The first hatchlings from a pair of rare falcons popped out of their eggs on top of Florence cathedral Monday under the eyes of bird lovers everywhere.
"It's a nice moment, a sign of hope for Florence city centre," said Provincial President Matteo Renzi.
The births were broadcast live via a webcam that has had its eagle eye on the nest for months.
Florence is set to christen the four baby peregrine falcons as soon as they're out of their shells.
The parents have already been named after two heroes of Florentine history - the great painter Giotto and Monna Tessa, Italy's first nurse and the founder of a famous religious order.
The bird-watching world has been waiting with bated breath since Monna Tessa laid four eggs on March 8.
Thanks to the webcam - a tangerine-sized ball painted the same brick-red colour as the Duomo's tiles - they'll be able to see the fledglings' first steps towards becoming, like their parents, one of the fastest creatures on the planet.
The peregrine falcon, which risked extinction in Italy because of pesticides until DDT was banned in the 1970s, was first spotted in the skies over Florence in 1993.
A pair of hawks were spotted a few years ago on another great city landmark, the imposing tower of Palazzo Vecchio.
Experts say it could have been the first visit by a younger Giotto and Monna Tessa, already showing their discriminating taste for fine architecture.
The new webcam, funded by Florentine civic and artistic authorities, can be accessed via www.florence.tv, www.provincia.fi.it and www.birdcam.it.
