Tuscan Traveler has been on hiatus for about a year and for nine months of that time Florence and Tuscany existed without change – packed with tourists, full of art and history, replete with fabulous food. Then the world turned upside down and Italy helped lead the way with Covid-19 cases, but also with testing and treatment – experiences that helped the rest of Europe and the United States. Tuscany, to date, has 9,445 cases and has lost 854 people to the virus.
Florence has been locked down since March 9, a much stricter practice than is occurring in 90% of the United States. This gave way to views of the city much more like it was 500 years ago than today. Films using drones can be found here and here. An empty Renaissance urban landscape.
Coronavirus update April 27, 2020 from the Sachi art school in Florence:
Last night, in a televised address to the nation, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte outlined Phase II of the government’s response to the Coronavirus crisis. Described as “coexisting with the virus,” Phase II will see the gradual easing of restrictions starting May 4, but there is a system in place requiring each region to inform the Ministry of Health on the curve of infections and on the success of the measures. Conte stressed that the decision to ease the restrictions could be reversed if the coronavirus epidemic shows signs of worsening again.
An update is expected in mid-May, but for now the plan is to further lift confinement measures on May 18 (retail shops, museums, libraries, and cultural sites), and then again on June 1 (bars, restaurants, hairdressers, and beauty salons). Conte confirmed that schools will not reopen until September. As of May 4, the following will be allowed:
Outdoor individual exercise (at any distance from home), keeping a social distance of 1 to 2 meters.
Takeout food from restaurants (food must be eaten at home or in the workplace)
Movement from one municipality to another, but not between different regions except for proven work-related matters, health reasons, or extraordinary circumstances
Visiting relatives (no large family gatherings or parties allowed)
Funerals with close relatives in attendance (no more than 15 people and social distancing must be kept)
Visiting public parks (local authorities will determine which parks can be opened, depending upon how feasible it is to respect health and safety measures).
Returning to one’s own home from a different region
Reopening of factories, building sites, wholesale, and real estate
Note the following restrictions:
Anyone with a fever must stay home by law
Protective masks are required on public transportation (this is a central government requirement, but local regional measures in Tuscany are currently stricter.
Masks must always be worn when leaving your home). The price for protective masks should not exceed €0,50.
Church services remain banned
South of Tuscany
As seen worldwide, the virus moved countrywide in Italy. The main concentration originated in the north, but before the nation locked down there was a rush to the train stations by those with families in the south and the virus came too. For small hill towns like Nerola outside Rome this was especially devastating since there is no local hospital and the population is made up of older residents.
The name Nerola is probably derived from the Sabine word nero or nerio, which meant “strong” and “brave”. The inscription on the fountain in the piazza of the town hall “A Nerone tuum Nerola nomen habet” traces the origin of the name back to the Roman emperor Nero, whose ancestors had distant Sabine origins.
The Sabines divided into two populations just after the founding of Rome. The population closer to Rome transplanted itself to the new city and united with the preexisting citizenry. The second population remained a mountain tribal state, coming finally to war against Rome for its independence along with all the other Italic tribes. After losing, it became assimilated into the Roman Republic. It is in these low mountains that Nerola sits.
The town’s defining characteristic is the castle. The Castello Orsini di Nerola or Castello di Nerola is a medieval, Romanesque-style castle situated atop a hill above the town proper. The original castle likely dates to the 10th century, but documentation places the castle in the hands of the Orsini family by 1235. In that century, the outline of the castle, with merlonated walls, a moat, and towers was built. Ultimately, the castle would be sold in 1728 to Cornelia Barberini and Giulio Cesare Colonna. It was used as shelter by the Garibaldini in the 1867 attack on Rome. It now functions as a hotel and conference center.
Today, the castle presides over a town completely quarantined by the Italian government with the army moving in to enforce the order. With a population of 1,900 people, Nerola was declared a red zone in the first week of April, after 77 coronavirus cases were found, many at a local nursing home. The mayor, Sabrina Granieri, tells of the shock of the town’s residents, who were not even allowed out to shop for groceries (supplies were delivered to each home), but expressed their hope that testing of the entire population may help to inform the national response to the virus. (See interview with the mayor.)
All those who have a special affection for Florence, Tuscany and Italy, we wish that it will not be long before we can return to spend time with friends, reacquaint ourselves with favorite pieces of art, and savor that scrumptious Tuscan cuisine.