Florencewalks by Anne Holler

Author:Anne Holler
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.

Wall tile inside the Church of San Remigio

The horizontal lintels over the large and smaller doors of the church are made of a massive and costly stone called pietra serena (“clear stone”), which is found on the hillsides outside of Florence. The smaller pieces around the arches of the doorways are made of a tannish stone that fractures easily but is less precarious to use as an arch stone than as a lintel.

The door to the right of the church, at no. 4, is occasionally open, usually an hour before 6:00 P.M. mass. This is the entrance to the plant-filled thirteenth-century cloister. Along the walls is a display of Gothic doorframe pieces and a nineteenth-century marble tomb marker.

If you are facing the façade of the church, turn right down via San Remigio. At the end of this lane is the wider and busier street, via de’ Neri. At this intersection you have several possibilities for eating—all depending on your pocketbook and taste. (If you aren’t hungry at this juncture, skip to here.) If you are interested in a more than moderately priced restaurant, turn right for a short detour to Il Fagiano (“The Pheasant”) at via de’ Neri 57/r. This street is also crowded with alimentari, small neighborhood grocery stores. Just around the left corner from via San Remigio, at no. 44/r, is a salumeria, another name for “grocery store.” We’re approaching the end of the second walk, and a take-out meal could be enjoyed on the Ponte alle Grazie, which overlooks the Arno River. Pick out some prosciutto, cheeses, and ask for a few panini (small sandwiches). Buy a bottle of red or white wine, and you have the makings of a classic picnic. Another store with a slightly wider selection of meats and cheeses is at no. 35/r; it’s a pizzicheria. Literally translated it means a “cheesemonger’s shop.” If you’re more inclined to sit at tables and chairs, start walking down via de’ Neri until you reach no. 17/r on the left side of the street. Your destination will be a usually lively, updated fiaschetteria, or “wine restaurant.”

As you’re walking you may want to consider how the street came to be called via de’ Neri. Condemned prisoners in the Middle Ages were marched from their cells in the Bargello down through this street, across Borgo Santa Croce, and out past the city walls for execution. A sympathetic band of companions formed to accompany the prisoners on their last walk through Florence. They called themselves the Compagnia dei Neri (“The Companions in Black”), and the street took on their name.

If you eat lunch or dinner at the fiaschetteria Niccolini, you’ll order (or point at, depending on your Italian vocabulary) the buffet dishes displayed on the front counter. Their summer specialty is cold rice with artichoke hearts, diced ham, and fresh vegetables. A carafe of wine and American-style cheesecake are in order here. Depending on how friendly you feel when you come in, you may want to sit at a large table and share it with others.

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