I attended a meeting of an international women's league in Florence that was held in a stunning rooftop apartment with an important address: San Felice, 8. This is the same address of Casa Guidi, the apartment in which Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Robert Browning lived from 1846-1861, when Elizabeth died. There is a statue of the bust of Robert Browning in the foyer, and their apartment is now a museum. The building is on a small piazza, with the church Chiesa di San Felice (10th century) next door. Restaurants and artisan shops line the adjacent streets. As in much of Florence, there's a mix of very old and new.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casa_Guidi
When I left the meeting to walk home, even though I had walked this path many times, I decided to really pay attention to all of the historic monuments I passed in 20 minutes. And, exactly how old was each of these historic buildings? The first palace I reached immediately around the corner from Piazza San Felice was the grand Palazzo Pitti, dating back to 1458 when it was owned by the prominent banker, Lucca Pitti. (The palace was bought by the Medici family in 1549.) The old palace is now a prominent museum, along with the lush Boboli Gardens which is also open to the public.
As this was January, the restaurants and bars near the Palazzo Pitti were empty, and the street was peaceful. I continued, and chose the street Sdrucciolo De' Pitti across from the Palazzo Pitti, to reach Piazza Santo Spirito. (If I had chosen a different route, I would have reached the Ponte Vecchio, dating from 1345 and the only bridge not destroyed during WWII.) In this piazza, along with many bars and restaurants, is the Basilica di Santo Spirito. This church has a plain facade, with an iconic shape originally designed by Filippo Brunelleschi, but completed in 1487, after Brunelleschi died. Of course, Brunelleschi is most famous for his design of the Duomo, which seems to peek around every corner throughout the historical center.
I walked across Piazza Santo Spirito, onto via Sant'Agostino, through Piazza del Carmine and reached the church called Santa Maria del Carmine. This church was originally built in 1268, then renovated after a fire in 1711. The church is free to enter, but the masterpiece frescoes by Massacio and Masolino inside the Brancacci chapel require a separate entrance and a fee. The frescoes, commissioned by Felice Brancacci in 1425, are believed to be the first masterworks of the Italian Renaissance. Fortunately, they survived the fire! (NB- There is a 30 minute viewing limit for the Massacio frescoes. However, I went on a rainy afternoon in November, and I was the only person in the chapel!)
After the piazza, I walked on a quiet side street with more shops and restaurants. The now modern Hotel Horto Convento, used to be a convent. (My family stayed there for Christmas and it's lovely.) Finally, I passed through the arch of the 13th century gate of San Frediano. The gate still has its large wooden doors and metal locks. The architect is believed to be Andrea Pisano, who also designed the famous south doors on the baptistery in the Piazza del Duomo.
The remaining couple of blocks are filled with modern every-day life. I say hello to the young guy who works at the salume shop. The recycling bins are full. The shoe repair is closed for the evening. My apartment building is only two years old, but the street is named after Benozzo Gozzoli, a famous Renaissance painter. Everywhere is a reminder of the artistic and political past of the city and the country of Italy. How does this mix of old and new influence a population? Like me, do long-time residents still wander into churches to marvel at the beauty, or do they just hurry along, leaving the discovery to tourists?
