I awoke in Florence to a dawn chorus. Hundreds of sparrows were swooping and melody-making outside the window. I drew back the heavy damask silk curtains to reveal the view: the sparkling Arno river threading its sapphire path through the city.
To my left, the medieval buildings of the Ponte Vecchio bridge sat at incongruous angles, while beyond the river, the Tuscan hills were shrouded in early morning haze and tinged with a golden light. The scene was a painting come to life, and I understood then why artists throughout history have been drawn to Florence, the Italian city known as the birthplace of the Renaissance.
