The Streets of Florence

Having been in Florence for over a week, I still do not quite understand how I fit into this new culture. When I find a shady spot in Piazza della Signoria and munch on my panino, I cannot help but ponder about the people surrounding me. There are always tourists taking pictures of famous statues, but I also see locals carrying groceries or riding their bikes. Where do I fit in?

I still do not have a sufficient answer; however, I enjoy pretending I know my place in the city, and sometimes I am a very convincing actress. I mostly play the character of an Italian college student carrying out her daily business on the streets. This strategy works when I can confidently make my way to my apartment without gluing my face to Google Maps.

Through the process of memorizing the way to our research class (and the best gelaterias), I also memorize the street names. In the U.S. there are streets, avenues, and cul-de-sacs, but Italy has its own translation of these names: ‘via’ means street, ‘corso’ means main street, and ‘viale’ means avenue. Unlike most streets in the U.S., every name given to a street has meaning and history.

Via San Gallo is a historic street named after an influential Italian sculptor and architect, Giuliano Sangallo. During the Italian Renaissance, the powerful Medici family, Pope Julius II, and Pope Leo X, commissioned Sangallo to design everything from churches to lavish villas. Other streets also commemorate important discoveries and successes of the Florentine people (e.g., Via dell’Oriuolo). This street name has changed over time, but in 1353 the clock tower for Palazzo della Signoria was built by a house on this road. The name Via dell’Oriuolo, or ‘street of the watch,’ stuck.

A struggle for power over the central city-states of Italy began in the 12^th and 13^th centuries between the Holy Roman Emperor and the Papacy, leading to more street name history. Both sides claimed God selected them to rule, and this rivalry divided Italy’s city-states. Those who supported the Pope were called ‘guelfi,’ and those who supported the emperor were called ‘ghibellini.’ It is no surprise that there are two streets in the heart of Florence called Via Guelfa and Via Ghibellina.

New cities are built over ruined cities, allowing the events of the past to give meaning to the streets of Florence. I am eager to continue collecting pockets of Italian history, and begin living out my character as an Italian student who fits into this culture.

This post was written by Laura Long, a junior at Purdue University. Laura is majoring in Psychological Sciences and Applied Statistics, and hopes to continue her education through a graduate program in Industrial-Organizational Psychology.