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Florence and the Problem of Being Large in a Small City
Florence is such an amazing place where optical aesthetics, architecture, artistry in paintings, sculptures, and elegance come hand in hand with space reduction.
I’m an American student from Southern California. My notion of “lack of space” prior to coming here takes on a whole new meaning.
For example, I thought my backyard in California was somewhat tiny; I now look at it as a park. My apartment, my 1st one, a quaint little place, has everything I need, but in thinking back to my house in California, it’s practically a resort.
Some roads and motorways seem to echo this idea as well. I look at the sidewalks as lips from the walls. Its so tiny that I can hardly keep myself on the same sidewalks Giotto walked on. When a car or truck drives through the street, I need to huge the wall so the vehicle can pass by….hey, walls need lovin’ too.
Driving around in Florence is both exciting and nerve racking and I’ve have had the pleasure of driving around this city where lanes mean nothing, only designs on the road….If you can drive in Florence, you can drive anywhere, it builds character and puts hair on your chest. Italian motorists seem to really maximize their space on the road. If there’s the slightest hint of road space, they’ll grab it like hot-on-sale-merchandise off the store shelves.
After two months of being here, I’ve slowly acclimated to this way of living. Difficult, but nonetheless, this new way of living makes me more appreciative of my space back home.
Article and Comic by: Mark Hernandez
Lifestyle, Arts and Entertainment - a8.11.16.21.03
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