Ah, Florence (Firenze). My favorite city. We broke away from the tour group so that I could show my mom my 'old stomping ground' when I stayed here with Smithsonian Journeys in 2004 and 2005. We had to really hustle, but it felt so good to be back.We started at the Officino Profumo-Farmaceutica at the church of Santa Maria Novella. Open the doors and inhale deeply the sweet scents of perfumes and other herb- and essential oil-based preparations and medications that have been made and sold here for hundreds of years by the monks. I bought a bottle of my favorite perfume, and we bought some other fragrant and beautiful things.
The other treat for my mom was a visit to the Chiesa di Santa Margherita dei Cerci, also sometimes called Dante's Church. It is believed that Dante first spied his beloved Beatrice at this church. (This was their neighborhood.) This little chapel dates back to the year 1032 and is in the middle of an extremely old part of town that I just love. Tiny winding streets and drenched in history!
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