Piazza della Repubblica in Florence

It’s the oldest and the most modern square of the city. It was the heart of the roman colony: Florentia (menaning “the flourishing”), in fact about three meters underneath our feet lie the remains of the Roman forum.
Since the Xth c. the square hosted the Mercato Vecchio (literally the “Old Market”), the most important trade center in the city and, since 1571, also home of the Jewish ghetto built by order of the Granduke Cosimo I de' Medici.
When Florence became the capital of Italy in 1865 the city underwent a heavy restyling, which ended up with the inevitable demolitions of entire areas of the city center and thus, the unfortunate loss of important artistic treasures. Good part of the history and identity of Florence was lost forever, all to give the city a more “acceptable” look. Florentines referred to this period as the “sventramento del centro storico” (the entrails of the historical center were torn out).

San Gimignano in Tuscany

San Gimignano is a small village in the Province of Siena known for being one of the sites of Tuscany which was declared World Heritage by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization). It is indeed a peculiar and very characteristic town, considered one of the best preserved examples of two-fourteenth-century urban architecture existing Italy.

Currently its historical and cultural importance is due to the perfect preservation of its original structure dating back to the age of the city states, a characteristic that contributed to put it on the list of World Heritage to protect and preserve for future generations.