Guest Post By: Karen Mills
When visiting Florence, it is important to take plenty of time visiting the many beautiful and diverse piazzas in the city. We will start with Piazza della Repubblica, which marks the city’s exact center. The Piazza today is built on what used to be the Roman forum. In the early medieval period, the forum was built over with densely populated shops called the Mercato Vecchio and also contained the Jewish Ghetto. This area was where the Jews were forced to live by Cosimo I. When Florence became the capital of Italy, (1865-1871) the Jewish Ghetto was relocated and this commercial piazza put in its place. The large Column of Abundance which stands in the piazza is said to be the exact center of Florence. The original held a statue of Donatello, but was destroyed and this one is a copy of Foggini’s original statue, and is a replica from 1956.
The triumphal arch which was put in place to commemorate Italy’s unification says, “The ancient center of the city, Restored from age old squalor, to new life.” It was inaugurated in 1895.
Aside from being a great place to sit and people watch, this lively piazza has many important and fun places to visit. On the Northwest corner, you will find the best coffee in Florence. Pazkowski’s has been there since 1846, and is a beautiful bar and tea salon. There is also an outside seating area. They serve the best coffee and some beautiful pastries. At lunch time you can order a plate of spaghetti or a salad. Be advised that if you sit outside, you will pay double to triple the price of the bar.
Across the piazza, you will find Giubbe Rosso. This literary café was the first to open on the new Piazza della Repubblica. It was owned by two German brothers and because the locals could not pronounce their names, they called it Giubbe Rosso after the red jackets worn by the waiters. The café’ always had newspapers from all over the world, and thus attracted a lot of foreigners, particularly literati from all over the world. Today, you can order at the bar, and sit down to drink in the café. They have a wonderful appertivo. The walls show art exhibits from artists all over the world and occasionally, they have a special “opening” for a new exhibit. http://www.giubberosse.it/home.asp
For the younger set there is the Carousel, owned and run by the 4th generation of the Picci family. It costs 1,50 euro to ride, and the 20 horses on the carousel have been fully restored. The outside boasts paintings of famous Italian cities.
At the East side of the piazza, just across the street is the large, famous department store chain of Italy called Rinascente. It is a wonderful place to shop, but in particular is the rooftop bar called, La Terrazza. Go to the fourth floor of the building, through the housewares section to the café. The view of the piazza, the Duomo and the rooftops of Florence is stunning! For more information on Florence sites, visit An American In Italy
Karen Mills is an American woman who made the decision to leave her corporate life behind to live “la dolce vita” in Florence, Italy, Read more about her experiences at An American In Italy or contact her at queenkaren0@hotmail.com.