Italy is probably my favorite place to visit. Great food, beautiful scenery and architecture, the best museums, the best shopping, and, of course, a fascinating history. The Italians have such a great sense of design and appreciation for life. It is evident in everything they do. On this trip, we flew to Venice and departed from Rome in September, 2015 (I find September is the best time to travel – good weather, less expensive than summer and not as busy). In between we went to Padua and Florence. This blog is about Florence. Venice & Padua , and Rome are in separate blogs. The itinerary was Venice two nights, Florence two nights and Rome four nights.
Where to Stay? – Where to Eat? – Shopping
Florence, capital of Italy’s Tuscany region, is home to many masterpieces of Renaissance art and architecture. Florence was a centre of medieval European trade and finance and one of the wealthiest cities of the time and is considered the birthplace of the Renaissance. It is also an important city for fashion, ranked in the top 15 fashion capitals of the world, and you can find all the top designer stores here plus local artisan shops (which are even more interesting). It has some of the most important galleries and museums in the world, for example, Uffizi Gallery and the Academia Gallery, home to Michelangelo’s statue of David.
Key attractions: Uffizi Gallery, Academia Gallery, Ponte Vecchio, Duomo and just wander around the center of town.
There is so much to see in Florence (Firenze) and the surrounding countryside. We only spent two nights which was not enough. Florence is not a large city (with a population just under 400,000) but the city is, without a doubt, world class. We took the train from Venice, which is about a two-hour ride.
Florence’s main historic center is relatively small so that it is easy to move around on foot. Using a car in Florence is not advisable, as there is little parking, many streets are pedestrian only and streets are often one-way. A fleet of small electric buses provide links between main key areas in the center.
Taxis cannot be flagged down on the streets in Italy. Taxis are stationed at taxi stands in most city squares, and at the airport, or they can be requested by phone. In Florence, the numbers for calling a taxi are: 055.4242 / 055.4390 / 055.4798 / 055.4499
If you want to go to a museum/gallery book in advance. The ticket lines are very long to get a ticket on the same day, so if you plan ahead, you will save yourself a lot of time.
One of the most famous galleries in the world, the Uffizi, has exceptional collections of paintings and ancient sculptures. The paintings date back to the 14th century and Renaissance period, with plenty of masterpieces such as by Giotto, Simone Martini, Piero della Francesca, Beato Angelico, Filippo Lippi, Botticelli, Mantegna, Correggio, Leonardo, Raffaello, Michelangelo, Caravaggio, as well as by pre-eminent German, Dutch and Flemish painters, decorating the halls.
Botticelli’s famous “Birth of Venus” is one of the gallery’s treasures. Created between 1482 – 1485, this painting has become a landmark of 15th century Italian art. “Venus, at the centre of the scene, is portrayed naked on a shell on the seashore, with her hair gently caressed by the winds and a shower of roses: elements that represent the birth of love and the spiritual beauty as a driving force of life.”
Of course, one does not go to Florence without seeing David, a masterpiece of Renaissance sculpture created between 1501 and 1504 by Michelangelo. David is located in the Academia Gallery. Again, buy tickets in advance, the lines are very long.
There is a replica of the statue of David in the main square, Piazza della Signoria. There are all kinds of events that occur there, so it’s a great place to hang out for a bit. And lots of people watching.
Ponte Vecchio is another well known attraction. It is a medieval stone arch bridge over the Arno River. The bridge has jewelry and souvenir shops and residences.
The most famous building in Florence is the main church, Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore, or Il Duomo, as it is normally called. It was begun in 1296 in the Gothic style with the design of Arnolfo di Cambio and completed structurally in 1436 with the dome engineered by Filippo Brunelleschi who won the competition for its commission in 1418. The dome is egg-shaped and was made without scaffolding. The raising of this dome, the largest in the world in its time, was no easy feat. Visitors can climb to the top of the cupola.
Where to Stay?
We stayed at Hotel Spadai, which was exceptional AND reasonably priced (about $250 USD per night). It is rated as 4 star and it truly is 4 star or higher (typically in Europe a 4 star is more like a 3 or less in North America).
The rooms and bathrooms are all new and quite stunning. Each room has a Nespresso machine which actually does make decent coffee. Free wi-fi and they say the minibar is complimentary (we didn’t try it for some strange reason, so we can’t confirm). If breakfast is not included in your room, then pay for it. The breakfast buffet is excellent and worth every penny. It saves time to eat in the hotel before going out. This buffet is good quality and you can really fill up.
It is close to everything – Uffizi Gallery, Ponte Vecchio, Piazza Duomo, the shopping area, good restaurants… This is absolutely my first choice to stay in Florence. You can go to the roof top for a view of the city, but it is just a small viewing area and you cannot sit there.
If you want 5 star super luxury, then I always recommend the Rocco Forte hotels – in this case Hotel Savoy, or Relais Santa Croce. The rooms are designed better than in any hotels that I have ever been in. They have thought of every detail, like the right placement of a make up mirror, with good light and seating, comfortable lounging areas and beautiful fabrics. They even clean the TV remotes when doing the daily housekeeping! However, it will cost more.
Where to Eat?
A great place to eat is the Mercato Centrale. Inside the market, vendors sell various primary ingredients of Tuscan cuisine at reasonable prices.
All operators are committed to a high standard of quality and all dishes prepared inside the Mercato are made using only the raw materials on sale inside. We had a few excellent pasta dishes. It is open from 10 am until midnight.
There are many great fine dinning restaurants in Florence, but this time we only ate at quality “faster food” places like Mercatto and local panini shops.
Two great panini shops to try: All’Antico Vinaio and La Prosciutteria Firenze, both off the Piazza della Signoria on Via de Neri. They were delicious. High-quality homemade products simply served on a wooden board or between two slices of bread. Add a glass of wine and you are set.
A few restaurants that were recommended by Italianfix.com (these are picks from locals and seasoned tourists).
1. L’Osteria di Giovanni Address: Via del Moro 22, Florence | Hours: 12:30pm-3pm; 7pm-11pm | Phone: 055 284897 | Spend: €30 – 45
2. Il Santo Bevitore Address: Via di Santo Spirito 64/66, Florence | Hours: 12:30pm-2:30pm; 19:30pm-23:30pm | Phone: 055 211264 | Spend: €15 – 50
3. Hostaria Il Desco Address: Via delle Terme 23/R | Hours: Closed on Monday at dinner | Phone: 055 294882 | Prices: €15 – 40
4. Ristorante Accademia Address: Piazza San Marco 7/R | Hours: 12pm-3pm; 7pm-11pm | Phone: 055 217343 | Spend: €20 – 40
5. Trattoria La Casalinga Address: Via de Michelozzi 9/R | Hours: Monday-Saturday. 12 – 2:30; 7-10| Phone: 055 2679243 | Spend: €12-20
Shopping
When you are finished visiting galleries and restaurants, Florence is a great place for shopping. Between luxury boutiques with top name designers, fashion outlets, craftsmen and their workshops, to the open air markets you will find something that fits your budget. Many places in the center are open all day. Stores are generally open from Monday to Saturday.
Palazzo Pitti, or Pitti Palace, has fashion fairs and numerous shops, galleries and museums.
The main high end shopping area is Via de Tornabuoni. Once the home of wealthy merchants and Florentine Nobility, today you will find boutiques for Gucci, Prada, Pucci, Cartier and Bulgari etc. This area is growing and expanding, including Via della Vigna Nuova where you can find shops for Etrò, Lacoste and Monteblanc and Via del Parione where you will find lots of specialty stores, ateliers and workshops.
I found this store called Mywalit with purses and wallets that I really liked. Everything is colorful and unique.
Enjoy shopping, eating and visting in Florence!
For more photos go to Wonderland Photography.
