Lola Zhang’s Reviews > The Florentines: From Dante to Galileo: The Transformation of Western Civilization > Status Update

Love how the author compared the Medici with the Mafia godfather, making it easier for the modern mind to understand the Renaissance. Yet, I keep being amazed at how “modern” it was already then.

I keep being amazed how the artists / scientists laid ground for our modern day living. The maths, the accounting systems, the architecture…
These are the names to be remembered, but there are so many names that I haven’t heard of, because people only know Da Vinci, Michelangelo…

Love how lively the writing is, with some incisive comments:
Even so, gossips, rumour and stories remained the living currency of conversation. Like it is today, popular news was retailed as much for its entertainment value as for its veracity.”

Amazed by Florence after my short trip and would love to have more context, so that next time I go I’ll appreciate and see more.