Stepping into Florence and Italy for the first time this month has been nothing short of overwhelming. From trying to navigate the city and butchering the language in my first attempts to now finding small cafes and study spots to do schoolwork in, there hasn’t been a lot of time to simply stop and breathe. But when I am able to look around, I’ve noticed a few things about Italian culture that have been quite new for me as an American college student.
The sheer amount of history and art
One of the most obvious culture shocks is the history of Florence, and all that comes with it. From the uneven cobblestone streets that hold small puddles after each drizzle of rain to the many museums scattered across the city, and even just small inscriptions on unsuspecting walls commemorating a historical event from centuries ago, Florence is an absolute dream for a history lover. As someone who was awestruck in Boston, thinking about standing on the same streets as my country’s founding fathers in the 1700s, casually being told that a building I am visiting in Florence was erected in the 1200s is almost unfathomable.
Similar to the history, the pure abundance of art here in Florence has also been a welcome surprise. Just days ago, my roommates and I ventured across the Arno to look around the Santo Spirito market. While there, we stumbled into what we thought was an unassuming church. Instead, it was the Basilica of Santo Spirito, lined wall to wall with massive paintings and beautiful architecture. It was yet another reminder of the history of the city and an exciting promise that there is so much beauty in this city for me to discover.
Dogs are very cosy
Perhaps one of the most fun culture shocks I’ve experienced in Florence so far has been the fashion. However, I’m not referring to the people (although they are stylish too, of course), but more so the dogs. In the first few days of my time here, when the temperature had dipped below eight degrees, I noticed a particularly adorable trend in Florence’s fuzzy friends: so many of them were outfitted in a little sweater. I’m not quite sure whether it’s because of the chill in the air or whether I should come to expect this kind of fashion from even the animals in Italy, but it was certainly interesting to see.
Narrow streets, fast drivers
One of the largest adjustments so far may be the urban planning and architecture that comes in a historic city. Tall buildings and narrow streets filled with cars and motorcycles whipping around each corner feels like a disaster waiting to happen for me. Plus, the height of the buildings that line each street prevents newcomers from having a landmark to allow them to get their bearings. In my college town of Madison, Wisconsin, the State Capitol serves as a north star of sorts: you can see it from most places in the city and from just that you can orient yourself. Meanwhile, when first exploring the city of Florence, I discovered the Duomo by complete accident—I turned a corner, and there it was! For someone trying not to be an obvious outsider, it sure isn’t easy to forgo a map while getting around. And with narrow streets come even narrower sidewalks. This means stepping into the street when someone is walking your way and going single file while in a group. Not the most convenient for someone who walks at the speed of light, but I’ll adjust, I suppose.
The speed of the city
When I was researching Florence, I remember seeing blog after blog reminiscing on how the city had taught them to slow down, to enjoy their meals and savor their time. For me, this was an exciting possibility, since both college and high school often forced you to think about what was next, rather than living in the present. This previous semester, I took a course where there never seemed to be an end to the homework and I routinely worked long hours, in addition to my other classes, my job and my extracurriculars. Here, I hope, will provide a much-needed break, or at the very least, a change of pace. In some ways, I have already seen this come true. Many shops are closed between lunch and dinner, and I am often scooting around people on the (narrow) sidewalks, muttering scusi as I breeze past them while trying to walk around. At other times, I’ve noticed the opposite, however. On days when I do wish to take it slow and laze around in a cafe, sitting down often costs more than taking your food to go. And while I’ve heard it’s necessary to provide fair wages for workers, it also serves as an interesting dichotomy between the far-spread images of a city relaxing at a restaurant with a glass of wine on a sunny day and the added charge behind that.
Though Florence is already a massive change from anything and everything I am comfortable with, each day I warm up to it more. Hopefully by my departure in May, I’ll be a seasoned pro at walking these cobblestone streets and savoring my time here in Italy.
