The Secrets of Florence

Tourists who visit Florence to admire its masterpieces of art and architecture would observe them with even greater interest if they knew the many curious facts and the frequently comical episodes that are hidden beneath the solemnity and magnificence of these masterpieces. Real events, legends, traditions and typical expressions reveal the other side of Florence, bringing the city, and the wily and ingenious Florentines with their famous repartee, vibrantly to life. The Secrets of Florence is a peek behind the scenes into the history of the city: from its Etruscan origins to when the Florin, and Florentine merchants and bankers, ruled the commercial world, through to the golden age of the Renaissance. The truce in the constant rivalry between Florence and Pisa; the tax on swearing introduced to fund the construction of the cathedral; the love story that gave rise to the Guelphs and the Ghibellines; the miracles of the preachers; the bell that once saved Savonarola's life; the quirks and witticisms of Benvenuto Cellini and Michelangelo; the pranks of Buffalmacco; and the Florentines who discovered America. These are just some of the numerous secrets revealed in this entertaining book, penned with the light touch and self-deprecating irony that is the hallmark of the Florentine spirit.

1st edition: June 2008 Reprints: January 2009, December 2009, December 2010, December 2012, December 2014, September 2016, February 2019, March 2022, December 20231st English edition: The Secrets of Florence, Sarnus, Florence, January 2025 (translation: Aelmuire Helen Cleary)