City Essay: Florence vs Cairo and Kin Say

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City Essay: Florence VS Cairo and Kin Say Florence has always and will always be a beautiful city, but even it’s day to day magnificence is drab compared to it’s splendor on June 24th, the day of St. John the Baptist. On June 23rd, the day before the holiday, the whole city is bedecked with gold cloths, lifelike statues and fine decorations. Singers in intricate angel costumes wander the streets, staging reenactments of the saints in honor of holy relics. After midday, all the citizens assemble in order of their respective districts and march through the church of St. John to offer candles, leaving after sunset to prepare for the next morning.On the day of the festival, there are a hundred golden towers decorated with paints, figures, and gold inside the Piazza della Signoria. These towers are actually huge wax candles, a tribute to the regions which in most ancient times were subject to the Florentines. Gregorio Dati’s firsthand diary account of Florence emphasizes its exquisite beauty and marvelous atmosphere. He describes the festivities of the city with much enthusiasm and specifically recognizes the the wealth it possesses. However, as a resident of Florence himself, Gregorio probably had a sense of pride and loyalty to the city. Therefore, his account may not be completely accurate as he is biased to his hometown and may not see it in the same perspective as perhaps say, an outsider? Having being born and brought up in Florence, Dati views Florence in a purely positive light and may not see or care to mention the flaws that could be visible to a foreigner. In the city of Florence, the day of St. John the Baptist is held in extremely high esteem. The streets are decorated with huge golden wax candles, bright paints, and many other beautiful decorations, and celebrations are planned up to two months in advance. In Cairo, however, the only
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