Florence

This is the view of Florence (Firenze) from Piazza Michelangelo atop a hill. The famous dome of the Florence Cathedral, actually Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, is in the center. The Palazzo Vecchio, with its distinctive clock tower, is on the left. On the right is Basilica Santa Croce, the burial place of Michelangelo, Galileo, Machiavelli, ... It is a wonderful place, isn't it.

It is amazing that the character of the city has been preserved so well, and still so livable. The land must be very valuable and a lot of people must have wanted to build modern high rises to make maximum profit from the land. A lot of planning and self-restraint must have been exercised for the sake of history and culture. Perhaps it is simply a matter of seeking longer term value as opposed to extremely short term gain. In any case, we are grateful.