Summer in the city

Florence's crowds go big

School is officially out and summer is making itself known in various ways: slower mornings, lots of juicy fruit on the table, countdown to beach vacations, and of course, plenty of gorgeous summer reading stacking up.

A reminder about our Illuminare Book Club meeting on Tuesday, June 25^th at 6pm (CEST) where we will discuss Arturo’s Island by Elsa Morante.

Florence is absolutely heaving with humanity this summer, the massive tour groups are back and I have noticed snaking lines of tourists forming in front of random restaurants and shops declared ‘musts’ by some influencer or another.

Groups of people in matching I ❤ Firenze t-shirts do elaborate photo shoots in front of a palazzo near my house.

Visitors stare open-mouthed at the hordes they did not expect; friends visit and delicately ask how locals handle it all.

It’s…a lot.

Though it is becoming increasingly more difficult, there is a way to enjoy the city’s vast culture without the soul-crushing summer crowds—but it will take some (non-TikTok) research. Since most people coming to Florence want two things—great art and great food—I offer two new resources on that front, both written by locals who care deeply about the city and its long-term health and sustainability.

The first is a new guidebook published by Unanchor and written by art historian and longtime Florence resident, Alexandra Korey. Get thee a copy of Florence, Italy: 4 Days Exploring the City’s Art & Culture and follow Korey’s expert lead.

With your art and culture sorted, all that’s left is choosing your restaurants and wine bars—no small feat, I know. Just in time for summer, our Girl in Florence Georgette Jupe and her colleague Coral Sisk have published a fantastic list of the best eats in town.

As for me, I find living in the center of Florence in the summer both a blessing and a curse. I am surrounded by amazing art but the overwhelming crowds often have me fleeing back home or to the library for refuge.

Last year in an effort to stay inspired by the culture that I love so much, I created a course called ‘Meditations on Masterpieces’, which looked at the unique stories behind one hundred lesser-known works in Florence, ranging from ancient sculptures to Baroque paintings and everything in between.

This summer I will be turning those meditations into a book—one that I hope will be a salve for Florence’s over-tourism and a love song to these masterpieces that so powerfully illuminate our imaginations, minds and spirits.

I would love to hear from you and what your summer holds—especially if it includes Italian travels, be they real or of the armchair variety!