It’s our last day in Florence. We don’t have a set plan for the day, other than to walk around and enjoy the city. We’re not ready to leave, but ready or not, tomorrow we’ll have to say arrivederci to Firenze.
We walked from the hotel, past now-familiar Orsanmichele, to Piazza della Signoria. The first time we walked here, we oohed and aahed the whole way. We’re still oohing and aahing, but now there’s a nice degree of familiarity.
Poor Neptune
We found Neptune standing majestically over his fountain in Piazza della Signoria. The first time we saw him, we thought he was awesome. Then we learned that the locals think this statue of Neptune is second-rate.
Then we saw Michelangelo’s David and countless other works of art here. Almost like Stendhal, we’ve been “Florentined.” Now we’re experts!
Why of COURSE this statue of Neptune isn’t up to Florentine standards! Now we laugh at this statue because it’s so amateurish, as even the untrained eye can clearly see. Ha ha ha! Yeah. Sure we do.
After apologizing to Neptune, we walked over to Piazza della Repubblica and grabbed a table at Caffè Paszkowski. The people-watching there can’t be beat.
Florence Recap
On our first full day in Florence, we went to see Michelangelo’s David in the Galleria dell’Accademia. The pictures don’t do him justice. If you think you might be susceptible to Stendhal syndrome, steer clear of the Galleria dell’Accademia.
We had lunch that day in Fiesole. Fiesole sits on a hill overlooking Florence. The view from there is spectacular. Maybe even as spectacular as the panini we had for lunch. Mamma Mia.
That afternoon we got caught in a deluge while strolling through Boboli Gardens. We ducked into a side door of Piti Palace and found ourselves in the palace’s Costume Museum. Who knew? Not us.
The next day we took a day trip to Siena via local bus. If you’re not in a rush and you like to see the non-touristy sights, it’s a great way to go.
Siena is the ideal combination of past and present. It’s a modern town, but it has managed to retain its medieval feel.
That night we got to try the meat dish Florence is famous for – Bistecca alla Fiorentina. We didn’t order it. But the nice people at the next table did, and they had more than they could handle. Can’t let that stuff go to waste. We were happy to help out!
Nighttime Walking Tour
We walked off dinner and got a nighttime tour of the city in the process. We walked past the house where Dante Alighieri lived. Well, not the real house, but the spot where the house was when Dante was born, way back in 1265.
That was a long time ago, but sometimes when you’re wandering around in Florence’s narrow back streets – especially at night – you get the feeling that the place hasn’t changed all that much.
Dante’s “Divine Comedy” was the first major work to be written and published in Italian. Back in Dante’s day, Italy was comprised of more-or-less isolated villages. Because of their isolation, each region developed its own dialect.
Da Dove Viene l’Italiano?
Language-wise, latin was the only common denominator. Scholarly works were written in Latin, even up into the 16th century. The Divine Comedy was a scholarly work, but Dante wanted regular folks who didn’t know latin to be able to read it, so he wrote it in the local Florentine dialect.
At the time, it was a big deal. An important book not written in Latin? What was the civilized world coming to?
The similarity of regional dialects allowed non-latin speakers to read and understand The Divine Comedy. The Florentine dialect Dante used ultimately became today’s Italian language.
All streets in Florence seem to lead to the the gigantic Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore – The Duomo. And that’s where we ended up. It’s awesome at night.
Tomorrow we’re heading home. It’s time to say arrivederci to our Florentine friends, past and present. Ciao Fabrizio! Ciao Ghiberti and Brunelleschi, Leonardo, Michelangelo, and all the rest.
To be continued…
