In the Florentine vernacular, it is very common to hear the expression “a ufo”. This expression is used in a negative sense when someone does something without paying. Where does this expression come from? It comes from Florence! We must go back to the Latin language used in medieval times. read more
A fun fact about the Renaissance period, transmitted through the centuries: Leonardo da Vinci and Sandro Botticelli were friends and, for a short period, they owned an inn together. Leonardo and Botticelli met around 1470, they were both pupils of master Verrocchio, a sculptor, painter, goldsmith, mathematician and engineer. They read more
If you walk along the streets of Florence, you will probably see a strange and super colored taxi, driven by a woman just as strange and colored, always with a smile on her face. That taxi is the “Milano 25” taxi of Zia Caterina (Aunt Catherine), who provides an extraordinary read more
“Amici Miei” (“My Friends”, in English) is an Italian cult comedy-drama movie – the first of a trilogy – that was first showed in movie theatres in August 10, 1975. Shot in Florence, the movie tells the adventures of four middle-aged friends who face disappointments and sorrows with jokes and read more
When Catherine ‘de Medici became Queen of France, she brought to her new Country Florentine cooks, just to “feel home”. It is said that she was so superstitious that during a banquet in 1549 she made the cooks prepare a food in a way that everything could be divided into read more
CO.RA. is the acronym for Commissione Radio. Radio CO.RA. was an illegal radio created by the English forces and used by the Florentine Resistenza between January and June 1944. The main purpose of Radio CO.RA. was to exchange crucial information about what the Nazis were doing and where they were read more
Vasco Pratolini is thought to be one of the most important Italian writers of the second half of the 20th century. Some of his writings and novels are the best representation of the realist and, in part, neo-realist currents. Pratolini was born in Florence in 1913, close to Piazza della read more
It is said that despite his nickname, Lorenzo ‘de Medici was not that good-looking; yet, he was such a lively and charismatic person, he was called “the Magnificent”. When he talked, his face was so expressive his company was irresistible. As a good Tuscan himself, he was also prone to read more
The event that more than anything else fueled rumors and aroused the curiosity of historians, scriptwriters and even video game makers (e.g. Assassin’s Creed) is the Pazzi conspiracy. The Pazzi family aimed at overthrowing the ‘de Medici rulers of Florence. Together with the Pazzi family and their allies also the read more
In the old city center of Florence, very close to Piazza della Signoria and Bargello, there is one of the most ancient buildings of the city: Torre della Castagna (the tower of chestnuts). The tower was built in 1038 and Emperor Corrado II gave it to the monks of the read more