The city of Florence has had an enormous impact on my life. Its remarkable history captivated me in my younger years, a passion that still grips my soul. I have stayed in or near Florence many times since 1985 but have not visited her since 2011. I long to return to this great city in the near future.
Florence, for many, is the essence of Italy, the starting point before branching out to smaller towns or less visited regions. The centre of Renaissance humanism, poetry, art, architecture, and manners, Florence’s past has affected the Italian way of life, its view of itself, as well as the future of art and history.
Despite the crowds, a visit to Il Duomo ( Il cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore) is a must. I often experience a peculiar Stendhalsimo or Florence disorder that causes rapid heartbeat, light heartedness and confusion when wandering about this cathedral. In the 1980s, busy traffic roared around the road surrounding Il Duomo. Things had changed dramatically by 2000. This remarkable building is often in restauro, maintaining its glory for the future.
Mischa Bella or Lisa Gherardini, waits for me on the Ponte Vecchio. The past coincides with the future often in my experience.
A gold boutique on Ponte Vecchio, the view through the window blinds me, the gaudy gems eclipsed by the light and shapes that inspired Renaissance artists.
For lovers of Florence.
This week’s Daily Post photo challenge is Future and I opportunistically share with you some pictures of my Florentine past, in the hope that I may return there soon.
ALMOST ITALIAN 