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Hidden Florence

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During the Renaissance, charity work was an important part of everyday life. At Santa Maria Nuova, lay people did their part in showing their gratitude to God and the Virgin Mary by providing funds and giving up their time to minister to the sick. Looking back on the COVID-19 pandemic, what is more heart-warming than seeing people across time and space taking care of those less fortunate than themselves? Listen to the full story from Marietta as she takes you along the walk ‘Marietta: City of Women’ – link in bio
A chance for vengeance, a little war or simply fun and games? For those football fans among you, the calcio fiorentino or calcio storico pictured above is a game deeply rooted in Florentine history. Vicious, bloody and with few rules, it originated in Piazza Santa Croce and pitted the aristocrats from each of Florence’s four districts against each other. After a period of declining interest, the game was revived during the fascist regime and continues to be played to this day; a true link between past and present. Swipe right to hear more about the Renaissance spectacle, and to spot the difference with modern version. ➡️➡️
Statues have historically been the target of criticism, creating spaces of contestation. While we witness the removal of many public sculptures during anti-racism demonstrations across the world today, similar actions to silence statutes causing discomfort occurred in Italy five centuries ago.
Converted from a space of deprivation to an international centre for the defense of the freedom and dignity of all human beings, the Murate's transformation reminds us of times when basic rights were violated in Florence. Back in Renaissance Italy, for instance, torture was surprisingly not considered to be a punishment, but an institutionalised way of making people tell the truth. There were strict rules around its use, which judges frequently found loopholes around. For instance, it was never supposed to draw blood, hence applying fire to the bottom of the feet, nor was it meant to debilitate people permanently. Did you know that some men could bring doctor's notes about their bad backs to interrogations in order to try to avoid being tortured?

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