We had known Shona for a rather short time, since we only arrived in Florence in late March. We remember her as a very kind presence in the I Tatti community, with discretion and intelligence. Sometimes we would see her riding her bicycle through the centre of Florence, and she would stop to talk to us if we had not happened to see her first. We would also occasionally wait with her outside the National Central Library of Florence, for the little bus (the “pulmino”), driven by Gennaro, to take us, along with other fellow-researchers, to the Villa I Tatti. Then we also had the opportunity to chat with her about her work, the Renaissance notaries and the archives, her current writing, but also about her daughter’s interest in art, especially modern art, and her son who was with his father back in the US. One of the last times we saw her I liked the combination of colours in her clothes; she was wearing a dark mauve skirt with a saffron-yellow jacket, and I thought this is a person with a special taste. We are sure she was so special for all her family and many friends. It is very sad that fate took her so soon from this life, but her contribution to scholarship and her other activities will keep her memory alive. Our warm thoughts are with her beloved ones.
Maria Constantoudaki and Paschalis Kitromilides (from Athens, Greece)