FLUXEUROPA: FLORENCE - REFLECTIONS

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REFLECTIONS

Horses in the Palio represent rival districts.

Campanilismo, style and manners, the shopping experience, Florence compared to Rome.

My strongest impression of Tuscany, besides its beauty, is the historically-rooted sense of place. The Italians have a word for this - campanilismo - literally meaning attachment to parish bells. There are intense historic rivalries not only between towns but between districts. The Palio in Siena is a particular focus of this, and resentment of Siena's subjection by Medici-controlled Florence in 1555 still appears to burn deep.

STYLE AND MANNERS

The surprisingly high proportion of good looks we had previously noticed in Rome was repeated in Florence, though accompanied by less flamboyance. Impossibly slim, longhaired, immaculately made-up, Italian women seem to glide along with a poise and grace that immediately distinguishes them from slouching, over-weight foreigners. Italian men are also cut a smarter figure than other Europeans, but this is not as universally true as it is of the women. Italian fashions are not particularly spectacular, but rather understated - neat, elegant, clean, new and body-hugging to both cover and reveal those lithesome figures.

The pride and precision in personal appearance seems to connect with a strong reserve and social formality, which is difficult for casual visitors to penetrate. More than one Italian living in Britain has commented to me that this maintenance of style has a cost in terms of rigid convention and conformity, e.g. what time of day you are allowed to drink a cappucino without falling into social disgrace. The only thing that seems to break through this social convention and reserve is the desire to sell you something. Hawkers are everywhere, even working the trains with baskets of mineral water.

SHOPPING

Florence specialises in craft shops selling marbled paper and art shops for the inspired and aspiring. Top fashion shops are concentrated in the Via de’Tornabuoni and Via della Vigna Nouva. There’s a branch of the Rinascente department store in the Piazza della Repubblica.

Shopping in Rome can be a suffocating experience. There are usually more shop assistants than customers and they eye you more suspiciously than any policeman. The shopping experience in Florence is much more in accordance with British expectations. You are left to look around without too much interference. In gift shops, however, signs saying "non tocare" (do not touch) and "no self-service" (in English) are common, psychologically reducing customers to the status of naughty children at best.

FLORENCE OR ROME?

More than one friend has asked me if I preferred Florence or Rome. Anyone seriously in love with Italian culture and history will want to see both and many other cities besides, but Rome obviously reflects a longer time span (i.e. from ancient times to those of Mussolini) and it also has a certain buzz.

Rik - 26 March 2003