How Florence Helps One to Find Faith: A Brief Guide to Encountering God in a Foreign Country

First of all, I must say that there is nothing like discovering new and beautiful places in Florence. There really is nothing AT ALL that even compares. It was in doing this that I realized perhaps Florence is the best place to find some faith.

This morning we took the bus (did I mention that there are tiny orange electric busses in

Florence?? We didn't take one this morning, but I did this afternoon!) and we went to la Chiesa di San Miniato. San Miniato is across the Arno, up a beautiful hill, and it overlooks ALL of Florence.

On top of the church being incredibly beautiful on its own, today was a gorgeous, bright, sunny, cheerful day. Coming to the crest of the hill after scaling at least 500 steps, I saw la chiesa - a very large one at that - and was struck silent.

To think that this church has been standing in the same place, appearing almost exactly the same as it did about 1000 years ago.... È incredibile, no?

So that is my first piece of advice when you desire some faith - find a church (or temple, or synagogue!). It doesn't absolutely NEED to be in Florence... but hey, my advice is my advice. Find a church in Florence. ANY of them. A huge famous one, a tiny one built in among other buildings on a side street, a roadside shrine - anything. Stop for a minute and just be. Don't think about faith or finding God, or talking with anyone of the divine sort. Just be. And perhaps take a minute to think about where you are and why you are there and who else has been there before you and how long people have been doing just that - standing and enjoying. Chances are, if you're in Florence especially, millions and millions of people over thousands of years (or even only hundreds, but still!) have been standing just like you, their feet on the same stone, wondering what you're wondering. It's a bit of a miracle.

My next piece of advice is to find an Italian nonna to cook you some dinner. This with inevitably help you find more faith in life and humanity. I say this because what better way to enjoy your life than to sit down with someone who loves you and has spent all day preparing something special for you to enjoy together (also... enjoying fresh Italian food.... a real delight.... something to savor and remember forever... and something which at least seems to give me some faith in love and life and famiglia). Tonight Luciana made spaghetti with tiny shrimp, mussels and some other types of seafood. Then we ate some delicious white fish and amazing potatoes made with rosemary, followed by the best nectarine I've ever eaten. When we finished, I had never felt better. Wasn't too full, wasn't empty. I had napped before dinner, and laughed my way through dinner.

As usual, a perfect giorno in Firenze!!

Moltissimi baci e abbracci!!

Note: The GoogleMaps image shows my house (A) and San Miniato (B). In between, you can see the Arno, the Boboli Gardens and to the left of my house, there is a huge park with places to run and walk and wander. Also in the park there is an apparently amazing market every Tuesday morning where you can buy everything from fruit and veggies to leather jackets and shoes to clothing and jewelry. In between Piazza Santa Maria Novella and the Uffizi, there is a little piazza called Piazza della Signoria and that is where I go to class every day.