[Letter 18] Pensione Pendini Florence, Italy February 27, '33 Dear Folks, Much has happened since I last wrote. This time I shall not give you a day by day account of our doings, but rather a general impression. For one thing, the family did not generally keep together in Florence . You see, Florence is the greatest centre for historic art in the world and I was interested in seeing as much of it as I could without undue exertion. Dora and Marcus saw plenty of it,, but they also went off shopping and exploring more than I did. Meanwhile I would be taking in some ancient palace or museum. Here in Florence, Raphael, DaVinci and Michaelangelo met very frequently in the early part of the sixteenth century. Dozens of other great artists and poets flourished here under the rule of the Medicis who were great art patrons. The city is therefore a great treasure house of painting and sculpture. In addition to this attractive feature, it also has a peculiar charm of its own. Its l...