In 1868, the Dostoevskys arrived in Florence eight months after the tragic loss of their three-month-old daughter. Fyodor Mikhailovich had been here before in 1862 and now compared his impressions: "Florence has become noisier and more crowded, the streets are congested, life has become more expensive, but still cheaper than in St. Petersburg."

They settled in a small apartment near Pitti Square, where they froze in winter like "mice in a basement." However, there was no time for complaints. Fyodor Mikhailovich was working on finishing the novel "The Idiot" and was required to submit a certain number of pages each month. He hoped that the success of the book would allow him to return to Russia, but critics received the novel ambiguously.

Meanwhile, Anna Grigorievna was expecting another child. This affected their daily routine: they walked daily in the Boboli Gardens, enjoying the winter blooming of roses, and visited Fyodor Mikhailovich's favorite places, such as the Santa Maria del Fiore church and the baptistery. Dostoevsky always stopped in front of the bronze doors, dreaming of one day buying life-size photographs of them.

Fyodor Mikhailovich often visited the library in Palazzo Buondelmonti, where fresh newspapers in various languages were available. Records with his signature have been preserved in the archives.

Before the birth, the couple planned to move to Prague, awaiting money from St. Petersburg. To save money, they moved to more modest accommodations, but had to leave it due to heat and noise. In mid-August, they set off for Prague, but not finding an apartment there, they moved to Dresden, where their daughter Lyubov was born on September 14, 1869.

Since Dostoevsky complained about the night noise, little has changed in Florence. It is still difficult to sleep here, and housing with windows facing the courtyard is expensive.

At Pitti Square, in house No. 22, where a memorial plaque hangs, the Giannini shop has been operating since 1856. It is possible that Dostoevsky bought writing supplies here.

Describing the fountain, the writer slightly exaggerated: it is made of gray sandstone, not granite, and the "little boar" is not gigantic, but life-sized, from whose mouth water rather drips.

Dostoevsky's favorite places in Florence are on popular tourist routes. Of all the works of art, he particularly highlighted Raphael's painting "Madonna in the Chair," which can be seen in the Palatine Gallery of the Pitti Palace. In memory of the writer, the Florentines named an alley in the Cascine Park after him.