History of Florence: mysteries, legends and curiosities

Are you looking for curiosities about Florence to find out during your next stay? Like every city with a long history, even in Florence, anecdotes and legends have arisen over time that always intrigue its visitors. We invite you to discover an unusual Florence that will take you to know the mysteries and secrets of a city that can surprise every day. Many corners of the city can amaze you during a pleasant walk in the historic centre. If you wish, you can book directly to the concierge a visit with a professional tour guide who can accompany you to find out the secrets of Florence. We are at your disposal at concierge@hotelbrunelleschi.it or on the phone at 055.27370.

Legendary places to visit in Florence

Among the curiosities of Florence there is certainly the window always open in Piazza Santissima Annunziata. Legend tell us that in the sixteenth century a woman waited at that window, throughout her life, the return of her beloved husband from the war. Once dead, the heirs who tried to close the shutters of that window encountered strange phenomena in the house like moving objects or lights that went out by themselves. Once the window reopened, everything returned to normal and, since then, the blind has remained ajar to allow the woman’s spirit to see her husband return. Moreover, it should be noted that the gaze of the statue of Grand Duke Ferdinando I in the square is just directed to that window.

Walking along Via de’ Cerretani and precisely among the stones of the bell tower of the church of Santa Maria Maggiore, you can see the bust in the statue of “la Berta”. There are various hypotheses and legends on the statue planted in that position: one says that it is the face of a petrified priest after a curse, another identifies the marble bust in a tribute done to a neighbourhood greengrocer that gave a bell to the church. The most sensible hypothesis is that it is the remains of a Roman statue. In fact, in the Middle Ages, there was a tendency to embellish buildings with ancient statues.

Another curiosity in which you will come across is the Clock of the Counter-face of the Duomo realized by Paolo Uccello in the Renaissance with the hands moving in reverse. It has nothing mysterious but it is still a particular and unique object to be observed, with a 24 hour dial expressed obviously counter-clockwise. The twenty-fourth hour indicates the sunset and not midnight and for this reason the clock is adjusted several times during the year.

Did you know that the piano was invented in Florence? In 1688 Ferdinando de’ Medici, who was very fond of music, invited the inventor of Paduan musical instruments Bartolomeo Cristofori. He invented just in Florence the prototype of the modern piano, which at the time was called a gravitational with a piano. Unfortunately, the two prototypes still existing are not in Florence but can be admired at the Music Museum in Rome and at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.