The San Frediano People’s Tour – Avanti Popolo! – Lonely Planet be Damned!
By Peter Olney
Flash – In 2017 Lonely Planet designated Borgo San Frediano first on the list of the Ten Coolest Neighborhoods in the world. Most of that content is dedicated to describing fancy bars and eating spots. We can do better than that……. Here is a 4-hour tour that ends in a satisfying lunch or “pranzo”.
For convenience sake the Avanti Popolo tour begins at Piazza Tasso and ends there! Besides being our residence, the Piazza is a very historic part of the neighborhood or “rione” that is called San Frediano. San Frediano is in the “Oltrarno – o “al di la del Arno” as the Florentines say. We are away from the madding crowd of tourists near the Ponte Vecchio and the Duomo and most of the other heavy touristy areas on the north side of the river. San Frediano is a smaller part of one of the 4 traditional “quartiere” of Florence: Santo Spirito. These four sections of the city: San Lorenzo, Santa Croce, Santo Spirito and Santa Maria Novella constitute the core of medieval Florence and to this day are represented by area “football” teams in the Calcio in Costume”, a brutal game that has evolved into a cross between rugby and bare fisted boxing. Santo Spirito’s team is called “I Bianchi” and many of the players come from the San Frediano “rione” and frequent the Giglio Bar on Viale Petrarca south of Tasso. Simone and Luigi are the proprietors and both are hefty competitors in both rugby and Calcio in Costume.
Have a morning coffee at Bar Tabacchi Giglio (Viale Petrarca #2 Red) and then pick up your morning “Giornale” (NY Times if you like!) da Andrea in the storefront with La Nazione written above the entrance. This “Edicola” or newsstand doubles as a bookstore and Andrea is a knowledgeable historian of the neighborhood and also sells bus tickets for the ATAF, the city’s bus system. The tickets are 1.20 Euros or you can buy 10 rides for 10 Euros. BTW if you want to ride rather than walk and do the city panorama from Piazzale Michelangelo, the #12 Bus ATAF leaves from in front of Andrea’s and takes you there. To get back to Tasso you take the #13. But that is a diversion from the Avanti Popolo tour of San Frediano.
Much of San Frediano grew up around the Monastery of the Camoldesi Monks (Thus the name Via de Camoldoli on the west side of Tasso). This handsome building which houses the City branch library named Pietro Thouar, has served many functions over the years including that of a leper colony in the 16th century.
Visit the Pietro Thouar library and go up to the Terzo Piano (our 4th floor) for a spectacular view of the city skyline and also the use of a clean well-lighted bathroom.
Communities grew up around churches, monasteries and convents. San Frediano was home to a huge concentration of artisans and industry.
Walk down Via del Leone and across from the Catholic Thrift Shop at 27 Red, which supports the immigrant and people’s assistance project, Arco Balena, and there is a shop at 28 Red that makes violins and cellos for musicians all over the world. You may have to knock on the door to get access, but go inside and check out the amazing craftsmanship.
San Frediano was once home to much more large-scale industry. Let’s walk to two locations that highlight that industry. Proceed north to the corner of Via del Leone and Via Del Orto and turn left and continue on to Piazza de Nerli where you will turn right and head straight towards the Ponte Vespucci that crosses the Arno. However before you reach Vespucci you will find Il Tripaio Fiorentino at the northern edge of Nerli.
Stop at the Tripaio for lunch and have a tripe sandwich (cow stomach on a bun with seasoning) or if you are really daring try a Lampredotto sandwich made from the last stretch of stomach of the cow or as the Italians say the place “prima che esce l’aire” (before the passage reaches the open air). Lampredotto is like pastrami but a little softer but well seasoned and a Florentine working class lunch.
After you have finished savoring what Florentines consider the third dish in their gastronomical trinity, the other two being a peasant stew made from leftover bread and re-boiled vegetables called “ribollita” and the hearty Bistecca alla Fiorentina, we are heading to the Vespucci Bridge on Via San Onofrio after crossing the street named Borgo San Frediano. On our left we turn to head down Via L. Bartolini which leads to the Poste Italiane but
Before arriving at Le Poste look on your right for the Setificio Fiorentino, a silk factory still in operation. Heading back east on Via Bartolini you will arrive at Piazza Del Tiratoio (Place of the Hanging) not the gallows but a place where silk and other fabrics were hung to dry after production and dying. If you have time you also might want to visit Piazza Piattellina where copper was fabricated to be used on leather goods.
The final leg of the Avanti Popolo tour takes us back to Piazza Tasso. The Plaza gets its name from the 16th century writer who in 1512 penned the masterpiece Gerusalemme liberata that creates a fanciful story of the conflicts between Christians and Muslims. But it is the Piazza’s more recent history that interests us today. San Frediano according to historian Stefano Gallerini, “Was the beating heart of Florentine popular anti-fascism.” In 1944, the allies were moving up the Italian peninsula and the Nazi/Fascists were in retreat. On July 17, 1944 fascists machine-gunned a mass gathering in Piazza Tasso brutally slaying 5 locals including Ivo Poli an 8-year-old boy. 2 days later a massive funeral cortege marched through the streets and Piazzas of the neighborhood: Piazza Tasso, Via del Leone, Piazza Piattelini, Via del Orto, Via di Camaldoli . The crowd chanted: “Morte al Fascismo”!!!
Opposite the Pietro Thouar library there is monument to the 5 victims of the Nazi-fascists and the well-used children’s playground in the park is named for Ivo Poli. Notice that the monument has fresh flowers and there is a commemoration of the event every year carried out by the Associazione Nazionale di Partigiani Italiani (ANPI) whose main office and social club in Toscana is in the same building as the library. Needless to say most of the actual partisans are dead, but the Association continues the work of spreading the anti-fascist gospel. .
You will notice if you look due south from the anti-fascist monument that the Viale is named Viale Vasco Pratolini. Pratolini is famous for his participation in the resistance but also for his writings that chronicled the neighborhood of San Frediano. His most famous book is called The Girls of San Frediano (Le Ragazze di San Frediano). It was published in 1947 post WW II and tells of the amorous exploits of a San Frediano named Aldo whose good looks earn him the nickname “Bob” after the American movie star Robert Montgomery. “Bob” is stringing along five women all at the same time. Each is abused and heartbroken by him until they finally decide to unite and end up giving him a public physical thrashing. The book was made into a movie in Italy in 1954 and a RAI television series in 2007.
Let’s end our tour with a modern miracle. On the northeast corner of the Tasso Square where Via del Leone empties into the Piazza there is the “publiacqua” dispensary. This is a free water dispensary where you can fill all your bottles up at any time with fresh spring water or sparking mineral water or as the Italians call it “frizzante”. This eliminates the need to buy bottled water, and every morning Italians tote big crates of bottles to be filled in the public square. Some say this water system(which is in other squares throughout Florence) has its origins under the mayoral term of ex Premier Matteo Renzi. My friends assure me that it was the term of Leonardo Domenici, an ex Partito Communista Italiano (PCI) militant who originated the idea and its implementation. So be it, but can the Nestles of the world be happy about this? .
That ends our Avanti Popolo tour unless you are hungry in which case you have many choices in the neighborhood. A block north on Via del Leone is l’Brindellone (Piazza Piattelina 10) which serves its customers a fine and economical lunch or dinner at big wooden tables. Tratoria Sabatino is a family style restaurant with great prices near the Porta San Frediano(Via Pisana 2/Red). A little further west on Via Piasan at 140/R is Bar Pegaso. This is a winner for an inexpensive but tasty lunch. You will share it with the local artisans and working class.
But if you want to stay close to Tasso then try the Trattoria BBQ joint at the northeast corner of Tasso 9/10 Red across from PublicAcqua. The food is great, but be careful if you try as our friend Noli did, to cut your taglietelle pasta with a knife. Simone the waiter will surely come out with a meat cleaver and grab your arm and attempt to chop it off. Only “bambini” have their pasta cut with a knife! Oh and gelato? Go next door to Tasso 11/Red and try La Sorbetteria.
Avanti Popolo alla riscossa, Bandiera Rossa la Trionfera'” ENJOY!
Thank you. We spent a wonderful couple of hours in San Frediano. Piazza Tasso now has numerous slogans against gentrification as well as a mural. A pleasant relief from the districts around the Duomo, Uffizi, and Strozzi. Auguri!