Why Blogging?

I decided to write this blog, recollecting ideas on a few subjects, as a means to channel my creative energies and crystallise an excerpt of my imagination.

Polymath Notes suggests light articles, published on a daily cadence. I am not inclined to commit to a strict publication schedule; instead, I initially envision fortnightly posts, later reducing its frequency.

Moreover, I sense the notion of a diary cumbersome and I position myself against a mere historical record. I would prefer to approach it as a gallery of imperishable articles wherein these pieces are revisited and expanded upon over time.

I wish none but for a pleasurable reading experience for my few esteemed readers.

Let us now embark upon the next section of this article for the sake of my own pleasure.

Below, we present a painting by William Collins, dated 1911, depicting Il Ponte Vecchio in Florence, literally "Old Bridge".

This bridge connects the two sides of Florence, divided by the Arno River. In contemporary times, it hosts nothing but luxury boutiques serving affluent tourists, many of whom flaunt their Audemars Piguet watches, "purchased in Italy", while struggling to identify the Italian peninsula on a map.

During the Second World War, when the United States entered the conflict after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, Roosevelt issued a specific —and notably ethical, I must say— instructions not to bomb the city, due to its cultural legacy. When the Kingdom of Italy switched sides, betraying Germany, its caricatured moustached leader was equally resolute in preserving the city intact.

Let us now traverse several centuries back, to the medieval era, shortly after the bubonic plague. Florence was emerging as a major commercial centre, propelled by the international trade of the textile industry. The city imported raw wool from England and wove high-quality fabrics, which were exported throughout the continent.

Firenze ¹ held a secret behind its economic success: the banking system. Here, due recognition must be given to the Medici family ², the House of Medici. This family gained continental prominence by founding one of the world's first and most successful banks ³.

The financial leverage afforded by loans secured against collateral is a pivotal mechanism for economic development. The very Human Development Index correlates strongly with the maturity of a financial system in terms of depth and breadth.

History tells us that economic development precedes cultural development. Within a few decades, when the city had already secured its status on the continental stage, the Medici family fostered and sponsored artists, intellectuals, and, more broadly, what would come to be known as the Renaissance, deeply influenced by Humanism ⁴.

The city boasts a cultural atmosphere and serves as a maximal example of civilisation, as evidenced by the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, funded by individuals who would never see it completed in its full glory. The bustling Accademia, a museum holding approximately one-third of the Louvre's collection, is the primary bastion of Renaissance art, housing works far beyond the great masters celebrated in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The Gallerie delle Uffizi (Uffizi Galleries) is a gallery-museum that perfectly complements the Accademia, acting as a sister-star.

As a tourist recommendation, the Museo Bargello is another such stronghold, housing medieval artefacts such as military items, coins, insignias, sculptures, and other artistic expressions. Nearby, we find the Museo di Antropologia ed Etnologia, which gathers Etruscan artefacts ⁵, collections of military incursions, taxidermied animals, and even some New World mummies. Galileo ⁶, too, has a museum dedicated to him, just a few blocks away from the Accademia. The basilicas and churches provide serene pauses between one chamber and the other amongst unmissable collections.

Next time you visit Italy as a tourist, include Florence in your itinerary to avoid the heinous crime of cultural tergiversation, as stipulated in the Costituzione Italiana, and avoid the embarrassment of having a lilliputian stamp on your passport.

Footnotes

1. In Tuscan and Italian, Firenze = Florence. The name has no connection to flowers; it originates from the Latin "Florentia", meaning prosperity. Other Romance languages have maintained the same root: Florença (Portuguese), Florence (French), Florencia (Spanish), Florence (English). However, in Italian and its dialects, curiously, Firenze stands. The phonetic rationale is yet to uncover in my to-do list. ↩

2. "Medici" means "doctors", already indicating the plural form. It was only in the High Middle Ages that families began adopting surnames, whether patronymic, occupational, or indicative of origin or other characteristics. Even a Brazilian president of the military era is part of this lineage. ↩

3. The first bank in history was founded in the free city of Siena, a neighbouring fortified rival city. In fact, many Tuscan cities were historically rivals, vying for territorial conquest and projecting power into other regions. Today, the Tuscans live in a sort of friendly rivalry, frenemies let's say, much like the Germans and French after the Second World War. We have Florence vs. Siena, Florence vs. Lucca, Lucca vs. Pisa, Pisa vs. Florence, Pisa vs. Livorno. ↩

4. Humanism is a philosophy that centres on humanity, its capacities, and achievements, making them the focal point of study and inquiry. ↩

5. The Etruscans were a people who historically inhabited the central-northern region of the Italian peninsula, separated by the mountain dividing Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna, geographically from the Rubicon River to the plains of northern Italy. ↩

6. Galileo has an homonymous museum, located near the Accademia, largely focusing on astronomical instruments, enormous rudimentary telescopes, maps of the then-known world, sundials, the brachistochrone curve, and numerous engineering pieces befitting books margins' readers. ↩