One of my favourite piazzas in Florence to walk through… Piazza della Santissima Annuziata
“It goes without saying that Florence is a city that lives in the past. Its medieval and Renaissance history, immortalised in famous buildings, sculptures and paintings, is the main reason the city is as loved and visited as it is today. In every nook and cranny, history seeps out onto the well trodden stone streets and into the everyday”
Emiko Davies, Florentine: The True Cuisine of Florence
Wandering the many bridges is one of Florence’s beautiful invitations…
Today I go on a grand adventure exploring the heart and soul of Florence. I share travel stories and thoughts on writers and artists and why Florence has always been a beacon for not only tourists seeking Italy but scholars, students, writers, artists and explorers of Italy. There are many tangents one can go, and so I explore a few; the Medici Empire, the Grand Tour, Renaissance art, the birth of the Italophile, modern travel and how I ultimately feel about visiting Florence in the 21st century. This an introduction to the city, with musings on travel, art and culture, and a taste of the history of Florence - the beautiful and magnetic capital of Tuscany.
Shownotes:
In the Shadow of a Cypress by Michelle Johnston
The Stones of Florence by Mary McCarthy
That lovely late spring mood I discovered in Florence in early June 2025
“There has been a crescendo of joy in our travels”, said George Eliot/Marian Evans in a letter of 1860.
“For Florence, from its relation to the history of modern art, has roused a keener interest in us even than Rome, and has stimulated me to entertain rather an ambitious project”…
The book was based on the Dominican friar Savonorola … called Romola
"And so, I wandered along, heart open wide, marvelling, all the way to the Duomo like a typical foreigner seeking beauty" - In the Shadow of a Cypress by Michelle Johnston
Wandering the Boboli Gardens was wonderful and there were only a few visitors that warm day…
Across from La Carraia Gelateria hanging out with the locals one winter’s day…