Love and do what you will

Love and do what you will

Today, August 28th, the Roman Catholic calendar celebrates St. Augustine of Hippo, one of the four traditional Doctors of the Latin Church, and the man of whom theologian Johann Adam Möhler was not afraid to write that “for depth of feeling and power of conception nothing written on the Church since St. Paul's time, is comparable” to his works. Well, he is also—as Catholic Online recalls—the patron of brewers “because of his conversion from a former life of loose living, which included parties, entertainment, and worldly ambitions,” but this obviously enhances rather than diminishes the glory of God under many respects, though I would have preferred if he had been proclaimed the patron of vine-growers instead, but this is merely a non-disputatious question of tastes …

Augustine, si parva licet, is also one of my favorite thinkers of all times. And this, as I wrote a couple of posts ago, mainly because of his huge optimism about human nature. The very famous quote above, from Augustine’s Commentary on the First Epistle of John, bears witness to this. Yet, the statement must be appropriately contextualized, to avoid any misunderstanding. Therefore here is the quote itself in its own context :

See what we are insisting upon; that the deeds of men are only discerned by the root of charity. For many things may be done that have a good appearance, and yet proceed not from the root of charity. For thorns also have flowers: some actions truly seem rough, seem savage; howbeit they are done for discipline at the bidding of charity. Once for all, then, a short precept is given you: Love, and do what you will: whether you hold your peace, through love hold your peace; whether you cry out, through love cry out; whether you correct, through love correct; whether you spare, through love do you spare: let the root of love be within, of this root can nothing spring but what is good.
Homily 7 on the First Epistle of John

I would draw the reader’s attention particularly to the last sentence, “let the root of love be within, of this root can nothing spring but what is good.” Thus we can begin to experience the freedom of the Gospel.

Dante, my text-book ...

[Thanks to Famous Blogs which awarded Wind Rose Hotel with the Blog of the Day Award!]

“ I think if I were professor of Rhetoric, teacher of the art of writing well, to young men, I should use Dante for my text-book. Come hither, youth, & learn how the brook that flows at the bottom of your garden, or the farmer who ploughs the adjacent field—your father & mother, your debts & credits, & your web web of habits are the very best basis of poetry, & the material which you must work up. Dante knew how to throw the weight of his body into each act, and is, like Byron, Burke, & and Carlyle, the Rhetorician. I find him full of the nobil volgare eloquenza; that he knows “God damn,” and cab be rowdy if he please, & he does please. Yet is not Dante reason or illumination & that essence we were looking for, but only a new exhibition of the possibilities of genius. Here is an imagination that rivals in closeness & precision the senses. But we must prize him as we do a rainbow, we can appropriate nothing of him. Could we some day admit into our oyster heads the immense figure which these flagrant points compose when united, the hands of Phidias, the conclusion of Newton, the pantheism of Goethe, the all wise music of Shakespeare, the robust eyes of Swedenborg! ”

—Ralph Waldo Emerson [from his journals, July 1849], in EMERSON IN HIS JOURNALS, selected and edited by Joel Porte, Harvard University Press, Cambridge (Massachsetts) - London (England), 1982.

Augustine of Hippo

“Alii disputant, ego mirabor” [let others wrangle, I will wonder], said Augustin. It shall be my speech to the Calvinist & the Unitarian.

So wrote Ralph Waldo Emerson in his journal on April 28, 1830. Two old passions of mine, Augustine and Emerson, two everlasting loves. A Treatise on the Spirit and the Letter (De Spiritu et Littera), this is the title of a book I’m reading these days—a long letter by Augustine of Hippo to his friend Marcellinus, a Roman official in Carthage. At the same time, as my previous posts bear witness, I’m re-reading Emerson’s Journals.

Different times, different styles, of course. What does unite the two thinkers, however, is in my view their non-bookish attitude (notwithstanding their immense erudition). They write with their body, mind and soul. When they quote, they in fact basically follow their own path, and when they don’t quote, they actually go into the already said thoroughly with the mastery of the author himself.

Furthermore, they share a huge optimism about human nature, which makes them sometimes suspicious in the eyes of their contemporaries. Augustine astonishes his friend, who asks if such a great optimism is actually “Catholic.” Emerson wrongfoots Calvinists and Unitarians—I have always suspected he wasn’t Catholic just because of his birth …

Augustine quotes Matthew 17:19, “If ye have faith in yourselves as a grain of mustard-seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and it shall be done, and nothing shall be impossible to you,” and says:

Observe how He said “to you,” not “to Me” or “to the Father;” and yet it is certain that no man does such a thing without God’s gift and operation. See how an instance of perfect righteousness is unexampled among men, and yet is not impossible. For it might be achieved if there were only applied so much of will as suffices for so great a thing. There would, however, be so much will, if there were hidden from us none of those conditions which pertain to righteousness; and at the same time these so delighted our mind, that whatever hindrance of pleasure or pain might else occur, this delight in holiness would prevail over every rival affection. And that this is not realized, is not owing to any intrinsic impossibility, but to God’s judicial act. For who can be ignorant, that what he should know is not in man’s power; nor does it follow that what he has discovered to be a desirable object is actually desired, unless he also feel a delight in that object, commensurate with its claims on his affection? For this belongs to health of soul.
(De Spiritu et Littera, 63)

And Emerson, in turn, writes:

«As a plant upon the earth, so a man rests upon the bosom of God; he is nourished by unfailing fountains, and draws, at this need, inexhaustible power. Who can set bounds to the possibilities of man? Once inhale the upper air, being admitted to behold the absolute natures of justice and truth, and we learn that man has access to the entire mind of the Creator, is himself the creator in the finite. This view, which admonish me where the sources of wisdom and power lie, and points to virtue as to

The golden key
Which opes the palace of eternity
(MILTON, Comus, 13-15)

carries upon its face the highest certificate of truth, because it animates me to create my own world through the purification of my soul».
(Nature, VII)

No school, no follower

“ I have been writing & speaking what were once called novelties, for twenty five years, & have not now one disciple. Why? Not that what I said was not true; not that it has not found intelligent receivers but because it did not go from any wish in me to bring men to me, but to themselves. I delight in driving them from me. What could I do, if they came to me? They would interrupt & encumber me. This is my boast that I have no school & no follower. I should account it a measure of the impurity of insight, if it did not create independence. ”

—Ralph Waldo Emerson [from his journals, Spring 1859], in EMERSON IN HIS JOURNALS, selected and edited by Joel Porte, Harvard University Press, Cambridge (Massachsetts) - London (England), 1982.

Re-readings

Still continuing my re-reading of Emerson’s journals—not to talk about the subject which cannot be dealt with ...

Free Tibet!

Understand me when I say, I love you

“ I see not how we can live except alone. Trenchant manners, a sharp decided way will prove a lasting convenience. Society will coo & claw & caress. You must curse & swear a little. They will remember it, & it will do them good. What if they are wise & fine people. I do not want your silliness, though you be Socrates, and if you indulge them, all people are babyish. Curse them.
Understand me when I say, I love you, it is your genius & not you. I like man, but not men. The genius of humanity is very easily & accurately to be made out by the poet-mind, but it is not in Miss Nancy nor in Adoniram with any sufficiency. ”

—Ralph Waldo Emerson [from his journals, March 24, 1846], in EMERSON IN HIS JOURNALS, selected and edited by Joel Porte, Harvard University Press, Cambridge (Massachsetts) - London (England), 1982.

Just like pyramids and mountains ...

“ Nature invites to repose, to the dreams of the oriental sages; there is no petulance, no fret; there is eternal resource and a long tomorrow rich & strong as yesterday. We should be believers in Necessity and Compensation and a man would have the air of pyramids and mountains, if we forsook our petulant mates & kept company with leaves & waters.”

—Ralph Waldo Emerson [from his journals, July 10, 1840], in EMERSON IN HIS JOURNALS, selected and edited by Joel Porte, Harvard University Press, Cambridge (Massachsetts) - London (England), 1982.

Light a Candle for Tibet

FREEDOM IS NOT JUST ANOTHER WORD

THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING

Light a Candle for Tibet at Your Home, With Friends or in Public.

Watch Skyscrapers and Mountain Tops Flare with Red Smoke

Join Other Special Light Actions All Over The World

Drive Your Car With Lights On for 24 Hours

Light Up Any Source of Light for Tibet

Unite with more than 100,000,000 people in

THE GREATEST LIGHT PROTEST ON EARTH

Light blogging ahead

Just a quick note: I am back, but no broadband connection where I am now, hence for the next two or three weeks posting will be light.

Closed for vacation

It’s vacation time. I’ll be back in about three weeks. So long everybody!

Happy Birthday America!

“ We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.
[…]
We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. — And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor. ”

From The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America
IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776

And to recall more recent times, from Elvis, “An American Trilogy,” which is a medley of “All My Trials”, “Dixie” and “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.” Recorded live at the Honolulu International Center, Honolulu, Hawaii on January 14, 1973. In essence, a dedication to all those who have died in battle. It is considered the most dramatic presentation The King ever gave on stage.

Join Burma Campaign UK

“Hats off to the Burma Campaign UK for their strenuous efforts,” The Guardian wrote. It’s actually something great.
Joining the Burma Campaign UK is one of the most effective ways of supporting the struggle to free Burma, a Country which is ruled by one of the most brutal dictatorships in the world ruthlessly persecuting, imprisoning and torturing human rights and democracy activists.

The people of Burma have asked for the world’s support. The Burma Campaign UK is answering their call.

Watch the new campaign video featuring Ricky Gervais below:

If Italy cries Britain doesn't laugh ...

You can say what you like about Italy, but at least the place—unlike the U.K., for instance—“has not become politically correct to the point of self destruction.” It’s not me who says so, it’s Alex, a Brit who lives in Milan, Italy, and also a good friend of this blog. May be he is right, may be not, I have no certainty about that. What I would regard as highly doubtful, in his argument, is the conclusion:

What Does the UK have equivalents of Di Pietro and Beppe Grillo? I’m a bit out of touch, so enlighten me. If the UK does not, it sure as heck needs them.

In fact, I would prefer Clementina Forleo. But, to tell the truth, I am thinking about Italy, where I would change ten thousand of those “honourable men” for only a couple more of Clementina.

Justice was done

One of the most important inquiries done by Milan’s preliminary judge—roughly equivalent to a District Attorney in the U.S.—Clementina Forleo was that involving the purchase of Banca Antoniana Popolare Veneta (known as Antonveneta) in the so-called Bancopoli scandal. She discovered the existence of audio tapes of telephone calls between Democratic Party luminaries such as Massimo D'Alema and Piero Fassino and two businessmen (Stefano Ricucci and Gianpiero Fiorani) who had become extremely rich in about only 10 years buying and selling very expensive and extravagant luxury real estate properties, with earnings around 100% to 300% over a reasonable market price.

With her ordinance of July 20 2007, namely by requesting the authorisation of Italy's Lower House to use wire-taps and by defining the politicians in question as “knowing accomplices of a criminal plot of great scope,” she made exactly what any competent and honest judge would have done in her place. But according to General Cassation Prosecutor Federico Sorrentino, which last Friday—before the disciplinary section of the Csm (Superior Council of Judiciary)—called for Forleo to be censured, and as a supplementary punishment, her transfer to another office, the Milanese investigating magistrate had violated “the obligation of impartiality, correctness and balance” by using in her ordinance “disparaging and suggestive accentuations” in an “unusual and unsolicited pre-emptive ruling.”

Why such an “official” hatred towards Clementina, while the crowd of magistrates who had done the same—and even worse—towards Berlusconi and other center-right politicians have never been prosecuted by any Cassation Court? Well, perhaps because “the obligation of impartiality, correctness and balance” is a concept to be intended, so to say, ad usum delphini? Or because, as Berlusconi would put it, “they are a bunch of Communists?”

But what was absolutely unpredictable has happened: the Supreme Council, which passed its sentence after sitting for around two hours, absolved the Milanese judge “because the deed does not constitute a disciplinary offence.” A blow under the belt for the left, which was confident that Forleo was practically isolated from the community of Italian magistrates and also from the vast majority of intellectuals and opinion leaders—of course they are all, all honorable men …

It’s curious what Antonio Di Pietro, asked for a comment on the absolution of Clementna Forleo, answered the interviewer (Corriere della Sera, Saturday, June 28, in Italian). After praising the sentence (“it’s the trade union minimum”) he added: “The truth is that Berlusconi doesn’t want normal judges only ‘normalized’ ones …” Excuse me, Mr Di Pietro, the interviewer stopped him, Berlusconi has nothing to do with that affair, not this time … “ Uh, er, but, you know, they are all Berlusconi. When they become the subject of judicial inquiries there are no differences, both left wingers and right wingers … all after the judge, apart from calling him hero post mortem, as they did with Falcone and Borsellino.”

But, perhaps, neither Di Pietro nor Beppe Grillo were expecting such a sentence. However they have been unusually quiet and self-possessed, this time—of course they are both honorable men …

The new Blog Roll feature by Blogger

I have just installed the new Blog Roll feature by Blogger. This cool new tool to link to other blogs allows Blogger users to have a sidebar with up-to-the-minute updates on their favorite blogs with RSS and Atom feeds, so that the most recent post's title and a little snippet (by choice) are displayed. See here for details. There is also a very clear help video to walk people through adding and configuring a Blog List.

Shakespeare fills us with wonder

“ Shakespeare fills us with wonder the first time we approach him. We go away, & work, & think, for years, & and come again, he astonishes us anew. Then having drank deeply & saturated us with his genius, we lose sight of it for another period of years. By & by we return, & there he stands immeasurable as at first. We have grown wiser, but only that we should see him wiser than ever. He resembles a high mountain which the traveller sees the morning & thinks he shall quickly near it & pass it & leave it behind. But he journeys all day till noon, till night. There still is the dim mountain close by him, having scarce altered its bearings since the morning light. ”

—Ralph Waldo Emerson [from his journals, Nov. 10-11, 1838], in EMERSON IN HIS JOURNALS, selected and edited by Joel Porte, Harvard University Press, Cambridge (Massachsetts) - London (England), 1982.

Ossessioni necessitate

Ma Berlusconi ha l’ossessione dei pm? Bella domanda, intellettualmente spericolato chi se la sente di rispondere, così su due piedi, e in modo affermativo per giunta (Famiglia Cristiana). E se uno rispondesse con un non-ne-ho-la-più-pallida-idea, e non solo perché sembra più onesto, e inoltre tiene conto del fatto che, oggettivamente, con le ossessioni altrui è meglio andarci piano, a meno di non essere Vittorino Andreoli (che poi ci sarebbe da discutere anche lì), ma anche perché non si sente di entrare in una discussione di cui non si riesce a intravedere la necessità, se uno rispondesse in quel modo, dicevo, sarebbe forse immune da critiche e giudizi sarcastici? A leggere Filippo Facci, si direbbe di no, nel senso che non è questione di opinioni: ci sono una serie di fatti che parlano chiaro. O come minimo questo: dopo aver preso atto, se si ritiene che di ossessione si possa ancora parlare, si riconosca almeno che trattasi di reazione più che motivata, se non necessitata tout court.

Personalmente propenderei per quest’ultima spiegazione.

Light a Candle for Tibet

My friends of Candle in My Window for Tibet have something to say to my readers, and I’m proud, first of all, to introduce them to you and then to call upon them to speak.

The mission of Candle in My Window for Tibet is to help in the process of Freeing Tibet, support the value of freedom to all mankind, and to create a new tool of influence for individuals from all over the world.

Their objectives are :

1) To gather together more than 100 million people from all over the world, who will pledge to light a candle for Tibet and for freedom, in the 24 hours preceding the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games.

2) To prove that today it is possible and relatively easy to rally large groups of people, (regardless of nationality, race, gender, religion or even political views) effectively behind and idea. And to create a new reality for world leaders.

3) To get recognition from Tibet support groups from all over the world as a unifying campaign, and gain their assistance in distribution.

Started as an “event” in Facebook, Candle in My Window for Tibet has developed out of that network and now has a life as a web site and social network's groups such as Facebook, Xing, Ning, MySpace, Decayenne, ASW, Bebo, Orkut, InterNation and more.

Please, pay attention to the fact that to gather together so many people who pledge to light a candle for Tibet is not a virtual protest, but a real and spiritual one. It is a non violent and peaceful protest, and yet it is a very though one.

And now let’s call upon Candle in My Window for Tibet to speak :


Dear friend,

Do you value freedom?

Do you care about it?

Do you want to have a say?

Be part of something HUGE, Join 100 million people who will say:

YES

To freedom in TIBET, and in other parts of the world.
http://www.candle4tibet.org/

Light a Candle for Tibet at your home, workplace or in a public place.
(On Thursday August 7th, the night before the Olympic Games start)

You will not be alone. Many millions around the world will do the same in prayer for freedom and hope.

And our candles will be seen by billions on TV screens all over the world on the day the Olympics open. Tibet will not be forgotten.

Join http://www.candle4tibet.org/ today and invite all your friends to join too.

OUR POWER IS IN OUR NUMBER!"

La forza di Silvio

Sul Sole-24 Ore di ieri—la domenica, si sa, c’è il magnifico inserto culturale e l’acquisto è quasi un obbligo—ho letto un paio di cose veramente interessanti. L’idea sarebbe quella di metterle qui entrambe, ma intanto procedo con la prima, l’altra si vedrà.

Giancarlo Santalmassi, a quanto ne so, è uno di sinistra, quindi l’intervento che riporto qui di seguito ha un valore aggiunto non trascurabile, essendo … una difesa molto ben argomentata di Silvio Berlusconi (titolo: "La forza di Silvio e la debolezza di Walter"). Siccome, a parte forse qualche dettaglio su cui si potrebbe discutere, condivido molto il ragionamento, non mi sembra il caso di aggiungere granché. Era, del resto, più o meno il post che avevo in mente di scrivere in questi giorni di infuocate polemiche.

La questione della credibilità, cioè del pulpito dal quale viene la predica (contra Berlusconi), mi sembra quella fondamentale. Praticamente da sempre, in Italia, un'anomalia si sostiene su un’altra di segno opposto ma di uguale peso. La storia, dunque, si ripete, anche se stavolta ci si aspettava che le cose andassero finalmente verso una normalizzazione. E tuttavia io non dispero: il povero Veltroni, forse, doveva cavalcare questa tigre di carta per via dei suoi problemini interni e dell'alleanza improvvida con Di Pietro, che è stata il suo unico errore da quando è alla guida del Pd. Ma il “ragazzo” non è uno sprovveduto, e si è ancora in tempo per aggiustare le cose. Certo, con calma, “pacatamente” …

Da quando è stato presentato il Dpef, circola una battuta: tanto di destra era percepita la Finanziaria di Padoa-Schioppa quanta di sinistra appare quella di Tremonti. Un paradosso che accade in un clima che in tre mesi ha smentito chi pensava che il centro-sinistra prodiano del 2006 fosse diverso da quello del 1996. E chi ha in1maginato, per un momento, che il Berlusconi delzo08 fosse diverso da quello del 2OOl.

Berlusconi per le leggi cui tiene moltissimo (quelle relative alla giustizia che riguardano anche lui), per il rapporto con i magistrati (alcuni) e per il rapporto con 1'informazione (in toto, meno la sua), e rimasto 10 stesso, sempre uguale. Qui si è infranta ogni ipotesi di colloquio o rapporto diverso tra maggioranza e opposizione. Anche se il quadro politico è completamente cambiato: Prodi e 1'Ulivo e l'Unione sono scomparsi, come la Casa e il Polo delle liberta, in un Parlamento dalla geografia assai semplificata. Berlusconi però e sempre a capo del centro-destra mentre nel centro-sinistra la guida è passa- ta a Veltroni. Ma la coincidenza della rottura del bon ton con il flop della terza assemblea costituente del Pd in otto mesi di vita, può far capire molte cose. Per esempio la difficoltà di ammettere che 1'operazione di cattura del voto centrista non è riuscita: parte dei voti radicali sono andati al Pd, all'Italia dei valori in particolare, a parziale compensazione dell'uscita verso il centro-destra proprio di quelli moderati.

Forse non è in questione la fondatezza delle critiche: se la questione morale e del conflitto di interessi è sentita all'estero ma non da noi, non ci sarà un problema di credibilità di chi le fa?

Tremonti, Sacconi e Brunetta, eccellenti ministri del Governo Berlusconi, sono di formazione socialista. Provengono cioè da quello spazio che dopo il suicidio del Partito socialista (suicidio vissuto come assistito assai dal Pci, quasi un assassinio) è ancora vuoto. Il Pd che avrebbe dovuto riempirlo, sa più di trasformismo che di trasformazione. L' elettore può aver pensato che la riproposizione del compromesso storico in sedicesimo nascondesse il solito giochino di potere. Sentir discutere ancora di dove sedersi a Strasburgo (con i socialisti europei? con i cattolici europei? 0 un raggruppamento nuovo?) non è esaltante. Come non lo è il tentativo di venerdì di recupero dell'Udc ma soprattutto dei socialisti (dopo averli risuicidati per l' ennesima volta alle ultime elezioni, avendogli preferito il giustizialista Di Pietro).

Può sollevare una questione penale (“se passa il cosiddetto salvapremier si fermano 100mila processi”) chi ha varato un indulto? Può sollevare una questione televisiva chi ha amplissima e storica corresponsabilità nella pessima gestione del servizio pubblico? Può parlare malissimo della nuova legge elettorale (che pessima è comunque) chi disse dei socialisti “sono un pericolo per la democrazia” quando proposero loro la proporzionale con sbarramento? Ma anche quando riformarono la previdenza e quando cancellarono i due punti di contingenza? E una novità supplire 1'assenza di controproposte col riproporre 1'ennesima scesa in piazza di massa in autunno? Una dirigenza autoreferente, capace solo di operazioni di vertice, guidate da eredi vecchi: il Cuperlo che si aggirava per 1'assemblea alla Fiera di Roma per dire «facciamo largo ai 40enni, andiamo tutti a casa» è uno che fra tre anni sarà 50enne. Forse è l' ora dei 30enni.

A Florentine story

Once upon a time, Anno Domini 1302, a sentence on Dante, for political reasons, was pronounced in Florence. It stated that the Sommo Poeta (Supreme Poet, as in Italian Dante is known) would be executed if he stepped foot in the city again. To tell the truth, in 1315, Uguccione della Faggiuola, the then captain general controlling the town, forced Florence to grant an amnesty to people in exile, including Dante. But Floretines—who have always been archetypical stubborn people—required that all exiles would do public penance, thus impliciticly recognizing their own “fault.” Dante, whose almost boundless pride is legendary, obviously refused, preferring a perpetual exile and thus spending the last 20 years of his life wandering through Italy. He ended his days in Ravenna, where his tomb is still nowadays, in 1321.

Ok, these are all well-known stories, where is the news? Well, the news is that, after 700 years, Florence's city council has approved a motion revoking that sentence! It’s a “decisive step towards Dante's complete rehabilitation,” said center-right politicians presenting the motion. In turn, the mayor of Florence said that the town should award the great poet—through one of Dante's descendants— “the highest city honor at the public ceremony at which his offence is wiped out.”

Oh, so fine, you’d say, but … wait a moment: did they all agree? Nah, the motion passed with 19 councillors in favour and five against. Opposing it, Green councillors called it a ”stunt” and argued that Dante's “sublime poetic dimension” was linked to his suffering in exile and portrayal of old rivals, Ansa reports. Which is quite right, I guess—at least from a certain point of view, because there is another face of the issue: so many masterpieces were written under the pressure of political persecutions, but this can by no means justify political persecution in itself. It’s elementary, Watson.

But no problem, this is Florence, folks, the town of which Dante wrote :

Godi, Fiorenza, poi che se' sì grande,
che per mare e per terra batti l'ali,
e per lo 'nferno tuo nome si spande!
[Inferno, Canto XXVI]

(Be joyful, Florence, since you are so freat
That your outstretched wings beat over land and sea,
And your name is spread throughout the realm of Hell!)

Fierce, isn’t he? Well, you know, he was himself a Florentine, and was bearing his fellow countrymen a grudge …