I left Florence two weeks ago, and when I did, I left a piece of myself in the stone that built this city. One Sunday in Fiesole, I touched the rock on Monte Ceceri, home to a quarry of pietra serena, a stone used in the creation of buildings and sculptures in Florence since ancient times. 

Discovered by the Etruscans, pietra serena became the favored material in construction across Renaissance Italy and elevated the city of Florence to new heights. The stone was used by Michelangelo, Brunelleschi and Vasari to bring the masterpieces they dreamt up to fruition.