In the city of Florence there are three curiosities to be discovered and tried. Once you arrive in town make sure you try the best lampredotto, see the Central Market and the little pig, that's where you need to go.
Firenze for me it has always been around the corner. I had only to get on the train, starting from my Livorno, and in a zic I was in front of the Cathedral, immersed in Renaissance art, admiring the signs left by the passing of time.
Other times I was alone in transit in that large station and I happened to want to flee to take a look at Ponte Vecchio or the Basilica Santa Croce and instead I stayed there waiting for another destination.
Then there was the last year with three Florentine days in which I discovered, in a city that I thought I knew deeply, the Loggia dei Mercanti Synagogue and Porcellino loggia. The latter, located one step away from Piazza della Signoria and not far from Via Tornabuoni, never aroused my attention, until a Florentine friend told me its ancient stories and secrets.
Market Loggia
The merchants' loggia is one of the most characteristic and most steeped in traditions of Florence. This place was built in the mid 500s in the heart of the city, not far from Ponte Vecchio, which has always been a symbol of wealth and commerce. Initially it was intended for the sale of precious objects, spices and silks from the East. Now unfortunately you can find bad leather goods and souvners there. But the ancient structure and the position still make it a well-known place, but full of charm.
The Pocellino loggia
On the left side of the square there is a bronze fountain, called the pig even if it actually represents a boar. Tradition has it that, after touching the nose of the cute animal, you place a coin in its mouth and let it slip, hoping that it will fall into the grate: in this case you are kissed by luck. I advise you to experience this characteristic ritual in the late afternoon or in the evening, when the confusion subsides and you can breathe a more goliardic and calm air.
Another detail rich in history is the Stone of scandal, precisely a slab of marble, white and green, positioned in the center of the loggia, also in this case, the best time to view it is the end of the day when the benches of today's merchants are closed and the floor is clear. The stone indicated the point at which debtors were punished insolvent of Renaissance Florence. The guilty were chained and beaten publicly and repeatedly so that all citizens could see how offenders were treated and what punishment would be incurred for those who did not respect the law.
Sandwich with Lampredotto
Not far from the loggia, however, is the kiosk (therefore no seats, always a bit of a row and Spartan ways) of one of the gastronomic institutions of Florentine street food.
That is the tripeer Orazio Nencioni who specializes in lampredotto.
In Florence you can find several lampredottai and in addition to their specialty they also sell tripe, tongue, cheek, boiled pork, pork and boiled meat. Some even have cured meats and cheeses.
Ma how do you eat the lampredotto?
Inside a sandwich abundantly soaked in broth and accompanied with salt, pepper and green sauce, in the classic version. It can also be requested with spicy sauce or zimino or stewed with chard and beans.
You cannot leave the city without having tried it at least once and who knows if your wish, expressed with the coin entrusted to the pig, was not to be able to return soon to Florence.
