Ladies and Gentlemen, I present the coat-of-arms of Florence, capital city of Tuscany (Toscana) in Italy.
Florence was established by the Roman general Lucius Cornelius Sulla in 80 BC as a settlement for his veteran soldiers. It was originally named Fluentia, owing the fact that it was built between two rivers, which was later corrupted to Florentia, meaning blooming. It is from this later name that the city's arms derive.
The blazon: Argent, a fleur-de-lys flory Gules. Which is to say, a white or silver background with a particularly flowery form of fleur-de-lys, itself a stylised heraldic lily.
It is considered the birth-place of the Italian Renaissance. I have never been, but would love to (off season of course, without the crowds)
8 comments:
go anytime It's fantastic!! but stay in the centre,it's great when the day trippers go.
Just discovered your blog via a mention of you on Twitter. Love the illustrations. Spooky thing, I was standing behind you in Tesco's earlier this evening admiring your style and pondering whether to pass a compliment. Enjoy the beer and don't be freaked.
Paul
Thanks guys!
Paul, are you sure it was me? I don't think I was in Tesco's - I tend to avoid them.
Best regards
Paul B
I was just about to say that surely that can't have been Mr Bommer. Tesco's. Tescso - Bommer.... Tesco - Bommer...
No, I just can't see it. I think Mr Bommer only visits the smaller, independent establishments, preferably where he knows the vendors personally, and where the vegetables are bagged in brown paper.
The worrying thing is, who was the Tesco-frequenting doppelgänger?
Spot on Clive, that's me, down to a tee.
However I did pop into one in Shireditch recently desparate for parecetemol...
I really can't apologise profusely enough for my ill-founded slur on the shopping habits of Mr Bommer.
I was a bit tipsy when I wrote made this allegation (and having had a few too many is the only excuse I can offer for being in that store myself).
I confirm I have never seen Paul Bommer in Tesco.
I have never even seen Paul Bommer.
I just want to put the whole sorry episode behind me.
Herb, personally I think you may have seen one of the many who aspire to be like Mr Bommer, and imagine they can do so by adopting something of his sartorial style. But of course the appearance is but the tip of the extraordinary iceberg when it comes to PB, because although the style wraps the package most handsomely, it's what's within the wrapping that counts. With both Mr Bommer and Mr Appleton, their company has to be enjoyed in order to get the whole picture. Being a handsome pair makes them most easy on the eye, but the intellects are the thing, the intellects.
Yes, my reaction was that the inimitable style of P. B. is catching on (rather like the Naked Chef only without any money.) ;-)
Post a Comment