Benvenuti!

Experience life in Florence through the words and images of the expats and 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.