Whether perusing the inside of a fresco-filled palace or visually absorbing the Uffizi’s jewel-toned artworks, there could be little doubt in the minds of visitors and locals that Florence is inherently brimming with colour. And yet, unlike the multi-hued terraces of Notting Hill or Montmartre’s pastel rue Cremieux, such vibrancy is seldom reflected in the city’s most-recognised exteriors; less ultramarine blues and scarlet reds, more gentle golds, subtle ambers and delicate greys. While these neutral, sometimes foreboding edifices often end up enhancing the impact of their resplendent interiors—and in centuries past, doubtless acted as an impenetrable vault for the masterpieces that lay within—such understated colour pairings equally provide the ultimate blank canvas for a visual experiment. Inspired by the dazzling #SpectrumEdits of Ramzy Mazri (better known through social media channels as @space.ram), I traversed both sides of the Arno to bathe elegant archways, custard-cream churches and commanding palazzi in a spectrum of colours.
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- Basilica di Santo Spirito – vivid enough to rival summer skies, this aquatic blue wouldn’t look out of place in a L’arte sa nuotare creation.
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- Basilica di San Marco – off-white structures lend themselves perfectly to colourful experimenting, and San Marco’s graceful church is no exception: lilac and canary yellow offset the royal blue basilica to striking effect.
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- Ospedale di Santa Maria Nuova – these luscious reds are the perfect accompaniment to Santa Maria Nuova’s superb outdoor mural (not pictured, but best relished in real life).
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- Basilica di Santa Croce – Florence’s most spectacular sunsets—awash with lilac, lavender blue and ethereal pink sunlight—held considerable influence over Santa Croce’s re-interpreted colour palette.
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- Basilica di San Lorenzo *front* – this Renaissance-era church, often considered ominous in appearance, gets a technicoloured revamp in regal violet, lapis lazuli blue and a mustard-gold dome to polish it off.
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- Ponte Vecchio – in my personal opinion, every city could reap benefit from a rainbow bridge: visual case in point.
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- Loggia del Pesce, piazza dei Ciompi – muted apricot orange is exchanged for eye-popping cerulean, while the signature yellow hue on its main body is dialled up several notches.
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- Mercato Centrale – it may certainly not be the most colourless of architectural examples, but that status is only further augmented by adding cyan tones and swapping red for magenta.
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- Palazzo Pitti – electric lime green and indigo rooftops shake up the austere palace exteriors.
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- Lungarno Corsini + Amerigo Vespucci – Copenhagen canals, eat your heart out: the lungarno wears colour-popping tones exceedingly well.
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- Palazzo Vecchio – a cobalt infusion is only fitting for this majestic palazzo, emulating in part the regal blue and gold ceilings inside.
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- Duomo *front* – acidic green sun rays cascade over the main cathedral, juxtaposed by a vivid cerise bell-tower.
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- Piazzale Michelangelo – the optimum vantage point to behold the multicoloured facets of this re-imagined Florence.
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- Palazzo Medici Riccardi – this courtyard’s subdued grey nuances were my starting point for this project: on first glance I wanted nothing more than to splash the walls with visually arresting shades.
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- Piazza della Repubblica – this remarkably elegant archway gets the emerald-green treatment, with shocking pink shadows thrown in for colourful measure.
