Masks now mandatory
It's a brave new world out there as masks become mandatory in Florence and Tuscany today. I, for one, feel grateful to be living in Tuscany during these testing times. Florence feels like it's finding a new balance, putting residents at the centre of the city by distributing free face protection, reinforcing its (already) top-notch healthcare for all, and providing financial and psychological assistance. Starting today, residents can apply for help with rental payments as the city council introduces an online process for individuals who are suffering from a loss of earnings due to the pandemic. The maximum funding available is 300 euro per month or 50 per cent of your monthly rental fee. These gestures are a resumption of humanism, as if Florence were reworking its Renaissance roots for 2020. Or, in the words of philosopher Pico della Mirandola in his "Discourse on the Dignity of Mankind", inspired by the Basilica of San Miniato al Monte: "I placed you at the centre of the world so that from there you could best observe all that is in the world. Neither celestial nor earthly did I create you, so that you, your own voluntary and honorary sculptor and shaper, could forge yourself in the form you preferred. You could degenerate into an lesser being, into a brutal animal, or you could, as you will, be regenerated into a higher being, into a divine creature." Governance can only go so far. In the days and months to come, it will be up to us to aspire for higher ideals as we reshape our future, as we continue to be responsible for our fellow citizens and for the world in which we live. What have we really learned from this time away from the world? |
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On a lighter note, let me say Happy Birthday to The Florentine and grazie to the founders: Nita Tucker, Marco Badiani, Giovanni Giusti and Leo Cardini. The first issue was published on April 21, 2005. That's 15 years of news and views around Florence. If we've make a difference down the years, please pledge your support for 15 more years of independent journalism.
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A presto, and don't forget your mask!
Helen Farrell, editor-in-chief
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| Please consider making a donation to our magazine to help us continue our coverage through this time of need: theflorentine.net/support |
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Galileo's influence on pop music, Renaissance daily life and jazz musician Steve Tyrell in your homes this week.
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This week's live line-up on our Facebook and YouTube channels includes mindfulness with Kamin Mohammedi (today, April 20, 5pm); the return of Lungarno Chats hosted by Morgan Fiumi, in conversation with Rod Christie: 'Industry, Global Economy, and Geopolitics in unprecedented times' (tomorrow, April 21, 6pm); and the popular Storytellers online format, with The Beehive Rome (Saturday, April 25, 6:30pm), held on Go To Meeting – log on or Access Code 575-285-053 from a cell phone. |
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The Florentine is a monthly magazine about art and culture, news and events in Florence, Italy.
Digital and paper subscriptions available worldwide, starting from 20 euro.
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The choir at St Mark's English Church refused to countenance a musicless Easter. They are still singing together, never mind the distances between them.
4 min read |
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Struggling to feed your family? Here are some of the food donation points around Florence and what you can do to help.
4 min read |
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Healing not Broken
Have you downloaded your free copy of our 106-page special issue featuring reflections from lockdown and ideas for the future? Get it now. |
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Accustomed to the full lockdown, online lessons are the new normal for students and teachers alike at The British Institute of Florence.
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Simon Gammell, director of The British Institute of Florence, reflects on the institution's 103-year history and its management of Covid-19.
3 min read |
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