Benvenuti!

Experience life in Florence through the words and images of the locals who love their city!

Sitting in Piazza della Signoria

by Lisa McGarry published on May 20, 2009

My natural inclination when I go to Piazza della Signoria is to find a spot somewhere around the edge and look into the middle of the piazza, which is like a big container for people and energy. Whether from under the loggia, the steps in front of Palazzo Vecchio, a table on Caffè Rivoire's patio or simply a free bit of curb, I like to watch the chaotic mixture of locals, visitors, children, dogs, horses and pigeons that doesn't change much from one day to another, but always entertains me.

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Moments in Piazza Santo Spirito

by Lisa McGarry published on February 20, 2009

I look back on my earlier visits to Piazza Santo Spirito with a mixture of affection and nostalgia. The first time I found myself here, tracking down an archive of drawings from a community project I had read about, I had no idea that it would become such a big part of my daily life. Or perhaps it is I who has become part of its life, its story? Each of us passing through the piazza, whether for a single afternoon or a lifetime of mornings, is contributing a new thread to its centuries-old tapestry.

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Piazza di Santa Croce

by Melinda Gallo published on December 23, 2008

Piazza di Santa Croce is undoubtedly the most visited and photographed piazza in Florence. On any given day, hundreds of tourists pass through the austere piazza where Dante stands guard. Visitors stop to tour the impressive basilica (church) where some of the great Florentines are buried, and then continue on to other important destinations like the Duomo and the Uffizi. One of the greatest features about the piazza is that something always seems to be taking place: if it's not a mercato (market) where one can buy handmade gifts or local produce, it's an annual sporting event like the calcio storico (Florentine historical soccer). Quite a few other festive affairs occur here throughout the year that make the piazza one of the most exciting in Florence.

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Corri la Vita

by Melinda Gallo published on October 14, 2008

Corri la Vita is an annual gara (race) that takes runners and walkers through some of the most scenic parts of Florence. For the last six years, the organizers of this gara have been raising funds for cancer research. I decided to go for the first time this year to show my support. As the sun was rising from behind the chiesa (church) in Piazza Santa Croce on September 28th, crowds of people wearing sweats, the Corri la Vita T-shirt, running shoes, and their numbers for the gara began to fill the piazza.

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Shopping at Mercato di Sant'Ambrogio

by Melinda Gallo published on August 26, 2008

The Mercato di Sant'Ambrogio is an outdoor food market in a residential area of Florence near the Santa Croce church. Almost every morning of the week locals browse the bancarelle (stands) to see what produce is in season, look for the best deals, and buy food for their families. I love everything about the mercato: the voices of the merchants announcing their daily specials, the rustling of the customers making their way through the crowded aisles, the smells of the different items on display, and the colorful and appetizing presentations enticing us to look and -- hopefully -- buy.

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Melinda Gallo
Writer/Photographer

Lisa McGarry
Writer/Artist

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