Did you know that Florence is named for flowers?

There are several scholarly opinions on from what the name of Florence originated, but the theory I like best relates the city to the natural world of blooming.

Here’s what the local English language newspaper, The Florentine, says about the origin of the name:

I also love the fact that the Florence Cathedral is truly called the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flower (Italian: Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore). It would seem that in la primavera, the city sets out to show us where its name came from! How can anyone deny it?

These pretty blossoms and blooms speak for themselves. All you need to do is wander around the city and its environs and you will be richly rewarded.

The photos below are from a different tree, although the color of the blossoms is almost identical to the ones above. But the plant’s habit is entirely different.

Then there is this prolific shrub which is so lovely!

Many people have asked me the name of this brightly colored shrub, so here it is:

Above, I love the contrast of the old tree trunk, pruned to perfection, bearing its young branches and veil of blossoms, all set against the old fabric of the city. Florence is quintessentially a city of stone; brown rock quarried locally makes up the fabric throughout area. The juxtaposition of rough stone with delicate, ephemeral blossoms is so fascinating.

And then there is the wisteria. Oh my god, how I do love this vine!

Above, and again, I love the contrast of the old architecture with the delicate blossoms. Here the architecture is tamer, more classically treated, but the poignancy of the flowers against stone remains the same for me. The stems of wisteria tell you that while this plant blooms afresh, it’s actually very old (and probably very wise, I mean, think of what it has witnessed).

To end this post, I’m throwing in a bonus of 2 short videos filled with birdsong.