Tag: santa maria novella

The Magic of the Florentine Neighborhoods

written by Ashley Rodio for SPEL: Journalism

Neighborhoods. Something both Denver, my home city, and Florence are all composed of, yet have such different meanings. In Denver, a neighborhood is just where you live. Maybe you are attached to a certain local food joint or park. But in Florence, a neighborhood is where you live. There is an intense sense of pride that comes with the neighborhood you live in as a Florentine, and it’s apparent in every aspect of life. They have personalities, different charms and offerings to locals and tourists alike. 

Santa Croce 

I live in the Santa Croce neighborhood. It’s my beating heart of Florence, and I can feel the pulse in everything. Below my apartment lays a square of restaurants, vibrant as ever but only at night; it waits to come alive. I hear words in every language, see people of every decent, and smell the vast arrays of cuisine on display. Here lies the Santa Croce Basilica, where I pass on my way to class everyday. I have seen proposals, polo matches, and every celebration under the sun. I sit on the stoop with the painter who lives next door to my apartment. We sip cappuccinos and pet the dogs that trot by, and he tells me about his life in Yugoslavia. 

Santo Spirito 

I could never write enough about the Santo Spirito neighborhood, the area I frequently brave the cross-river trek to enjoy. My favorite tradition, Sundays in front of the Basilica di Santo Spirito, stems from this neighborhood. At the Sunday market I meet the Florentine vendors. I hear the stories of the lavender man, with fields long spanning the Tuscan countryside. He shows me the lavender soap covers his wife spends hours making. She couldn’t make the trip to the city. The Santo Spirito neighborhood holds the esteemed Pitti Palace, the Boboli gardens sprawling along the rear. I leave this place with a sore neck for days, as I can’t tear my gaze away from the intricate ceiling artworks in the Palace. 

Santa Maria Novella 

The neighborhood that first greeted me when I stepped out of the train station: Santa Maria Novella. My first introduction to the city I have been calling my newfound home. It stretches beyond the Arno River’s right bank, fitting, as the neighborhood flows with art and culture. Florence’s main exhibition center lies here, forming the Palazzo dei Congressi, the Palazzo degli Affari and the Fortezza da Basso. In front of the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella, the keeper of medieval renaissance art, I sit on the curb and sipped cappuccinos. I watch locals and tourists alike flit by. A new perfume aroma fills the air, presumably from the perfumery. Here, I feel peace.

San Giovanni 

The San Giovanni neighborhood, the real beating heart of Florence. The neighborhood with, arguably, the most tourists. This isn’t a bad thing. I watch people who have spent their entire lives saving to experience the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, mouths agape as they take it all in. The marble of the cathedral gleams as I pass by. I can never take enough pictures. I hear children laugh as they go round and round on the carousel in the historic Piazza della Repubblica. At night it comes alive, with music filling my ears and lights lining the streets. 

The first time I really understood the neighborhood pride of Florence was during Calcio Storico, the classic Florentine sport. While violent, the game brings local comradery to light, displaying long fostered honor to the tourists. The parade, held before the first Calcio Storico game, marched through the piazza while I was on my way home. I remember being frozen, so intrigued by the chants, the Italians dressed in their neighborhood colors. Reds, blues, purples flash by, people from the streets joining in. Flags waved, and young children ran alongside their parents, gleaming at who they might one day become. It was incredible. Although I am an American, I was so proud of these people and what they were standing for. It was more than just a game, it was family ties. 

I may have only lived in Italy for a couple of months, but the importance of the Florentine neighborhoods has become increasingly prominent to me. This pride, these charms, are irreplaceable, and I’m so lucky to have experienced a piece of each location.

Allergies, Ailments, and Ancient Pharmacies

 Photo by author

By Gregg Casazza

If the thin layer of yellow pollen that covers the city isn’t already enough of an indicator, allergy season is now upon us. Scratchy eyes, sore throats, and stuffy noses seem to plague the entire city. Thanks to the city’s storied past, you can now easily stop by the local farmacia to get the appropriate modern medicine for nearly any ailment. The history of Florence is forever tied with that of the ancient pharmacies, which housed herbal remedies for anything from heartache to the black plague. What is perhaps most astounding about these ancient places of healing is that many are still open and operating today!

The Officina Profumo Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella is frequently touristed, and for good reason. This farmacia is the “oldest historic pharmacy in the whole of Europe, active without interruption for almost 4 centuries” as well as, “one of the oldest commercial establishments ever,” according to their website. This establishment began as a convent, with Dominican friars preparing essences, elixirs, ointments, and balsams using high quality ingredients and recipes that can still be found displayed today. The pharmacy is now a luxurious shop, specializing in perfume, as well as a free “museum of tradition.”

Another lesser known farmacia is the Ancient Boar Pharmacy, or Antica Farmacia del Cinghiale. Looking at the earliest official documents, there are mentions that this farmacia dates back to 1752. However, it is believed that it is actually much older. Similar to that of Santa Maria Novella, the early pharmacists made their own remedies, and the first documented pharmacist working, Girolamo Nicolò Branchi della Torre, prepared his own remedies in his private laboratory. His contributions were so notable that he has been accredited with moving the science of healing past the “magic of alchemy” to the science of chemistry. These contributions were so widespread that the Grand Duke of Tuscany asked him to open the first School of Chemistry in Pisa in 1757.

Many ancient pharmacies make up the history of Florence. There is Farmacia SS. Annunziata, which is also still in operation as well, and has been in operation since roughly 1561. They continue to utilize older traditions of preparing products such as tooth paste, shaving lotion, products for hygiene, skin, and galenic prescription (the combination of multiple medecines to increase their potency.) While these ancient pharmacies have changed a great deal in the many centuries since their inception, they have stayed largely the same as well. They may no longer be run by the Dominican monks however, many of the same recipes and natural ingredients are still being used to create their products. These pharmacies might seem ancient, but in a lot of ways they are rather progressive as well by not using animal-testing for their products. Ancient pharmacies are part of Florence’s strong heritage, and with so many still open today, perhaps consider checking one out the next time you suffer from allergies.

See more of Florence and Italy at FUA’s FB, Instagram, and Twitter.