When I organize the Philosophical Academies in Florence, I always try to arrive a little early, for several reasons. First, Florence is a city I love to explore alone, in the manner of my dear André Suarès, and preferably when the tourist crowds have dispersed, at the break of dawn, when sunrise peeks over the Arno, or at night.

Was it really necessary to dot one of the world's most beautiful cities with contemporary statues? And what message are we trying to send by contrasting this ridiculous provocation with the geniuses of the Renaissance?