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ONLY BE FLORENTINE
Only-Be Florentine
Birth of perspective in the Piazza del Duomo in Florence
In one of the entries of the marvelously penetrative and lucid book of notes, essays, interviews, drawings and description of projects of Bill Viola, ´Reasons for Knocking at an Empty House´. Writings 1973-1994´, the American artist reconstructs the transcendental implications of what probably happened in the Piazza del Duomo in Florence that day in 1425, when Philippo Brunelleschi, creator of the iconic and important Duomo, not yet finished by then, in the Santa Maria dei Fiore Cathedral, stood in front of the doors of this building and installed a small wooden box on a stand, looking at what has become the city´s oldest building, the famous and admirable Battisterio, not yet immortalized by the Doors of Paradise of Ghiberti, located right in front, on the other side of the piazza. Little by little his friends started to come, as well as different groups of people and ´cognoscenti´, an important part of the cream of Florence´s artistic community of that time, who Brunelleschi had previously invited to come by the piazza to check out with one eye (the other one had to be closed) through the small orifice that there was to one side of the box. By moving a lever a mirror came up, that put a small painting of the Battisterio right in front of them, in line and proportional to the first monocular and direct vision of the building which they´d come across before the ´operation´. Regarding the shape and geometry, both visions were hardly differentiable. Viola compares the scene with one of a photograph pioneer who makes a demonstration of how a camera works, because on...
Fortezza D’Estate Festival in Florence
When the summer arrives, the festivals and the decisions arrive too. You already know where to go this summer? You´re not going on holiday yet? Everything is relative to the budget that one has. Some are, of course, due to the high temperature in these months, that the Europeans have the urgency to be in the open air, to socialize more, to live the summer and its party and why not, to find some summer romance too. Florence is a highly romantic city, full of history and tradition that will wrap you up like by magic. Travelling, in itself, to whichever part it is and however the way, is always an important interior transformation, that leaves us with an open heart towards new vibrations when we come back home. The success of a festival isn´t exclusively in its proposals. We could say that it´s baed in the way in which they are organized and presented to a public which is more and more interested all the time in new formats, new options, new artists and diverse culture. Maybe in one way or another, trying to encompass the nighest amount of fields of interest in only one celebration of events during over a month is the best way to arrange the crowd, to make new proposals at the same time that you refresh a cultural space which might be traditional but that it´s risky, that it tries to establish new latitudes in its field of action. Fortezza D´Estate is an example of this fresh tendency in Europe. From different angles and proposals, Fortezza tries to cover different crowds and interests,...
Lady Chatterley’s Lover by David Herbert Lawrence
“Lady Chatterley´s Lover” is an exquisite work of erotic literature of the Modern Age, which was written by the English author David Herbert (D.H.) Lawrence during the last few years of his life. It caused a great commotion when it was published for the first time in 1928 privately in the city of Florence. But Lawrence consecrated himself as a renown author a few years after his death (1885-1930) when in 1960 they published this novel around the world and, especially, in his native England. From then on, the works of Lawrence were incorporated to the literary lectures as an example of novelty and enthusiasm for art. Although he never stopped being a controverted author, various writers from that time gave him supports, such as Aldous Huxley, who contributed to the publishing of his works. But also, many others loathed his works, such as the feminist Virginia Woolf, who accused Lawrence of being a misogynist. Today, the novel “Lady Chatterley´s Lover” is one of the most important pieces of erotic literature and it still remains in force after all these years. It´s about a young and beautiful woman, Constanza, who is married to a aristocratic, paraplegic, multimillionaire. Her, thirsty for new sensations, explores her sexuality by the hand of an employee of her husband, the forester. With him, she lives the most magnificent sexual acts that anyone could imagine and it´s all described to the very last detail, which makes it very interesting and exciting for the readers. d.b The story happens in the Italian city of Florence, because that´s where the author lived for a few years and...
Of Love and Other Demons by Gabriel García Márquez
Gabriel García Márquez is a Colombian writer that won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1982 thanks to his wonderful novel “Cien años de Soledad” (One Hundred Years of Solitude), but he also has many other published writings which are a pleasure to read. Of Love and Other Demons is a short but very intense novel. It´s about the story of forbidden love between a priest who is an assistant to a bishop and a girl interned in a convent. She´s possessed by the devil and he, in his attempt to rescue her from evil, falls madly in love with her and begins secretly seeing her during the nights. The love encounters in the cell of the beautiful girl are in such great written detail by García Márquez that the reader becomes an accomplice of the criminal and passionate act. The girl is called Sierva María de Todos los Ángeles who, despite her name, manages to enjoy sex and the love encounters with the priest. The story takes place in the city of Cartagena in the 18th century, when the church had a fundamental role in society. And this beautiful novel has great cultural value because it tells the details of a society which is unknown to us. And because love stories never grow old, and even less if there´s passion, sensuality and sex involved, reading this little erotic literary gem will motivate many couples in bed. Being a novel of a high sexual content, it becomes a read that is best read accompanied by your partner. Not only the main characters have passionate loving encounters, but also there...Giannini Giulio
Giannini Giulio & Figlio is a special shop in Florence where you can buy very distinguished handmade presents made out of paper.
San Lorenzo Market
San Lorenzo Market is an ideal place to go and buy good, affordable clothes. But it´s also an icon of the city of Florence.
Bargello Museum
The Bargello Museum, located in a building from 1255, is one of the most visited in Florence. INside you can find works by Michelangelo and Donatello.
Uffizi Gallery
The Uffizi Gallery collects endless works of art from artists that include Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. You must visit it.
Twice Club
Twice Club is one of the best nightclubs for those who aren´t yet 20 or just over that age. Ideal place to go with friends.
Piazza della Repubblica
The Piazza della Repubblica is very famous in Florence because there you can find the historical, commercial and tourist centre of the city. It´s very beautiful.
