Led by Livia Sturlese Tosi, students were encouraged to unwind, reflect, and show their creativity at an intuitive drawing seminar.

Ghost Stories on the Streets of Florence
written by Jack Wardynski for SPEL: Journalism
On a rainy Wednesday afternoon, under an awning at Piazza della Santissima Annunziata, the students of the Crime and Mystery History Walks Class in Renaissance Florence took the opportunity to dry off and rest after the first leg of their journey. They then listened intently as their classmate, JJ Branagh, enlightened them on the history of the nearby buildings.
“I’ve always been very interested in history,” said Branagh. “Being in such a historical place, it felt like a waste to not get a local (perspective) from someone who has grown up here his whole life.”
His presentation was delivered outside with the backdrop of the gloomy autumn weather and focused on the history of the building across the piazza, the Spedale degli Innocenti. Constructed by Filippo Brunelleschi early in the Renaissance, the hospital was a haven for those afflicted by illness and orphan children. The famous wagon wheel, which babies were placed on to deliver them to the nurses in complete anonymity, can still be seen today.
The class' professor, Fabio Binarelli, then led the students to the piazza’s main attraction, the statue of Ferdinando I de’ Medici. Next, the students were treated to a folk tale well-known to Florentines in the area. Apparently, many centuries ago, a girl living in Palazzo Budini Gatai fell in love with a man who was sent off to war. She left her window open day and night so her lover could call for her when she returned. Tragically, the man died in battle, and the girl lived the rest of her days without her soulmate. The window sits cracked open permanently to this day, and it is said that closing the window angers the spirit of the girl who still haunts the Palazzo.
“I could spend a semester just talking about this square,” said Binarelli. “Each place is dense with meaning and carries the weight of centuries of evolution of human culture… I’m giving the main points, but we could always talk more and more.”
Walking tours are a weekly occurrence for Binarelli’s class, and this one began at Florence University of the Arts’ facility at Via San Gallo 45R. From there, they stopped at the piazza for presentations, and then proceeded past the Duomo to the Chiesa di Santa Maria Maggiore. At first glance, the exterior of the church seems fairly normal. Just another ornate, ancient construction in the heart of the city. However, looking upward reveals an off-putting anomaly, and the subject of Binarelli’s next lecture: the Berta.
The Berta is the petrified, stone head of a woman that looks particularly out-of-place on the side of Santa Maria Maggiore. No other such carvings exist on the church or on the rest of the street . There are a number of variations on the Berta legend, but the most common one is this: back in Medieval times, an astronomer was being executed outside the Santa Maria Maggiore for witchcraft. Before he died, he claimed that he made a pact with the devil that would spare his life if he simply received a sip of water. He called out to a woman nearby for a drink, but she refused. As he died, the astronomer cursed the selfish woman, and her face now sits forever on the side of the church.
“Florence has a cultural legacy that’s ginormous, it’s gigantic,” said Binarelli. “And, instead of just learning from the readings, from the materials, [the students] have the possibility to see that with their eyes, to make it real… you’re talking about the building, the Renaissance, you can see life with your eyes, the importance of it, and how it’s still part of the community.”
After seeing the Berta, the class took a detour to Mercato Centrale to grab some lunch and recharge for the final stretch of the walk. Visiting the lively market with hundreds of people completing their daily shopping reinforced Binarelli’s point; while Florence is thought of as an ancient city, its history intermingles with the citizens living here today. These legends would have no meaning without the current-day Florentines recounting them and giving them new life.
The final stop of the class was the Basilica San Lorenzo, just south of Mercato Centrale. Binarelli used this last opportunity to educate his students on the history of Florence’s most important family, the Medicis. He told the tale of Lorenzo and Giuliano, a pair of Medici brothers who were attacked by the rival Pazzi family. Lorenzo survived the plot, but the younger Giuliano was not so lucky. Generations of Medicis are buried at Basilica San Lorenzo, the brothers Giuliano and Lorenzo.
Crime and Mystery History Walks is just one of many walking tour classes offered at FUA. These courses offer students a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience with the Renaissance city as they learn the intricacies of its history. Peculiar sights like the Berta and the perpetually open window at Piazza della Santissima Annunziata are the types of little oddities that normally go unnoticed by the average tourist but give the city its personality for those who know about them.
Specialty Breads: Flatbreads, Pizza, and Rolls
How a specialty breads course transformed into a journey through Italian culinary history, culture, and practical baking skills.
A Look Inside FUA’s Classrooms: Social Media and SPEL Public Relations
FUA offers real-world experience in content creation, event promotion, and public relations, all while building portfolios and resumes.