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10 photos that tell the secrets, legends and mysteries of Florence. That you didn't know.
The birthplace of the Renaissance, the city of art par excellence, a hub of history and culture that stretches through the streets of the historic center.
However, Florence is not just what it wants to show. Hidden behind the most traveled paths, monuments and church facades, in fact, there are stories and legends that many ignore and that we decided to tell through these photos below.
Berta's head
On the side facade of the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, the one on Via dei Cerretani, looking up, you can see something: a marble head protrudes from the walls.
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There are several Florentine legends about her. The most famous is the one that refers to Berta who, looking out the window, denied water to a man who had made a pact with the devil and who petrified the woman.
A demon or a lucky charm?
On the corner of Palazzo Vecchietti, in addition to the family coat of arms, there is a very enigmatic bronze sculpture.
It's the devil of Giambologna, the original of which is kept at Villa Bardini. In fact, your commission just wants to commemorate the victory of Saint Peter Martyr over the devil, who appeared in Florence on a black horse.
The miracle of the elm
Between the Baptistery and the Cathedral a column that ends with a cross stands out against the sky. It is a work dedicated to San Zenobi and the miracle of the elm, tree native to Europe. The story goes that, during the Saint's funeral, the coffin passed next to a dead elm tree trunk that immediately came back to life.
The head of a cow and the announced betrayal
A bovine head projecting from the cornice along the side of Santa Maria del Fiore is yet another of Florence's secrets.
Official sources speak of this sculpture as a tribute to the animals that worked on the construction of the Cathedral, but, according to popular legends, it was a bull's head placed there by a master carpenter to confirm the clandestine relationship that the man had with the baker's wife.
Florence's angry angels
Divine, graceful and elegant angels: all but one. On the facade of the Duomo in Florence there is one that takes on a particular position.
According to popular legends and imaginative theories, the angel's gesture referred to an argument in heaven over who should pay for dinner.
UFOs at Palazzo Vecchio
Inside the Palazzo Vecchio, exactly in the Chamber of Hercules, the famous nativity scene is depicted. Nothing strange if it weren't for an oval disk that appears in the sky and which, for many, would be testimony to an alien sighting.
The double face of Perseus
In the Loggia dei Lanzi, in front of the Palazzo Vecchio, is the monumental and beautiful statue of Perseus by Benvenuto Cellini. Looking from behind, however, the sculpture hides a secret: on Perseus' back appears the sculptor's self-portrait.
The ram that protects the River Arno
On the Santa Trinita bridge appear majestic sheep's heads. According to popular legends, these animals protect the city.
The half-open window of Palazzo Grifoni
Florence also has its ghosts and one of them would be hidden inside the Palazzo, in Piazza Santissima Annunziata.
At any time of the day or night, you can see a window that is always open. It seems this is the only way to ensure that Widow Grifoni's spirit does not haunt the residence.
The Star of David
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A large six-pointed star stands out on the facade of the Basilica of Santa Croce.
Positioning it at the top was Niccolò Matas, the architect in charge of finishing the basilica, probably because he belonged to the Jewish religion.
But there are those who say that the man really wanted convey hidden messages that still have no answer today.
These were Florence's secrets told in 10 photos. If you liked it, share it!
