The Piazzas of Florence Notes on the Piazzas

favorite piazzas
Lisa McGarry

One question I like to ask others is: What’s your favorite piazza? Likewise, it’s a
question people often ask me. It’s not easy to choose just one—they each play a different role in my life here, and the ones I included in the book appeal to me for different reasons.

With the spectacular cupola rising above the rest of the rooftops, Piazza del Duomo serves as an excellent reference point. I like how the piazza flows all the way around the cathedral, which results in many different kinds of outdoor spaces. And climbing to the top of the cathedral’s dome or bell tower offers the chance to form what I think of as a ‘mental map’ of the city. One of the first things I did when I came to Florence was walk up to the top of the dome and compare the physical city with a printed map—it really clarified the relationship between the various landmarks, and because of this I am never truly lost.

Piazza Santa Croce has always seemed like an huge communal front yard; although some residents have courtyards or terraces or tiny balconies, there are no private front yards in Florence. But this space goes a long way toward satisfying everyday needs: children learn to ride their bikes, people play soccer or frisbee, young and old stop to talk. Simply sitting on a bench and watching Sunday afternoon ‘happen’ is a favorite pastime in this square.

Piazza Pitti is our ‘front yard’; it’s the first thing we see when we open the door of our building each day. We call it Pitti Beach—residents and visitors are always picnicking, people-watching and sunbathing in the enormous sloped square—and like to come out here with morning coffee, paper airplanes and crumbly treats from the bakery.

Piazza San Marco is home to a serene convent decorated by the fifteenth century artist Fra Angelico. I find it’s a wonderful place to contemplate the need for solitude in my creative life, and so, despite the bustle of the square itself—which is full of bus stops and traffic—I associate this piazza with retreat . . . just one of many appealing contrasts in this city.

The Piazzale Michelangelo chapter gave me the perfect excuse to discuss San Miniato, a church just up the hill from the piazzale (which means ‘large piazza’). Walking up there is one of my all time favorite Florentine experiences: I love to listen to the monks singing vespers, wander through the Romanesque interior—and contemplate why I feel so at home in Florence as I sit in front of the church, with the entire city before me.

But Piazza Santo Spirito is the piazza where I am most comfortable. There’s a beautiful relationship between the church and square, a simple but elegant fountain in the center, cafés and restaurants with outdoor patios, and plenty of trees. We shop for produce and many of our other needs at the daily market or in the little shops, we pass through on our way to my daughter’s school each morning, we run into friends and join in on the neighborhood celebrations. It just seems to hold our days together . . .

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