Escape to myself

This afternoon we had a wonderful afternoon at the Ospidale. A very beautiful renaissance building by Brunelleschi. It was a fascinating place founded by the guild of silk makers in the fifteenth century as a place where women who were poor, prositutes and abandoned children could be left to be cared for by the church. It functioned as such until the early twentieth century. It perhaps gave the children the chance of survival and maybe an education and trade. It was one of many such orphanages in the city. It now forms part of a women and children research archive.

A particularly poignant touch was made by the tokens left by the mothers. They would take a coin or piece of cloth and cut it in half and leave half with the child and keep half. If they later were in a position to take the child back they could identify it. Of course few were recovered and many died. It was a reminder that many mothers were forced to abandon their children through circumstance but still lived in the hope they would be reunited. It was a sad testament to love. In fact the Foundling Hospital in London operated in the same way and it also had these tokens of hope for a future.

On my way home I bought some new Superga high tops and met a great Australian family. We chatted and a had a drink together. They were great fun and very friendly. While we sat in the Piazza del Duomo we were treated to a soprano and a tenor singing arias