Niccolò Machiavelli was born on the 3rd of May 1469. Speaking of memorable dates, the 500th anniversay of the death of Machiavelli’s “nemesis”, Savonarola, fell on the 23rd of May 1998. I was due in Firenze that morning but adverse weather conditions and the ever-unreliable Italian air traffic control meant the flight was diverted to Pisa. It turned into a fortuitous delay and detour as the late evening overland journey into Firenze was illuminated by fireworks and much spectacle.
[Postscript: It was during this stay that an older, silver-haired colleague arranged for me to stay in a fairly non-descript hotel at the very heart of the city. More puzzled than disappointed, I survived the usual discomfort of the initial night's sleep in a previously unacquainted bed to stagger to the breakfast room. It was unusually located on the roof-top, overlooking Brunelleschi's Dome! The city had yet to wake, tourists had yet to trundle out of their over-priced rooms and the sun caught the dome's many shades of gold in a way that is difficult to forget.]
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