Mysteries of Florence #1

Packing my bags to leave to florence was exciting but anxious time. I was unsure of what to expect. Ofcourse I have seen pictures and movies like Angels and Demons and Inferno but there is no way to truly know until I experienced it for myself. I guess I was not prepared for the beautiful scenery rich culture preserved history and their strong sense of pride in it. Every florentine I spoke to had such pride for their city. I have never seen anything like it. As many of you know florence is the birthplace of many different things like the italian language ,the vespa,the game of soccer and the birth of renaissance.

link

Florence is also the birthplace of something a little less glamorous- graffiti.

Not this kind of grafitti

link

But something which carried drama and mystery.

According to legends Michelangelo is thought to have performed the very first piece of illegal art with a hammer and a chistel in piazza della signoria. One of the story has it that In the square there was a man who owed money to many different people. He was put in pillory in piazza della signoria for 4 days as a punishment. He owed a great money to Michelangelo, who did not think that 4 days was a long enough punishment to fit his crimes. So michelangelo decided to chistel the man's face into the rock on the side of the palazzo vecchio, becoming the first illegal graffiti.

link

Another story goes that Michelangelo, when he used to cross Piazza della Signoria, was often stopped by an unpleasant acquaintance, who pressed him with long winded chats. Once, Michelangelo, who was unable to get rid of this man, leaned against the wall of the palace, feigning listening.

Whichever you prefer this seems to be one of the oldest mysteries of Florence.

Just like these there are so many mysteries in italy I am finding. I would love to share them with you, so make sure you upvote and leave a comment below.