The Companion Guide to Florence

The Companion Guide to... #7

by Eve Borsook

This is a book to read before you go, to carry with you and to re-read on your return. SPECTATORA sure and illuminating guide. SUNDAY TIMESThe city state of Florence led the rest of the western world in art, science and political idealism in the middle ages. This early richness, the importance of the achievements of its famous sons, including Dante, Giotto, Leonardo and Michelangelo, the great quantity of visible remains, make Florence as a city to visit both alluring and challenging. In true Companion Guide manner, this book describes, with the knowledge and insight distilled from long residence in Florence, and with an art historian's eye, what is to be seen and its place in history. In discussing the Florentine monuments and their origins in the city's life, EVE BORSOOK presents a study of the ideas, events and personalities of Florence yesterday and today; she communicates to the visitor her delight in her chosen city, including those districts usually neglected by the tourist but particularly rich in Florentine life.EVE BORSOOK is a research associate at Harvard's Center for Italian Renaissance Studies at Villa I Tatti in Florence.

Genres: Travel, Italy, Nonfiction

400 pages, Hardcover

First published October 30, 1966

Reviews

[Ravi Singh · Rating 4 out of 5]

The descriptions were deep and all encompassing, other guides are very light and skimming on subjects. The churches, vias', piazzas, all brought to life in a good way here.

Don't make the mistake of reading this as you are going about town as you will miss the enchanting beauty of the lovely city.

Read as much as you can before hand and recollect briefly by dipping in, you'll find it works better that way. Very good purchase.

[Marc Lamot · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just back from Florence, with this book in my bag (a Dutch edition). Wonderful guide: at first very detailed descriptions of buildings, art and places of interest, but then followed by interesting commentaries, elaborated histories and a personal view of the author. This was refreshing, put against the more colourful but so superficial guides. The original edition is from 1966, and has been updated regularly, but in some instances you can notice the information is a bit outdated. Nevertheless: worth reading! (As for the rest: I think Florence is a really wonderful city, with lots of marvels, but only enjoyable before 10 a.m.!)

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

using as a guide book. really enjoying the depth of description and the background writing.

[Helen Castle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is beautifully written art history - astute and well observed. From the opening sentence, Borsook has you hooked: 'Italians will tell you that Florentines are arrogant, sharp-tongued, miserly and great complainers.'
Don't be put off by the old-fashioned mix of lists of monuments and longer passages. It was great for dipping into during the evenings. Chapter 8 on the Medici and the World of Ideas brought Cosimo and Lorenzo the Magnificent to life after a day trailing around San Lorenzo and the Medici Palace.
It's only when you read about streets by the Duomo being dominated by bird sellers or stationery shops or Borsook's description of life in Santo Spirito that it becomes apparent how very much contemporary life in Florence has changed, since it was first written.
I picked this up online from a list of recommended reads on Florence by the novelist Sarah Dunant. Like her, I would also endorse it for its freshness despite it being published in its first edition in the sixties.