An ancient proverb holds that a lion’s power lies in our fear of him. If you look at the door on the left-hand side of the cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, you will find a lion and a lioness atop a column. The lion figures in

Saying goodbye is painfully hard. I never imagined how fast and how hard I could fall in love with a city. I distinctly recall landing at the airport and not knowing what to expect. The surreal moment of seeing the Duomo for the first time looking out my bedroom window

In their haste to get where they are going or eagerness to take in the gorgeous view, those crossing Ponte Santa Trinita, the bridge that was faithfully reconstructed after being destroyed in World War II, may miss the discreet decoration on the central arch, featuring the heads of two rams,

On the second Sunday after Easter, an estimated 800,000 people congregated from all over the world to participate in the Vatican’s first double canonization, celebrating Popes John XXIII and John Paul II. About 850 cardinals and bishops, 700 priests, and 93 official delegates were in attendance. Pope

A delightful discovery was recently unearthed beneath Palazzo Vecchio. During the renovation of the foyer and the new ticket office for the ancient Roman theatre preserved inside, a never-before-seen passageway was uncovered. This specific type of corridor was known in ancient Roman times as the ‘vomitorium,’

Passion. Emotion. Perseverance. Change. Mashrou’ Leila is a band of seven Lebanese musicians who took the stage at the Auditorium Flog on April 11 to raise awareness and funds for Syria as a part of worldwide Muslim Awareness Week. Mashrou’ is the Arabic word for “overnight project,&

On April 6, 2014, people from all walks of life came together for the 31st Vivicittà Half Marathon.   The scenic running track passed through all of Florence’s treasures: Santa Croce, Ponte Vecchio and the Duomo.   Vivicittà is sponsored by Uisp, the Italian union of

As a study abroad student living in the center of Florence, I appreciate my picturesque view of the Duomo from my apartment window, the distinctive sound of the church bells ringing every morning and the violinist who plays symphonies directly under my third-floor apartment window each night. My location

Madonna has been spending less time on stage and more time creating MDNA Skin, her first line of natural beauty products, made from Tuscan mud from the Terme di Montecatini.   After stirring excitement among her fan base by releasing a teaser video for MDNA Skin on her personal website

Italy’s prime minister (and technically still the mayor of Florence), Matteo Renzi, has intimated that the February 2017 G8 summit could take place in Florence.   Initial estimates indicate that an investment of 200 million euro will be needed to get the city ready for the global summit;