Florence is about to introduce new legislation on city addresses, which will involve the removal of the city’s 23,000 “red numbers”.
From now on: fewer red numbers and all blue (or black) ones.
The red numbers were introduced to Florence in the early twentieth century to differentiate businesses from houses. To this day they have remained one of the city’s curiosities, although twenty or so ‘red numbers’ are removed every year.
In an article in Corriere Fiorentino, city councillor Andrea Vannucci commented, “The city administration would like to do away with the red numbers…which complicate life for postmen, delivery men and taxi drivers, with red numbers that are sometimes hundreds of metres away from their corresponding black number. When new businesses open we assign them a black number accompanied by a letter: a ‘5 rosso’ will always be next to a ‘5 nero’.”
Vannucci continued: “Anyone can ask to change their red number into a black one. All you need to do is apply at the Comune. And I invite everyone to do so in order to speed up the process towards a more continuous and linear numbering system.”
The process will be a lengthy one that will also involve new names for streets and piazzas, decided by a committee of five experts in Florentine history and culture and six councillors appointed by the mayor. The panel has a gender stipulation: one-third must be women (or men) to ensure gender equality.
On September 15, to mark the tenth anniversary of the death of Florentine journalist and writer, the Palazzo Vecchio is expected to announce the location of the city’s newest street name: via Oriana Fallaci.
