In search of the disappeared city: Florence in the late nineteenth century

About the Tour

Anyone who comes to Florence thinks of walking in a city immersed in the splendor of the Middle Ages, with its ancient remains of towers or in that of the Renaissance city dotted with majestic palaces of the time: but this is not the case. With the Italian unification the city completely changed its face and underwent a total metamorphosis: the center of Florence today is only the pale memory of its glorious past. At the end of the nineteenth century the "heart" of Florence centered on the Old Market, full of history and magic, was subjected to many urban misdeeds prompted by the new needs and was sacrificed to the savage building speculation of the time: with it the old one also disappeared forever Jewish ghetto. With the help of your imagination and with the support of many photographs and paintings we will retrace some of these stages together. 1- We will start from Piazza SMN for a small introduction and then continue to the 2nd Mercato di San Lorenzo majestic work of the time 3-We will make a brief stop in front of the Cathedral facade to understand the tastes dictated by the new ruling class. 4-We will proceed towards the "new" via Calzaiuoli to finally reach Piazza della Repubblica, the beating heart of the city before the great demolitions with its post-unification cafes. 5-We will continue towards Piazza della Signoria where the original layout of the square fortunately remained almost intact. 6- Finally, with an exceptional guest invented by Collodi's creative imagination, Pinocchio, we will talk about the facade and the interior of the Basilica. Before leaving, we will pay homage to the statue of the Divine Poet overlooking the square to remind us that the Poet would never have approved this metamorphosis. The story will be fueled by anecdotes, curiosities and small stories that will remain engraved in your memory for a long time. We are waiting for you for this new and exciting adventure. Minimum number 4 people. Walkers wishing to cancel the tour confirmed by us are requested to cancel the tour no later than 24 hours before the start of the tour.

Meeting point: Open in Google Maps

How to find me: In front of the facade of Santa Maria Novella near the obelisk. The guide will have a sign reading "the disappeared city" flag with the Lily of Florence and a