If you want to read out about Renaissance Art in Florence, than check out my recent blog Discovering Renaissance Art – top five destinations in Florence!. If you want some exciting inspiration before your trip, you can read about Robert Langdon’s adventures in Dan Brown’s Inferno. It is an exciting fictional story of florentine history and symbols. The thought of him rushing through the city on the Vasari corridor and Boboli gardens was so exciting, that I wanted to discover these places myself. If you prefer to listen to the story, you can have a 45-day free trial on BookBeat at this link. In this blog I want to give tips for visiting Florence that were not mentioned earlier.
Accommodation
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I had a busy week in Florence and did not spend much time at the hotel. Nevertheless, the hotel where I stayed was fantastic. The breakfast croissants were to die for. Each morning they had a different filling, nutella, white chocolate, vanilla or apricot. Hotel Il Guelfo Bianco had an excellent location and had easy access to the city centre. You can book this hotel also here on Hotels.com.
Tips for walking around Florence
Here are my tips for visiting Florence. I packed a good pair of Asics trainers and was able to walk from dawn til dusk (well okay from 8.30 a.m. until 8 p.m.). I mention these trainers on many occasions, because I truly love them. I get achy feet and back from walking around but with these trainers, I can survive the whole day. You would not want to pack in too early when you have tons to see! One night I went to the Opera, however, so I had to change my trainers for some heels. I will write a blog about the opera at some point.
First of all, I think in order to get an overall view and idea of the beauty of the city, it is worth hiking up the hill all the way to Piazzale Michelangelo. The views are fantastic.
You can choose whether to visit this place with your loved one romantically at sunset. Alternatively, you can just enjoy the last days of sun in the Autumn like I did, during daylight. I had a lovely walk down through some rose gardens. After a good hike following the river Arno, I got to a lovely artesan gelateria Cantina del Gelato close to the Ponte Vecchio. I prefer gelaterias where the gelato is in those containers and kept cold and this little gelateria was top notch. This might actually be my favorite gelateria in all the Italian gelaterias I have visited, but it is good to keep comparing and testing…
Ponte Vecchio has an interesting history. It also served as an elevated secret walkway called the Vasari Corridor. The passage was built for the Medici family to move from the Palazzo Vecchio to the Pitti Palace. You can book tickets to enter the Vasari Corridor together with your Uffizi Gallery tickets. Today there are many shops selling jewellery on the bridge. It’s very crowded, so be aware of pickpockets.
Renaissance Architecture and Wine Windows
If you are a friend of gilded splendor and Renaissance decor, you should definitely visit the Pitti Palace. The Palace and the Boboli Gardens are magnificent. The views on top of the gardens offer spectacular sights over the city. As you walk along in the centre, make sure you keep an eye on the small windows. They are called wine windows.
These windows were handy in the 16th century. Aristocratic families used them to sell their artisan wine without middlemen or taxes. During the plague, these windows were useful for selling items with a smaller risk of contamination. There are other curiosities to look for. Look for flood marks on the walls from the severe 1966 and 1557 floods. Notice the things on the corner of the walls of some houses where you can hang your torch light. You can also park your horse there.
Food tips for Florence
For food I recommend to visit the restaurant Zio Gigi on Via Folco Portinari. The owner sings to you and the atmosphere is warm and the Steak Florentine is excellent.
The prices are not bad and their own wine is lovely. There is a lovely bakery for sweet and savoury delicacies on Via della Spada called My Bakery and Bistrot Firenze. If you fancy a pizza, there is an Antica Pizzeria da Michele just like the one in Naples. You can enjoy your “Eat, Pray, Love” pizza moment. Enjoy a fantastic Aperol Spritz while you are waiting.
Mercato Centrale
On couple of nights I also went to the Mercato Centrale to grab some pasta al funghi. You had to buy the drinks at the bar in the centre and the food from the side stalls. Around the Mercato, there are plenty of leather salesmen with their “made in Italy” products. Haggling seems to be the way to go there, so don’t settle for the first price you get.
Piazza della Signoria
If you have time, you can visit a lovely town called Siena a bit further away. You can also explore some Tuscan vineyards for wine tasting. There are plenty of details and art all over Florence as well. You can easily spend several days just visiting all the museums. This includes Dante museum and the ones I mentioned in our previous blog. A great example is the main square called Piazza della Signoria. In front of the Palazzo Vecchio you can find the statue of David. Next to the building, there is the Loggia dei Lanzi with the marble version of the Rape of the Sabine woman by Giambologna and Perseus with a head of Medusa by Cellini. On the pavement on the square, you can look for a round marble circle that marks the place where Savonarola was hanged and burned.
If you want to study Florence beforehand, you can study about the Medici family. The family was so influential in the Florentine history. Besides Dante and the sculptors, learning about them is essential. We owe a lot in gratitude for their philanthropy. They eagerly kept the Florentine art in Florence. This allows us to still enjoy it in one place. Here are my travel tips for visiting Florence, so I hope you enjoyed them.
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