Piazzas

For the past 1600 years, Piazza del Duomo has been the one of the centers of Florence's religious life. It is made up of Piazza del Duomo and Piazza San Giovanni. It is one of the most visited place in the Europe and the world. Around the piazza lies the Duomo of Firenze, Santa Maria del Fiore, Giotto's Campanile, the Florence Baptistery, the Loggia del Bigallo, the Opera del Duomo Museum, and the Arcivescovile and Canonici's palace. The west zone of this square is called San Giovanni square.

The square is saturated with visitors day and night snapping photos and admiring the beauty of the church. The front steps of the church become a meeting point for young people in the evening; this piazza never sleeps! In January 2010, the city of Florence forbid traffic in the piazza, making it strictly a pedestrian zone. This has led to a significant improvement in mobility and the piazza has become more lively than ever.

Piazza Santa Maria Novella was originally intended in the thirteenth century to hold the overflow of worshippers to the Santa Maria Novella church. Beginning in the late fourteenth century it was also used to hold the Palio dei Cocchi chariot races hosted by Cosimo I. The two obelisks were added in 1608 to serve as turning posts in the race. Across the piazza from the church is the fifteenth century Loggia di San Paolo, from which the grand duke viewed the race. Today it houses the Alinari National Museum of Photography (Museo Nazionale Alinari della Fotografia).

In the nineteenth century, several important foreign literary and political figures chose this piazza as their headquarters in Florence. A plaque to the American poet Longfellow appears on the wall of the Hotel Minerva while the writer Henry James wrote his novel Roderick James in a house on the corner of the Via della Scala. On the Via delle Belle Donne, as you exit the piazza on the way to the train station, is the balcony from which Garibaldi made his famous declaration "Roma o morte!"

Authentic gelato is to be had at L'Angolo del Gelato, on the corner of the Via della Scala, where the specialties of the house include a very rare crema di arachidi, or peanut butter gelato.

Piazza Santa Trìnita is named after the church of Santa Trìnita on the northwest side of the somewhat triangular square. At the center of the piazza stands the "Column of Justice", a massive granite column from the east section of the Baths of Caracalla in Rome. It was the gift of Pope Pius IV in 1560 for Cosimo I, the first Grand Duke of Florence. In 1581 the Justice statue by Tadda was added to the top of the column, and the bronze cloak was added even later.

Once an isolated area outside of the city walls, the piazza became part of the city center in 1175 after the founding of the church and convent of Vallombrosa.

The piazza is known for having three sides, but four architectural styles. During the late 14th century noble families began building mansions on the square, and it remains one of the finest examples of living architectural history in all of Florence. Three particularly famous mansions exemplify patrician architectural styles over the centuries. The 14th century Palazzo Spini is now home of the Ferragamo store and museum and a fine example of medieval architecture in Florence (although heavily restored). The 15th century Palazzo Buondelmonti is an typical late medieval/early Florentine Renaissance palazzo with a loggia on the top floor and a façade by Baccio d'Agnolo, while Palazzo Bartolini Salimbeni is a pure late Renaissance example, also by d'Agnolo. Now considered a masterpiece, at the time it was called the "Roman" style and not popular with contemporary Florentines who felt the classical shapes and square windows were out of place. The church of Santa Trìnita itself has a Mannerist façade added in the very late 16th century by Buontalenti.

The square today marks the beginning of the famous via Tournabuoni, the most luxurious and chic shopping street in Florence.

Piazza dei Ciompi, named for the "Ciompi" or wool carders of Florence (and their eponymous revolt in 1378), occupies a working class corner of Florence north of Piazza Santa Croce and close to Piazza Sant'Ambrogio. This area was particularly hard hit in the flood of 1966 - look for plaques well up the walls of the palazzos around the square to see how high the water was.

A graceful 16th century construction, the Loggia del Pesce by Giorgio Vasari, now stands at the north end of the Piazza. The loggia was formerly located in Piazza della Repubblica and was moved here when the old market was razed during the reunification period. Next to the loggia on the NE corner is a flower vendor.

The square is also home to the "mercantino" or flea market - small sheds selling antiques, art, old books, and various oddities. The market is perpetually scheduled to be moved to a new location... On the last Sunday of each month there is a larger flea market with many more vendors displaying their goods on tables in the streets surrounding the square.

Across the street on the south side of the piazza is a small park and children's playground maintained by local pensioners. There is a public restroom available here when the gate is unlocked.

To enjoy the square and a drink, sit outside at Plaz on via Pietrapiana 36r, just across from the loggia.

Piazza Demidoff is dedicated to the family of the Russian ambassador Nicholas Demidoff, who lived in a palace overlooking the square.

In the square lies a monument to Demidoff commissioned in 1828 by his sons Anatoly and Peter. They ordered the sculptor Lorenzo Bartolini to create a marble statue representing their father surrounded by four allegorical groups representing virtues. Work on the monument was carried out between 1830 and 1849 and only finally completed in 1871 by a student of Bartolini, following the death of the artist. Originally the monument was to be placed in the Villa di San Donato, but later it was given to the City of Florence.

The opening of the Arno river connects Piazza Demidoff to a scenic route on the Viale dei Colli Serristori.

Constructed in 1865, this piazza takes the form of a square garden that takes its spatial inspiration from English squares. Up until the First World War the garden was closed by a gate and only owners of the residences surrounding the square had keys to enter. The politician and writer Massimo d'Azeglio died a year before the city council decided to name the square after him in 1866.

The garden in the square is home to a number of pathways and flower beds. Especially impressive are the many hackberry and sycamores trees, as well as the small pool at the center of of the piazza. Since the 1990s there has been a progressive removal of diseased trees that have been deemed unsafe because of their age. Additionally, the square contains a playground, a carousel and a small soccer field. At the center of the park, just before Florence became the (former) capital of Italy, a theatre was built and named after Umberto I. The construction was destroyed by a fire in 1889 and never rebuilt.

The buildings surrounding the square date from the 18th and 19th century. The Villino Uzielli, constructed by the architect Paolo Emilio Andrée, was the home of the Polish writer Stefan Żeromski, the author of the patriotic poem Ash Wednesday.

On one side of the garden lies a small monument in memory of three partisans who died on June 7, 1944: Enrico Bocci, Italo Piccagli and Luigi Morandi. They were all decorated with a gold medal for valor and were killed by fascists who discovered the group in one of the buildings of the square.

Piazza Santa Croce is one of the largest and most famous squares of central Florence. The Basilica of Santa Croce, the largest Franciscan church in the world, overlooks the piazza. The basilica's most notable features are its sixteen chapels, many of them decorated with frescoes by Giotto and his pupils, and its tombs and cenotaphs. It is the burial place of some illustrious Italians, such as Michelangelo Buonarroti, Niccolò Machiavelli, Enrico Fermi, Galileo Galilei, Ugo Foscolo, Guglielmo Marconi, Luigi Cherubini, Leon Battista Alberti, Vittorio Alfieri, Gioacchino Rossini, Lorenzo Ghiberti, Lorenzo Bartolini, Pier Antonio Micheli, Bartolomeo Cristofori, and Giovanni Gentile. For this reason it also known as the Temple of the Italian Glories (Tempio dell'Itale Glorie). In front of the Basilica there is famous marble statue made by Enrico Pazzi decidated to Dante Alighieri, and formerly places in the middle of the piazza.

Aside from the basilica, several important palazzos are on the square. Palazzo Cocchi-Serristori, on the opposite end from the basilica, is the 15th century (with earlier foundations) masterpiece of Giuliano da Sangallo, the personal architect of Lorenzo il Magnifico (with later work also attributed to Baccio d'Agnolo and Simone del Pollaiuolo). Today it houses the headquarters of the First Quarter neighborhood of Florence. In front of the Palazzo there is a baroque fountain originally attributed to Pietro Maria Bardi, constructed in 1673. It was later restored (circa 1816) by Giuseppe Manetti.

On the south side of the square lies the Palazzo dell'Antella (or Antellesi), a long building with a facade decorated with amazing (yet mostly destroyed) frescos by Giovanni da San Giovanni, and with windows of odd sizes (supposedly so that when seen from the steps of the church they all appear to be the same size). Today the ground floor of the Palazzo house shops and restaurants, while the upper floors are run by the Piccolomini family as short term tourist rentals.

The large rectangular shape of the square makes it a perfect place to host events, in particular the famous game of Calcio Fiorentino played every spring between the teams of the four "neighborhoods" of Florence. In 2006, Roberto Benigni recited Dante's Divine Comedy beside the Dante statue on the steps of the basilica. Almost every week a different themed market or festival takes place in the square - the annual Christmas market and the newer chocolate festival are just two examples of the many kinds of activities to discover in the piazza. It is also home to the Florence Marathon in the fall and the Half Marathon in the spring.

During the day the piazza is filled with people young and old admiring the basilica and enjoying the bustle of the square, while at night it becomes a meeting place for Florentines and tourists and a center for nightlife. The steps of the basilica and the benches of the piazza become saturated with young people talking and drinking beer, while the nearby bars add their overflow to the revelers. For coffee or aperitivo check out the chic bar Oibo (southeast corner), or for a delicious and romantic candle lit dinner, inside or out during the warmer months, try the Ristorante Boccadama.

Piazza San Marco was built in the first half of the 15th century when Cosimo the Elder commissioned Michelozzo to build a church and a monastery for Dominican monks from the convent of San Domenico in Fiesole. The square was the site of dramatic clashes between the followers of Ferraran monks and their opponents.

At the entrance of Via Battisti is a palace that houses the central offices of the Rector of the University of Florence. The opposite corner houses the Academy of Fine Arts. In the center of the square lies the statue of General Manfredo Fanti, a famous Italian general during the era of Italian unification. On another corner of the square lies the Monastery of St. Catherine. Another notable landmark on the piazza is the Farmacia di San Marco near via Cavour, once run by the Dominicans, who were considered expert in medicinal preparations. The former insignia of the preparations for sale is still visible on the wall of the pharmacy.

Today the piazza is a transportation hub and meeting point for university students from the University of Florence and the art academy. Numerous cafes line the streets of the piazza, including the Gran Caffè San Marco, a famous literary meeting place for philosophers, artists, painters, professors and students.

Piazza Savonarola is large rectangular square that was built in the 19th century. The piazza was dedicated to a Ferrarese friar and a statue for him was built in the square by Enrico Pazzi Ravenna, the same sculptor who built the statue of Dante in Piazza Santa Croce. He sculpted the statue in 1872 and until 1921 it was located in the Salone dei Cinquecento in Palazzo Vecchio before being transferred to the piazza. The statue is characterized by the profound expression of the monk who is holding a golden cross.

The surrounding garden of the piazza is paved and surrounded by six large flower beds that cover an area of 3177 square meters; there are pines, linden, cedar, cypress and high horse-chestnut trees, as well as some pink flowers. The street lamps are made of cast iron from the late 19th century, and were originally used with gas lighting before being converted to electric lighting.

Today the square is characterized by a certain homogeneity in the style of the buildings surrounding it and it is a pleasant corner of the city. There are some buildings of considerable merit, such as the Galleria Rinaldo Carnielo, now a museum, which is an example of Art Nouveau. This whole area, up to Piazzale Donatello, was still popular in the 19th century for the studios of many artists.

The northwest side of the piazza is occupied by the church and monestary of San Francesco. The structure, built to house the Carmelite nuns "evicted" from the convent of Santa Maria Maddalena de 'Pazzi, dates from 1887. In 1928 the structure was passed on to Franciscan monks, who sbsequently renamed the church to its current name.

Opposite the church stands the Florentine headquarters at Syracuse University. At the corner of via Leonardo da Vinci and is a 19th century palace which houses the Italian Department of the University of Florence, which has numerous frescoes on its ceilings.

The plaza is a crossroads for the many transport lines that connect the urban areas of Campo di Marte, Coverciano and Settignano with the center of Florence. Since the end of 1999 work has been underway for the building of an underground parking lot. This construction led to a more general plan for the redevelopment of the square, including new irrigation, the renovation of benches of stone and brick, repaving, tree planting, eradication of hedgerows, and the construction of a public toilet.

The garden of the square is perfect for spending a lazy afternoon and in the evening the square becomes a meeting place for young people.

One of the most beautiful piazzas in Florence, Piazza della Santissima Annunziata exemplifies the stylistic harmony of some of the greatest architects of the Renaissance. The church that gives the piazza its name, the Santissima Annunziata, lies behind the central portico of the piazza.

The area of the piazza was chosen in 1250 as a space for a little church. At the time the piazza lay in open countryside outside the walls of Florence, in an area called Cafaggio. The church houses the Miraculous Annunciation, a masterpiece that according to legend was painted by an angel. The church became the destination of pilgrimages and processions and it soon became necessary to expand the church and the piazza, in addition to connecting it to the city center.

The piazza is flanked by the Brunelleschi-designed and La Robbia-decorated façade of the Spedale degli Innocenti which was the first orphanage in Europe.The building is inspired by classical models that Brunelleschi studied in Rome. Under the loggia of the hospital, is still possible to observe the famous wheel where you could anonymously leave babies by placing them into a cavity that opened as the wheel turned. Ophans were called "Innocents", which is still how they are commonly called in Florence. The Spedale today houses a museum as well as some offices of UNICEF.

Giambologna's last statue, of Ferdinando I de' Medici, was finished by his student Pietro Tacca and sits in the center of the piazza. Tacca also designed the two Baroque bronze fountains on the piazza.

On the south side of the piazza lies the Palazzo Gattai Puddings, formerly Palazzo Grifoni, built in 1563-1574 by Bartolomeo Ammannati for the Secretary of Cosimo di Jacopo Ugolino Grifoni.

Since November 2006, the ancient entrance to the National Archaeological Museum of Florence has been reopened in the piazza, after being closed due to major damage from the flood of Florence in 1966.

Today the piazza is the spot for special festivals and holidays such as the March 25 Feast of the Annunciation and the September 7 Rificolona day.

Piazza San Jacopino is a small piazza just west of the historic center of Florence.

The piazza's name comes from the church of St. James, which is dedicated to the nearby church of San Jacopo in Polverosa. The church was named San Jacopino to distinguish it from other churches in Florence. The church once stood in the square but was demolished following the devastation suffered during the Second World War. Since 1936, a new church was built on the piazza which took the name of the old one.

The square retains a genuine neighborhood feel, with several local shops and authentic restaurants (check out Pizzeria San Jacopino for one of the best pizzas in Florence). The buildings that surround the piazza date back to the Fascist period around the 1930s when this area of Florence was undergoing significant urbanization. The piazza is characterized by residential housing. The only exception to this architecture is an original modern building built in 1976 by the architect Marco Dezzi Bardeschi that uses asymmetric geometry. While today it houses a bank and residential apartments, it was formerly healvily criticized for its boldness and colors.

Piazza dell'Indipendenza is a large square in the heart of Florence's historical center. The square was built in the nineteenth century in order to celebrate the April 27, 1859 uprising that led to the abdication of Grand Duke Leopold II of Tuscany. The uprising was organized by patriots fighting for Italian unification.

The buildings facing the square were all constructed between the 19th and early 20th century.
Two bronze statues, which are decorated by panes that are symmetrical to the north and south, were built in the late nineteenth century. The first statue depicts Bettino Ricasoli, an Italian statesman and fighter for Italian unification, and is the work of Augustus Rivalta. The second statue is of Ubaldino Peruzzi, the first mayor of Florence, and was created by the Florentine sculptor Raffaello Romanelli.

Plaques on the buildings surround the square commemorate writers who lived on the square while writing some of their works, including Guido Nobili and Theodosia Gorrow Trollope (an English ex-pat).

The square is a lovely place to relax and rest after a long stroll. The square is dotted with cafes and restaurants, and the many shops on Via Nazionale are nearby. For a nice coffee or brunch, check out Cafè Deluxeè, on the corner of the square, which also offers wi-fi and live music.

Piazza Cesare Beccaria is a square located at the intersection of the Giovine Italia and Amendola boulevards. It was realized by the architect Giuseppe Poggi when Florence was the capital of Italy and was dedicated to Cesare Bonesana Marchese di Beccaria in 1876.

This square is surrounded by several concave neoclassical palaces and overlooked by the State Archives building.

Piazza della Libertà is the northernmost point of the historic centre of Florence. The piazza has been built and rebuilt many times up until the 19th century. After 1865, the square was demolished and finally rebuilt with a new design by Giuseppe Poggi. The square today is surrounded by a number of beautiful Florentine buildings. In the middle of the piazza lies a beautiful and peaceful garden with a view of the famous triumphal arch as well as a majestic fountain.

The piazza is an ideal area to spend time in a beautiful open green space. At the north side of the square there is a typical French garden called the "Parterre." This space was commissioned by the Grand Duchy Leopoldo during the 18th century and serves as an ice skating rink during the winter. Various restaurants and cafes also line the square.

Piazza della Repubblica is one of the largest and most famous city squares in Florence. It is the original site of the Roman Forum and the center of Roman Florence. Centuries later it was home to the city's Jewish ghetto, which was demolished during the period of the city's improvement works initiated while Florence was the capital of a reunited Italy. The ghetto's remains can still be seen on the square.

The piazza also served as the Mercato Vecchio, or Old Market, until 1888 when the market booths were demolished and the Loggia del Pesce that stood there was moved elsewhere. The market was replaced by the Arconte (1895), a monumental triumphal arch, and a series of administrative buildings. The statue of "Abbondanza", a copy of Donatello's version of "Plenty" which from its pillar looks out over the square, was the first profane statue to go on display in a public square since the end of antiquity.

The square today is full of street artists and impromptu shows, particularly after sunset. It is also home to the historical Caffé Gilli, Caffé Paskowski and Caffé delle Giubbe Rosse, which were meeting points for many of the city's artists and writers in the past. Also facing onto the piazza are the Hotel Savoy on Via Roma and the central Post Office, located under the arches of the portico that extends to each side of the Arch of Triumph.

Piazza Sant'Ambrogio is overlooked by the church of St. Ambrose, one of the oldest churches in Florence. The building was the home of the Benedictines starting in the 10th century but remodeled at the end of the 13th century and restored several times during the following centuries. It is furnished with notable paintings and frescoes, among them the "Madonna del Latte" by Nardo di Cione, a triptych by Bicci di Lorenzo and Cosimo Rosselli's fresco of a procession. Many of the famous works of art which once adorned the walls of the church are now kept in the Uffizi Gallery (for example "S.Anna" by Masaccio and Masolino), however the splendid altars of the renaissance are still in place.

The piazza is full of life at all hours of the day. Be sure to try the famous tripe vendor on the corner of via dei Macci for lunch, or during the evening stop for an aperitivo at the always crowded Caffè Sant'Ambrogio. Many of the city's best restaurants and pizzerias lie close to the piazza, including il Pizzaiuolo, Le Campane, Cibreo, and many more. During the summer the piazza is crowded with people of all ages enjoying the evening air and meeting friends. Also check out the Sant'Ambrogio market behind the piazza, open daily (except for Sundays) from 7-2.

Piazza del Carmine is one of the main squares of the Oltrarno area of Florence and is dominated by the majestic Church of Santa Maria del Carmine. Today the piazza is cradled by the unfinished facade of the basilica, while to the south you can see the dome of the nearby Church of San Frediano in Cestello. Next to the Santa Maria del Carmine church door it is possible to visit the ancient monastery of the church, as well as a museum that allows access to the Brancacci Chapel. Across the street lies the only major building with a facade looking onto on the square: the Palazzo Rospigliosi Pallavicini, seat of the Women's Missionary College of St. Francis of Assisi.

On the corner of the square lies a large tabernacle, a 14th century work attributed to the master San Martino a Mensola. The tabernacle represents a Madonna with child and two saints. On the corner of Via Santa Monica lies a second tabernacle made of sandstone and attributed to an artist from Tyrol. A third tabernacle, representing the Holy Family, is located on the corner of Borgo San Frediano.

The piazza is one of the few remaining piazzas of the historic center of Florence where you can still experience a genuine neighborhood atmosphere that has not yet been overwhelmed by mass tourism. The profoundly religious character of the square has in recent decades been accompanied by the spirit of busting nightlife, as a host of nightclubs in the area make it a prime destination for young people.

In 1252, Augustinian monks built a monastery and a church dedicated to "Saint Mary of Ognissanti and the Holy Spirit", which became soon known as the Church of the "Holy Spirit", or as it is known today, Santo Spirito. In just a few decades the church became one of the most important in Florence, and at the end of the 13th century the City council bought the buildings in front of it and demolished them in order to create a wide square. In the subsequent century, the church was rebuilt under Brunelleschi's direction. The edifice represents Brunelleschi's last work and he died before it was completed.

Piazzale Michelangelo is a famous square with a magnificent panoramic view of Florence. It was built in 1869 and designed by the architect Giuseppe Poggi during the urban renewal of the town. At the time, Florence was the capital of Italy and the middle class strongly wanted to show its rebirth.

The piazza is dedicated to the great Renaissance artist Michelangelo and is home to copies of some of his famous statues in Florence: the David and the four allegories of the Medici Chapel of San Lorenzo. These copies are made of bronze, while the originals are all in white marble. The monument was brought up by nine pairs of oxen on 25 June 1873.

The panorama encompasses the heart of Florence from Forte Belvedere to Santa Croce through the bridges of Florence.

The Piazza della Signoria is the historic, artistic, political, and emotional heart of Florence. The most prominent feature of the Piazza (among many) is the Palazzo Vecchio, Florence's town hall, where the mayor still keeps his office. The current "L" shape of the Piazza is due to the razing of some medieval buildings during the Renaissance.

To the right of the Palazzo is the impressive arcaded Loggia del Lanzi - built between 1376 and 1382 by Benci di Cione and Simone Talenti, it was originally called the Loggia dei Priori since it provided shelter for outdoor ceremonies marking the change of the priori, or city rulers, which took place here every two months. To this day the loggia provides free, covered seating for tired tourists amongst its treasures of Renaissance and ancient art. In addition to some heavily restored Roman statues of lesser historical import, the loggia is home to Benvenuto Cellini's 1545 bronze "Perseus" (the original is still in situ), a tour de force of bronze casting, and Giambologna's spiraling Mannerist "Rape of the Sabine Women" of 1583. The "Rape of Polyxena" by Pio Fedi and Giambologna's "Hercules and the Centaur" can also be found in the loggia.

Several other notable works of sculpture adorn the Piazza della Signoria. To the left of the door of the Palazzo is a marble copy of Michelangelo's "David", marking the location where the original stood from 1504 until it was removed to the Accademia in 1873. To the right of the door is Baccio Bandinelli's "Hercules and Cacus" from 1534. A copy of Donatello's diminutive (compared to the other sculptures) but powerful "Judith Slaying Holofernes" (originally in the Palazzo Medici but taken to this location when the Medici where run out of Florence) in bronze is also located in front of the Palazzo. To the left of the Palazzo is the Neptune Fountain whose main figure in marble bears the features of Cosimo I, sculpted by Ammannati. The fountain is also surrounded by bronze sculptures. Toward the center of the piazza is a more flattering bronze equestrian statue of Cosimo I, again by Giambologna. The Trade Tribunal (Tribunale di Mercanzia) of 1359, from which trade was regulated and merchant disputes settled, is located at the short end of the piazza. Emblems of the guilds appear in a frieze above the second story of its facade.

Piazza della Repubblica lies on the site of the Roman Forum. The remains of the ancient Campidoglio are buried beneath the Teatro Gamberinus, in the northwest corner of the piazza, and the column in the center of the piazza is Roman in origin. The statue at its top may represent the goddess Flora, for whom the city (then called Florentia) was named.

Other than the column, however, almost no trace of the ancient city remains. The piazza as you see it now was constructed in the late nineteenth century. Built with the intention of giving the city a modern piazza similar to those in other European cities, the medieval buildings that had once formed the Jewish ghetto were demolished to create one of the largest piazzas in the city.

The Piazza della Repubblica has several features worthy of interest. The first is a lovely merry-go-round that is a godsend to parents dragging monument-weary children around the city. Nearby, a small three-dimensional map of the city cast in bronze provides a nice orientation to the city. Of the cafés lining the piazza, the most notable is Gilli. Founded in 1733, it is one of the oldest coffee bars in the city. Finally, the arcade on the western boundary of the piazza, underneath what is now the Pensione Pendini, houses a flower market on Thursday mornings.

There was a food market set up in Piazza Santa Croce this weekend. Not sure of the exact theme - you can see the banner they had flying below in the pics. All kinds of great stuff, including truffles - we bought a small, wild, white truffle from the guy in the photo below and I made a risotto with it (well I made the risotto with some truffle cheese we also bought from him and shaved the white truffle on top of that). Heavenly paired with this fantastic wine. More on the truffles here: Villa Magna.

We also bought a bottle of Nocino, which is a liquer made from green walnuts. Technically it is a digestif - to be had after a meal. I was introduced to it by some friends last New Year's Eve, they served their home made version, which was fantastic. The bottle we bought seems pretty close. The producer is Poggio alle Lame.

There is always something going in Piazza Santa Croce...

Last week was the closing to street traffic of the areas around the Duomo that weren't already "pedonale" or pedestrian only streets. Below are a few photos taken while standing in the intersection of Via de'Cerretani and Via de'Martelli. It feels really odd to be able to walk in the middle of these streets knowing how much traffic passed by every day. This week they also took down most of the stanchions and chains that were in the area to control the flow of traffic and keep people from getting run over! I still think that some of this whole thing was just a pro-active PR attempt by the mayor to gain some easy goodwill before the tram construction starts - this is the exact route that the tracks are supposed to come down from the station on the way to Piazza San Marco.

Here are some photos from this year's ceramics fair, the "Fiera della Ceramica", in Piazza Santissima Annunziata. This is an annual event that takes place the first weekend of October and is organized by the Arte della Ceramica.

I have highlighted the work of German artist Heiner Bauer who is one of my favorites year after year. His studio is called BABELKERAMIK. Heiner recently secured some new studio space in Italy - I need to get the details from him.

There are also pieces by Stefano Innocenti (no website!) and others.

The renovation to the pavement and lawn of Piazza Santa Maria Novella seems to be completed (as of August 2009). Curiously the new pavement does not fully encircle the area - there is black top around the one corner. This may be necessary (or temporary) as this spot is where the new underground waste disposal system is.

There are new benches in the center of the piazza, and the very green lawn now has a sprinkler system. It does appear that you can use the lawn also - I didn't see any "Keep Off The Grass" signs and also no physical barriers to the area.

The video was shot early one morning in the first half of August with the cleaning crew hard at work.

For centuries, March 25th was "Florence's January 1st", the beginning of the New Year. The date was traditionally used in liturgical calendars and thus spilling over to "civic" use placing the Annunciation as the first day of the year.

According to oral tradition and the medieval manifest the Golden Legend, the first written account of the lives of the Saints by the Genovese Bishop Jacopo da Voragine, the angel Gabriel announced to Mary her chosen role as the Mother of Jesus on Friday, March 25th at noon (nine months before Christmas day) while Mary was piously reading the Book of Isaiah that prophesizes the conception of Jesus, "Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel."

This important liturgical feast day then acted for many centuries as the beginning of the New Year, however by the sixteenth century even the Church was striving to gain a better understanding of the tropical calendar and the seasons for the "placement" of Easter. It was Pope Gregory XIII in 1582 who was driven to update the calendar to create a "universal" placement of Easter which was not celebrated on the same date by all Christian communities and approved the calendar as we know it today.