Florence, controversy over temporary benches in Piazza Santo Spirito

There is controversy in Florence over the benches that the City Council installed in early June in Piazza Santo Spirito and Piazza Strozzi, counting on installing some in Piazza Santa Croce soon as well. Florentines don’t like the benches (or rather: the “itinerant seats,” as they are called in official City Hall communications) at all: they are rectangular blocks of Firenzuola pietra serena, of various sizes, placed by the city administration in various squares around the city to respond to the many requests to place benches to allow people to rest. These are temporary elements: in fact, they will be removed at the end of summer. “A way to respond to the need for resting areas in the historic center during the summer,” said Deputy Mayor Alessia Bettini, “going to ensure a better welcome to the frequenters of the squares and protecting the decorum of historic center of inestimable historical and architectural value, as well as densely populated with cultural and commercial activities. The identified location aims to respect the places pertaining to sacred buildings, the consolidated historical design of existing parking areas and residence.”

However, the prospect of these stone blocks remaining in Florence’s most beautiful squares throughout the summer is not appealing to citizens, who would probably rather have the inconvenience of standing than see those benches in front of the city’s main monuments (“they look like coffins,” many write on social media). Thus, the committee of residents in Santo Spirito, wrote a letter to Mayor Dario Nardella, Minister of Culture Gennaro Sangiuliano , and Undersecretary Vittorio Sgarbi asking for their removal: “The benches in Piazza Santo Spirito,” they write, “have nothing to do with the urban-architectural design of the square, and this would be enough to remove them. But there is more. The seats have become a space for the usual bivouac of tourists.” The citizens therefore call for “a radical change in the philosophy of Florence’s government. We are aware that a turn in the direction we want would imply a drastic revision of urban organization, starting with services and the harmonization of everyone’s rights.”

“We just want a more livable city,” the residents’ committee concludes. “And we would like all this to be talked about in the now close election campaign for the municipal elections, with the same spirit of dialogue between us and the institutions with which just under two years ago we created the coordination of all the committees of residents in the historic center. It was an unsuccessful dialogue, with an administration that did not deem to accept any of our requests, but which could be resumed starting perhaps precisely with the removal of the controversial square seats.”

Florence’s superintendent, Antonella Ranaldi, also intervened in the controversy and tried to tone it down, although she disapproved of the arrangement of the new street furniture: “If the temporary seats,” said the superintendent, “had been arranged in a way more consistent with the design of the square, I would have preferred it. However, these are temporary benches. They are needed because there is an opportunity to enjoy a beautiful square where there is greenery. It is an opportunity.”

Florence, controversy over temporary benches in Piazza Santo Spirito

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