Blog

Why Hitler refused to bomb this bridge...

by Joyce Rudge

Why Hitler refused to bomb this bridge...

During WW2 the City of Florence suffered a lot of damage and all of her historic bridges were destroyed......all except one.  The Ponte Vecchio -...

My Florence: Early Morning Stroll

by Joyce Rudge

My Florence: Early Morning Stroll

My Florence by Florentine Ann Antonini… These are two entrances to private gardens in via dei serragli that I pass in the morning. The giardin...

Florence Artisans at Risk

by Joyce Acciaioli Rudge

Florence Artisans at Risk

There is an increased demand for hand-crafted products around the world, but at the same time the centuries-old artisan culture is seriously under...

The World’s Best Sandwiches Come From Florence

by Joyce Rudge

The World’s Best Sandwiches Come From Florence

Florence holds a secret. In the heart of Tuscany, amidst the narrow, cobbled streets busy with pedestrians, cyclists, and roaming gypsy bands, ar...

Florence's Rich and Famous Remain Rich and Famous

by Joyce Rudge

Florence's Rich and Famous Remain Rich and Famous

Two Bank of Italy economists attempted to answer the question of how Florentine rich and famous families from centuries ago remain rich and fam...

The Rape of the Sabines

by Joyce Rudge

The Rape of the Sabines

Sitting in Florence's "open air museum" known as The Loggia di Lanzi is one of the most famous and moving works of sculptor Giambologna....The ...

The all-new lungarno Acciaiuoli

by Joyce Rudge

The all-new lungarno Acciaiuoli

The lungarno Acciaiuoli, in its heyday back in the nineteenth century, was a walkway along the Arno which was paved in stone. The current proje...

Where was the first opera performed?

by Joyce Rudge

Where was the first opera performed?

It is said that the opera ain't over 'til the fat lady sings, but guess where she first sang? The first opera was performed in Florence to c...

Welcome to Palazzo Vecchio, Cosimo I de' Medici’s Humble Abode.

by Joyce Rudge
Everyone who has ever been to Florence has marveled at the Palazzo Vecchio, the medieval palace constructed from 1299 to 1302: it now houses the C...

Yes, Florentines bathed back in the Renaissance. Some more luxuriously than others.

by Joyce Rudge

Yes, Florentines bathed back in the Renaissance. Some more luxuriously than others.

Oftentimes, I stand staring at Cosimo de' Medici’s elaborate bathing chamber in his Palazzo Vecchio and imagine the flow of servants bringing up ...

Florence’s Il Porcellino, as seen in a Harry Potter movie, brings luck to snout rubbing visitors.

by Joyce Rudge

Florence’s Il Porcellino, as seen in a Harry Potter movie, brings luck to snout rubbing visitors.

  A sculpted bronze wild boar fountain called Il Porcellino, dating back to 1634, is located outside the Mercato Nuovo.  Visitors place a coin...

Some people get a toaster for a wedding gift. Francis & Joan got a fountain.

by Joyce Rudge

Some people get a toaster for a wedding gift. Francis & Joan got a fountain.

The Fountain of Neptune in front of Palazzo Vecchio was inaugurated in 1765 to celebrate the wedding between Francis I de' Medici and Joan of A...