Travel Zine: Florence

I took my first solo trip to Florence, drawn by so much – Italian culture, food and wine – but most of all, Renaissance art. I spent entire days wandering the Uffizi and the Galleria dell’Accademia, reacquainting myself with works I’d once studied in art history courses. It was also an opportunity to observe myself: how I move through a new environment as a single entity, answering only to my own wants and needs. To put it mildly, I fell in love with both Florence and solo travel – harnessing the experience as a moment for reflection and growth in a beautiful, historic setting.

In writing about my time there, I kept returning to two central figures: Venus and David. Venus, the feminine embodiment of perfection, grace, and controlled sensuality. David, her masculine counterpart – aloof yet assured, powerful yet composed. What does it mean to be an observer of these two archetypes? Are they opposing forces or reflections of the same desire to idealize the human form? Through reflections on art, history, and self-perception, this piece became a meditation on what it means to be seen – and to see oneself – in a city that first taught the world how to look.

This piece examines how beauty, divinity, and desire intertwine – how a city built by the male gaze becomes both its architect and its subject.

All images used are my own; the fonts used are from B Nicks and Pangram Pangram.