FLORENCE, ITALY
2 JANUARY - 8 JANUARY 2020
Florence was once a centre of medieval European trade and finance and one of the wealthiest cities of that era. Known for its Renaissance art, architecture and monuments, the city attracts millions of tourists each year and is ranked as one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
Arriving late afternoon from
Rome, we took a taxi from the station to our apartment in Santo Spirito. We stayed at the
Ponte Vecchio Delux Apartment, a well appointed two bedroom apartment with a very short walk to the Ponte Vecchio and Pitti Palace.
A much smaller city than Rome, Florence has a small-town vibe making the city much easier to navigate as everything is easily accessible by foot. However, as Florence is fast becoming Italy's fashion capital, the city is overrun by shops, shoppers and billboards which slightly detracts from the beauty of the ethereal city.
The
Piazzale Michelangelo is a great place to start your visit. A good uphill walk from the Ponte Vecchio, this 3D postcard of Florence is one of the best views of the city, especially at sunset when the colours change.
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| The uphill stairs to the Piazzale Michelangelo |
Tired from our day of travel, we planned to eat in the apartment, however a local shop owner suggested we try
Trattoria 4 Leoni in the piazza just metres away from our front door. The trattoria was the perfect introduction to Tuscan food. A favourite celebrity haunt, don't be put off by the menu written only in Italian, as the staff all speak English and are more than happy to explain each dish and recommend wines. We actually ate at Trattoria 4 Leoni a couple of times as it was so convenient and stylish.
The only planned tour we booked in Florence was the
Duomo and
Cupola climb. You need to book online and well in advance for this. Reservations can be made from 8.30am to 7.00pm. We selected a 9.30am time slot and arrived at least 20 minutes prior to the booking time. Already there was a large queue outside the Port della Mandorla entry on the north side of the cathedral. Reservation times can not be changed and there is no ticket office at the site.
NOTE: It is advised that you don't join the queue too early. As if, for example, you have a 10.30am reservation and you join the queue at 9.30am, you will be returned to the back of the queue until your allocated time. So all you have achieved is a lot of standing around.
There is no lift, so be prepared to climb the 463 narrow steps in around 60 minutes. If you get claustrophobic, then you may want to rethink this tour as you can only go as fast as the person/group in front of you and if, when they reach the platform inside the inner dome to admire its brilliance, you may be left waiting in the narrow space of the stairs.
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| Not much room or air when climbing the Cupola |
The Duomo was the design of
Filippo Brunelleschi. His innovative approach involved vaulting the dome space without any scaffolding by using a double shell with a space in between. The inner shell was frescoed by Giorgio Vasari and Federico Zuccari and depicts the
Last Judgment. On our return home, we have watched the television series
Medici which tells the story of the Medici family along with the building of the dome. I recommend watching it for a little background information on Florence.
The views over Florence from the Cupola are breathtaking. As the Duomo is in the centre of the city, you get a great 360 degree view of the city and Tuscan hills beyond.
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| Mercato Centrale |
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| Pitti Palace |
Your museum ticket is valid for 72 hours from the day of your reservation and each monument can be visited only once. Included in the ticket is entrance to:
The Cathedral,
Dome (Reservations are mandatory for the climb on the Dome),
Baptistry,
Bell Tower,
Crypt and the
Museum. Due to the extensive queues we chose not to visit the interiors of the other monuments.
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| Inside the Cathedral |
Having spotted the
Mercato Centrale from the Cupola, we headed over there for lunch. Welcoming with fresh produce, cafes and food stalls we headed straight to
Da Nerbone for a
Lampredotto. Usually made with tripe, we opted for the beef and pork version. The meat is slow cooked and the roll is dipped into the cooking juices and topped with a salsa verde. Delicious!
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| Lampredotto - a classic Florentine sandwich |
The outdoor section of the Mercato Centrale is known as the
San Lorenzo market. Unlike the inside market which is all things food, the outdoor market is where you will find leather, clothing and souvenirs.
We spent the afternoon exploring the medieval streets. The
Borgo degli Albizi is one of Florence's most beautiful. Running through what was the heart of the medieval town, the street takes its name from the Albizi family who had numerous houses. Some private palaces survive along with a few towers, however these were outlawed in 1250 to stop rival families competing in displays of wealth and power.
Along the way we stopped for an afternoon vino at the very elegant
Caffe Italiano on via Isola delle Stinche.
We traversed the river Arno (mostly over the Ponte Santa Trinita) so many times, I think I took a photo of the
Ponte Vecchio at every time of the day. I didn't find the iconic bridge as interesting to cross complete with jewellery and art stores, as I did seeing it from a distance.
Dinner was at
Il Borro Tuscan Bistro. The restaurant was sophisticated and light and the menu tasteful.
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| Il Borro Tuscan Bistro |
I think on average we were walking 10-15km per day throughout our visit to Rome and Florence. It was the first trip we have been on where the younger of our brood have been happy to traipse along behind us, so we seemed to walk further and further.
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| Santa Croce |
The leather school was founded after WWII in order to give orphans of the war a means to learn a practical trade. The school is still running and guided tours are available.
The
Piazza dei Ciompi is located in the working class corner of Florence's north. On the last Sunday of the month there is a collectors antique market, however the area also has permanent stalls which are open every day. It is surrounded by antique and interior design shops.
Leaving the city, we walked to
Fiesole. Every walk seems to be uphill and fortunately for us it was foggy, but not raining. Staying off the main road, you can feel the opulence and wealth starting to grow as you walk past some century old villas, with large gardens and driveways.
As we neared Fiesole we walked out of the cloud and into the sunshine. Unfortunately, we didn't get to experience the magnificent views of Florence below as it was still under fog, however the
Cathedral and Clock Tower along with the Tuscan hills covered in vineyards and olive trees was just as beautiful.
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| Fiesole Clock Tower |
Fiesole was an
Etruscan civilisation and likely founded in the 8th-9th century BC. The first recorded mention of the town dates to 283 BC when it was conquered by the Romans. Today, the archaeological area has an intact amphitheatre, which until more recently showed operas. There are also remains of a bath and temple. Further up the hill is the
San Francesco Monastery and the
Bandini Museum has 12th-14th century artwork which competes with that of the
Uffizi.
Hungry from our hike, we had lunch at
Perseus Fiesolano Bistro located in the main square. The restaurant is only open from 12.30pm - 2.30pm for lunch, so I booked at least a couple of weeks prior to arriving.
The best steak in Florence is a bistecca alla Fiorentina and I'd read that Perseus Fiesolano is known to serve the best! Four of us shared the 1.5kg (or 3-4 finger thick) porterhouse steak accompanied with potatoes and vegetables. It was melt in your mouth and so worth the walk up the hill. In fact we felt so guilty we walked all the way back to Florence.
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| It may look too rare to some, but don't send it back! |
There are so many places to visit in Florence (ie: the
Uffizi Palace and Gallery,
Galleria dell'Accademia,
Orsanmichele,
Palazzo Pitti and
Boboli Gardens,
Santa Maria Novella,
Bargello Palace National Museum, the list goes on) that you can find yourself spending your holiday in queues. We decided that we didn't want to waste time, so chose one or two places to formally visit and then we just explored the city on foot and incidentally saw piazzas, statues and markets. By far a much better way to get a feel for the city and culture.
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| The Uffizi Palace & Gallery |
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| Santa Maria Novella |
The eleventh of fourteen children,
Salvatore Ferragamo made his first pair of heels aged nine for his sisters to wear at their confirmation. Later becoming one of the most innovative shoe designers of the 20th century, his work is still on display at the
Salvatore Ferragamo Museum under his namesake store in Florence.
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Ferragamo experimented with many unusual materials
such as Sea Leopard skins |
Borgo San Jacopo in the Artisian Quarter is just off the Ponte Vecchio on your way to the Pitti Palace. It has some really lovely boutique shops and well worth a walk down if you are in the area.
We had so many recommendations for the best gelato in Florence. Some said
Gelateria Edoardo, others mentioned
Gelateria Pasticceria Badiani and
Venchi with its cascading wall of chocolate was hard to walk past. However, we found the best gelato in Florence at
Gelateria della Passera, just near the Ponte Vecchio and a stones throw from our apartment. The gelato was made fresh every day and the flavours changed all the time. The shop is small and tucked into a corner and the gelato is only €1 per scoop.
Craving a bowl of rice and a change from pasta we dined at
Arte d'oriente Chinese Restaurant. Dumplings, greens, fried rice, duck, everything you want from a traditional Chinese Restaurant.
Our last day in Florence was a Tuesday and lucky for us the Cascine Markets were on. The markets are the largest outdoor markets in Florence and are held every Tuesday from 7.00am to 2.00pm. Located in the Cascine Park, you can reach them on foot, by car or by tram.
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| Hot donuts at the Cascine Markets |
The Antinori family have been making wine since 1385 and the
Palazzo Antinori has been the families private residence since 1506. Today, the building also houses the families historic restaurant and wine bar,
Cantinetta Antinori. The wine bar oozes opulence and tradition and the food is classy and favourable. Enjoying a leisurely family lunch, it was the perfect way to say farewell to Florence.
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