Florentine Days

I have been invited to write a piece for the Hearts v Fiorentina match programme on 6th October. This is my submission.

The rolling hills of the Tuscan countryside have long been inspiration for painters, writers, photographers and tourists alike, all seeking pastoral beauty. The capital of the region, Firenze (Florence) is of course the star attraction, with all its history of Medici skulduggery and Machiavellian goings on of yesteryear, as well as Michelangelo paintings by the shed load, and the awe inspiring architecture of il Duomo or il Ponte Vecchio. Tuscany is also famed for its cuisine and wines, as well as all the culture, history and splendours, benvenuti in Toscana! Those lucky enough to be travelling across are in for a veritable treat! 

The Fiorentina game will doubtlessly be the main attraction for anyone travelling, and even if all you see is the game, the views from the top of the away Curva of those aforementioned rolling hills with sumptuous villas are still visible to admire above the home end of the very impressive Artemio Franchi Stadium. However, I am sure those heading to Tuscany will have a day or two extra to enjoy the city, and why wouldn’t you. 

Firenze is actually smaller than Edinburgh, with a population of just under 400,000, but by virtue of its fame on the tourist trail, it might not feel any bigger, but my goodness the narrow streets and piazza’ can get mighty congested. A significant addition of maroon and white will adorn some of the most stunning squares in Italy. Be warned though, while the city is a designer shopping paradise, it isn’t overly full of bars and restaurants, and more by virtue of its popularity today, rather than merely being historically one of the richest cities in Europe, everything comes at a price. This is especially true if you are thinking of eating and drinking in the main square, the Piazza Della Signoria, where you’ll also find a replica statue of David in front of the magnificent Palazzo Vecchio. The Uffizi art gallery is just down to the right of this, but unless you are a fervent lover of religious art, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend going in. 

The position of the stunning and imposing main church, il Duomo has to be seen to be believed, shoehorned into a tight area. If you are looking to gain access, and take a tour to the top for the stunning views, you need to have booked online, which also means you have a time slot to turn up, thereby avoiding undue queues too; www.tickets-florence.it. Alternatively, a walk across the Ponte Vecchio, followed by an immediate left turn along the river Arno until you see a large tower, almost like a chess piece on your right, then it is time to head up and up, for  the classic photographic view back towards the city from the top of hill, where souvenir stalls, and a cafe with stunning views is a hot ticket for an outdoor seat. You can always take the tourist bus up here. 

If you are looking to eat and drink, the areas nearer the main railway station, a square with the same name, Piazza Santa Maria Novella (SMN), as well as the smaller Piazza dell’Unita Italiana, on the left of the station, are both locations worthy of consideration as they will give you easy access to the station. These are locations that will prove useful on the journey to the ground, as well as being slightly cheaper options for food and drink away from the main square. By all means you can walk to the stadium, but it is a google maps job that will take around an hour. Alternatively, any train from SMN station that stops at Firenze Campo di Marte is the quickest way. It is merely a five minute trip costing little more than a couple of Euros, then it is across the tracks on the walkway above, and along the straight road that leads directly to the stadium on your right, arriving near the away end.  

Hearts fans have a great reputation abroad, and I can’t see anything that would change that here. Fiorentina fans will be quite cool about a large travelling support, and it might encourage more to buy a ticket and come along. Serie A rivalries run deeper, and as long as you don’t provoke, you won’t have any issues, however do take care around the main station and at the Ponte Vecchio as these areas especially have a reputation for pickpockets, and my only ever encounter with such angst happened here in Firenze.   

The local football team ACF Fiorentina, i viola (the purples) are to all intents and purposes from a one team city. That doesn’t mean they are without rivals, but the majority of Tuscan teams are lower down the pyramid, with the exception of Empoli, but Viola don’t have any undue issues with them. That said, this is unusual, as I have been writing about Tuscan football for years and the local rivalries are intense, all a legacy of the fiefdom nature of the region in times gone by, but the Medici family, who lived predominantly in Firenze, spread their wings far, and it’s a name that crops up often regarding the history of the entire region. The Viola fans main “rival” is Juventus, a situation that arose with the transfer of the divine ponytail, Roberto Baggio to Juve, and doubtlessly doubled down last season when the Turin giants signed their main man up front Dusan Vlahovic. The Florentine people are rightly proud of their team and with no second side of note in the city they have a lot more fervour and passion than a similar city with two rivals. Italians largely wouldn’t cross the road to watch anyone else other than their own team, so expect passion, pride and a wonderful atmosphere across there, as well as doubtlessly a glimpse of it tonight in the away corner.   

Fiorentina, like many clubs in Italy, have had their financial issues, but are now stabilised and once again they are a staple on the Serie A roster, as well as being back on the European stage too. The early years of this century were a dark chapter in the club’s history, with the old club essentially being wound up and re-started in 2002 from the fourth tier. They perhaps were recipients of an unusual  “double promotion” in one season going from the 4th to 2nd tier on the grounds of “sporting integrity”!? After two seasons away from Serie A they were straight back, and after a wobbly 16th place that first season, they have consistently been in the top ten, even with points deductions in the early days, until 2018/19, when a three year dip into the bottom half was arrested last season a return to European club competition following a 7th place finish.  

The modern day story of the club seems a lot healthier, and they are always nibbling at the edges of the top six, perhaps looking enviously at what Atalanta have achieved, and also Udinese this term. The current season hasn’t started well in Serie A, reflected in their poor results in our Conference League Group too. Such disappointing results will have heaped pressure on the present coach Vicenzo Italiano, but I know him better from his days in La Spezia and given time he will get Viola back on track. Just before the International break they looked more of a cohesive unit against Hellas Verona, comfortably winning that game. They will come to Edinburgh after a tricky away match against joint leaders Atalanta in Bergamo, and will also host Lazio on the Monday evening before Hearts arrive in the city. These are two very testing games, with both opponents having the personnel and coaches to exploit any weakness in the Viola revival, as well as Hearts of course!