The Stork Room

Most people know the history behind Florence’s memorable buildings – wether it’s the obscure, mysterious and fascinating stories of the Middle Ages or the brilliant excellence of the Renaissance period. But most people would not actually be able to explain the city’s true origins. At the Specola, in the Sala delle Cicogne, a few cracks in the ceiling have been placed purposefully to allow a single ray of light to shine into the room at midday. The ray lights up a strip of silver on the floor, which in turn reflects the sunlight on a different point in the room, varying throughout the year. Next to these cracks are two sides of the same octagon that shapes the tower of the astronomical Observatory - a shape that is mirrored by the streets of Florence! From above, this shape becomes really noticeable, as via Romana, via Maggio and via Mazzetta, which then join up in piazza San Felice, become the real-life sides of the octagon. Even Vasari’s famous corridor, which was built to allow the Medici family to inconspicuously travel from their home in Palazzo Vecchio to their home in Palazzo Pitti, is part of this octagon. Florence’s history really was written in the stars…