Coronavirus & Daily Life in Florence Post-Decree

A new chapter has opened regarding the Coronavirus emergency in Florence and Tuscany.  Thanks to a government decree issued on March 8, as a precautionary measure all cultural events have been postponed, museums and churches inaccessible through April 3. Concurrently, American study-abroad campuses have closed to students as have Italian institutes of learning—ranging from elementary, middle and high schools to universities in Florence, Pisa and Siena until April 3—to prevent the spread of infection. In Tuscany, the number of Coronavirus (COVID-19) cases has risen sharply in the past several days to a current count of 164.  The first death, which occurred on March 8, was a 79-year-old man in Pisa who had other health issues.

Italy is in its first national emergency since WWII.  On an international level, much like the Harvard Group, which was formed in 1940 to identify and help protect art treasures in Italy prior to the onsite efforts of the “Monuments Men,” according to the BostoniaExtra, during the first week of March, “Boston’s top infectious disease researchers” decided  to create a partnership together with colleagues in China, to face the Coronavirus emergency. The report continued “Scientists of Boston University’s National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories (NEIDL) met on the Harvard Medical School campus. They discussed next steps for an ambitious international collaboration that will focus scientific efforts on understanding, detecting, treating, and preventing novel coronavirus, the disease that’s come to be known as COVID-19.”

CORONAVIRUS IN TUSCANY

First the good news:  four people have recovered—the Norwegian student in Florence, a woman in Bagno a Ripoli, the man in Pescia who was one of the first cases, and a young player of the Pianese Serie C soccer team in Piancastagnaio. Those testing positively for COVID-19 have been identified in the provinces of Florence, as far out as San Casciano and Empoli (39); Pistoia (13); Massa Carrara (21); Lucca (26); Pisa (17); Livorno (10); Siena (24), mainly in Chiusi, Montepulciano and Chianciano; Arezzo (nine) and Grosseto (four); and Prato (three).

In self-quarantine are 1,720 people throughout the region, including Florence mayor Dario Nardella, because he had met with the Democratic party leader and Lazio governor Nicola Zingaretti, who has been diagnosed with Coronavirus.  Tuscan governor Enrico Rossi has just signed an ordinance requiring a 14-day self-quarantine period for people arriving in Tuscany from the Coronavirus hotspot provinces of Venice, Padua, Treviso Modena, Parma, Piacenza, Reggio Emilia, Rimini, Pesaro, Urbino, Alessandria, Asti, Novara, Verbano and Vercelli to order to avoid the possibility of contagion.

Senior citizen social centers have all been temporarily closed in the province of Florence, and supermarkets—comprising Coop, Esselunga, Conad, Carrefour and Pam—will now guarantee free grocery deliveries to those over 75.

CULTURE

The region’s state-run, civic and church museums in addition to libraries will remain closed through April 3, including, in Florence, the Uffizi and Accademia galleries, the Pitti Palace, Palazzo Vecchio, Santa Maria Novella, and the entire Cathedral complex (Duomo, Cupola, Bell Tower, Baptistery and the Opera del Duomo Cathedral museum). Although religious services will not be celebrated during the same period, local churches, cathedrals and Florence’s Duomo will be accessible for those who wish to come in and pray while not getting too close to another person.

All libraries, archives and reading rooms have shut for the period in the region, including the British Institute of Florence Library and School, which has temporarily suspended all events.

Given the national government’s March 4 ordinance that people must be seated no closer than a meter’s distance (3.2 ft.) to each other, chairs and tables have been moved in many restaurants to accommodate this decree.  Soccer games will continue to be played, but the public will not be admitted; and no exception will be made even at the Florence’s Artemio Franchi stadium.  Movie theaters, clubs and discos are closed.

The Firenze Bio organic fair from March 20 – 22 will not take place at that time; the Korea Film Festival (March 19 – 27) has postponed to May 21 – 29. The Middle East Now film festival originally scheduled from March 31 – April 5 will be held at a later date.  The Taste food fair has been moved to June 5 – 7.

The city’s 17th century Teatro della Pergola, which offers classical chamber concerts and theatre will remain closed, ditto for the Teatro dell’Opera, although rehearsals for future performances could continue behind closed doors. The symphonic performances of the Orchestra della Toscana at Teatro Verdi have been canceled through April 3.

The jazz, indie, electronic and new music concerts organized by Musicus Concentus at Florence’s Sala Vanni and at Livorno’s Cage Theatre will not be held until April 4 at the earliest.  Music Pool is in the process of finding new dates for many of the contemporary music performances—initially programmed during March and now postponed—at theatres in Florence, Pisa, Empoli, Vicchio, Poggibonsi and other Tuscan towns.

For art aficionados, the Tomas Saraceno show at Palazzo Strozzi will reopen on April 4 (hours: 10 am to 8 pm (Thursdays until 11 pm through July 19).

AMERICAN UNIVERSITIES

Nearly all U.S. students have been sent back, or are in the process of returning to their home campus.  The decision to close the current Florence program of California State University was communicated by Long Beach headquarters only on March 4; the school also sends a number of their art students to Florence’s Academy of Fine Arts (Accademia di Belle Arti), which is not presently offering classes to comply with the government’s decree.

Many students had come to say goodbye, crying, at one of their favorite hangouts, Pino’s Sandwiches, commenting that the experience of learning in Florence “was one of the most important of their lives,” said the proprietor.  He also noted that most of the apartments located in downtown Florence once home to the city’s residents had been converted to bed and breakfasts or were rented out as Airbnbs, hosting visitors for short stays, who apart from a few exceptions, have left the city.

Back in the U.S.A., students who returned home from Harding program in Scandicci have chosen to be in voluntary quarantine for two weeks. Back in Florence, schools and agencies are dealing with settling of rental contracts prior to the original agreed departure date as well as other details involved in relocation.

And there is also the issue of classes to be made up from America.  Pepperdine in Florence has made the creative decision to continue the semester online by providing by fully synchronous courses with live, direct instruction from Florence using Zoom.  Students back in California log in more or less simultaneously to be able to participate and ask questions.

Florence director Elizabeth Whatley commented, “given the nine-hour time difference, this would not be possible without the willingness of local professors, all of whom have agreed to teach between 5 and 11 pm and also be available on FaceTime. Florence itself is a classroom; we are thankful that we will be able to carry on as if the students were learning here.”  Up to the March 8 decree, Pepperdine’s museum site visits were taking place as planned, the only difference being that they are filmed, with streaming provided.

Other programs, such as the University of California at San Diego through the Accent provider program, are allowing their students to complete work for their interrupted internships in Florence online.

More effects correlated to the spread of Coronavirus is the fact that non-urgent surgery in local hospitals has been suspended until further notice. Residents who have flu symptoms such as fever, sore throat and cough, must stay home and call their family doctor, who is now on duty 12 hours a day, seven days a week, from 8 am to 8 pm. People arriving from countries with Coronavirus patients, or who believe they might be infected, must immediately call the medical hotline 1500, operative 24/7. (rosanna cirigliano)