Direction

Re entering a space and attempting to look at it with new eyes is a challenge in most circumstances. Realizing just how much the monumental features of Florence serve as grounding in the twisting streets that can be so packed that they convulse, should be no surprise... however speaking as one of the directionally challenged knowing how much of a homing beacon the Duomo and surrounding piazza have become (so much so that if I can find my way to the center of the city I can find my way anywhere in the city) it is extraordinary in itself. And the fact that this space has remained at the core of the Florentine system, with streets and development sprouting out from all sides since the beginning of its construction centuries ago either speaks to the remarkable ability that this building has to hold the city together and or to the lack of movement and flow that are natural to other urban centers, freezing itself in the city's past.