The Last Promise Read Online Free PDF Page A

his challenge. “Tell me about the gallery.”
    “The Uffizi is one of the finest art galleries in the world and the first museum of modern Europe. It was officially opened in 1765, though the building and some of its art existed for nearly two hundred years before that. The building itself was constructed in 1560, when Medici duke Cosimo I commissioned Giorgio Vasari to design a grand palace along the river, with the appearance of ‘floating in air.’ The gallery has not been without its challenges. It has survived World War II, a major flood and even a bomb planted by the Mafia.” He rested. “I know everything about the Uffizi.”
    “Tell me about the exhibits.”
    “The Uffizi houses work from Raffaello, Rembrandt, Michelangelo, Leonardo, Cimabue, Botticelli, as well as hundreds of other artists. Choose one.”
    “Tell me about Botticelli.”
    “Alessandro Filipepi, also called Sandro Botticelli, was born in Florence in 1445, where he resided until his death in 1510. Botticelli means ‘little barrels’ and was actually a nickname given to Alessandro’s older brother on account of his being overweight. Unfortunately for the Filipepi family, it stuck to all of them. Botticelli has twelve paintings in the Uffizi. They are among the most popular works of the gallery, including the Primavera , oil tempera on wood, painted for Lorenzo Medici in 1498, acquired by the Uffizi in 1919 and recently restored in 1982, and the Birth of Venus , also whimsically called ‘Venus on the Half Shell.’ The medium is tempera on linen canvas, and its patron and origins are unknown, though many experts speculate that it was also commissioned by the Medici family. This work was acquired by the Uffizi in 1815 and restored in 1987. Like the Primavera , there is controversy over the actual meaning of the work. Some say Botticelli’s works capture the essence of the Florentine woman, past and modern—the sad eyes, the lips bent with a hint of sardonic grin. It’s an appraisal with which I happen to agree. His works may be found in rooms nine to fourteen in the first corridor.”
    “ Bravo. That is impressive.”
    “I’ve memorized the entire gallery, every painting, fresco, tapestry and sculpture; the artist, the patron who commissioned it, the date it was started and finished, its artistic significance and the year it was acquired by the Uffizi.”
    The woman looked at him in astonishment. “There are thousands of exhibits. That would take many years to learn.”
    “Only one and a half. But I worked at it nine hours a day.”
    “You studied the Uffizi nine hours a day?”
    “I had a lot of time on my hands.”
    She gazed at him curiously. With employment an impossibility, Ross wondered why she was spending so much time with him.
    “Do you speak Italian?”
    “Some. Il mio Italiano è ancora un po’ brutto. ”
    This made her smile. “Actually, you speak well. Where did you learn?”
    “Mostly from books. But I had a few Italian friends in America.”
    She gazed at him for a moment without word then said, “Just a moment.” She left the room. She returned accompanied by an older and taller woman with honey-colored hair and blue, square-lensed Gucci sunglasses. She wore leather pants and a silk blouse, with a scarf tied around her throat.
    The first woman returned to her desk, and the tall woman sat down in a chair next to her, crossed her legs and smiled at Ross, but said nothing.
    “Excuse me, sir, I forgot to ask your name.”
    “Ross Story.”
    “Story?”
    “ Sì. Like a book.”
    She spoke to the other woman then turned her attention back to Ross. “Signor Story, this is Francesca Punteri. She is one of our guides.”
    She smiled at her own introduction. Ross smiled back.
    “I have asked Francesca if she could employ you as an assistant. Some of the guides have more work than they can handle or cannot take English-speaking groups because their English is not good enough. For Francesca both are true.”
    “My