1999 – The Albergo Olimpia at the Piazza della Repubblica in Florence, Italy. © Mark Zanzig/zanzig.com
The story behind the image
In 1999, we travelled to Florence in Italy – a great year-round destination but even better in summer!
Back then, I spotted the Albergo Olimpia at the Piazza della Repubblica. The entire scene yelled ‘Italy’ to me: the old-fashioned blue neon sign (switched on!), a young tourist sitting relaxed in the middle window of the second floor, the Cinzano sign, the busy ristorante, the somewhat run-down building.
In 2023 we re-visited Florence for a day, and we were passing the Piazza again. Guess what? The Albergo Olimpia was still present but the building was in better shape than 24 years before. The ristorante is still there and has significantly improved their patio which is now fully covered. Sadly, the iconic Cinzano sign is gone. (Boo!)
At the time of writing, it seems that the Albergo is still operating as Hotel Olimpia, and looking at the images (at your favorite booking engine) gave me the impression that the rooms are quite nice. The location in the city center is unbeatable. It may be best to arrive by train, though, as parking lots are hard to find.
Design ideas
The high resolution image
| Capture Date & Time | Summer 1999 |
| Location | Florence, Italy |
| Camera | Canon AE-1 Program |
| Image Source | Fuji Slide Film |
| Digital Image Source | EPSON Perfection 4870 Photo |
| Digital Image Source Format | JPEG, 24 bits/pixel, sRGB |
| Edited Image Format | JPEG, 24 bits/pixel, sRGB |
| Edited Image Dimensions | 4342 x 6700 Pixels |
| Copyright | © by Mark Zanzig/zanzig.com |
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