As tourists, students, and locals roam the streets of Florence, withdrawal sets in. Well, you know what they say, the best detox is a retox; and when the facebook addicts roll off of the street fresh from a tour of Palazzo Pitti, Internet Pitti and its owner, Cristiano Papi, are happy to provide the online fix (for a price, of course). In reality, Papi and the Internet Pitti lounge have been providing much more than just access to the web over the last six years. Any technological endeavor from simple web surfing to DVD burning can be pursued at the lounge.
Upon arrival, patrons are greeted with a “buon giorno,” unless they appear American enough to warrant a “hello,” that is. This simple acknowledgement, however, is hardly the extent of Papi’s extensive English vocabulary. Though Papi was born in Italy, his American mother has since ensured her son’s flawless development of her native tongue. In conversation, it is almost easy to forget that Papi is from Florence until rapid bouts of Italian are exchanged between himself and locals. His knowledge of Italian and English is certainly an advantage in a business whose clientele are mostly either Italians or English-speaking tourists. Even when the occasional Spaniard drops in, Papi doesn’t fret. In fact, he claims to be quite proficient at making up the words he needs.
For the last six years, the 34-year-old resident of Florence has provided his services to both the community and travelers. Papi purchased the facility with a companion in June of 2003 and has gained the majority of his knowledge on the job. “Like any other job, you can learn it—like 90 percent of it [through experience].” He even has the IP addresses memorized for on the spot input into any tourist’s laptop. “And those are the stupidest things ever,” he claims.
While Papi enjoys his business, his occupation doesn’t govern life. “I learned [computer skills] depending on the need rather than the passion,” he explained. Pappi said that he enjoys Italy, particularly the relaxed nightlife; though he tends to steer clear of main tourist areas, such as Santo Spirito, noting, “too many Americans.”
Unlike many Italian businesses, Papi doesn’t pull down the shutters for a month in the summer. “I’m always open,” he said. “I’ll maybe close for a few days around the 15th of August, which is an Italian holiday.” Around this time, Florence is dead as the locals head off for vacation, leaving tourists confused and with little direction. Meanwhile, Papi likes to head to his family’s beach dwelling with friends for a couple days. But after that, he’s back in Internet Pitti, serving up MySpace cocktails.
and a fauxhawk.
In fact, during our Polimoda visit, it was hard to get in a word edgewise. Nick’s enthusiastic back and forth banter with the instructor made his knowledge of the business quite clear. The look on the professor’s face spelled relief when any students interrupted Nick’s torrent of questions and comments. I laughed to myself: was this “expert” nervous that Nick might catch her without an answer? Eventually her salvation arrived as the marketing professor took over.
