The consulate knows what’s going on, and soon I’ll have answers.
Do you recall this sentence? It is from the novel Inferno, when Robert and Sienna are seeking help from the American Consulate in Florence, albeit with poor results …
THE PALE AFTERNOON sun dipped low over the Piazza del Duomo, glinting off the white tiles of Giotto’s bell tower and casting long shadows across Florence’s magnificent Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore.
(Dan Brown, Inferno)
During Roman times, the Piazza della Repubblica (Republic Square) was the ancient center of Florence, the site of the forum. As of the Middle Ages and for several centuries thereafter, it remained the “old” city market.
The Piazza della Signoria has always been the focal point of the history of the Florentine Republic. It serves a public function, particularly by housing the Loggia dei Lanzi (lodge for public gatherings).
The Florence Cathedral (the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore) is the result of Filippo Brunelleschi‘s highest expression of architectural vision.
Its dome is characteristic of a bold architectural design, and its achievement required great effort.
The decorative elements derived from nature are many in the Boboli Gardens, and Tribolo introduced many of them preserving the nature of the soil and existing plants.
Only one museum in Italy is dedicated entirely to the history of fashion, and it is no coincidence that the Costume Gallery is located in Florence. This Italian city boasts a prestigious tradition in fashion, for which it is famous around the world.
I’M IN FLORENCE!?
Robert Langdon’s head throbbed. He was now seated upright in his hospital bed, repeatedly jamming his finger into the call button. Despite the sedatives in his system, his heart was racing.
Beneath her, she noticed a four-man crew shell skimming across the water and passing under the bridge. The hull read SOCIETÀ CANOTTIERI FIRENZE / FLORENCE ROWING CLUB. The shell’s distinctive red-and-white oars rose and fell in perfect unison.
(Dan Brown, Inferno)
The bridge that Dan Brown refers to is the Ponte Vecchio, and the club is one of the glories of the Florentine sport.
The guidebooks referred to the piece as “a colossal stone basin from Rome’s Baths of Caracalla, “but Langdon always saw it for what it truly was-the world’s largest bathtub. They really need to put that thing somewhere else.
(Dan Brown, Inferno)
Palazzo Vecchio, as is the case with all medieval and Renaissance palaces, has several secret passages.
The first news we have about the church of Santa Margherita dei Cerchi in Florence dates back to 1032.
