This plaque is located in Via degli Speziali, between house numbers 11r and 3.
Paradiso, Canto XVI, vv. 40-42
” GLI ANTICHI MIEI ED IO NACQVI NEL LOCO
DOVE SI TROVA PRIA L’VLTIMO SESTO
DA QVEL CHE CORRE IL VOSTRO ANNVAL GIVOCO”
“My ancestors and I were born in the district (or location) where the final sixth part of the racecourse is first encountered, coming from that point where your annual race (the palio) takes place.”
“In these verses, Cacciaguida responds to Dante’s request to know his geographic origins within Florence. The answer is given through a complex periphrasis—typical of Dante—using a topographical reference well known to Florentines of that era.
-
‘The Final Sixth’ (L’ultimo sesto): In Dante’s time, the municipal territory of Florence was divided into six districts, called sesti.
-
‘The Annual Game’ (Il vostro annual givoco): This refers to the Palio of San Giovanni, a horse race held every year on June 24th (the feast of the patron saint). The race began outside the city gates and concluded in the city center.
-
The Point of Reference: Cacciaguida indicates that he and his family were born at the point where the Palio route, upon entering the city, reached the boundary of the Sesto di Porta San Pietro, just before entering the final sixth of the course. This location is identifiable as the area between Porta San Piero and the ancient Badia Fiorentina.
Significance: Rather than naming the neighborhood directly, Cacciaguida uses this precise topographical point to define his family’s ancient heritage. It proves that his lineage was of ancient and indigenous Florentine origin, born and raised within the city’s original core.”
