Clive James on Florence (The Lord Forte Memorial Lecture)

Clive James on Florence (The Lord Forte Memorial Lecture)

28 Jan 2009

Speakers: Clive James

Clive James delivers a lecture on Florence, the city he calls his third university, and the place that opened his mind to European culture and history. Discussing his love affair with the city, which he first visited around 45 years ago, he provides a whistlestop tour through the architecture, history, and famous residents of the birthplace of the Renaissance, from the Piazza della Signoria to the Orsan Michele, and from Botticelli to Dante.

James was entranced by much of the architecture and sculpture, but Florence is also home to what he regards as some of the worst sculpture in the world - such as Bandinelli's Hercules - and some equally hideous buildings - such as the Palazzo Pitti. However, the overriding impression that he was left with was of the strength, ambition, and mental strictness that shaped the development of the city. He notes the fantastic concentration of artistic talent and intellect that sprung from Florence during the Renaissance and relates the influence the city exerted on its famous children, and vice-versa. He also talks at length about the figure he regards as the instigator of the Renaissance - Dante - and his relationship with the city, discussing the “enthralling” language of the Divine Comedy - “the greatest poem ever written”.

James regards 1960s Florence as the perfect place for the bohemian student, but most of all, he says, his period in Florence was a time of innocence. This innocence was lost in 1966, however, when the town was flooded, resulting in many deaths and the destruction or damage of thousands of classic pieces of art. Whilst the flood was terrible, it did have one positive effect - it led to a huge enlightenment in sexual politics, and resulted in a wave of feminism and respect for women all over the country.