Firenze: La città che mi ha rubato il cuore
Florence: The city that stole my heart
Without a doubt, Florence is my favorite city.
Obviously, it is a beautiful city, full of art and history. What is there not to love about Florence? There’s the Duomo, the Baptistry, the Medici Palace, the statue of David, and the Palazzo Vecchio. There’s Santo Spirito, the Ospedale degli Innocenti, and the Boboli Gardens. There’s Santa Croce, the Uffizi Gallery, and the Bargello. There are open-air markets, gelato stands, coffee bars, and hidden trattorias serving the best “Hay & Straw” pasta I’ve ever eaten. It’s the city of Dante, Ghirlandaio, Ghiberti, Donatello, Botticelli, and Michelangelo. It’s also my city.
The independence Florence gave me
Florence was the first city I ever lived in abroad on my own, and for me, it represents independence and freedom. I lived with an Italian family near the soccer stadium toward Fiesole, and every day I walked or rode the bus to school on Via Fiume near Santa Maria Novella. In no time, I became familiar with the streets, piazzas, and passageways of Florence.
The scents, sounds, and magic of the artisans
I also knew well the little shops of artisans, artists, and goldsmiths that I saw along my bus route on the way to the studio where my painting maestro awaited me every Tuesday and Thursday. I remember the smell of paint and linseed oil wafting into the streets from the workshops and the sound of Vespa scooters echoing off the walls and corridors of the buildings. I also recall the voices, so different from what I was used to, and the feeling of being surrounded by a foreign language for the first time.
Florence: A dream that keeps returning
I spent so much time in Florence that it became almost normal to pass by the Duomo with its rose and green marble, illuminated by the morning sun. I would roam the city, always with a notebook in hand, sketching everything I saw: a statue here, an architectural detail there, one of Botticelli’s angels at the Uffizi, or a figure from Brunelleschi’s Baptistry doors. Everything seemed possible in Florence, and every evening on my way home, I dreamed of my future while gazing at the Arno sparkling in the sunset light. Who would have thought Florence’s charms would hold me so tightly, drawing me back time and again
Who would have thought I would write a novel set in Florence! That’s how much I love the city!
A song that takes me back
Ora che ho nostalgia di Firenze, voglio condividere una canzone che evoca tutti i ricordi sentimentali della città e del quartiere in cui ho passato alcuni dei momenti più belli della mia vita: “Firenze Santa Maria Novella” di Pupo. L’ho già ascoltata in passato, e la riascolterò ancora!
Now that I’m homesick for Florence, I want to share a song that evokes all the sentimental memories of the city and the neighborhood where I spent some of the best moments of my life: “Firenze Santa Maria Novella” by Pupo. I’ve listened to it before, and I’ll play it again!
Firenze Santa Maria Novella di Pupo
Read the novel that was inspired by Florence!
Dreaming Sophia
Dreaming Sophia is a magical look into Italy, language, art, and culture. It is a story about turning dreams into reality and learning to walk the fine line between fact and fantasy. When tragedy strikes, Sophia finds herself alone in the world, without direction and fearful of loving again. With only her vivid imagination to guide her, she begins a journey that will take her from the vineyards in Sonoma, California to a grad school in Philadelphia and, eventually, to Italy: Florence, Lucca, Rome, Verona, Venice, and Val d’Orcia. Through dreamlike encounters, Sophia meets Italian personalities—princes, poets, duchesses, artists, and film stars— who give her advice to help put her life back together. Following a path that takes her from grief to joy, she discovers the source of her creativity and learns to love again, turning her dreams into reality.
