You will begin to wonder that human daring ever achieved anything so magnificent.
John Ruskin (Mornings in Florence)This is the fairest picture on our planet, the most enchanting to look upon, the most satisfying to the eye and the spirit. To see the sun sink down, drowned on his pink and purple and golden floods, and overwhelm Florence with tides of color that make all the sharp lines dim and faint and turn the solid city to a city of dreams, is a sight to stir the coldest nature, and make a sympathetic one drunk with ecstasy.
Mark Twain (Autobiography)Under the shadow of a stately Pile,
The dome of Florence, pensive and alone,
Nor giving heed to aught that passed the while,
I stood, and gazed upon a marble stone,
The laurelled Dante's favourite seat. A throne,
Among the four old bridges that span the river, the Ponte Vecchio, that bridge which is covered with the shops of jewelers and goldsmiths, is a most enchanting feature in the scene. The space of one house, in the center, being left open, the view beyond, is shown as in a frame; and that precious glimpse of sky, and water, and rich buildings, shining so quietly among the huddled roofs and gables on the bridge, is exquisite.
Charles DickensIf you don't fall in love with me, at least you will fall in love with Florence.
From Scratch - Season 1 Episode 1, by LinoAmy: "I wanna see everything while I still can. The David, the cathedral at the Duomo, the Uffizi Gallery, the Ponte Vecchio."
Sloane: "Okay, then what are you gonna do on your second week? Florence and Europe are a lot more than what's in guidebooks."
Amy: "I'm up for whatever's free."
Sloane: "Take a lover. That's fun. And free."
Piece of advice: Avoid Americans. You'll never experience Florence if you hang out with only them.
From Scratch - Season 1 Episode 1, by SloaneAnd when I thought of Florence, it was like a miracle city embalmed and like a corolla, because it was called the city of lilies and its cathedral, St. Mary of the Flowers.
Marcel Proust