Submitted by Hannah Griffiths on the 2019 winter session study abroad program in Italy sponsored by the Department of English…
Today was my first full day in Florence and it felt so much cleaner than the city of Rome. I felt less touristy and more immersed in the city of Florence. Yesterday, my friend Kelly and I walked through the streets just mesmerized by the beautiful leather shops and art work. We walked past each store and wrote it down stating that we would come back later to look inside. Not using our phones, we just explored every street and we somehow ended up on the bridge where the River Arno is situated. This was one of the most beautiful places that I had ever seen. The river reflected the buildings like a mirror and looked as fragile as glass. Today when touring, the bridge and river fascinated me most because of the history behind it. The Medici Family built a passageway above the bridge to get from the place where they worked to their extravagant home. However, they did not like the smell of the butcher that was underneath so they paid to have the butcher shops changed into gold shops. As I walked over the bridge, which is also known as the Ponte Vecchio, I felt like I was in a small village that was centered around these beautiful jewelry stores. My soul has always been drawn to the water and as I looked out onto the water, the sunbeams reflected off of the water creating an angelic shine. This, by far, is my favorite place in Florence.