June 2025 – Finding Florence

My Favorite Outdoor Florentine Spaces

A personal guide on where to be productive in Florence

written by Tyler Kirwan for SPEL Journalism

As of writing this I have less than 12 days left in Florence. While my dwindling time is upsetting, I have been lucky enough to discover some of the beautiful places the city has to offer. When I am not in class, or working for my internship, I enjoy reading, journaling, or just people watching outdoors in the sun-soaked city I have been able to call home for the past few months. I am someone who loses focus quite easily, and it is important for me to be able to be out of my home when I want to be productive. In the states, I spend most of my time when not in class, sitting in coffee shops. Italian culture is a little different when it comes to working in public, particularly coffee shops, and it is less common here to sit inside for a long while and work. The first few weeks I spent here I was overwhelmed with choices on where to spend my leisure time. Now that I have explored more of Florence, I have my version of a comprehensive list of my favorite places. Hopefully anyone reading this can take my advice and give these places a try, especially if they live in the same corner of Florence as I do.

While this list is in no particular order, I am currently writing this from the ‘Piazza Delle Murate,’ so I shall highlight it first. This Piazza contains a coffee shop/restaurant, and the entrance to the Murate Art District – a museum I would highly recommend. I discovered this space after being assigned to write about an exhibit opening at the museum. The coffee shop has Wi-Fi that extends out to the Piazza and I love getting a coffee and sitting outside and reading or writing. There are a lot of tables to sit at, and bringing a friend and having a conversation in the sun is wonderful.

Another one of my favorite locations is ‘Piazza Sant’Ambrogio.’ This Piazza is fun during the day but especially lively during the night. On any given day of the week all types of people are standing around with a drink and their friends chatting it up. This little area is a great place to meet new people, and I enjoy sitting on the church steps with my roommates. We live very close to this square and most nights, at some point we are spending time there. During the day the Piazza is nice as well and features a coffee shop on the corner that is a great place to study, with multiple restaurants very close.

Down the street is another great place called ‘Piazza dei Ciompi.’ The Piazza is surrounded by restaurants, places to drink and has free Wi-Fi. The centerpiece of the Piazza is a set of steps with columns and a roof. I sit on these steps all the time to read or eat a snack I bought nearby. There is a park behind the columns that also features a vintage market surrounding it on some occasions. My roommates have been able to find some nice stuff at the market, so for that reason alone this Piazza is definitely a great place to check out.

Switching from Piazzas, the next place on my list is my favorite park in Florence. ‘Parco Giochi,’ has beautiful trees surrounding it, and plenty of benches to soak up the sun and read a good book. The park also has a playground and a basketball court if either of those things suit your mood. There is even a merry go round in the center which I find quite sweet. If the benches are ever full there is some grass where I personally have napped during a warm day.

The ‘Giardino Lungarno del Tempio’ is a small park located on the riverbank of the Arno. This park is a great place to hang out with a book or with some friends, and at sunset the view of the Ponte Vecchio is phenomenal. One side note is that there is no Wi-Fi. So no laptop work, but definitely a great place to read a book and look at Florence from a unique viewpoint by the water.

The final location on my list of favorite places is actually on the opposite side of Florence than all the previous mentioned. ‘Orti del Parnaso,’ is a city park that looks over all of Florence. This park is easy to get to, as you can either walk there, or take the tram to the ‘Liberta-Parterre’ stop. This is my preferred method as I live a distance from the park, but the view is always worth the trek. Besides the view, the park itself is nice, and has some sculptures and plenty of benches to relax at.

Hopefully my recommendations are helpful to anyone reading and they can enjoy some of what makes these places so special to me. All I have left to say is, go outside, enjoy the beautiful city, and soak up some sun.

Florence’s Urban Art Display: Street Levels Gallery

written by Sarah Minemier

Funky, colorful graffiti art fills the streets of Florence. As you weave through historical buildings, you may notice cartoon elves, strangely proportioned animals, or just typical graffiti tags. Even if you’re not an artist, you’ll soon recognize that Florence’s graffiti art is part of the city’s beauty, and a popular way its residents artistically express themselves. Yet, in Italy, graffiti remains illegal, and is still ultimately seen as vandalism of public spaces.

The Street Levels Gallery provides a safe space for urban artists to come together, share their artwork, and send important messages without any fear of legal repercussions. The name and backstory are straightforward – Street Levels Gallery remains on the street level, hence the name, accessible to all, and intended to create an environment most similar to that of genuine street art. “You can’t take art off the street,” said Sophia Bonacchi, co-founder of the gallery. “If you take it off the street, it’s something else. It’s not urban art anymore.” Bonacchi mentioned other art galleries in Florence feature public urban art, but some are underground, or feature a more enclosed layout.

Inside the gallery, like any other gallery, artists form exhibitions.

“We have three to four proper exhibitions per year, but in-between, we do our own setups with artworks from our deposit,” noted Bonacchi. Luckily, for current Florence residents and non-residents alike, there is an exhibition on display right now.

“Di Mondi Lontanissimi” is a collection by Italian street art group Guerrilla Spam, featuring mostly paintings inspired by the bold colors and expressive style of Renaissance artist Pontormo. These factors are evident in Guerrilla Spam’s work. Upon entering Street Levels Gallery, you’ll be greeted with colorful pastel paintings, an iron installation, and shiny plexiglass creations, each of which contains culturally significant symbolism and geometric designs.

The Street Levels Gallery draws its artists from an established pool of mostly Italian urban artists. Solo art exhibitions aren’t necessarily the norm; another recent exhibition featured the contributions of nineteen artists total. Bonacchi tells us that artists within the realm of urban art are well-connected, and finding artists to display is rarely an issue. “The urban art movement is very limited to a few kinds of artists, because you have to have certain features. We know the artists of these movements, and select artists we have known for a long time,” explained Bonacchi. To scout out potential new artists, members of the Street Levels Gallery also regularly attend urban art fairs, and read graffiti art magazines.

Even if you are not a habitual gallery enjoyer, I urge you to visit if you get the chance. As someone who is not particularly artistically inclined, I was immediately drawn in simply by the aesthetically pleasing use of color. Exhibitions typically last three weeks, yet the current exhibition has been extended past its initial end date, and is now scheduled to end on June 22nd. If you’re in or planning to be in Florence this weekend, I highly recommend stopping by the gallery located at Via Palazzuolo, 74AR, 50123 Firenze FI.

Piazza D’Azeglio: The Heartbeat of Florence’s Underground Past

written by Emily Gibson

This blog feature is an exclusive bonus installment to our Spring issue of Blending Magazine. After you finish reading, be sure to explore the rest of the magazine online—just follow this link to download the full Spring 2025 edition:
https://jschoolfua.com/images/BM/BM_151.pdf

An Unexpected Encounter

How did I end up here, and what do I do now that I am? Surely, this is not that enchanted city where nearly 11 million visit annually, I reasoned. Where are the crowds or the music often needed to drown out the noise of the through traffic? “Michelangelo!” called a woman’s voice. I turned to see what art she could be referring to and was met by a young child with blonde hair and blue eyes running joyfully toward a playset. In a place where tourists spend an average of three billion dollars every year, an experience here, inconspicuous within the Florentine jungle, cost me only time.

“It’s hallowed ground,” said former Stanford professor and self-made historian Albert Gidari. “You may not know the history in detail or who died and what they did, but you just know, and that feeling conveys the place, so if you want someplace to just reflect for a few minutes on what life was like and why it was important, that’s what spirit is within that park.”

A Quiet Corner of Buried Defiance

Piazza Massimo D’Azeglio is a quaint 165-year-old square nestled in the corner of Florence’s city center between Campo Di Marte station and Sant’Ambrogio and, at first glance, a seemingly unusual site for a place where mass tourism has taken a toll. The neighborhood is still inhabited by residents where children play, dogs run, friends converse, and the elderly rest, but when I looked around at the beautiful, historical buildings, some embodying the prestigious liberty style, it was hard for me to imagine war was once present for which cause many lives ended there.

I shifted my gaze to the heart of the square where water spurted from the beak of a bronze crane — a symbol of good luck — and I wondered whether luck was enough for those brave men and women who once held anti-fascist meetings right here under the nose of the proponents themselves. I tried to imagine myself where I was, only at a time when deafening uncertainty filled the air.

“Anyone hiding material of any kind useful to the German Armed Forces or the German Nation is liable to be sentenced to death,” stated the Commander General (qtd. in Supporting Radio CORA: ‘resistant’ Arcetri in the memoirs of Michele Della Corte, 17).

Echoes of Joy Amid Whispers of Loss – WW2

Initially, I did not perceive the tangible references to a WW2 history still pulsing beneath the surface, but when I saw the children chasing one another up and down the paved piazza, I could not help but reflect on the childish games I once played, such as hide and seek, wherein I knew too well the feeling of rushed adrenaline coupled with fear when my hiding places were eventually found out. In the end, though, it was just a game, and my enemies were still my friends.

Hence, I struggled to picture the square before the 1940s, when there were large iron gates filling the space where the sidewalks now reside, making the park an impossible hideout for 80 years. When the square finally experienced newfound freedom, it came at the expense of Florence’s citizens. The gates were donated and melted to make the weapons forging the real gates around the freedoms of the people as uniformed soldiers of the Nazi Regime filled the city, stripping away what I have often taken for granted: safety, basic rights, and life itself. Many, I learned, would surrender to their cause, but others would stand in opposition, risking it all for hope.

A Final Transmission of Hope

A wise man once proved there is no greater love than for a man to lay down his life for a friend. Thus, what Resistance leaders Enrico Bocci, Italo Piccagli, and Luigi Morandi, among others, did on behalf of their friends and beloved city was nothing short of great love. On the fateful day of June 7, 1944, Nazi soldiers raided the top floor of Piazza D’Azeglio 12 — the final hiding place of Radio CORA. Therein, resistance men and women endangered their lives to transmit secret messages and hope to the Italian population. The three partisans were captured, tortured, and killed.

I walked to the northeastern side of Piazza D’Azeglio to see for myself what remained of those heroes, and I was met by their bronze memorial. I paused for a moment of silence and reflection.

An Invitation

My money is useless in D’Azeglio because the peace, joy, and freedom the square offers came at an invaluable investment I may never fully understand. Its rich history whispers through the grounds and nearby corners, where the Jewish synagogue still miraculously illuminates the skyline. Nonetheless, individuals visit D’Azeglio for various reasons, such as convenience and fond pastimes like Florentines Tobias Zerella, Anne Whittaker, and Tommaso Tempesti. Others like Gidari, who dedicated years to uncovering the stories of the resistance movement, visit because the historical site still speaks to them today. In any case, D’Azeglio serves as an invitation to enjoy the present and an opportunity to reflect on the past. Amid all Florence has to offer, I have discovered that if one has the time, Piazza D’Azeglio, the heartbeat of Florence’s underground past, offers an experience that mere money cannot afford.

“If you’re there for a week or more and want to breathe in Florence, it’s just such a pleasure to go and sit on a bench for an hour or two with a coffee… and watch the real people that live there enjoying their city, and just imagine what the city was like,” said Gidari.

Tearing Up the Checklist: How Studying Abroad in Florence Redefined My Dreams

A student’s journey from rigid plans to spontaneous gratitude reveals the unexpected beauty of slowing down, connecting deeply, and truly living abroad.

written by Connor McHugh for SPEL Journalism

I left O’Hare Airport in Chicago on a flight to Florence, where I made lists of everything I wanted to see and do while abroad. It included trips, events, restaurants, and everything in between. The longer I was in the air, the higher the anticipation of arriving in Italy grew. For my whole life, I have dreamed of traveling the world and seeing every corner the earth has to offer. Studying abroad was my chance to start those dreams.

I had a very specific idea of the type of experience I thought I would have while abroad. I saw myself being out of Florence 5–6 days a week, traveling to a different country each time with brand-new experiences to show for it. After the first three weeks of the semester and not a single new country visited, I realized I may have been overzealous. However, those first three weeks allowed me to fully immerse myself in the city and community of Florence and begin making connections that would end up lasting.

After that came my first time traveling outside Italy for spring break. From Portugal to France and Switzerland, it was an experience I will never forget. As I traveled from country to country, in awe of the breathtaking landscapes and monuments at each place, I couldn’t help but think about the eight-year-old boy who once dreamed of what I was now doing. At the end of the break, I stood on top of the Swiss Alps with ski poles in hand and thought to myself: How did I ever get so lucky? The air felt like invisible gold on my skin as I relished a moment I had long waited for. It began my mission to make sure I lived every day abroad to the absolute best of my ability. I felt I owed it to everyone in my life who had helped me get to this point. I also owed it to the people who would give anything to be in my position.

Recognizing how fortunate I am to live this way gave me a newfound sense of purpose and direction.

Coming off the best week of my life during spring break came the final 11 weeks of the semester. This is when I began to feel more like an expat living in Florence rather than just a tourist. I became familiar with certain spots in town, getting to know workers and owners of all different kinds. It quickly became apparent that the level of hospitality in Florence is unmatched. Anyone would be glad to strike up a conversation with you and give advice on what it means to live in the city and country.

It was about halfway through the semester when I found myself in an actual routine. I had class and work, different places I would eat on certain days, and I would pick up my bags and travel somewhere for the weekend. That routine became a cornerstone of my time in Florence and made me realize that it’s very easy to make anywhere you live feel like home if you try hard enough. People often talk about being homesick and missing that sense of comfort and belonging. To me, home is a place where I know what I’m doing every day of the week. I find comfort in thinking about the next day and knowing what I’m going to be doing—with new experiences sprinkled in here and there.

Paradoxically, it only feels like home once you start trying new things. That way, you can fully understand what it is you want to continue doing. It’s important to try as many things as you can at least once. Of course, the weekends are when routines should be thrown out the window and used as opportunities to travel and go on new adventures.

As I wrap up my semester abroad, I look back on the things I will remember most about my time and what I’ve learned from it. I learned that the things that will have a lasting impact on me are the moments that made me feel an immense sense of gratitude for the life I’m living. In France, I won’t remember the Eiffel Tower as much as I’ll remember playing soccer with local kids on the street. In Switzerland, I won’t remember any specific tricks I did on my skis, but I’ll remember the feeling of spraying my friend with fresh snow. Across every country and city, the moments that leave a lasting impression are the ones you least expect.

That is the beautiful thing about studying abroad—and life in general. People think that in order to make amazing memories, they have to visit the most luxurious destinations and live lavishly. In reality, the more you connect with the local environment and live in the moment, the more you realize how amazing this experience is.

If I had the chance to meet my former self on that plane five months ago, I would have grabbed that sheet of paper and torn it up in front of him. I would have told him not to be so constrained by expectations and plans—and to live every single moment like it matters.

The CPA’s Role in Florence Subculture

written by Katherine Seiler and Isabella McCarthy

This CPA deep dive is an exclusive bonus installment in our Spring issue of Blending Magazine. After you finish reading, be sure to explore the rest of the magazine online—just follow this link to download the full Spring 2025 edition:
https://jschoolfua.com/images/BM/BM_151.pdf

Origins

The Centro Popolare Autogestito (CPA) is a self-managed, community-driven space that offers a platform for political activism, art, and social movement, contrasting the city’s historical and tourist-centric culture. Founded in the 1980s, it began as an escape from heroin, social isolation, and marginalizations that were often present during these times. The group initially occupied a nursery school in early 1989 and transformed it into a community space where people could gather to address social and political issues. They had to move to a mechanical workshop later in the year, and finally moved into their current building in 2001 after the old school was closed down years prior. Nicolo, a member of the CPA, described the space as “squatters that take over abandoned places”, but this practice can be regarded as a way of the CPA reclaiming unused properties and transforming them into usable, community-driven spaces.

Hub of Creativity and Activity

Over the years, the CPA has evolved, but its core ideals in anti-fascism, community, and artistic expression remain intact and are present throughout its facility. Today, the CPA is a vibrant cultural hub hosting a variety of facilities, including a gym, library, art studio, cinema, and computer spaces. Classes in karate, ceramics, art, and more give people a chance to develop both personally and creatively. These spaces provide members the opportunity to connect, create, and grow.

Through a visit to the ceramics studio, managed by Roberto, we learned that the studio was established six years ago, and it has become a place of creativity and connection for many. The process is simple: pay a small fee, make two pieces to learn the basics, and then create whatever you want. There are no formal teachers; everyone helps one another, and the focus is on learning together. Through regulars like Ciara, Irene, and Vitoria, it became clear how much they valued the sense of community the studio provides. They worked together on each other’s pieces, sharing tips and experiences, fostering a sense of belonging.

Current Day

Visits to the CPA reveal the diversity of its community. Nicolo noted how younger generations would turn to the CPA to utilize study spaces and as an opportunity to socialize. It was mentioned that some children would skip school, hop the fence, and hang out at the CPA instead of being at school. This seems to be a tradition that has continued over time, as many members laughed and remarked, “just like we used to do!”. Though one member said, “The Italian population is not young, so there are a lot fewer young people here,” when talking about the age of people involved with the CPA.

The CPA’s finance model is that almost all activities are free of charge, except for concerts and the initial ceramics fee. The money needed to cover rent and utilities comes from the concert revenue. The CPA ensures that anyone, regardless of financial situation, can access the resources available.

The CPA is also focused on helping the community, as they were instrumental in organizing large-scale food and resource drives during the pandemic. Despite their history of tensions with law enforcement, members of the CPA shared that during the pandemic, the police would give out the CPA’s number to individuals who needed food but could not afford it. At this time, law enforcement recognized the value and importance of some of the work that the CPA does.

Expanding on the relationship with law enforcement, the center has a longstanding reputation for being anti-authoritarian and believing that the police represent an oppressive force. The CPA does not tolerate drugs and believes in alcohol moderation. People do smoke weed within the CPA, and though it is not legal, the cops do not bother people who smoke it on the CPA property.

For many, the CPA provides a space where people can escape, create, and express themselves freely. Despite facing numerous challenges, the CPA continues to thrive, staying true to its core values. It’s a place for the marginalized, the artists, and the activists and a space that has evolved but remains firmly rooted in its commitment to community.