Why
Travel to Florence?
One of Europe's most beautiful, walkable city centres and the
capital of Tuscany, Florence contains some incredible buildings
and a real medieval feel - if you can ignore the hideous traffic,
eternal scaffolding, graffiti and hellish tourist overload.
A big player historically,
Firenze contains many artistic wonders and endless spectacular
interiors, thanks largely to the Medici family. It's a must-see,
though not in the summertime.
Florence
climate guide:
Best: May, June, Sept, October
Avoid: July, Aug
[massive tourist crowds, hot, dirty, and Italian service people are surly - they would prefer to be at the seaside along with the rest of their countryfolk].
Main attractions:
Florence is one of those cities that is so packed with sights that
you shouldn't try to absorb it in one go or you'll so traumatise
yourself that you'll never be able to look a gilded cherub in the
face again. So relax, take little steps...
Number one sight has to be the amazing, pink white and green Duomo [cathedral, image top right] and Giotto's beautifully decorated Campanile tower -
with great city views, followed perhaps by Piazza [square, not pizza]
della Signoria with its Palazzo [palace] Vecchio, the famous Uffizi gallery, and nearby the 14thC Ponte Vecchio [bridge, picture top left] with its jewellery
shops.
Then there are more great churches - with more great interiors,
led by Santa Croce, with San Lorenzo not far behind in the awesome
stakes, and palaces galore, from the largest and most colourful,
the Strozzi, to the Pitti, with an interior as lavish as its art
collection, and backed by a stunning park, the Boboli Gardens, where
you'll need to lie down for a while before going back for more...
Short
Trips:
There are many beautiful views and villages out in the Tuscan countryside,
exemplified by the Mugello region northeast of the city - popular with
hikers, climbers, canoeists and horsefolk.
If, unbelievably, you need to see more baroque buildings, travel
out to the Medici's Villa della Petraia or Lorenzo's Villa di Castello,
both just to the north.
Alternatively, travel 8km south to the tranquil city of Fiesole,
with great sights and cultural relics but without the teeming hordes
of Florence. The Estate Fiesolana performing arts festival takes
place July, August.
Pisa is only an hour away by train.
Festivals:
Feb/March, Carnival.
Easter Sunday, Scoppio del Carro, festively exploding a cart in
Piazza del Duomo. What madness is this?
March, Cricket Festival [insects, not bats]
June, Festival of Saint John, parades, dances and more.
June, Calcio Storico, a violent 15thC costumed football match in
Piazza Santa Croce.
June, Dance Festival.
Sept, Rificolona Festival, kids & lanterns.
For
some precise dates or more information see: European
Festivals or Arts
Festivals.
Arts/Culture:
Museums/Galleries: Above all sits the Uffizi gallery and its stunning, world famous art collections. The place opens Tues-Sun 8.15am-7pm/10pm depending on the season and rooms are arranged in chronological order. [Reserve tickets by telephone 05-529-4883 and more details at www.firenzemusei.it]
After that
what can you do
but have a few beers in the piazza? ...and then totter off to the
13thC Bargello Museum, housing superb Renaissance sculptures, the
Accademia including Michelangelo's David, Palazzo Pitti's modern
art, and the city hall - Palazzo Vecchio.
Night Club/Live Music: Truthfully, this is not really a club kind
of place, and is discouraged by the city council.
Pushy gigolos are rampant and a pay-by club card system in many
places can easily become unexpected pain-by-card.
Central Park is an interesting club in the summer, set in a huge
outdoor area enclosed by bamboos and bars, and Anfiteatro is another
good summer only place, though transport is a problem. Le Murate,
also summer only, is set in an ex-prison, good value and hip.
For classical music in classical settings, the Tavernelle Val di
Pasta concerts take place in a lovely monastery from June, and Vaglia
concerts happen in Villa Demidoff, also in June.
Puccini Opera Festival happens on the shore of Lake Massaciuccoli
July - mid August.
n.b.
Beware pickpockets, it's another Florentine art form.
Cuisine:
Naturally touristy locations are stuffed with poor value, poor quality
food, so for a decent meal look for a place where locals are eating
and eat traditional dishes - which should be decently priced.
Beware ripoffs. A certain trattoria beside the Ponte Vecchio, Lungarno,
for example, posts an attractive menu outside then presents a totally
different one inside.
For a real $$$ blowout try Michelin-starred Enoteca Pinchiorri,
or Il Pizzaiuolo for good value Neapolitan pizzas, and Da Ruggero
trattoria for local food at local prices.
Shopping:
A terrific shopping city, with the famous Italian brands at
accessible prices, fake Italian brands at astounding prices and
a gorgeous environment in which to window shop.
The starting point has to be Ponte Vecchio's jewellery shops, then,
for designer shops just wander around Via Tornabuoni, Via Roma,
Via della Vigna Nuova and Marcato Centrale along with all the Japanese
travellers.
Florence
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