon is defeated in Waterloo. The Congress of Vienna establishes the new European layout

End of an era

The Medici’s Signoria begins; the fate of the city will be tied to this family for three centuries

Pazzi Conspiracy.

While Giuliano de’ Medici is killed, his brother Lorenzo saves himself. The conspiracy fails and the conspirers are hanged

1416-20

1434

1478

1427 37.000 inhabitants

1347-53

The Pope’s seat moves to Avignon, the so-called Avignon Papacy begins, ending in 1377

Birth of Carlo Lorenzini, aka Collodi, author of The Adventures of Pinocchio, one of the most famous kids’ books in the world

Donatello carves the statue of Saint George for Orsanmichele, it’s the first work that uses the technique of the “stiacciato” relief.

1428, Brunelleschi is entrusted with designing the Cupola of Santa Maria del Fiore

1453-55

The worst plague in European history wipes out the population

Constantinople falls to the Ottoman invaders marking the end of the Eastern Roman Empire. 1455, Johannes Gutenberg, inventor of movable type, prints the Bible

The Florence-Livorno train line is built, the first long-distance railroad in Italy

Following a referendum, Florence and Tuscany are annexed to the newborn Kingdom of Italy

Florence capital of Italy.

Architect Giuseppe Poggi designs an expansion of the city that implies, among other things, the demolition of the city walls and the creation of boulevards on the Parisian model

Pier Luigi Nervi finishes the construction of the stadium and the first piece of the Firenze-Mare highway is opened. The following year Giovanni Michelucci inaugurates the construction site of the Santa Maria Novella station

A massive flood submerges a vast part of the city center. The Arno’s waters attack houses, monuments, libraries, and museums. The entire world is mobilized to save Florence’s artistic, book, and archival treasures

1841-48

1860

1865-70

1932

1966

1848

1861

Europe is swept by revolutionary movements. Carl Marx publishes The Communist Manifesto and Luis-Napoléon Bonaparte becomes President of the French Republic

The American Civil War begins, ending on April 9th 1865 with the defeat of the Southern Confederacy

A new beginning

1870-1871 194.000-167.000 inhabitants

1914-1917

1939-45

1993

2011 382.961 inhabitants

1989-91

In Sarajevo, Gavrilo Princip Hitler invades Poland, kills Archduke Franz WWII begins.

Ferdinand, triggering the 1945, with the atomic outbreak of WWI bombs on Hiroshima Russian Revolution, the and Nagasaki the Second Czar is overthrown, the World War ends Soviet Union is born

Modern period

A car bomb explodes at the Accademia dei Georgofili, near the Uffizi Gallery. 5 people die and the surrounding historical buildings, among which the church of Santo Stefano al Ponte, are seriously damaged

Fall of the Berlin wall and reunification of Germany.

1990, in South Africa Nelson Mandela is freed after 27 years in prison. 1991, the Soviet Union breaks up, the Commonwealth of Independent States is born

Contemporary period

15

16

17

ROMAN FLORENCE (59 b.C. - 476 a.D.)

Our history begins in 59 b.C, when, as a consequence of Julius Caesar’s agrarian law, the colony Florentia was established in a strategic position at the intersection of the Arno valley with the main routs over the Apennines.

The city soon prospered as is shown by its precocious increase in population, which soon reached 15,000 people.

Thanks to archaeological evidence we can place the several monuments of the Roman city on the map of contemporary Florence: where the cardo and the decumanus crossed, today’s location of Piazza della Repubblica, the Forum with its Capitolium stood, while a temple to Mars, God of War, was erected where today San Giovanni’s Baptistery stands.

In the previous pages Santa Trinita Bridge by Giuseppe Zocchi (1711-1767).

59 b.C, Florentia is founded by the veterans of the Roman army. The castrum stood where today’s Piazza della Signoria, Piazza della Repubblica, and the Duomo may be found.

18

19

Incredible Florence is an unprecedented journey through the 2000 years of Florence’s history. An exciting 45-minute-long multimedia production rich in special effects, 3-D reconstructions, multiple projections of images and original filmed pieces. An immersive experience that is at once show and exhibition. www.incredibleflorence.com www.ctcrossmedia.com

produced by

under the patronage of

10,00 euro