Photos by Esme Rios, (University of Wisconsin-Madison), Student Correspondent for CET Florence, Summer 2022
The streets of Florence always have a lively feel to them—even in the late evening and throughout the night. You’ll always find people wandering about, and they almost always prefer the cobblestone streets to the sidewalks.
My walk to class includes this river, with a bridge in the distance famous for selling jewelry. On this night there was beautiful live music playing there which I listened to while eating Florence’s popular paninos—a little pizza of your making inside a freshly baked focaccia bread sandwich. Molto bene!
I found this square on one of my walks and stopped to stare at these beautiful statues. Florence is sprinkled with such beauty!
On my first night exploring the city, I was delighted to discover the many street artists sharing their art with onlookers. Pictured, the artist is fanning himself with the reference photo he’s using; the drawing is an impressive replica!
Here is a presentation on a section of Florence’s Duomo—the Italian word for Cathedral. It was a pleasant surprise that even the classroom ceilings here are pleasant to look at.
One of the great things about Florence is that it’s extremely historically rich. The art in the city tells many different tales of the past. Here is a statue recalling the mythological image of medusa’s severed head.
Another great thing about this city is its people. They’re from all over the country and world, making it a wonderful hotchpotch of culture that brings the city to life. This is Antonio, a Sicilian studying the art of winemaking in Florence.
Florence is a tremendously fast-paced environment. It feels as though you’re always one in a sea of many cluttering the streets, each person in a rush to get somewhere while expertly avoiding bikers, cars, and motorbikes.
One of my absolute favorite things about Italy is the wine, and the lack of open-container laws. Anyone (over 18) can enjoy wine to-go while wandering the streets and discovering new sights in between warming sips of red wine, or refreshing vino blanco.
Views from a Café