Benvenuti!

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

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.