Firenze: Introduzione

Lord, we pray not for tranquillity

We pray that thou grant us strength and grace

To overcome adversity

Girolamo Savonarola

La citta di Firenze ha il posto d'onore nel quadro di riferimento culturale internazionale/the city of Florence has pride of place in the international cultural frame of reference. Lo scrittore americano John Fante, figlio di un emigrante abruzzese, una volta ha chiamato l'Italia la Nazione di Firenze / John Fante, the American writer once called Italy the Nation of Florence

Quando la stella cinematografica Shelley Winters vide Firenze per la prima volta, negli anni cinquanta, non credeva ai propri occhi, e nella sua autobiografia scrisse/The first time movie star Shelley Winters saw Florence back in the 1950's she couldn't believe her own eyes and wrote:

"I was stunned by the beauty of Florence"/"Fui tramortita dalla bellezza di Firenze"*

*Miss Winters has written "Shelley Winters a.k.a. Shirley Schrift", an excellent autobiography never translated into Italian. The informative section dealing with her stay in Italy (she was married to actor Vittorio Gassman) is entitled My Spaghetti Years.