The potential closure of the Farmacia Pitti, a 19th-century pharmacy in piazza San Felice, has sparked a wave of protest, with a petition to protect it currently circulating. As reported by Corriere Fiorentino, the owners of the pharmacy’s palazzo are a Florentine family interested in using the structure for luxury lodging aimed at tourists.
Photo via Change.org petition launched by Mirco Dinamo
Spearheading the campaign to stop the pharmacy’s closure are Oltrarno residents, with help from the Associazione via Maggio, whose leaders recently solicited signatures in piazza Santo Spirito, and the Church of San Felice’s priest Don Rolfi, who gave parishioners the opportunity to sign after a recent Sunday mass. Mayor Dario Nardella has also taken to his Facebook page to speak out against the closure and to call for protection of historic Florentine businesses.
The pharmacy, located around the corner from Palazzo Pitti, was built by engineer and architect Pasquale Poccianti and opened in 1810 by court chemist Gaspare Giovacchino Puliti. Archival sources actually document the existence of a spezieria, where natural medicines and herbal remedies were sold, in piazza San Felice as early as 1427.
Apart from its historical significance, the pharmacy and its services have long been valuable to Oltrarno residents, particularly the elderly population, a point the petition emphasises.
A Change.org version of the petition was recently launched to increase the reach of the original. Those interested in adding their names in person may visit the pharmacy (piazza San Felice 4), nearby shops, or the Circolo Pd Oltrarno.
