20 August 2026
Florence
Finally. The beautiful summer days have exploded with all their energy, sunshine and high temperatures: the city glows under the clear July light. The many visiting tourists cross the bridges of the Arno with straw hats on their heads, backpacks and a smile of amazement at the enchantment that surrounds them. During the late - afternoon/evening, here is when Florence discovers perhaps its best side, when the sunset falls kindly on the river, the many clubs in the historic center come alive with laughter, outside tables, white wine.
Everything during the magical Florentine summer has the flavor of an ancient and precious world, a space-time where even cell phones are superfluous, where the camera is not essential. For one must be there, inside the harmony of this city: one must live it and observe it through the present and a good disposition of mind.
Legends: animals, bridges and more:
And speaking of listening, if you set out in search of the many local legends and folk traditions, you will find that Florence is linked to very special anecdotes and curiosities, lucky places, fountains and squares shrouded in the mystery of ancient prophecies, ghosts of historical figures, and windows that open and close on their own...in short, as they say: more, more.
How does one relate to this great heritage of legends passed down through the centuries? But of course with the curiosity of the explorer who seeks to discover more and more about the place he or she is visiting. In an active and purposeful way, perhaps by dedicating an afternoon of one's Florentine stay precisely to discovering these places in the historic center that "speak" and tell ancestral stories.
The little piggy? a must stop
An absolute must stop-which you may have heard about or been recommended by friends and relatives who have already visited Florence-is definitely the one at the "porcellino," which then actually represents a small wild boar. But let's go in order so as not to lose the thread.
If you are in the vicinity of Piazza della Signoria, you should know that just a few meters walk away is Piazza del Mercato Nuovo, impossible to miss thanks to its imposing loggia-built between 1547 and 1551-that still hosts stalls of products and articles, moreover made of leather. The original bronze statue, made in 1612 by Pietro Tacca, one of Giambologna's most promising and best pupils, has actually been in Villa Bardini since 2004.
The little animal's ever-polished nose is given by the hundreds of people who rub their hands on it every day in search of good luck: in fact, legend has it that first one must touch the boar's nose and then put a coin in its mouth. If the coin, as it falls, goes past the grate through which the water passes, good luck will indeed be assured. If not, things may turn the wrong way.
If you don't believe it, well ... at this point it's really a case of "try it to believe it!"
