Finding Florence – Page 20 – FUA-AUF Student Blog

Life in Florence: Festival of Lanterns

Locals gather in Pz. Santissima Annunziata for the Rificolona festivity. Photo by the author.

By Mikey Dombrowiecki

When it comes to studying abroad, sometimes it’s not as easy as it seems. For most of us, we tend to experience one common struggle: culture shock. This blog post describes my way of becoming more connected with the Italian culture through a local Florentine event.

It has now been about two weeks since I have arrived to Florence, Italy to complete my semester abroad. When coming abroad, I knew the lifestyle and culture here would be different than what I am used to in my charming little beach town in Ocean Grove, New Jersey. Little did I know this adjustment would be bigger than I could have ever imagined – one can infer that I was experiencing severe “culture shock.” So, I figured I would take matters into my own hands to find a way to break away from my homegrown routine begin to act like a Florence native. While browsing around for things to do, an FUA professor introduced me to the idea of attending the “The Lantern Festival,” called “Rificolona.” Unsure of what exactly it was, I figured I should have an open mind and attend as it was located only a few blocks away from my apartment.

Modern-day Rificolona lanterns. Photo by Carmen Collins.

I ventured off on my own to attend the festival, and found myself piled in with hundreds of locals who were also gathering to participate in the festival. Aimlessly wandering around, I later ran into some of my classmates and together we walked around and explored. We also quickly grabbed some of the lanterns to avoid being just tourists. Halfway through the evening, I spotted my boyfriend Kyle, his roommate, Brenden, and their Italian host dad, Marco. Marco was kind enough to invite the boys to the festival so they authentically experience Italian culture. As the festival went on, I found myself engaging in conversations with Marco. Never missing a beat, he explained to me every ounce of the background and importance behind the festival, including the vivid memories from his childhood and how he came to the festival every year. He now brings his own kids, who are ages eight and ten.

A homemade lantern at the Rificolona festivity. Photo by Carmen Collins.

Simply explained, the Festival of Lights is in honor of the Virgin Mary – the celebration of her life. The event originated in the 17th century, when farmers would make a pilgrimage into the city to pay tribute to the Virgin Mary’s birthday at the basilica of Santissima Annunziata. Centuries later, this still remains the location for a Florentine tradition that gathers the city’s residents for an illuminated evening.

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Breaking Cultural Barriers: Humans of Florence

Texts by By Olivia Hagen
Photo essay by Ashley Sterling

The courage to work up a phrase in another language can be unexpected rewarding, as Olivia Hagen discovers on a sunny day in Piazza Santa Croce. Set to the background of Ashley Sterling’s “Humans of Florence” photo essay, this piece is bound to make you reflect on how we can turn cultural barriers into rich discoveries.

For as long as I can remember, I have struggled with stepping out my comfort zone. Thus, part of the reason why I chose to study abroad was to force myself to try new things, reach new limits, explore the world and meet new people. Although it was not easy, once I broke the barriers that were holding me back, I found myself and an endearing friend.

Dipou has been in Florence for 2 years. He has been working at a leather shop by Hotel Botticelli for about a year and has said that his favorite thing about working in Florence is talking to the people and children in town.

As I walked home from my Travel Writing course, sweaty from the scorching Tuscan sun, I decided to visit my favorite gelateria and grab myself a refreshing cup of pistachio. Clenching the cold sweet in my hand, I stumbled through the Florentine streets feeling disoriented, watching flashes of people rush by me. Walking through the streets, I began to miss the sense of “belongingness” I had at home, longing for the embrace and comfort of my friends and family.

Feeling homesick and lonely, I walked over to the Santa Croce Basilica. Just then, a young girl sat next to me and began writing in a tattered leather journal; she had dark black hair. I watched her as she observed her surroundings, scribbled in her notebook, smiled to herself and repeated. I wanted to talk to her and introduce myself, but I was too nervous. Then, I was reminded that before I came to Florence I was going to step out of my comfort zone…and I did.

Cecile has been living in Florence for 15yrs. Her favorite place in Florence is the Santa Spirito Area, and the Arcetri observatory. She has been working at Hotel Botticelli for 13 years. Her favorite part of the job is being able to speak different languages and to meet people with diverse mindsets and cultures.

“Ciao! … Come va?” I attempted to communicate in Italian. She looked at me with large eyes and a half smile. Oh no, I thought, thinking I still had gelato on my face or that she simply thought I was crazy. There was a long pause and then she burst into laughter. “I’m sorry!” I responded, “I don’t speak Italian very well.” “It’s fine,” she giggled. “I’m Sara, nice to meet you!”

Once I broke the ice with my useless Italian, Sara and I began conversing. I learned that she was 27, lives in Florence and is studying to be a school teacher like myself. When questioned about her journal, Sara informed me that even though she has lived in Florence all of her life, there is always something that inspires her to write, which makes her fall in love with Florence all over again. Minutes soon turned into hours as Sara and I talked, unable to catch our breaths, sharing our love for travel writing, early childhood education, and the same pistachio gelato flavor. I was shocked to discover how similar Sara and I were, despite the fact we live on two opposite sides of the world.

Ashely has always the dream of studying abroad and came to FUA for 6 weeks. She really enjoys seeing Florentine architecture and the vibrancy of the city.

Meeting Sara and breaking the barriers has been one of the best decisions I have made during my journey abroad. Not only have I developed a precious friendship, but I gained a stronger appreciation of the world and the people in it. Although Sara and I live very different cultures, the unique connection that we shared will be carried with me when I leave the place I am now confident in calling my second home.

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Boboli Gardens Photo Essay

By Stanley Chen
Photos by the author

This mini photo essay explores the great and small details of one of Florence’s most magical green spaces, starting from the above panoramic shot that fully captures how the garden and the city are entwined. Created for a Street Photography course by FUA study abroad alum Stanley Chen, these gorgeous shots show a resplendent and luminous Boboli Gardens.

The Boboli gardens, a site that formerly housed the famous Medici family of the Italian Renaissance era, is a large open-air museum that contains many forms of green architecture and represents what many would consider an ideal Italian Renaissance garden.

Though Neptune’s fountain, also pictured above, is one of the principal fountains, the garden is abundant with sculptural surprises such as this grotesque male harpy on top of sea creatures in the Isolotto section:

Another site of interest is the Giardino del Cavaliere, which sits atop of a wall built by Michaelangelo. A lovely hedge maze arranges flowers and shrubbery in sprawling yet geometrically harmonious deigns:

The hedges leads to the entrance of the main building, the Casino del Cavaliere built in 1700 and where the last Grand Duke Gian Gastone de’Medici kept rooms. The building today hosts the Porcelain Museum of the Pitti Palace museum complex, a showcase of porcelain works from many of the former ruling families of Tuscany:

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A Main Monument Secret: Duomo

By Shelby Olson

Throughout my time in Florence, I was not only able to discover the nooks and crannies of the city but make new and at times peculiar discoveries about the large, main monuments everybody knows and loves. I entered what I would call the “tourist phase” and saw anything and everything there was to see but reminiscing on my stay in Florence, I really didn’t know a lot about the places I was visiting. For example, did you know a ball-shaped decoration fell off the Duomo and there is now a marble slab to commemorate it? Me neither.

In January of 1601, Florence experienced a thunderstorm and lightning struck the golden sphere on top of the Dome’s lantern, causing it to detach and land right next to the church. To this day, there is a circular marble slab to signify where the ball landed when it fell off. The sphere, commissioned to Verrocchio in 1468, was made of bronze and weighed almost 2000 kilos (approx. 4409 lbs). Andrea del Verrocchio, it should be mentioned, ended up inheriting the Duomo’s architectural project after Brunelleschi’s death in 1446. The weight itself can show the large impact this ball had upon touchdown. Prior to falling off in 1601 and definitely restored in 1602, the ball had proved be unruly on other occasions – electricity-related problems due to thunderstorms had already been documented at least twice in the 1500s.

Turns out I was not the only one who didn’t know about this “fallen ball.” I decided to visit the Duomo to see the marble slab itself and watch if anybody else would notice it. During my hour of sitting there, not a single person stopped to look at it or take a picture. Rather, I was getting weird looks for taking a picture of this random circle on the ground. This taught me that when you are visiting an important monument, there is so much more to see than its beauty and you should learn everything you can beforehand.

Next time you are visiting the Duomo or simply walking past it, make sure to venture to the back side of the Duomo to check out this marble slab. It may just be a circle on the ground but it holds much significance and you may be one of the few that knows about it. If you learned one thing from this, remember to research the places you are visiting beforehand because you may learn something the tour guide doesn’t tell you.

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The Pazzi Chapel: Venturing into Santa Croce

By Shelby Olson

If you venture further into the Santa Croce complex, you will come across many other monuments that hold much significance to early Florentine history such as the Pazzi Chapel.

When staying in Florence, Santa Croce is a highly recommend spot to visit because it is beautiful but also has fascinating history behind it such as the tombs of the famous. When you enter Santa Croce, the first thing you see is a large church filled with sculptures, paintings, and stained glass windows that light up the room. When you head out of the church, you are met by a large garden and a series of cloisters. If you walk across the garden, this is where you will find the Pazzi Chapel which is not something to miss out on when visiting Santa Croce.

The Pazzi Chapel was commissioned by Andrea Pazzi and built by Filippo Brunelleschi. It was built to show the legacy of the Pazzi’s power and patronage, as well as to show off their wealth and status to the Medici family. Originally, the chapel was a learning area for the monks but also a burial place for the family.

The chapel is a very important project of Filippo Brunelleschi because it was built according to a specific architectural harmony, and he was able to achieve this after studying and measuring ancient buildings in Rome such as the Pantheon. The chapel was commissioned in 1429 and it was opened in 1443, during this time Brunelleschi had passed away and was not able to finish the chapel on his own. There were also many stops in construction throughout the years due to funding as well as conspiracies the Pazzi family made on the Medici family. In 1478, Giuliano de’Medici was killed and Lorenzo de’Medici wounded while attending mass at the Florence Cathedral. Needless to say, the family’s position swiftly fell after the attempted coup to topple the Medici.

Although Filippo Brunelleschi was not able to finish the chapel, he holds much significance within it because of his perspective and ingenuity. Brunelleschi’s works are not limited to the Pazzi Chapel as he had worked on the Florence Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore and its famed Dome, the Basilica di San Lorenzo, the Ospedale degli Innocenti and much more. Filippo Brunelleschi is buried inside the Florence Cathedral and continues to be an important part of the city’s history.

Inside the chapel, there are many beautiful works of art created by different Florentine artists. The relief, a raised sculpture representing Saint Andrew, was created by Luca della Robbia. Della Robbia also created the rounds with the apostles and decorated the central dome with sculptures and two paired dolphins. The stained glass window representing the figure of Saint Andrews was drawn by Alesso Baldovinetti.

The Pazzi Chapel is a simple yet elegant chapel. Although the interior colors are dim, the stained glass windows and colors of the paintings light up the room. Not only is the chapel full of history that dates back centuries, but it is a beautiful work of art and architecture that is worth seeing when visiting Santa Croce.

How to Visit:

Basilica di Santa Croce, Piazza S. Croce, 16, 50122 Firenze
Monday-Saturday 9:30AM to 5PM
Sunday 2PM to 5PM
Tickets: €8

People of Florence

By Chantal Boynes
All photos by the author

Recent Street Photography student Chantal Boynes captures the people of Florence through this gorgeous photo essay on the diverse individuals that make up our city.

There are hundreds of stories that I could have written for this article about the different people walking the streets of this beautiful old city everyday. Each person is at a different point in their lives, coming from different countries, backgrounds and languages. Each individual has their own story to tell and this photo series captures just 1 second of the 2,228,800,000 seconds in the average person’s life. With this we can catch a brief glimpse into the lives of some of the People of Florence.

Live Music in Florence

By Shelby Olson

Visiting local music venues throughout Florence is a great way to experience a new form of art as well as the city nightlife. I had the chance to check out three venues in Florence that accommodate to many different styles.

If you are looking to experience a different form of art in the city, Florence has many live music venues that can accommodate to your style whether that be upbeat, laid back, or a classic feel. I took a look at a few different live music venues throughout the city and had the chance to experience a different side of the nightlife in Florence.

Jazz Club is a great place if you are looking for an upbeat bar full of live music and dancing. They are open late and offer a food menu along with a large selection of drinks. Jazz Club hosts Italian artists and occasionally international artists, and concerts don’t start until later in the evening. The music genre is typically jazz but depends on the band playing and the shows have a very intimate feel. To get into the club, you can purchase a member card at the door for 6 euros (includes a beverage), and you’ll use the card for subsequent visits.

Libreria La Cité is a small cafe and library that hosts live music at night and they occasionally have events on various nights of the week. This is a neat place to check out if you are looking for a relaxing night filled with drinks, books, and music. I had the chance to visit La Cité during the evening and came across a lot of people sitting down with a book and coffee before the music started. The building is not too big but it is packed with bookshelves and even has an upstairs area with comfortable seating. I would definitely go back to this place whether it be for a coffee and book or to listen to music.

The Virgin Rock Pub is well-known for friendly service, rock music, and a great selection of food and drinks. It hosts events on the weekends with live music and aperitivo. The Virgin Rock Pub also has outdoor seating if you want to enjoy the music while still experiencing Florence’s beautiful weather during the summer. I had the opportunity to attend the Virgin Rock Pub during one of their events and it was a neat experience. The space is small but is decorated with old rock memorabilia, drum symbols turned into lights, posters, and paintings. After 10 o’clock, a band played classic rock music while everyone crowded in to listen.

There are many wonderful places in the city that can accommodate to your style. I recommend visiting these music venues during your time in Florence because it gives you a different taste of Florence at night. Try starting out with these spots and definitely venture out to explore the many music venues to check out while living in Florence.

How to Visit:

Jazz Club: Via Nuova de’ Caccini, 3, 50100 Firenze
Closed Monday, Friday-Saturday 11PM-4AM, other days 11PM-3AM

Libreria La Cite: Borgo S. Frediano, 20/r, 50124 Firenze

Virgin Rock Pub: Via dell’Agnolo, 76, 50122 Firenze
Open everyday 3PM-3AM

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Buy Fresh Buy Local

By Shelby Olson

The Sant’Ambrogio Market is an indoor and outdoor market filled with fresh meat, fish, fruits, and vegetables and is a great place to do your weekly grocery shopping if you want to shop locally, inexpensively, and keep up with what is in season this month.

There are many great supermarkets throughout Florence to buy fruits, vegetables, meat, and fish, but you are not always sure where your products are sourced considering supermarkets worldwide favor industrialized products. Luckily, Florence is home to a lot of great local markets that sell all these products that are guaranteed fresh, inexpensive, and locally sourced.

One of the most important things to know when visiting a local market is, what is in season and what is not. During the month of July you can find many fresh fruits and vegetables to add to your pantry. The fruits in season for the month of July are apricots, blackberries, cherries, figs, loquats, melons, nectarines, raspberries, plums, strawberries, and watermelon. The vegetables in season for the month of July are aubergine, arugula (rocket), basil, garlic, lettuce, spanish, swiss chard, turnip greens, beans, carrots, cucumber, fennel, green beans, mint, peas, taccole green beans, tomato, and zucchini.

FUA’s Italian language faculty, Francesca Peruzzi, recommends the Sant’Ambrogio Market because all of the products are fresh and prices are cheaper than most especially when shopping for six people. Francesca goes to Sant’Ambrogio once a week and here’s what she shared when I asked her what’s usually inside her grocery bag:
• Proteins: meat, fish
• Grains and vegetables: bread, carrots, salad, chou, spinach, zucchini
• Fruit: apples, bananas, apricots

I recently had the chance to visit the Sant’Ambrogio Market and after prior research on what is in season, I could tell that Florence takes pride in selling the most fresh and seasonal fruits and vegetables possible. The inside of the market is packed with meat, fish, and bread vendors and the outside of the market is home to the fruit and vegetable vendors. As I was walking around, I decided to purchase apples from a fruit vendor and was astonished that not only were they cheap, but the taste was incredible. In the summer, my favorite thing to eat is a large bowl with an assortment of different fruits. With the fresh produce I found at the market, I am excited to make my favorite summer meal and make Florence feel more like home.

After my visit, I decided that you cannot beat cheap prices and fresh items and that this would be my new stop to get groceries for the last few weeks I have in Florence.

How to Visit:

Sant’Ambrogio Market: Piazza Lorenzo Ghiberti, 50122 Firenze
Monday-Saturday 7AM-2PM

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Orto Botanico & La Specola: Venturing Away From Main Monuments

By Shelby Olson

As an intern, I had the opportunity to sneak away from the crowded monuments of Florence while still getting a taste of the history and culture. I visited the Giardino dei Semplici and Museo Zoologico La Specola and gained wonderful insight on what early Florence was like.

If you venture away from the main monuments in Florence, you will soon realize that Florence has much more to offer. Outside of the architecture and art, Florence presents its people and tourists alike, with beautiful gardens and museums. Being a visitor from a small town in the United States, this city has already shown its beautiful crafted and cultivated atmosphere in the span of three weeks. This past weekend, I had the opportunity to visit the Giardino dei Semplici and the Museo Zoologico La Specola. Not only are both of these places beautiful, interesting, and free of crowds, but they cost much less than the main points of interest in Florence.

First, I visited the Giardino dei Semplici which was founded in 1545 by the Medici family for medicinal research. The garden is 23,000 square metres but it is divided into smaller and larger avenues and is home to medicinal plants, flowers, spices, trees, etc. The garden contains both a greenhouse and hothouse used to cultivate special plants and the hothouse is one of the largest in Italy. The hothouse takes special care of tropical plants that have been used in both food and medicinal products.

Plants and flowers are not the only thing the garden has to offer. When I first walked in, my attention was directed towards the large fountain placed in the middle of the garden. The farther I ventured into the garden, the more art pieces I came across such as a statue of a woman, female figures placed on trees, and a wooden sculpture. Although the garden is famous for its medicinal plants, the art within the garden is not something to brush aside.

Next, I ventured to the Museo Zoologico La Specola which immediately caught my eye when I was looking up things to do in Florence, pre-arrival. The Museo Zoologico La Specola was started by the Medici family and is now the oldest public museum in Europe. The museum is made up of 34 rooms; 24 rooms are dedicated to zoology, consisting of taxidermy specimens and the other 10 rooms are dedicated to wax modeling, consisting of anatomical waxworks started by Ludovico Cigoli.

The zoology rooms are best known for the hippopotamus, which used to live in the Boboli gardens and was later donated to the museum. The waxwork rooms are known for displaying old-fashioned women with their ribcages and stomachs open for the public to see. Some of the most important pieces in the wax modeling rooms were created by Clemente Susini, one of the best Florentine wax modelers. His works are not limited to the Specola museum and can be seen in many other museums throughout the world.

I would highly recommend venturing out of the centre of Florence by visiting these two locations and getting a new taste of Florence’s history.

How to Visit:

Giardino dei Simplici: Via Pier Antonio Micheli, 3, 50121 Firenze
The Giardino dei Semplici ticket costs €3 and is open everyday except Wednesday, from 10AM-7PM.

Museo Zoologico La Specola: Via Romana, 17, 50125 Firenze
The Museo Zoologico La Specola ticket costs €5.50 for ages 6-18 and €9 for full price, along with discounts for families and groups. It is open Tuesday-Sunday from 10:30AM-5:30PM.

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