It is abundantly clear how Leonardo Bruni feels about the city of Florence. In Panegyric to the City of Florence, he expresses nothing but the highest praise for the city. Every aspect of Florence is backed by a clear reason why it is the best, and there is no other city in the world that can compare. According to Bruni, Florence has extraordinary beauty, architecture, geography, history, government, and people. This, of course, is only one persons opinion. In the diaries of Buonaccorso Pitti and Gregorio Dati, they too give their opinions on the city of Florence. In general, they do not seem to give Florence the same recognition and praise that Bruni gives.Bruni explains that Florence is a beautiful city, one which cannot even be described in words. He notes that Florence is not ostentatious, but rather, it is elegant in its moderation (23b). The city is physically beautiful, but it also possesses the clearest and purist speech (42a). The study of literature in Florence grows in full vigor, Bruni points out. Pitti indirectly shows that he agrees with the art of literature by writing a sonnet in his diary (Pitti 71). Everything from the buildings to the land it sits on, Florence is claimed by Bruni to be the most gorgeous city in the world. The city is also amazingly clean (24a). Everywhere you go, Bruni is positive that you will find nothing disgusting to the eye (24a). However, according to Pitti, his family had to leave the city because they had taken refuge from the plague then raging in Florence (Pitti 64). Pitti again mentions how he and his family had to leave because of the plague in 1411 (Pitti 87). Dati also states that there was a plague in the year 1411 (Dati 129). In addition, Pitti recalls a time when citizens left the city to avoid the pestilence (Pitti 102). Neither the plague, nor the pestilence is mentioned by Bruni. To him, Florences cleanliness, its attractive buildings, its good climate, and its...
