Florence Drivers Bad for the Environment
Drivers in Florence have been placed among the worst in Italy in terms of consideration
for the environment following a recent study by the insurance group Direct Line. While drivers in Italy
are already infamously considered reckless and aggressive, results of this latest survey may come as a
surprise to some, with Naples and Rome being more traditional candidates for such ignominy.
According to the study, drivers in Florence are particularly guilty of throwing rubbish
and cigarette ends from the window, regularly running the engine while stationary to warm it up (which
isn't necessary for modern cars) and failing to give their engines the optimum level of maintenance,
rendering them less efficient.
H&M Moves into Via Tornabuoni
Bargain high-street clothes retailer H&M is set to move into one of Florence's most
prestigious areas in June, with a new 400-square-metre store set to open in the historic Palazzo
Dudley-Navone on the corner of Via della Spada and Via Vigna Nuova.
Occupying a prominent position right on Via Tornabuoni, H&M will be the first low-cost
retailer in the area, famous for its high-end designer boutiques. Florence's equivalent of Milan's
'Golden Triangle' and Rome's Via Condotti is a beacon to dedicated followers of fashion both resident
and tourist and the new addition will certainly appear to some as symbolic of the downturn in the economy.
It's yet to be seen whether the new store will serve to bring down the prestige of the area or help to
revive its fortunes.
No Penises Please - We're Japanese!
A replica statue of Michelangelo's priceless sculpture David has attracted criticism in
Japan after it was unveiled in a park in the city of Okuizumo. The copy proudly stands five metres tall
and residents have urged the local council to give it a pair of pants, complaining that the nude male
figure is offensive and scares children.
The original statue currently stands in Florence's Accademia di Belle Arti Gallery and
is generally considered one of the greatest works of art of the renaissance period. Completed in 1504 by
Michelangelo, it's yet to be confirmed whether anyone in Italy has ever taken issue with the statue's
lack of modesty.
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