How’s this for a Florence surprise?  Walking down a narrow old street (via della Chiesa) in the Oltrano, we noticed a marble plaque above a doorway.  Wow.  We stood in awe for a moment after we read its message.

Doorway in the Oltrano, Florence Italy                                                                             

I mean, it doesn’t look like a prestigious address, does it?  And yet, as the plaque indicates, something quite spectacular went on here.  What was it?

Galileo’s First Home, Florence Italy                                                                                   

“In This, His First Florentine House, Lived the Baby Galileo Galilei during 1574-1575”.

Galileo spent most of his life in Florence, but to think this humble abode cradled him in his infancy is a powerful thought.

Let’s ponder the remarkable achievements of this man and realise that a torrential stream of creativity was about to be unleashed into the world from this very spot.

via della Chiesa, Florence Italy                                                                                            

The cobblestones are being replaced, little by little, with paving stones or asphalt but the ancient buildings on either side are still there.  Perhaps they are not five-star dwellings but they offer a unique opportunity to experience history in a very personal way……….

which is precisely what makes Florence the magnificent city that it is.