Cerchia antica

   Fiorenza dentro dalla Cerchia Antica,
ond’ella toglie ancora e terza e nona,
si stava in pace, sobria e pudica.

(Paradiso XV.97-99)

   Florence within her ancient walls,
whence still she hears terce and nones,
was chaste and modest and lived in peace.

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The verses commemorated on this plaque come from Cacciaguida’s long discourse on Florence’s ancient glory. The ring of walls mentioned here was completed (as Giovanni Villani affirms) in the year 1078, and a bit of it can still be seen between Piazza San Firenze and Via del Proconsolo (see image below).

“Terce” and “nones” (three hours after sunrise, i.e., 9:00am, and nine afterwards, i.e., 3:00pm, respectively) refer to the times at which the Badia’s bell tower signaled the beginning and end of the workday. Nowadays, the bells ring 30 minutes and then 15 minutes before mass.

Villani: “In the time of the Emperor Henry, they made another ring of walls that encompassed the burgs and other overflows of population. The Florentines built them because there were battles throughout Tuscany and they were afraid that Florence might be taken or destroyed. Consequently, to protect themselves from siege, the Florentines began the new walls in the year of our Lord 1078.” (Nuova cronica 5.8)

Above: vestiges of the ancient wall at Via del Proconsolo, 1r

Below: just steps north of there, metal strips laid into the pavement (after the 1994 excavation) mark the outline of an ancient tower and part of the wall

Above: the white line traces the 1078 city walls mentioned by Dante; the Badia’s location is marked in red.