Before having lunch with my suoceri (in-laws) today, I had time to run in centro (downtown) to check out the piazza around the Duomo that they made pedonale (pedestrian) last week. With my macchina fotografica (camera) around my neck, I left our apartment. I only had an hour to explore the area a little and take a few foto (photos). I walked down via dei Neri toward the Uffizi and passed through Piazza della Signoria, zigzagging my way through the crowds. I made a beeline for the Duomo by walking down via Calzaiuoli.
It was much cooler today than it has been, but fortunately, the sun was shining brightly. When I arrived in Piazza del Duomo, I headed for the marble steps in front of the Duomo. One week ago at around the same time, I stood in the same spot. A lot has changed since last week. The chains that were around Piazza San Giovanni, where the Battistero is, and along the sidewalks on via Martelli have all been removed. I did take a quick walk around the area on Thursday and was disappointed to see that the chains were still up.
I walked to the intersection of Piazza San Giovanni and via Martelli on Thursday, but it felt odd to be strolling down the same streets that buses were driving down only a few days ago. Now that the chains have all been removed, it seems more like an open piazza. I walked down Piazza San Giovanni and took a photo of the Duomo that I wouldn't have been able to take eight days ago. I didn't find out until today that the street around Piazza San Giovanni is not called via Cerretani, but that it's called Piazza San Giovanni. I even took a foto of the signs at the intersection because I was surprised that the street's name changes right after the semaforo (light) when going toward the stazione (train station), and then it is called via Cerretani.
Since I walk around everywhere, I'm certainly happy about the piazza now being pedonale, but I do find it a little odd to walk down such wide streets when cars still pass down the narrow back streets around the Duomo. It can be confusing when walking down via del Pronconsolo, which is behind the Duomo after leaving the piazza, because it is not pedonale.
I am looking forward to taking some foto of the piazza and the Duomo in the evening from places where I haven't been able to stand like the one I took today.
Share your comments for this blog post on the Living in Florence's Facebook page. Grazie!