una conoscenza fiorentina

“È meglio conoscere bene la città a cui abiti che viaggiare a molti senza trovando qualche conoscenza.” (It is better to know well the city in which you live than to travel to many cities without much understanding or appreciation.) Matildè, my Florentine History teacher, hit me up with this bit of wisdom during Friday’s class. In a città such as Firenze, there are a lot of historically rich sites that demand understanding from a person striving to live by Matildè’s advice. How fortunate I am to have such a passionate woman—a native Fiorentina—give me the scoop on the development of Firenze, a city both immortally chronicled and bellamente (beautifully) captivating. However, acclimating myself with solamente (only) with the memoirs of Dante Alighieri, Cosimo Medici and clan isn’t suffice for comprehensive understanding and appreciation of this città. The second half of this quest is accomplished from actually knowing its dwellers: i fiorentini (the Florentines). Without the “hippy”, elderly, Italian man who vends dried fruit in the central market, the Ethiopian teen who sells “fakes” outside of my school or the jolly and plump barista (who not only provides me with my morning espresso, but also with personalized crumbs of care and friendship), the Firenze in which I live today would be unrecognizable. This weekend, I am going to Perugia with my teacher, Matildè. She is such a dear old woman with whom I am developing a beautiful amicizia (friendship). It will be and unforgettable experience, senza doubt. Until then! -Kelsey (current fiorentina!)