Two Parts Italy

With all the amazing sites to see in Florence, it’s hard to find time to visit some of the lesser-known museums. During my spring trip to Italy, I took an hour or so to visit the Museo Casa di Dante (Museum House of Dante) because how could I pass up the chance to learn more about the man considered the father of the language I love so much?

A bust of Dante hangs on the outside wall of the Museo Casa di Dante.

Dante Alighieri was born in Florence in 1265 and the Museo Casa di Dante is said to be where he and his family lived. The museum is housed on three floors of a historic building in the heart of Florence. It was established in 1965 and offers a peek into the various aspects of Dante’s life. Dante, after all, wasn’t just the man credited with establishing the national language of Italy. He also was a politician and epic poet, whose “Divine Comedy” is one of world literature’s masterpieces.

In addition to providing information about Dante, the museum looks at what was happening in Italy at different periods of Dante’s life. There’s a reproduction, for example, of what Italian soldiers wore way back when, as well as weapons from the Battle of Campaldino, in which Dante fought.

Reproductions such as this one of a soldier offer a glimpse into what life was like in Florence in the 14th century.

One of the most moving parts of the museum is the second floor, which includes information about Dante’s exile from Florence. One display case includes a reproduction of the “Libro del Chiodo,” or “Book of the Nail.” The book is a record of sentences handed down in Florence during the 14th century. It is called the “Book of the Nail” because it was bound in wooden covers and hung from a nail in the courtroom. Among the sentences in the book is Dante’s – if he ever returned to Florence, he was to be burned at the stake.

The "Libro del Chiodo," or "Book of the Nail"

The top floor of the museum is devoted to the “Divine Comedy” - a topic I could write about for days (but I won’t). It doesn’t take long to visit the Museo Casa di Dante, although most first-time visitors to Florence with limited time will no doubt choose to gaze at the David and try to conquer the Uffizi instead. But language and literature lovers should definitely stop by this small museum, which is located not far from the Duomo. -post by JG

Museocasadidante.it

The last time I stayed in Florence, in April 2016, I was certain I would not return. The crowds of tourists crammed into the compact historic center of the Tuscan capital, were too much for me. Eight months later, I was back. Florence's beauty was too much for me to resist.

Florence is home to some 380,000 residents. It lures 42 times that many visitors each year! Those 16 million tourists come to see Michelangelo's David, the Ponte Vecchio spanning the River Arno, Brunelleschi's dome on the Duomo, the 45 halls of art in the Uffizi Gallery Museum, and many other works of art, history and culture.

But everywhere you look in Florence, there is beauty. Much of it can be seen for free - all you have to do is walk and look, look, look. Near the train station is Santa Maria Novella church, a Gothic beauty. Across from the Duomo are the jaw-dropping doors of the Baptistery of St. John. The Duomo itself is a feast for the eyes: colorful, dramatic, huge.

Lampposts in intricate and intriguing ironwork punctuate street corners, and elaborate gates serve as sentries at the entrances of private courtyards. Statues abound, from the "fake" David in front of Palazzo Vecchio (the "real" David is in the Accademia) to the "lineup" of famous Italians outside the Uffizi.

A gate at the entrance of a courtyard in Florence, April 2016.

Everyone, of course, should see David and the other famous sites of the city. But I also like to have time simply to "be" in Florence. I always find something new to marvel at, whether it be from the Renaissance or yesterday. During my recent visit, modern-day street art that said, "Be kind to each other," was followed just half a block away by a religious statue ensconced in glass on a street corner. A few blocks later, a shop window featured a display of gorgeous gold and red pitchers. If you rush to visit only the "must-sees," you miss so much of what Florence has to offer.

A shop window display, Florence, December 2016.

If you're in Florence in the winter, you will find thinner crowds and shorter lines. If you are there when most of those other 16 million tourists arrive, I recommend escaping to Oltrarno - south of the Arno, where there are fewer people but plenty of great restaurants, artists' studios and shops - or to the Boboli Gardens for a stroll among greenery and fountains and sculptures. That way you'll want to return. There's no point in fighting it. One simply cannot stay away from Florence's splendor.

-post by JG

A street corner, Florence, December 2016.

The House of Dante

The Allure of Florence