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jeffburns 's review for:
medium-paced
I have been fortunate enough to visit Florence Italy, a couple of times, and the experiences were mind-blowing for a history-lover like me. I love Florence. History is everywhere, all of the time, and the thought of how much history is contained in such a relatively small area ... the thought that you are standing and walking on the same ground and in the same buildings on which some of the greatest figures in history and art stood and walked verges on being overwhelming. But then, reality steps in, and you find yourself uncomfortably surrounded by crowds of tourists and peddlers and pickpockets that threaten to make your visit uncomfortable.
Today's Florence is unique in that the past and the present are always contemporaneous, existing simultaneously. The Ugly Renaissance seeks to clear away the "today" part and to transport the reader into the streets of yesterday's Florence, specifically the Florence that Michelangelo knew so well. It's a deep dive into the city and every aspect of it. If you are interested in Renaissance history, have visited Florence, or would like to visit Florence one day, this book is a great read for you. The author paints a thorough and detailed picture of the city's magnificence, sordidness, squalor, and unsavoriness.