The 17 contrade

The Legend of la BEFANA

Passion of Christ on Palm Sunday

The Grassina Passion Play

Gothic Dream

The Race or Bravio of St. Reparata

Wish upon a star

Halloween

Bacco Artigiano at Rufina

And who was St. Zenobius?

A home from home through the year

More Tuscan history

The Scottish market

A SOCIALLY CONSTRUCTED PLACE

Misinterpreting Florence
[Ayse Tunca&Ines Cabrita]

The word “tourist” makes most people think about a place where they can be entertained by attractions and educated by seeing historical sites. Unlike the general thought, the word “tourist” also makes us think of a place or a product which is created and marketed for the purchasing desire of visitors. Local products are marketed as souvenirs. Inevitably, the locale is advertised as a product: a vacation destination. Its marketing and presentation is just like a commercial of a chocolate. “Touristy” places like Florence, are being marketed to the tourists commercialy and don’t give the idea of the real city. Tourists return to their countries with this socially constructed and artificial image of the city. The tourist city is forced to be a commodity. For this reason, I interviewed some tourists and tried to learn how they see Florence in their minds and if their ideas are changed after coming here and interacting with the city and local people.

In Florence tourists seem as if they are always in a rush. Everything they do here, they are doing in a fast-forward way in order to get as much as they can get from the city. They are taking photos in front of each “has to be seen” place, buying cheap reproductions of the works of art or other souvenirs.


What does Florence mean for tourists?
The capital of the Renaissance, sculptures, Medici family, architecture, art galleries, the Duomo, classical music and Michelangelo. Generally, people talk about the “amazing” art and architecture in Florence. Most of the people we interviewed, described the city as “an open air museum.” This stereotypical Florence makes us overlook the many contemporary social and cultural activities being held in the city.

Tourism can be defined as the industrialization of travelling and as a result, the modifications of cities are inevitable. What is marketed about these cities are mostly examples of hyper-reality. Tourist advertisements inhibit visitors from seeing the real city as it is. Through talking with people, I saw that most already have an image of Florence in their minds. Nevertheless, tourists’ brief, fast paced visits to Florence prevent changing this misinterpreted perception of the city. However, since you are living here you can show them your favourite part of the real Florence. You can take them for an apertif, to see a show or to drink a cappuccino while standing at a bar with local Florentines.


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