Discover Florence View RSS

No description
Hide details



Snow in Florence... so let's go snowboarding! 19 Dec 2010 9:10 AM (14 years ago)


 Friday December 18th 2010 a lot of snow fell down on Firenze, it was just awsome! And some brave guys did snowboarding at Piazzale Michelangelo, woooooow!
Watch this video!

Add post to Blinklist Add post to Blogmarks Add post to del.icio.us Digg this! Add post to My Web 2.0 Add post to Newsvine Add post to Reddit Add post to Simpy Who's linking to this post?

inauguration of Florence Tramway 8 Feb 2010 4:36 AM (15 years ago)

On February 14 2010 the new Florence Tramway will be inaugurated at last. After five years of construction and a part of the citizens against the project, the first line of this new public transportation system will be active.
I am pro-tramway, I think that the tramway will improve the citizens’ quality of life, as it’s cheap, ecologic, very fast (sure faster than bus) and should even be always on time (here in Italy punctuality of public services is a strange thing…).

Line 1 will connect the southern part of the city to the centre of Florence, and soon will be built lines 2 and 3, connecting other parts of the city.
I hope that a new, efficient and diffused public transportation system will encourage Florentines to leave the car in their garages and move around with public mass transport. Florence has a real traffic problem, traffic jams at rush hours, even if the historical centre has some limitations to car traffic, is still chocking because of too many cars. So a new mass transportation system is not an option, but a real need.

Line 1 starts at Scandicci, enters the city of Florence and runs over via Nenni, viale Talenti and via del Sansovino. After Piazza Paolo Uccello crosses the Arno River with a brand new bridge and enter the Cascine park. From Piazza Vittorio Veneto continues to Viale Fratelli Rosselli, Via Jacopo da Diacceto and Via Alamanni. Here will soon rejoins the path of Line 2 to Santa Maria Novella train station.
The races on weekdays, when fully implemented (April 2010), will be every 3.5 minutes during rush hours, every 6 minutes during the normal hours and every 12 minutes during the late evening.

I’d like to participate to the very first ride of the tramway!

line 1 of firenze tramway (click to enlarge)


Add post to Blinklist Add post to Blogmarks Add post to del.icio.us Digg this! Add post to My Web 2.0 Add post to Newsvine Add post to Reddit Add post to Simpy Who's linking to this post?

getting around in Florence by bus 21 Jan 2010 8:00 AM (15 years ago)

Florence is not so big, and the historical centre can be easily visited by foot, that’s the best way to enjoy the streets and the atmosphere of the city, but there is a good public transportation service which is useful to cover distances in a short time and have more time to dedicate to the city.

There are several kind of buses: the city bus is called “autobus”, the regional coaches are called “Pullman”.
Ataf buses are the city lines, and cover almost every corner of the city. In the historical centre there are also small electric buses with circular paths (Li-Nea) that can be used with the same ticket of the normal buses.

You can buy the tickets in every newsstand and tobacco shops (see the sign with the “T”) and then validate on bus; the normal ticket costs 1,20 euro and lasts 90 minutes. There are also daily tickets (5 euros), 3 day tickets (12 euros) and “carta agile”, a card with 10 tickets for 10 euros. You can also buy the ticket on the bus (just ask the driver) but the cost is higher (2 euros). The most part of the lines stops at Santa Maria Novella Station and Piazza San Marco.

For the tourists there’s City Sightseeing Tour bus service, with daily tickets and two different lines and multilingual guides that allows you to tour the city seeing the most important tourist attractions and hop on and off to visit what you want. Tickets can be bought on board.


To get out of Florence use the coaches: Lazzi, Sita and Cap. The bus station is right behind Santa Maria Novella Train Station.

To get to Florence Airport you can use the shuttle: departures every 30 minutes from 6.00 to 23.00, the shuttle will take you right in front of Santa Maria Novella Station and back. The single ticket is called "Volainbus" and costs 5 euros, 8 euros if you want the return ticket too.

Add post to Blinklist Add post to Blogmarks Add post to del.icio.us Digg this! Add post to My Web 2.0 Add post to Newsvine Add post to Reddit Add post to Simpy Who's linking to this post?

discover Livorno! 16 Jan 2010 7:59 AM (15 years ago)

Today I’m going to tell you about another city in Tuscany, less famous than Firenze, but really interesting from a touristic point of view: Livorno.
That’s the city where I was born! I moved to Florence when I was 20 but my family still lives in Livorno and I often go back to my beautiful natal city.
Livorno is on the coast known as the Etruscan Coast, about 90 kilometres from Firenze, from which you can easily reach by train or car in about 1 hour and half. It’s just 20 kilometres far from Pisa, and the two cities are kind of enemies from centuries.

Livorno was a small port and village until Ferdinando I de’ Medici decided to found here a new city, an ideal perfect city according to the renaissance theories. Soon Livorno became the main port of Tuscany, and people from all over the world came here: merchants, sailors, exiled and refugees for political or religious reasons. That’s because Ferdinando I enacted a law that opened up the city to everyone who wanted to live and work here, no matter their nationality, religion or if they where exiled from other countries.
Livorno became a melting pot of cultures, religions and thoughts. Jews were not contained into a ghetto, indeed they were powerful, rich and attained important political positions. Other communities living in Livorno came from Greece, Germany, France, Netherlands, England, Armenia, Eastern Europe, Asia and Muslim Countries, each one free to establish its own church, cemetery and schools. Still today the city is very opened to the difference (in culture, art, politic and society) and tolerance and respect are very important values.

The city is rich in history and architecture, as you can see from my pictures, from late renaissance to baroque, then neo-classicism and even some exquisite art nouveau buldings. The historical neighbourhood of Venezia Nuova (“New Venice”) was built in the early 1600 and is very characteristic, thanks to its water canals that surround small islands and that were used to transport goods from the port to the storehouses placed in the lower level of the palaces.
Plus there’s a beautiful long waterside with sidewalks, gardens and a wonderful terrace on the sea.
At the south edge of the city starts a wonderful panoramic road, il Romito, that runs on the top of an impressive cliff that falls down in the sea; here you can find one of the most fascinating and wild places to enjoy the sea. Not sandy beaches, but colourful rocks, crystal waters and lots of sealife to admire while snorkelling.

Don’t forget the pleasure of tasting the local cuisine, made of fresh seafood that reflects the multi-cultural influences of the city, and that is considered the best in Tuscany and one of the best in Italy. The local dishes are made with the “poor” fish, those species of fishes that could not be sold at the market and ended in the fisherman’s pan. Less noble but cheaper and super-tasty!!!

I highly recommend you to visit Livorno, discover the fascinating story of the city, enjoy the beautiful sea, and taste one of the best Italian sea cuisine!

that's my dog at Terrazza Mascagni, an amazing terrace on the sea one of the canals in Venezia Nuova the church of santa Caterina reflecting in the water surface of the canal (Venezia Nuova) la Fortezza Nuova (ancient fortress) in the Medicean port of Livorno the rocky cliffs and crystal water of Romito

Add post to Blinklist Add post to Blogmarks Add post to del.icio.us Digg this! Add post to My Web 2.0 Add post to Newsvine Add post to Reddit Add post to Simpy Who's linking to this post?

Christmas 2009: snow on Florence!!! 13 Jan 2010 6:31 AM (15 years ago)

The first time I saw the snow in Florence was 2005, and then it happened again! I took those few pictures the night of december 20th, when the snow was beginning to fall... it was really amazing, such a magical feeling watching the snow flakes falling over Santa Maria Novella!
The next morning I drove to my parent's house for Christmas, on a snowy and icy highway... end of the magic! :-(

the street where I live... one of the cars is mine :-)

snow on Santa Maria Novella

snow on the christmas trees in Piazza della Stazione

snowy christmas at Santa Maria Novella

Add post to Blinklist Add post to Blogmarks Add post to del.icio.us Digg this! Add post to My Web 2.0 Add post to Newsvine Add post to Reddit Add post to Simpy Who's linking to this post?

magnificent Palazzo Vecchio, Florence 16 Nov 2009 8:00 AM (15 years ago)

Palazzo Vecchio had always been the place where the governors ruled the city, the heart of the public life of Florence. Still today it houses the major of Firenze and several city offices.
The building is magnificent, in a characteristic tuscan gothic style, the architect was Arnolfo di Cambio, the same of Santa Maria del Fiore cathedral and Santa Croce who started the construction in1299. the façade is so elegant, made of solid rustic stonework, with its crenellated battlement supported by small arches and corbels.
The tower is placed in an asymmetrical position because Arnolfo di Cambio incorporated the ancient tower of the Foraboschi family in the new tower. The tower is named Tower of Arnolfo, to remember its great brilliant designer (he's my favorite architect ever!)

Add post to Blinklist Add post to Blogmarks Add post to del.icio.us Digg this! Add post to My Web 2.0 Add post to Newsvine Add post to Reddit Add post to Simpy Who's linking to this post?

Bosco ai Frati convent, Mugello 25 Oct 2009 8:01 AM (15 years ago)

Founded in the 11th century by the Ubaldini prior (of the feudatory family of Mugello), this convent is one of the most ancient in the whole Tuscany.
In the 15th century Cosimo de’ Medici decided to rebuilt it, and the architect is once again Michelozzo (the same of the villas of Trebbio and Cafaggiolo, and also of Palazzo Vecchio and Palazzo Medici).

As with Cafaggiolo and the Trebbio Castle, the architectural structure of the convent unites the characteristics of the innovative Renaissance experience with those of the medieval one. Therefore, ribs, vaults and cornices, clearly late Gothic elements, were left in the building of the choir, while the new architectural lines of Renaissance were used to construct the cloister, the cenacle and the Monks' cells.
Early members of the Medici family left the convent many precious gifts, among which we find the beautiful wooden crucifix by Donatello. Today it’s preserved in the small sacred art museum beside the convent.

In the convent still lives Franciscan friars, so the opening hours are very limited to respect them. The convent is opened just in the weekend, from 11.45 to 12.30 and from 18.00 to 18.45.

You can find all the details about my daytrip in Mugello in this post!

inside the church

the altar of the church


the entrance to the convent of Bosco ai Frati
the small cloyster of Bosco ai Frati


the water well in the cloyster of Bosco ai Frati

the mini-van of the Franciscan friars of Bosco ai Frati :-)


Add post to Blinklist Add post to Blogmarks Add post to del.icio.us Digg this! Add post to My Web 2.0 Add post to Newsvine Add post to Reddit Add post to Simpy Who's linking to this post?

Palazzo dei Vicari, Scarperia 19 Oct 2009 9:32 AM (16 years ago)

The Palazzo dei Vicari in Scarperia was built in the early XIV century and it’s a wonderful public palace, still with elements of a military building and a high tower that makes it look a bit like Palazzo Vecchio in Florence.
On the façade are placed several coats of arms, one for every vicario (a sort of ancient major of the city) that ruled over Scarperia and the Mugello area. Some of this coats of arms are precious masterpieces of Della Robbia and Benedetto Buglioni.
The inner court is wonderful, with fresco paintings representing religious scenes and other coats of arms.
Inside the palace there’s the Museum of Cutting Tools, an exhibition that shows the ancient art of Scarperia, the production of handmade knives.
You can see the tour of my daytrip in Mugello in this post :-)


the ancient water well of Palazzo dei Vicari



coats of arms inside Palazzo dei Vicari, Scarperia
frescos inside Palazzo dei Vicari




the inner court of Palazzo dei Vicari, Scarperia


Add post to Blinklist Add post to Blogmarks Add post to del.icio.us Digg this! Add post to My Web 2.0 Add post to Newsvine Add post to Reddit Add post to Simpy Who's linking to this post?

church of Sant'Agata, Mugello 12 Oct 2009 8:00 AM (16 years ago)

The church of Sant’Agata is in the heart of a small old town, Sant’Agata, near Scarperia, in the Mugello. The church is really ancient, surely existing before 984, and it’s a wonderful Romanesque building.
It’s a small and simple church, but so beautiful… inside there’s a nice marble baptismal font of XII century and a wonderful wooden Christ by Francesco di Simone Ferrucci, realized in the XV century.
Also the small town of Sant’Agata is really nice, a typical medieval borough in a wonderful landscape.
Go there and have a walk in the narrow streets, you’ll feel like going back in time.

You can see the tour of my daytrip in Mugello in this post!


the small cloyster of the church





the baptismal font of XII century, church of Sant'Agata, Mugello



the entrance of the church of Sant'Agata





the bell tower of the church of Sant'Agata, Mugello




Add post to Blinklist Add post to Blogmarks Add post to del.icio.us Digg this! Add post to My Web 2.0 Add post to Newsvine Add post to Reddit Add post to Simpy Who's linking to this post?

the village of Scarperia, Mugello 7 Oct 2009 8:00 AM (16 years ago)

Scarperia is a small village in the heart of Mugello, known for the handcraft of knives, and is one of the most beautiful villages of Italy (see the site of Borghitalia to discover all the most beutiful villages of Italy!).
Scarperia was founded around 1300, when Firenze decided to build a fortified town to control Mugello, and had to fight against the Ubaldini family, the ancient feudatories of Mugello.
Scarperia is a very nice village, very interesting from an historical point of view, but it’s not so exceptional, considering all the beautiful villages in Tuscany.
What is really interesting is the Palazzo dei Vicari, (see this post about it!) a beautiful palace built in 1300, destroyed twice after earthquakes and always rebuilt.
Also the small village of Sant’Agata, very near Scarperia, is really nice and characteristic (much more than Scarperia itself), and the church of Sant’Agata is a precious ancient Romanesque building.
In the next post I’ll show you Sant’Agata, but now… here are the pictures of Scarperia, and here’s the main post with all the details of my daytrip in Mugello.


Add post to Blinklist Add post to Blogmarks Add post to del.icio.us Digg this! Add post to My Web 2.0 Add post to Newsvine Add post to Reddit Add post to Simpy Who's linking to this post?

Medici Villa of Trebbio, Mugello 4 Oct 2009 8:00 AM (16 years ago)

This Medici villa is located in the nearbies of Florence, in the Mugello region, a wonderful corner of quiet tuscan countryside.
Villa del Trebbio is really ancient, but in 1428 Cosimo de’ Medici completely renovated and enlarged it; the architect is Michelozzo (the same of Cafaggiolo and Palazzo Medici).
This villa was surrounded by forests and agricultural estate, and even if it looks like a fortified castle, it was a place of pleasure and rest for the Medici family. Today the castle is surrounded by a beautiful cypress wood with more than one century old trees.
Unfortunately today this villa is private, and visits can be booked just in some special occasions.

You can see the tour of my daytrip in Mugello in this post!



Add post to Blinklist Add post to Blogmarks Add post to del.icio.us Digg this! Add post to My Web 2.0 Add post to Newsvine Add post to Reddit Add post to Simpy Who's linking to this post?

Medicean Villa of Cafaggiolo, Mugello 1 Oct 2009 8:00 AM (16 years ago)


The next stop of my trip in Mugello was the castle of Cafaggiolo, one of the most ancient of the Medici villas.
It was originally a military building in order to defend the area. In 1428 was restructured by Michelozzo, on assignment of Cosimo the Old. Michelozzo changed the fortress into a delightful villa for restoring vacations of the Medici family, especially in the summer, but the villa still has the typical aspect of a military castle.
Lorenzo il Magnifico spent his summer here in Cafaggiolo when he was a boy, and always loved this place in a special way.
When I’ve been there unfortunately the villa was closed because of restorations, so I just could admire it from the outside, but it worth anyway, the villa is so beautiful…
To reach the castle of Cafaggiolo reach San Piero a Sieve, and follow the signs to Barberino nel Mugello, you’ll soon see the villa on your left.


You can see the tour of my daytrip in Mugello in this post :-)

Add post to Blinklist Add post to Blogmarks Add post to del.icio.us Digg this! Add post to My Web 2.0 Add post to Newsvine Add post to Reddit Add post to Simpy Who's linking to this post?

my Day Trip in Mugello 25 Sep 2009 8:00 AM (16 years ago)


Last week I decided to spend a Sunday in Mugello, a wonderful corner of tuscan countryside, rich in nature, art and history, just a few kilometres away from Florence.
Mugello was dominated by Etruscan first, then by Romans. In the middle ages was territory of the Guidi and Ubaldini families, whose fought Florence. Then from 1300 the Mugello became an important area for Florence, because of its strategic and economic importance.
Several important buildings and fortresses, castles, villas, monasteries and palaces still bear witness to this important period of growth in Mugello. In fact, even the artistic and cultural history of Florence owes much of its development to Mugello: artists such as Giotto and Beato Angelico were born here; important architects worked on the construction of the castles and moreover, the Mugello landscape has provided inspiration for numerous Florentine paintings.

I decided to follow the “Medici Route”, discovering the places where the Medici family lived nad ruled.
The tour starts in Scarperia, which was founded by the town of Florence at the beginning of the 14th century, and still conserves the impressive Palazzo dei Vicari, which was built in the same period but has undergone numerous transformations and restorations throughout the centuries. Palazzo Vicari houses the Museo dei Ferri Taglienti - antique and modern cutlery – as Scarperia is well known for knife handcrafts.
From Scarperia move to the small town of Sant’Agata, where there is a beautiful Romanesque church, the most famous sacred structure in Mugello.
Then visit the Bosco ai Frati Convent, which was built according to Michelozzo’s design, by order of Cosimo dé Medici. Inside, you find the splendid Crucifix by Donatello ( opened only on Saturday and Sunday morning because friars still live here).
Heading towards San Piero a Sieve, you find Villa Medicea of Cafaggiolo, one of the favourite residences of Lorenzo the Magnificent, and a splendid example of Renaissance architecture (visits must be booked). Not far away, towering above you, surrounded by century old cypress trees, you can admire the Trebbio Castle: another magnificent Medici construction (private, visits only in special days).

In the next post I’ll let you know all those wonderful places!



Here's a small useful map of Mugello!

Add post to Blinklist Add post to Blogmarks Add post to del.icio.us Digg this! Add post to My Web 2.0 Add post to Newsvine Add post to Reddit Add post to Simpy Who's linking to this post?

Piazza della Signoria 22 Sep 2009 7:32 AM (16 years ago)

Piazza della Signoria is an square in front of the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence. Infact it was named after the Palazzo della Signoria, also called Palazzo Vecchio.
Piazza della Signoria is the heart and the core of origin and of the history of the Florentine Republic and today it still maintains its role as the political hub of the city.

Palazzo Vecchio stands proud in the square and give it its uncommon L-shape. Beside Palazzo Vecchio there's the Fountain of Nettuno (read this post about the Neptune fountain!) and a statue of Cosimo I de' Medici.
In front of the Neptune a marble placque remembers the exact place where Girolamo Savonarola was hanged and burned in 1498.

Just on the right of Palazzo Vecchio there's the Loggia dei Lanzi o Loggia della Signoria, whit several important marble sculptures, like il Ratto delle Sabine by Giambologna and the Perseo by Cellini.

palazzo Vecchio and Loggia dei Lanzi

palazzo Vecchio
fountain of Nettuno (Neptune)

Add post to Blinklist Add post to Blogmarks Add post to del.icio.us Digg this! Add post to My Web 2.0 Add post to Newsvine Add post to Reddit Add post to Simpy Who's linking to this post?

Uffizi gallery, pictures of the square 17 Sep 2009 8:00 AM (16 years ago)

Here is Piazzale degli Uffizi, the long narrow square surruonded by the Uffizi Gallery. More infos on the Uffizi Museum are in this post :-)


Add post to Blinklist Add post to Blogmarks Add post to del.icio.us Digg this! Add post to My Web 2.0 Add post to Newsvine Add post to Reddit Add post to Simpy Who's linking to this post?

pictures of Orsanmichele 14 Sep 2009 8:00 AM (16 years ago)

Other pictures and descripion of Orsanmichele can be found in this post! ;-)

the painting by Bernardo Daddi, "Madonna delle Grazie" and the tabernacle by Orcagna, inside Orsanmichele

Add post to Blinklist Add post to Blogmarks Add post to del.icio.us Digg this! Add post to My Web 2.0 Add post to Newsvine Add post to Reddit Add post to Simpy Who's linking to this post?

Church of Orsanmichele 11 Sep 2009 8:04 AM (16 years ago)

The church of Orsanmichele was originally a loggia that housed a market, built in the second half of XIII century, but soon people came to venerate an image of the Madonna, considered miraculous.
Il the second half of XIV century a fire destroyed both the loggia and the sacred image, so a new loggia was built and a new image of Madonna delle Grazie, painted by Bernardo Daddi was placed.
The arches of the new loggia soon had been closed, the market moved away and the building became a church. It was the church of the Arts, the powerful medieval corporations of Florence.
Inside the church of Orsanmichele the Madonna delle Grazie by Bernardo Daddi is placed inside a wonderful marble tabernacle made by Orcagna in 1349.
Orsanimchele is a little precious gothic jewel inside the heart of Florence, it sure deserve a visit! Entrance is free and some panels give information about the church and the precious paintings and sculptures housed in it.

Other pictures of Orsanmichele can be found in this post! ;-)

Add post to Blinklist Add post to Blogmarks Add post to del.icio.us Digg this! Add post to My Web 2.0 Add post to Newsvine Add post to Reddit Add post to Simpy Who's linking to this post?

National Library, Florence 7 Sep 2009 8:16 AM (16 years ago)

The National Central Library of Florence is the biggest library of Italy and one of the biggest of whole Europe.

The library was founded in 1714 by Antonio Magliabechi, who donated his collection of 30,000 volumes to the city of Florence. By 1743 it was required that a copy of every work published in Tuscany be submitted to the library.
In 1861 its holdings were combined with those of the Biblioteca Palatina, and since 1870 the library has collected copies of all Italian publications.

Originally the collections were keeped in some rooms of the Uffizi Gallery, but since 1935 the library have been housed in a building designed by Cesare Bazzaniu and V. Mazzei, located along the Arno River in Santa Croce.

Unfortunately, a major flood of the Arno River in 1966 damaged nearly one-third of the library's holdings, most notably its periodicals and Palatine and Magliabechi collections. The Restoration Center was subsequently established and saved many of these priceless books. However, much work remains to be done and some items are forever lost.



Add post to Blinklist Add post to Blogmarks Add post to del.icio.us Digg this! Add post to My Web 2.0 Add post to Newsvine Add post to Reddit Add post to Simpy Who's linking to this post?

Loggia del Porcellino. 4 Sep 2009 6:18 AM (16 years ago)

The Loggia del Porcellino, or Loggia del Mercato Nuovo, is located in the heart of Florence, just behind Ponte Vecchio.


The lodge was built around the second half of the XVI century by Giovan Battista del Tasso, and the famous fountain of the Porcellino (Piglet, but it's actually a wild boar!) was made by Pietro Tacca in 1640.

Under the lodge it used to be a silk and fabric market, now the market sells souvenirs, clothing and leather accessories.
Rubbing the piglet's nose brings fortune, so... rub, rub, rub!!! Now the nose is shiny from all this rubbing :-D

Add post to Blinklist Add post to Blogmarks Add post to del.icio.us Digg this! Add post to My Web 2.0 Add post to Newsvine Add post to Reddit Add post to Simpy Who's linking to this post?

Ponte alle Grazie 2 Sep 2009 6:55 AM (16 years ago)

Here are some picture i took during my last walk in the historical centre of Florence, in an incredibly hot afternoon... this summer Florence had been really hot, this is one of the hottest summers since 200 years... hope fall comes soon!

Add post to Blinklist Add post to Blogmarks Add post to del.icio.us Digg this! Add post to My Web 2.0 Add post to Newsvine Add post to Reddit Add post to Simpy Who's linking to this post?

Fountain of Neptune, Florence 23 Aug 2009 2:02 AM (16 years ago)

The fountain of Neptune is the first public fountain in Florence, it was completed in 1575 and rise in piazza della Signoria, (read this post about Piazza della Signoria!) just in front of Palazzo Vecchio, in the heart of the public life of Florence.
Some years before, Cosimo I de’ Medici assigned the work to Bartolomeo Ammannati, who realized a big representation of the Florentines dominion over the sea (Cosimo had just founded the seaport of Livorno).


The statue is made of whie Carrara marble and it’ quite big, so the Florentines call him “il Biancone”, that means “the big white”. Under Neptune there are his horses, and then a lot of more bronze statues representing sea gods, satyrs, and marine creatures.
During the years this fountain had bad luck: Florentines never liked it too much, it had been used as a basin for laundry, a satyr had been stolen during 1830 carnival, and had been damaged and vandalized several times.

But Biancone still resist!


Add post to Blinklist Add post to Blogmarks Add post to del.icio.us Digg this! Add post to My Web 2.0 Add post to Newsvine Add post to Reddit Add post to Simpy Who's linking to this post?

Pictures of Palazzo Strozzi 19 Jul 2009 12:04 PM (16 years ago)


Yesterday I went to Palazzo Strozzi to see the temporary exhibition of contemporary art that is placed in the inner court of the building.
The court is a perfect example of renaissance love for geometry, and is a wonderful frame for contemporary installations of art.
Currently Palazzo Strozzi is also hosting a very interesting exhibition dedicated to Galileo Galilei and the graphic representation of the universe from the classic era to the telescope innovation. ( for more info check the official Palazzo Strozzi Website). http://www.palazzostrozzi.org/

Here are the pictures I took yesterday in the evening!

the inner court of Palazzo Strozzi

the installation of contemporary art in the inner court of Palazzo Strozzi

facade of Palazzo Strozzi

Add post to Blinklist Add post to Blogmarks Add post to del.icio.us Digg this! Add post to My Web 2.0 Add post to Newsvine Add post to Reddit Add post to Simpy Who's linking to this post?

Calcio Storico Fiorentino - Historical Florentine football 20 Jun 2009 1:04 PM (16 years ago)

Calcio Fiorentino is an early form of football that originated in 16th century in Florence, Italy. Today Calcio Fiorentino is still played in Florence. The matches used to take place in Piazza Santa Croce, and still do, every third week of June.

In this game are used both feet and hands, it’s a kind of mix between soccer, rugby and Greco-roman wrestling. Goals can be scored by throwing the ball over a designated spot on the perimeter of the field. The playing field is a giant sand pit with a goal running the width of each end.

Four historical neighbourhoods of the city, represented from their main church and a colour (Santa Croce is blue, San Giovanni is green, Santo Spirito is white, and Santa Maria Novella is red), fight against each other to win.
The modern version allows tactics such as head-butting, punching, elbowing, and choking, but forbids sucker-punching and kicks to the head.

It’s a very violent sport but also spectacular, especially because of the pre-game parade with historically accurate Renaissance costumes, and sure, for the fights!!!
If you’re going to visit Florence in late June don’t miss the Calcio Fiorentino Match!


the historical parade before the matches

fights!

the play ground in Piazza Santa Croce

Add post to Blinklist Add post to Blogmarks Add post to del.icio.us Digg this! Add post to My Web 2.0 Add post to Newsvine Add post to Reddit Add post to Simpy Who's linking to this post?

Piazza della Repubblica, Florence 13 Jun 2009 12:19 AM (16 years ago)


In the ancient times this square was the center of the roman city, the place where cardo and decumanus intersect. Now a column rise in this exact point to remember the past, and it’s called Colonna dell’Abbondanza (column of abundance).
From the year 1000 this square hosted the old city market.

The present appearance of Piazza della Repubblica is the result of the city planning done after the proclamation of Florence as the capital of Italy (1865-71). In this years large parts of the city centre were demolished to create the large squares and streets that a capital needed.

The decision to enlarge the square needed the destruction of several historical important buildings: medieval towers, churches, the corporate seats of the Arti, palaces, craftsmen's shops and thousand of houses.
The demolition was presented as a necessity, as the area's insanitary conditions were to be improved, but was in reality led above all to building speculation and to legitimization of the will of the emerging middle-class, protagonist in the events that bring Italy to unification.

The big arch in Piazza della Repubblica, called Arcone, remember with an inscription the huge demolition of the 19th century:

L’antico centro della città
Da secolare squallore
A vita nuova restituito

"The ancient centre of the city
restored from age-old squalor
to new life"

Colonna dell'Abbondanza, the exact place where cardo and decumanus used to meet in the roman city of Florence

the old carousel in Piazza della Repubblica

the big arch, with the commemorative inscription, called "Arcone"


the big arch of Piazza della Repubblica from the back

Add post to Blinklist Add post to Blogmarks Add post to del.icio.us Digg this! Add post to My Web 2.0 Add post to Newsvine Add post to Reddit Add post to Simpy Who's linking to this post?

ex-monastery of the Oblate, Firenze 6 Jun 2009 9:29 AM (16 years ago)

Yesterday I went to the ex-monastery of the Oblate, a renaissance building built in first years of XIV century, and took some pictures of this wonderful place.
For centuries this building was an hospital and a monastery, then it became property of the city of Florence: it had been completely restored and two years ago it re-opened as a modern, multifunctional public library, Biblioteca delle Oblate, which is housing over 65000 books on three storeys, a huge wifi area looking over the cloister, a coffee-shop and a children’s corner.

The three-floors cloister is just wonderful, I love its quiet atmosphere, and the smell of the flowers of the big magnolia tree…
I usually come here when I want to study in a relaxing, silent open-air space.
You really have to step to the upper floor where is a beautiful renaissance style lodge with a breath-taking view of the dome of Santa Maria del Fiore, standing in front of you, just a few meters away! In this lodge there’s the coffee shop so you can have a coffee-break while admiring the dome and reading a good book or magazine.

The public library of the Oblate also organizes guided tours of the building, every Saturday from December to March at 11.15 am.
Guided tours are free and you can also book it by telephone: +39(055)2616512
Opening times of the Oblate complex: Monday - Friday, 8.30am - 6.30pm, Saturday 8.30am -1.30pm

Add post to Blinklist Add post to Blogmarks Add post to del.icio.us Digg this! Add post to My Web 2.0 Add post to Newsvine Add post to Reddit Add post to Simpy Who's linking to this post?