Having grown up in the UK, this renaissance city has always been Florence to me. Whilst preparing for my year abroad, if people asked where I was headed the mere mention of “Florence” even sparked excitement. For good reason, the city is known worldwide for its rich history and artistic beauty, and thousands of tourists visit every year.
However, switching out “Florence” for the proper Italian name “Firenze”, can spark confusion among many non-Italians. This can be so deep-set that people even assume Firenze as an entirely different place, and to some extent due to the droves flocking to Florence throughout the year, that’s become true. In this article I’ll attempt to unpick both the linguistic and literal reasons for the anglicisation of Florence, and if the original spirit of Firenze has flourished separately away from tourism.
The history of Florence dates back to Roman times, founded as a city by Roman legions in the first century BC as Florentia. There’s a handful of suggestions on how this name may have come into existence but theories largely focus on the Latin origins of the word. The name Florentia itself comes from the verb florere, to bloom in English. So by combining the present participle Florens or Florentis with the suffix -ia which is often used for places (take Italia, sicilia), we can see how the name Florentia may have come into existence.
Nonetheless, this still begs the question as to why the verb florere was used in the first place. One potential theory is that the name came about due to the abundance of flowers and fertile land where the city was built. In particular the famous Fioretina ‘Iris’ that adorns the city’s coat of arms and gives Florence the name, “the city of flowers”. However, another theory exists that the inauguration of the city coincided with the Roman festival, Floralia, honouring the goddess of flowers ‘Flora’, thus giving its name to the city. A final, more literal theory, is that the Latin verb florere could also be translated in a figurative sense as ‘to prosper’, and so was applied in a more hopeful sense. No solid evidence exists to prove any of these theories, but any of the three could just as likely be true, and to some extent this uncertainty nicely parallels the uncertainty around the city's name today.
The name Florentia soon began to shift though. Through a mix of differences in regional Italian dialects and the absence of a national language, the pronunciation and spelling began to evolve. Soon, it became known as Fiorenza, and by the 13th century, various Tuscan and neighbouring dialects are recorded referring to names such as Firence and Firenzzie both similar to the modern Firenze.
Therefore, it's clear to see how the language evolved to its modern Italian name, and the answer to why its modern name in English or Spanish is different is largely the same. Across the Mediterranean, Spain and France both also used Latin derived languages, leading to similarities but also a wide range of differences in their evolution, from pronunciation to grammar. Therefore, as the city spread through word of mouth when visitors returned to their country they would transcribe the name Florentia as they pronounced it or in a way that would grammatically fit their language. This led to Florencia in Spanish, Florenz in German and Florence in French, which would eventually be stolen and also used by the English.
However, despite the fact these names, although different, have all come to represent geographically the same place, each can have very different perceptions, to the extent many visitors to Florence remain confused as to what or where Firenze even is.
As an international resident of Firenze myself, before moving I had hoped to meet Italians on every corner, but due to the popularity of Florence this has been a tough ask. The places are one and the same, but their energy is very different, with the Italian Firenze representing the local culture and the international Florence representing the tourist hotspots. For many international residents that come here this can be a challenge. It’d be silly to pretend that the tourist side is not just as appealing to any international resident, after all people visit for a reason, but my point is that it can be hard to find authentic experiences at first. “At first” is an important phrase though, with a little digging the spirit of Firenze quickly begins to unearth itself.
The issue is that many tourists don’t stick around long enough to realise this, the Mordi e fuggi (bite and run) as the Italians call them, instead dashing into the city in a smash and grab of the best food and sights before fleeing onto the next location. The little effort to discover the true Firenze can bring a reward exceedingly worthy - the rich traditions of the city kept alive by locals.
Across the city, the high volume of tourists has sparked a flourishing of local driven spaces in Firenze, creating areas for residents away from tourists, in particular in the two long-time Italian traditions of sport and music. For instance, the football stadium sits comfortably out of the city centre, and on match day the streets surrounding it become alight in Viola as the native Firenze residents show the historic pride for their team. Likewise, creative areas litter the Periferia. All it takes is a look at the mixed space of Manifattura Tabacchi or the nearby Cavea del Teatro Del Maggio, before you see where the art of today in Firenze takes centre stage.
However, in all honesty it’s hardly surprising people get confused on a daily basis, and I believe that it’s not necessarily a bad thing. At the end of the day both sides of Florence continue the tradition of providing rich history, culture and entertainment for people across the world. What I would say though, is that to truly appreciate the city, Florence or Firenze, you should indulge in both sides of it.
