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The old centre of Florence is very compact, so most attractions are easy to reach by foot. Most visitors directly go to the ‘Duomo’ in the historical centre of the city, but we can also recommend a walk along the shops on the ‘Ponte Vecchio’.
> Florence – Ponte Vecchio
> Florence - Centro storico
> Florence - Oltrarno
> Florence - San Marco
> Florence - Santa Croce
> Florence - Santa Maria Novella
Florence – Ponte Vecchio
The River ‘Arno’ is bridged by the famous and beautiful ‘Ponte Vecchio’. Jewelers are allowed to display their goods in charming wooden shops since 1565. Especially butchers and tanners traded on the ‘Ponte Vecchio’ before 1565. The bridge also offers a lovely view over the ‘Arno’ and the city.
Florence - Centro storico
The city-part around the ‘Duomo’ is the historical centre with the baptistery, the ‘Battistero’, one of the oldest buildings in Florence. The most central and large square is ‘Piazza della Republica’, with many cosy bars and terraces. A famous shopping street, ‘Via dei Calzaiuoli’ with a lot of well-known brands, is nearby. But actually, the surrounding ‘Via del Corso’, a street with beautiful and lesser-known shops with typical Italian products, is much more interesting.
The cathedral (Duomo) carrying the name ‘Santa Maria del Fiore’ determines the face of Florence. A lot of important artifacts from the cathedral are moved to the ‘Museo dell’ Opera del Duomo’ (Cathedral Museum).
The ‘Piazza della Signoria’ is the most beautiful square in the centre, with a few copies of famous sculptures, such as ‘David’ of Michelangelo. The ‘Uffizi’ is one of the most important museums in the world with an unequaled collection from the Italian paint-art including famous works of ‘Botticelli’, ‘Leonardo da Vinci’ and ‘Michelangelo’.
The ‘Plazazzo Stozzi’, belonging to the most influential aristocratic family, is an architectural highlight in renaissance style. Various cultural institutions have found their establishment in this building.
Florence - Oltrarno
The working-class quarter ‘Oltarno’ (which mean literally: on the other side of the Arno) lies on the southern bank of the river. Highlights in this area are the ‘Palazzo Pitti’ and the gorgeous gardens of Boboli. You were never actually in Florence if you haven’t sat down in the grass in the Gardens of Boboli, complete with ponds, fountains, statues and an artificially engineered cave. This is a lovely trip on a Sunday afternoon.
The monumental palace ‘Pitti’ from the renaissance houses six museums, including the famous ‘Galleria Palatina’. There’s a large paintings collection in the Galleria of the Medici’s with works of Rafael, Andrea del Sarto, Rubens and Titiaan. The Palazzo Pitti also houses the ‘Museo degli Argenti’ with, amongst other things, gems and a large silver collection belonging to the Medici family.
There are also a few nice, little squares in the Oltarno district like the small, picturesque ‘Piazza Santo Spirito’, where all sorts of activities take place, such as markets en concerts.
You can lovely sit down in the shadow watching over the ‘Arno’ on the wooded ‘Piazza Demidoff’.
Florence - San Marco
San Marco lies just north of the historical centre with the fifteenth Dominican monastery as an architectural highlight. With a beautiful fresco ‘The last supper’ of Ghirlandaio and impressive fresco’s of Fra Angelico. A relatively quiet neighbourhood, but worth the visit, even if you’re not staying in this area.
Florence - Santa Croce
The ‘Santa Croce’ district lies on the north side of the ‘Arno’ and east of the ‘Duomo’. The area surrounds the ‘Santa Croce’, a magnificent basilica in Gothic style and also one of the most beautiful churches in Florence. You can find here tombs of Michelangelo, Machiavelli and Galileo.
The shops in this area mainly offer the typical touristic goods, like Italian craftsmanship and handicraft products. For the ones who like ice-cream: You can find the best Italian ice of Florence in ‘Bar Vivoli Gelateria’ (Address: Via Isola della Strinche 7). There’s also a fantastic wine-bar called ‘Boccadama’ (Address: Piazza Santa Croche 25-26) where you, according to typical Italian traditions, get a piece of cheese along with your wine.
Florence - Santa Maria Novella
North of the ‘Arno’, near the station, lies the area ‘Santa Maria Novella’. You can find here the nice, expensive shops of Italian designers like Prada, Fendi, Dolce & Gabanna but also Yves Saint Laurent, Louis Vuitton and Tod’s. You can go to markets like San Lorenzo (Via dell Ariento) with especially a lot of clothes, bags and accessories if you’re into designer clothing.
You also can do a lot of culinary shopping in the covered Mercato Centrale, in the heart of the San Lorenzo-market. It consists of two storeys. Flesh, Fish, Oil, Cheese and Wine are sold downstairs. Upstairs you can find the vegetable and fruit department.
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