Piazza delle Murate

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Le Murate
Via Ghibellina
Florence, April 2015

“Stepping into the courtyard of Le Murate is not your typical ‘ahhhh Italia’ moment. The space is now largely residential. Modern apartment balconies overlook the courtyard. Students and young families come and go, and bicycles stock the racks. But pegging Le Murate as a simple apartment complex doesn’t feel quite right. No, there is something more here. Much more, but you can’t quite place it. Luckily for you, we’re here to bring you up to speed. The walls of Le Murate were constructed in 1424 as the home of the Benedictine sisters of Santa Caterina. This particular order of nuns chose to be cloistered from society, lending to its nickname, le murate (the walled-up). The sisters lived a quiet and happy life walled up for nearly 300 years until Tuscany fell under French rule in the 19th century. With the suppression of Florence’s religious orders, the walls of Le Murate figuratively fell around the sisters, and they were forced out of their convent.” (Beyond the Walls of Le Murate, Florence for Free)