FLORENCE CITY GUIDE ®
AUGUST 2018
FLORENCE.WHEREITALIA.COM
ALL YOU CAN DO IN THE CITY INSIDE: HOW TO GET 10% OFF YOUR SHOPPING Exclusively for foreign individual customers
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Florence August 2018 10
50
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Chiesa Evangelica Metodista
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Teatro Verdi Santi
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San Remigio
PIAZZA VIA V. MALEN CHINI, MENTANA GEN ERA LE DIAZ
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e Giuda VSimone IA TO
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Anfiteatro Romano di Firenze
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Museo del Bargello
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Loggia dei Lanzi
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Palazzo Borghese
Badia Fiorentina
Palazzo Gondi
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Chiesa San Felicita
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VIA DELLA CONDOTTA
PIAZZA DELLA SIGNORIA
VIA
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PIAZZA I SANTA FELICITA DIN IAR ICC ' GU DE
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PIAZZA DEI SALTERELLI
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Torre degli Amidei
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Teatro della Oratorio Di Pergol Santommaso D'aquino
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Santa Margherita in S.M. dei Ricci
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Ponte Vecchio
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Loggia dell’ Orsanmichele Arte della Lana San Carlo dei Lombardi
Loggia del Porcellino
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Università degli Studi di Firenze
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Museo dell'Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore
Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore
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Palazzo delle Poste
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Museo Ar
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Centro Lingustico Rotonda del Brunelleschi
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Palazzo P. DEGLI Strozzi STROZZI
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Galleria dell’Accademia
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Chiesa San Jacopo
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Ponte Santa Trinita
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Palazzo Bartolini Palazzo Salinbeni Davanzati
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PIAZZA SANTA MARIA NOVELLA
Chiesa di San Paolino
PIAZZA GOLDONI
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Ponte alla Carraia
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Chiesa S. Frediano in Cestello
Chiesa di Santa Maria del Carmine
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PIAZZA INDIPENDENZA
P DELLA
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VIA
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DO
VI A
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LU NG AR NO
Ponte Amerigo Vespucci
PIAZZA TORQUATO TASSO
TR VIALE PE
SG
A
SA
LO
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Porta San Gallo
INO
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BELL VIA GIANO DELLA
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P. DELL'UNITÀ ALDOBRANDINI ITALIANA VIA DEL MELARANCIO
Basilica di Santa Maria Novella
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Giardino dell'Orticoltura
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PIAZZA DE’ NERLI
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restaurants for a triumph of flavours, aromas and untold creativity. VI
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San Barnaba
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Stazione Ferroviaria Firenze Santa Maria Novella
SO
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Porta San Frediano
RESTAURANTS
ON
B E Eight L L O S Gstarred UARDO
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Cenacolo di Foligno
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Nostra Signora del Sacro Cuore
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42 MICHELIN-STARRED PIAZZA PIER VETTORI
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Santa Lucia sul Prato
LF
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Giardino degli Orti Oricellari
Polimoda
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Santa
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LARGO MARTIRI DELLE FOIBE
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PIAZZA DELLA VITTORIA
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Casa di Riposo della Beata Elisabetta Vendramini
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Culinary destinations in several top hotels in Florence.
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Ponte della Vittoria
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Chiesa episcopale americana di St. James
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F
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Firenze Fiera
PIAZZA ADUA
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Giardino di Valfonda
V.
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Villa Fabbricotti
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Giardino di Palazzo Corsini sul Prato
40 TOP HOTEL
Ponte delle Cascine
CE
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Information and tips to experience the best that Florence has to offer
VIA PIAZZALE BAMBINE E BAMBINI DI BESLAN
VI A
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LARGO CESARE CANTÙ
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CO
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V
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Fortezza da Basso
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58 ESSENTIALS
ID
FR
FR
VIA
PIAZZALE DI PORTA AL PRATO Porta al Prato
DE
VIA
Giardino della Fortezza
LLE VIA DE
LG. PORTA LEOPOLDA
LL
IN S
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ON
CC
RC
BU
LU
BU
IO
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PIAZZALE DELLA COSTITUZIONE
Chiesa San Jacopino
EN
A
IM
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STAR NIN
US
DO
AR DO
BA
VIA
V. GH ER
V. L. NN
Stazione Leopolda
Chiesa Di San Bartolomeo a Monte Oliveto
Chiesa Parrocchiale Santissimo Crocifisso a Monticelli
Chiesa Cattolica Parrocchiale Sacro Cuore al Romito
RIA
LO
CEL
MAR
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NO
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Chiesa di San Pietro a Monticelli
18 NOT JUST FLORENCE V.
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Teatro dell’Opera
IG IO
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V
A VI
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BEN
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NA SA PI
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2 W H E R E EFN LO R E N C E I AU G UL SF ITL A 2018 R E VIAL
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Suggestions for trips outside the city that are able to satisfy any need.
Follow us on Instagram @where_florence VI A
PA L
L
E
ANNI
NIO TO AN
VIA MASO DI BANCO
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Several of the best shopping destinations not far from Florence.
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Take advantage of your stay in Florence to enjoy this season’s latest offerings.
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Discover one of the glamorous resort in Italy and a legendary shopping destination.
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The ‘Gong’ exhibition at Forte di Belvedere: twenty monumental sculptures explore the cosmos and investigate the energy among the stars
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A Renaissance building, two enormous slides, some plants and plenty of visitors. How art and science will entertain you at Palazzo Strozzi
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Michelin-starred dishes in a location as welcoming as a real home, with views of the Ponte Vecchio: this is the Borgo San Jacopo restaurant
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In the Damiani boutique in via de’ Tornabuoni now is time for the new D.Icon ‘Pink Candy’ ring and pendant variants
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IV Manning w w w.wh e re t rave l e r. com 3
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DUOMO AND CUPOLA Completed in 1436, at the time the Duomo in Florence was the largest Christian church in the world. Today the religious building, the official name of which is “Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore”, is third in terms of dimensions after St. Peter’s in Rome and St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. Brunelleschi’s Dome, still the tallest construction in the city, is a symbol known all over the world. 1
CAMPANILE DI GIOTTO 84.70 metres high and around 15 wide, the Giotto’s bell tower is one of the four main components of the complex of Santa Maria del Fiore. Lined with white, red and green marble, the majestic square-based bell tower, designed by Giotto in 1334, can be visited by climbing no less than 414 stairs up to the top, from where you can enjoy extraordinary views of Brunelleschi’s Dome. 3
BATTISTERO The Baptistery of St. John the Baptist is characterised by an octagonal plan, lined with a dome of eight segments, covered by a pyramid roof. The outside is decorated with white marble from Carrara and green marble from Prato, characteristics of the Florentine architecture of the Romanesque period. 2
PIAZZA DELLA SIGNORIA AND PALAZZO VECCHIO This is the central square of Florence, the seat of civil power and social heart of the city. Facing onto it are Palazzo Vecchio (the seat of the Municipal Council of Florence), the splendid Loggia della Signoria, the Tribunale della Mercanzia, Palazzo Uguccioni and Palazzo delle Assicurazioni Generali. Also prominent in the
4 W H E R E F LO R E N C E I AU G U S T 2018
square are the Fountain of Neptune and a series of statues of Renaissance origin, representing one of the most important sculptural cycles in the world. The most famous is certainly Michelangelo’s David (this is a copy, whereas the original is conserved in the Galleria dell’Accademia). 4 GALLERIA DEGLI UFFIZI One of the most famous museums in the world on account of its extraordinary collections of ancient sculptures and paintings (from the Middle Ages to the modern age). The Gallery occupies the first and second floors of the large building erected between 1560 and 1580 based on a project by Giorgio Vasari 5 PONTE VECCHIO The official date of foundation of the current Ponte Vecchio is given as 1345. For the entire
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MORE AT PAGE 50 MAP PAGES 62-63 SAN MINIATO AL MONTE The Abbey of San Miniato al Monte is a medieval religious building situated at one of the highest panoramic points in Florence. The most spectacular access is gained via the monumental flight of steps. The outside of the church is decorated with green and white marble, typical of Florentine Romanesque, while the interior, which is unusual and of great beauty, boasts one of the city’s best conserved original floors. 10
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MERCATO CENTRALE Built at the end of the 19th century, the Central Market is a building of a certain architectural merit. The project was entrusted to Giuseppe Mengoni, the architect of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele in Milan, who was inspired by Les Halles in Paris. Today, a point of reference for informal but good quality cuisine for both Florentines and tourists. 11 SANTA CROCE One of the “great basilicas” in Florence, a point of reference of the Franciscan order. Giotto painted some of his great masterpieces here and the French writer Stendhal experienced that profound artistic agitation that has been known since then as the “Stendhal syndrome”. The basilica contains the monumental sepulchres of Michelangelo, Galileo and Machiavelli. 12
Middle Ages the bridge hosted greengrocers’, fishmongers’ and butchers’ shops, who used the river to dispose of their waste in a hurry. At the end of the 16th century, however, when it became the “noble” zone of the city, the goldsmiths and jewellers started to arrive, and they have been there uninterruptedly to this day. 6 CORRIDOIO VASARIANO The Vasari Corridor is a raised walkway connecting Ponte Vecchio with Palazzo Pitti. It is a rather narrow passage the entrance to which is at the beginning of the second corridor of the Uffizi Gallery; it then stretches along the Arno, over the Ponte Vecchio, finally arriving at Palazzo Pitti. It was built in 1565 by the great Florentine architect Giorgio Vasari. On display along the Corridor are over 1000 paintings. 7
PALAZZO PITTI AND GIARDINO DI BOBOLI The symbol of wealth and power, the building was inhabited by the Medici, then by the Habsburg-Lorraines and, after the Unity of Italy, by the Savoy family. The original architecture dates back to the 15th century and “Pitti” is the surname of its first owner. The building is located Oltrarno, at the foot of Boboli Hill. The Boboli Gardens are one of the most important examples of Italian-style gardens in the world. 8 PIAZZALE MICHELANGELO This is the most famous and appreciated panoramic point in Florence, with its views seen all over the world in million of postcards and reproductions. The design of the square dates back to 1869, when Florence was capital of Italy. Dedicated to the city’s most famous artist, the square has bronze copies of some of Michelangelo’s most famous sculptures. 9
SANTA MARIA NOVELLA A point of reference of the Dominican order, the church, with its elegant façade by Leon Battista Alberti, is a harmonious synthesis of Gothic and Renaissance styles. It hosts exceptional works of art by Masaccio, Giotto, Brunelleschi, Filippino Lippi, Domenico Ghirlandaio and Paolo Uccello. 13 SANTO SPIRITO A point of reference of the Augustinian order. The church has given its name to the entire surrounding neighbourhood, “Borgo Santo Spirito”. A jewel of Renaissance architecture, the church was the last great project by Filippo Brunelleschi. 14 SAN LORENZO One of the “great basilicas” of Florence, founded, according to the tradition, by Saint Ambrose, the first bishop of Milan, in the 4th century AD. Its current appearance, however, is the result of the last major reconstruction work that took place in the 15th century at the wishes of the Medici and under the direction of the great architect Filippo Brunelleschi. 15 w w w.wh e re t rave l e r. com 5
WHERE NOW | HOT DATES
6 W H E R E F LO R E N C E I AU G U S T 2018
AUGUST ENTERTAINMENT
12 25 JUNE
SEPTEMBER
MEET THE MUSES IN THE EVENING AT THE MUSEUM Until 25 September theatre, music, dance are the artistic forms enlivening Uffizi Live 2018, the festival of live performances promoted by the Uffizi Gallery and offered to the public during the evening opening hours (until 10 pm) on Tuesdays in summer. With a normal entrance ticket it will be possible to see live shows – from African traditional music to the Italian classical repertoire, from jazz to live electronics, from kabuki to contemporary dance – all with a sole common denominator: an original interaction with the art collections and spaces of the Uffizi, the true protagonists of the evenings. Uffizi Live 2018 Every Tuesday until 25 September, 7-10pm Galleria degli Uffizi, Piazzale degli Uffizi, 6 www.uffizi.it
Whether it’s discovering the events celebrating Italian traditions, art and music or visiting an exhibition, Where® brings you this month’s unmissable dates.
AUGUST
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WHERE NOW | HOT DATES ART
21 7 JUNE
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A WHOLE LIFE’S WORK ▲ From 1973, for 28 years, his “Große Kugelkaryatide”, known universally as “The Sphere”, was mirrored on the surface of a stretch of water between the twin towers in World Trade Center Plaza, symbolizing world peace. Perhaps Fritz Koenig’s best known work, it was found among the ruins of the terrorist attack, damaged but not destroyed; it was returned to the WTC in 2017, a few months after its creator’s death. Among the most important sculptors of the twentieth century, Koenig is now being celebrated with a major monographic exhibition of a large number of his works in the magnificent green spaces of the Boboli Gardens and in the rooms of the Uffizi: from his monumental bronze sculptures to his drawings, also including, for the first time, the works from the last fourty years of his life.
Fritz Koenig 1924-2017. A Retrospective Gli Uffizi, piazzale degli Uffizi - Giardino di Boboli, piazza de’ Pitti, 1- www.uffizi.it
FOLKLORE
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THE FESTIVAL OF FESTIVALS
► The Feast of San Lorenzo (St. Lawrence) in Florence is the popular festival par excellence, on account both of its historical aspect (the Basilica of San Lorenzo was the city’s first consecrated church, by St. Ambrose AUGUST in 393 AD), and of the city’s traditional bond with its co-patron saint. In antiquity the “Compagnia dei fornai fiorentini di San Lorenzo” (Company of Florentine bakers of San Lorenzo) distributed blessed bread free of charge to citizens on this day, followed by a feast of watermelons in the evening. Today in Piazza San Lorenzo bread has been replaced by lasagne with meat sauce, distributed free of charge together with watermelons at the end of the day of celebrations. The event also envisages concerts in the church square and, in the morning, the parade of the Corteo Storico della Repubblica Fiorentina through the streets of the city centre, with the participants in traditional costumes and the presence of the city’s banner.
Festa di San Lorenzo Piazza San Lorenzo 8 W H E R E F LO R E N C E I AU G U S T 2018
AUGUST OPEN AIR CINEMA
PHOTOGRAPHY
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THE POWER OF AN IMAGE
▼ The green spaces of Villa Bardini host the “Icons” exhibition, JUNE SEPTEMBER a wide-ranging retrospective devoted to the work of Steve McCurry, one of the world’s greatest contemporary photographers, who with his portrait of Sharbat Gula, the Afghan girl from the refugee camp in Peshawar in Pakistan, created an absolute icon of photojournalism. “Icons” brings together over 100 photographs documenting the very best of the US artist’s output in 40 years of activity in India, Afghanistan, Burma, Japan, Cuba and Brazil.
Steve McCurry. Icons Villa Bardini, Costa San Giorgio 2. www.villabardini.it
25 11 JUNE
THE MOST BEAUTIFUL MOVIE THEATRE IN THE WORLD ▲ After last summer’s great success, with
AUGUST 24 events, all sold out, the new edition
of the Florentine film festival returns to the incomparable location of Piazzale degli Uffizi (what other cinema can boast such an evocative movie theatre?). On offer this year will be arthouse films in their original languages (subtitled in Italian or in English, as appropriate) alternating with more commercial films in Italian, and once again the formula of free entry until places run out is confirmed. Consult the website or ask your concierge for the programme of screenings. MAZAR-I-SHARIF, AFGHANISTAN, 1991. © STEVE MCCURRY
Apriti Cinema! Piazzale degli Uffizi - www.estatefiorentina.it
OPERA
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“BEL CANTO” BETWEEN THE AISLES
Inspired by the performances of the renowned “Three Tenors”, Luciano Pavarotti, Plácido Domingo and José Carreras, the trio AUGUST composed of Mattia Nebbiai, Claudio Sassetti and Leonardo Sgroi pays homage to the ‘bel canto’ with their interpretations of some of the most famous arias from Italian melodrama, from La Traviata, Rigoletto and Tosca and others besides. Accompanied by a chamber ensemble composed of mandolin, cello and piano, the tenors will also perform some of the finest Neapolitan songs, such as “O sole mio”, “Funiculì Funiculà” and “Torna a Surriento”. The concert is to be held in the Auditorium di Santo Stefano al Ponte Vecchio, a desecrated church that is among the oldest in the city, abounding in artworks and with acoustics beyond compare. The Three Tenors in Florence - Tribute to Luciano Pavarotti 7 August, 8.30pm Auditorium Santo Stefano al Ponte, Piazza Santo Stefano, 5 www.musictick.com Photo: Stefano Scheda w w w.wh e re t rave l e r. com 9
WHERE NOW | FOCUS
H istorical gardens Discovering the more pastoral, green side of Florence, but also lilacs, pinks, crimsons and ochres. Secret, public, private, Englishor Italian-style gardens, place to take a break and seek out a cool, shady place away from the warm August sun.
PHOTO © SHUTTERSTOCK
BY CHIARA ZACCARELLI
Panoramic view of the Boboli Gardens from Palazzo Pitti. Top right: little angel on top of the monkey fountain.
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Chiara Zaccarelli Travel Editor Where ® Italia
W
hen we visit a city like Florence, known above all for its works of art, monumental architecture and historical and cultural heritage, we often tend to forget the equally unique natural wealth that is concealed among the palaces and noble villas or inside prestigious hotels. The city, in fact, boasts a whole series of public or private gardens, some very famous indeed, others jealously guarded secrets. Many of these conceal so many works of art within them that they could be considered on a par with the museums themselves, others possess a variety of precious plants and citrus trees worthy of a botanical garden. Some are besieged by Florentines and tourists, especially in the flowering season, but on warm August afternoons, when the summer colours slowly begin to fade into autumn tones, they will give you peace, tranquillity and some much sought-after cool shade. THE GREAT CLASSICS Imposing, romantic, classical, Boboli is the quintessential garden of Florence and its museum circuit, which also includes the Silver Museum, the Costume Gallery, the Porcelain Museum and the Bardini Gardens in the ticket price, is among the most visited state-owned sites in Italy. This imposing green space extends over 45 hectares and was created over the course of four centuries, behind Palazzo Pitti, of which it is an integral part, since it enables visitors to fully grasp the spirit of courtly life at the time of the Medici. Boboli is an enormous green lung where you can take a regenerating break between visits to one monument and the next, but at the same time it is an open-air museum in its own right, possessing countless sculptures, grottos and fountains of great artistic value, including the very famous Buontalenti Grotto, one of the most bizarre architectural wonders of Florence (www.uffizi.it/giardino-boboli). In addition to all this, until 7 October, the Boboli Gardens and a number of rooms of the Uffizi welcome the sculptures and drawings of German artist Fritz Koenig, whose most famous work, “The Sphere”, originally sited at the World Trade Center in New York and damaged by the terrorist attack of 11 September 2001, has since become a symbol of peace and reconstruction (see page 8). Thus the green spaces of the famous garden become the privileged backdrop for the monumental bronze, stone and corten steel works by Koenig, considered one of the most important sculptors of the twentieth century (www.uffizi.it). As we said above, the entrance ticket to the Boboli Gardens is also valid for another marvellous Florentine green space: the Bardini Gardens, a location with a unique panoramic view of Florence occupying part of a hill surrounded by medieval walls. Over the centuries it has been transformed, age after age, changing from a space dedicated to agriculture to what today is an Italian-style garden including a Baroque flight of steps, four hectares of Englishstyle woodland with exotic elements, an orchard and a wisteria bower. Within it is Villa Bardini, which took its place among those “Casini di Delizia” [Country Houses of Delight] that were widespread in Florence between the 16th century and the first half of the 17th, created for rest and relaxation and surrounded by cultivated agricultural land, but also with ornamental purposes. The villa, on w w w.wh e re t ravel e r. com 11
WHERE NOW | FOCUS
The Medici villa La Petraia at Castello near Florence
Bardini garden four levels, includes sixty rooms and halls and today hosts exhibitions and events. Here, until 16 September, you can visit the retrospective “Steve McCurry. Icons” (see page 9), devoted to the work of master photographer Steve McCurry, which gathers together over 100 of his photographs, created in 40 years of activity (www.villabardini.it). If all these exhibitions and gardens have made 12 W H E R E F LO R E N C E I AU G U S T 2018
you hungry, then you’re in the right place, because inside the villa is the Michelin-starred restaurant La Leggenda dei Frati, which also – obviously – provides magnificent views of the city (www.laleggendadeifrati.it). SECRET GARDENS You need to book in advance to be able to visit them, but it is undoubtedly worth the
Cave of animals in the garden of royal villa in Castello effort. The Torrigiani Gardens are located in the Oltrarno, not far from Palazzo Pitti, and with their almost seven hectares they are among the most beautiful and extensive private gardens in Europe. Famous also as a botanical garden, on account of their extraordinary variety of arboreal species and plants coming from various parts of the world, they also possess statues, fountains and temples, all with a precise symbolic and esoteric meaning. Among the most fascinating architectural elements of the gardens is the Neo-Gothic tower, almost 22 metres high, with its unmistakable external spiral staircase, at the top of which stands a small astronomic observatory. The tower, positioned on an artificial hillock to increase its visual impact, is a reference to the Torrigiani family, who had a tower surmounted by three stars on their coat of arms, and also contains many concealed Masonic and esoteric symbols. The garden is private and still belongs to the two Torrigiani families of Santa Cristina and Torrigiani Malaspina, who still live there, so it can only be visited with the prior agreement of one of the owners, who will personally accompany you for the entire visit (www.giardinotorrigiani.it). Today located inside the prestigious Four Seasons Hotel Firenze, the Gherardesca Garden is known for its botanical rarities, such as the first mandarin oranges to be cultivated in Florence and some precious trees, now centuries-old, such as a maple of considerable dimensions, a redwood, a giant thuja and a splendid collection of azaleas. In this case too, temples, statues and fountains
A PALETTE OF COLOURS A garden for all seasons. While in spring the Bardini Gardens and Rose and Iris Gardens are the most popular, in summer exhibitions and events “blossom” at Boboli and in the Gherardesca Gardens. In autumn, because of their foliage, all the trees dress up in warm colours ranging from yellow, through orange and red, to sienna, and to shades of plum and violet, transforming the city into a fascinating palette of colours.
Della Gherardesca Garden Path,Four Seasons Hotel Firenze are set splendidly in the park, and there is also a Kaffeehaus and some areas used for events. Being the property of the Four Seasons Hotel, the garden is not open to the public, apart from on certain days of the year or for events. If you are not lucky enough to be staying at this marvellous location, but you would still like to visit the park, you can treat yourself to lunch or dinner at the Il Palagio restaurant, located inside the hotel and awarded a Michelin star (www.fourseasons.com/it/florence). The Orti Oricellari [Oricellari Gardens] are a small hidden garden, situated near Santa Maria Novella, the name of which derives from that of the Rucellai family, who had them built and owned them for a number of centuries. They date back as far as the late 15th century, when they were built together with the building that Nannina de’ Medici, sister of Lorenzo the Magnificent, and her husband Bernardo Rucellai, had constructed to house the Platonic Academy of Florence. The Academy was later attended by some of the greatest artists and thinkers of the time, including Niccolò Machiavelli and Pope Leo X. The heart of the current Orti Oricellari are the fountain, with its colossal statue of Polyphemus drinking from a wineskin, and the Grotto degli Orti, with statues and frescos representing the winds and nymphs; it is visitable, but only by prior appointment (for more info ask your concierge).
What is a “limonaia”? When visiting Florence and its surrounding area you will undoubtedly happen upon one or more limonaie, lemon houses. But what is a limonaia exactly? It is the equivalent of what in France, and in all the European courts, was known as an orangerie, in other words, a greenhouse for citrus fruit. Lemon houses were particularly widespread in Tuscany on account of the Medici, who particularly loved citrus trees and cultivated them, both for their therapeutic value and for purely ornamental purposes. However, citrus trees struggle to grow in Tuscany because the winters are too harsh, so in the past during the coldest season they had to be put under cover, in special spaces called “limonaie”. There was no villa in Tuscany during the Renaissance that did not possess a limonaia. Today many of these ancient structures have been restored and are used as places for meetings, cultural events and ceremonies, such as the limonaia at Villa Strozzi, others have retained their original function as shelters for citrus trees, such as the ancient limonaia at the Villa Medicea di Castello, which today still protects an important collection of rare citrus trees from the elements, or in Boboli, midway between Palazzo Pitti and the outer edge of the garden, which today still conserves its Rococo façade, plasterwork and original doors and windows.
The limonaia at Palazzo Strozzi
OUTSIDE THE HISTORIC CENTRE A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Villa Medicea di Castello is an ancient complex boasting, w w w.wh e re t ravel e r. com 13
WHERE NOW | FOCUS AROUND THE CORNER You just need 10 minutes by bus or train to take a break from the heat and the frenetic life of the city centre. Florence is surrounded by green hills, centuries-old parks and splendid gardens, genuine masterpieces bathed in nature, art and history. Here, walking amid the greenery surrounded by water features, fountains, grottos, trees hundreds of years old, coniferous woods and Mediterranean maquis, you will surely find that much sought-after coolness.
The Grotto of Cupid at medicean Park of Pratolino
in addition to a Medici villa, a splendid Italianstyle garden, second only to Boboli. Arranged along three terraces, the park is situated in the hillside area of Castello, within easy reach of the centre city by bus or train. The two very famous works by Botticelli, Primavera [Spring] and The Birth of Venus, today housed in the Uffizi Gallery, were commissioned by Lorenzo de’ Medici for this villa, which today hosts the prestigious Accademia della Crusca [literally the “Academy of Bran”], a school dedicated to the study of the Italian language, and is therefore not visitable. You can, however, visit the splendid gardens, abounding in citrus trees and rare plants and decorated with ancient and Renaissance sculptures. Not to be missed, along the central axis of the Italian-style gardens at the rear of the villa, are the Fountain of Hercules and Antaeus and the extraordinary Grotto of the Animals, originally embellished by spectacular water features, in the perfect simulation of a natural cave in which sculptural groups of animals made of multi-coloured marble are assembled. (www.accademiadellacrusca.it). North of Florence, around 13 km away (there are a number of buses that can take you there, departing from the centre; ask your concierge), is the green oasis of Pratolino Park (also known as Villa Demidof) recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. The splendid villa, which was built in the 16th century and completed the complex, unfortunately no longer exists, but many attractions remain, in addition to the enchantment of a luxuriant nature, large green spaces, dense woodland and extensive meadows offering itineraries 14 W H E R E F LO R E N C E I AU G U S T 2018
for trekking or Nordic walking enthusiasts. But, like all Florentine gardens, Pratolino Park is also an open-air museum: although many of its original artworks have been removed over the centuries, it still conserves others of great interest, including the enormous Apennine Colossus by Giambologna, and then the Fountain of Jupiter, the chapel, the Fagianeria [Pheasant House], the Grotto of Cupid and the stables, all designed by Buontalenti (www.cittametropolitana.fi.it/parcomediceo-di-pratolino). On the hill of Montughi (reachable with the no. 4 bus from Firenze SMN railway station, Gioia stop), is the Frederick Stibbert house-museum, an exhibition pole devoted
The Stibbert garden
to ancient weapons and art objects and surrounded by a large English-style park, with Hellenistic and Egyptian temples, grottos and water features. Here a series of allegorical itineraries, embellished by decorative elements such as columns, statues and zoomorphic Egyptian divinities, guide visitors through the garden in an interweaving of mythological symbologies. The Stibbert Garden is one of the few examples of an eclectic 19th-century park that have remained intact in Florence. No less than 56 species and over 600 specimens are present, including limes, pines, holm oaks, horse chestnuts, palms and cypresses. The Limonaia has been restructured and now hosts public and private events (www.museostibbert.it).
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A GENTLEMAN KNOWS THE VALUE OF TIME. - Rule 36 -
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WHERE NOW | SHOPPING
GIFT
GUIDE
► MARIOLUCA GIUSTI This brightly coloured dish intended as a tribute to the summer season is part of the ‘Aimone’ orange tableware collection. Made of melamine by Florentine design house Mario Luca Giusti, it represents Italian taste and style par excellence. mariolucagiusti.it
Take advantage of a stroll through Florence to treat yourself to an accessory, a fragrance, a jewellery item or some other alluring stylish detail. Where ® brings you the pick of the best seasonal trends and guarantees that you won’t leave empty-handed!
◄ AQUAZZURA Adorned with a shiny metallic cuff on the upper, the ‘Rendez Vous’ Sandal 50 is a classic sandal with an eye-catching upgrade. The pair is crafted in Italy from supple specchio leather in a mix of shimmery silver and gleaming gold, and sits on a mid block heel for all-day comfort. www.aquazzura.com
Giulia Minero Lifestyle & News Editor Where ® Italia
◄ ASPESI From a fine Italian brand, timeless style for informal clothing, characterized by the use of exclusive avant-garde fabrics, the 2018 beachwear collection was made for him. Here, the ‘Stromboli’ costume with floral print, elasticized waist adjustable with drawstring. www.aspesi.com
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▼ GUCCI ‘Guilty Absolute’ eau de parfum is created with a particular blend combining notes of leather and gilded wood with natural essences of Nootka cypress. The result is a fragrance with very dry woody notes, accentuated by three different types of patchouli and vetiver oil with an earthy depth. www.gucci.com
▲ POMELLATO The chic, essential personality of the iconic ring by Pomellato, the ‘Nudo’, lives again in this pendant characterized by a ‘nude’ stone available in a variety of colours, including citrine quartz, light blue topaz and London blue topaz. www.pomellato.com
► ROLEX The ‘GMT-Master’ was made for those who love travel: not only because of the possibility of displaying the time in different time zones, but also because of its solidity and versatility. Here the version with black dial and case and bracelet made of Everose Gold, an exclusive 18ct pink gold alloy patented by Rolex. www.rolex.com
▼ EMILIO PUCCI These sunglasses for her, with a sophisticated, eccentric shape, are part of the 2018 summer collection. One of those elegant Emilio Pucci accessories with unusual applications that give an extra touch of glamour, yet without losing any of that meticulous craftsmanship. www.emiliopucci.com
▲ IL BISONTE Crafted in linen and cowhide leather, this transformable woman’s travel shoulder bag is called ‘Caramella’. It can be handheld or worn as a shoulder bag by simply adjusting its side straps. Other features include a double slide zip fastening and an inner zipped pocket. www.ilbisonte.com
▲ HAVAIANAS Is it true that you shouldn’t wear flip-flops in the city? Absolutely not! The original and authentic flip-flops have evolved into this espadrille design. The sole is still made of rubber, but the upper is made of canvas. The 11 colours available will delight everyone as they are combined with any outfit you can think of. www.havaianas-store.com
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PHOTO © SHUTTERSTOCK
WHERE NOW | OUT OF TOWN
Not just Florence If Florence offers tourists an unrivalled cultural and historical heritage, its surrounding area no less so. Here are some suggestions for trips outside the city that are able to satisfy any need. For more details ask your concierge.
Chiara Zaccarelli Travel Editor Where ® Italia
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I
f you choose Florence as your base, the good news is that around an hour away by train, bus or car you will find UNESCO heritage cities of art, dreamy countryside, natural thermal springs (see page 49), medieval towns and abbeys and kilometres of coastline for bathers. CITIES OF ART If you love cities of art then you’ve chosen the right region. Indeed, within an hour’s range from the Tuscan regional capital there are architectural wonders that will catapult you into medieval and Renaissance Tuscany. About an hour by train from Florence is Lucca, one of Tuscany’s most fascinating historic centres, surrounded by ancient 16th-century walls, today still practically fully intact and walkable in their entirely. You can cycle along the tree-lined walls, stop for a tasty ice cream or simply cool down on the benches. The picturesque historic centre has remained almost intact, including countless medieval churches, which have earned Lucca the nickname of “city of the 100 churches”, Renaissance squares and buildings and Roman amphitheatres.
Tuscany’s soft rolling hills
The famous Leaning Tower of Pisa can also be easily reached from Florence in about an hour by train. Loved by tourists from all over the world for its peculiar tilt, the Tower of Pisa is in reality the bell tower of the Cathedral, which stands in a unique monumental context, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site: Piazza dei Miracoli. Once you’ve completed your visit to this unbelievable square, if you have a little time left, you can relax with a walk along the Arno to the historic centre and Piazza dei Cavalieri, the political fulcrum of medieval Pisa. Facing onto the square is Palazzo della Carovana, with graffiti by Giorgio Vasari, which today houses the Scuola Normale Superiore, one of the most prestigious universities in the world. With a brief trip by coach from Florence you reach Siena, one of the most loved medieval centres in Italy, which is also included on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The city’s nerve centre is Piazza del Campo, which is renowned for its unique shell shape, for its architectural integrity, and because twice a year (2 July and 16 August) it holds the Palio di Siena, a horse race that is of fundamental importance for the Sienese, which sees the
NATURALISTIC ITINERARIES Florence is surrounded by hills, gentle valleys and luxuriant vineyards. Climbing them is easy, both on foot and on the numerous buses departing from the city centre. Over the years the hill of Fiesole has been the source of inspiration for artists, spiritual figures, noble families, writers and entrepreneurs.
San Gimignano
Palio di Siena
From this privileged observatory, dotted with villas, museums, archaeological excavations, churches and convents, you can enjoy beautiful views of Florence and the Florentine countryside. If you love panoramas, another unmissable spot is the small town of Settignano. The very famous Chianti zone, renowned for its vineyards, verdant valleys, rows of cypresses, olive groves, towns and abbeys built on hilltops, is around half an hour by car from the centre of Florence. If you are lucky enough to be there between September and November you can witness two key events for the economy and culture of the territory: the harvesting of grapes and olives. Let’s now leave this idyllic setting and move towards a wilder, more barren territory, that of the Crete Senesi. Located in the area south-east of Siena, the crete are clay hills, the result of the continuous erosion of the sea sediments. These bare, softly undulating hills, with their characteristic grey-blue colour and almost lunar appearance, are dotted
with cypresses and farmhouses and still encapsulate the essence of the most authentic Tuscany; they are far removed from the tourist routes, rich in traces and remains of ancient civilisations, picturesque medieval towns and culinary festivals. THE BEACHES Although the Medici city is deep inland, there are in fact various beaches that can be easily reached both by car and by train. The closest, the preferred destination of chic Florentines, is Forte dei Marmi, located in north-western Tuscany, with its long well-equipped beaches, dotted with venues frequented by VIPs, fashion boutiques and exclusive nightspots. Castiglioncello is known as “the pearl of the Tyrrhenian” on account of its breathtaking landscapes. Very easy to reach by train directly from Florence, the beach at Quercianella, again in the province of Livorno, is excellent for lovers of the Mediterranean maquis and perfect for diving and snorkelling enthusiasts.
Pier footpath promenade, beach and Apuane mountains in Forte dei Marmi Versilia
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PHOTOS © SHUTTERSTOCK
seventeen historic districts that comprise the city compete against each other. The square is dominated by a series of buildings of inestimable historical and architectural value, including the 14th-century Palazzo Pubblico and the attached Torre del Mangia, with its characteristic red colour, the Cappella di Piazza, the Loggia della Mercanzia and Palazzo Sansedoni. But Siena is not just Piazza del Campo: lose yourself along the picturesque medieval alleys, where you can purchase the local hand-crafted goods or taste the traditional panforte, the typical Sienese spiced bread with almonds, candied fruit and pepper. And a few kilometres from Siena, another town declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO awaits you with its towers and its characteristic medieval architecture. It is the unmissable San Gimignano, situated in the heart of the Tuscan countryside. Walking round this small town, the 13th/14th-century appearance of which is still practically unchanged, is almost like going back in time. San Gimignano is famous above all for its medieval towers, which were as many as 72 at one time and today are just fifteen, including some in ruins and without their tops but still visible as part of the urban fabric.
WHERE NOW | SHOPPING
WELCOME TO FORTE DEI MARMI footwear for more than forty years now, and Giovanni del Forte, who manufactures hand-made clogs for VIPs and royal families, or Principe di Firenze, a tailor’s shop of yesteryear, with its age-old charm and bundles of precious fabrics. The nights, on the other hand, pass quickly, in fashionable nightspots such as Twiga or the historic La Capannina di Franceschi, an iconic venue from the 1960s, which has made a powerful contribution to building up the iconography of the Forte dei Marmi of the period and still today, with all its highs and lows, it still succeeds in exciting.
Twiga Beach Club Forte dei Marmi
The bikes, the scent of maritime pines, the focaccine, the Wednesday market, the long pier stretching into the sea, the historic beach clubs with their striped umbrellas and the Liberty-style villas hidden away in the shade of the pinewood. This, and so much more, is Forte dei Marmi, the seaside resort in the province of Lucca that takes its name from the fort located in the town centre and from the marbles of the nearby Apuan Alps. Located around an hour and a half by train from Florence, but also reachable by bus (ask your concierge), since the early 20th century it has fascinated industrialists such as the Agnelli and Siemens families and intellectuals such as Thomas Mann or Luchino Visconti, to name just a few, also becoming a point of reference for European high society. The major tourism boom occurred in the post-war
period, when it became one of the most glamorous holiday resorts in Italy and was invaded by VIPs and famous personalities, the Milanese and Tuscan upper middle class and “holidaymakers” hoping to have a little stardust sprinkled on themselves. Today “Il Forte”, as the regulars call it, not without a touch of self-congratulatory snobbery, retains its own refined, hazy aura. Here, in the summer months, the days pass lazily, between the beach (no less than 5 kilometres long) and the pinewood. Among the historic establishments are the Silvio, Piero and Annetta beach clubs, but more recently fashionable new entry international clubs such as Nikki Beach (the one in Saint Tropez, in other words) are also doing well. In the late afternoon, before an aperitif at Almarosa, frequented by footballers and stars of the entertainment world, you can go shopping in the boutiques in the town centre. And if you linger a while to watch the sunset from the beach, don’t worry, because the shops stay open here till late evening in the summer months. All the major brands, from Gucci to Prada to Dolce&Gabbana, have shops at Il Forte, but there is also no shortage of multi-brand shops, such as Boutique Fiacchini, that stand out for their choice of international labels. But the real gems are the historic shops, such as the one belonging to Antonio Artigiano, who has been creating hand-crafted
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A holiday in Forte dei Marmi revolves around rituals that seem eternal: on Wednesdays, for instance, there is the legendary market, and you can find everything there. The Market at Forte dei Marmi is a genuine openair boutique where you can buy precious fabrics or ceramics for your seaside home, but also leather goods, hats made of fine straw and cashmere cardigans, all strictly Made in Italy. It goes without saying that you cannot expect to find neighbourhood market prices, but quality, as we know, has to be paid for. And then there are the focaccine, which, together with the bomboloni (cream buns) are the snacks that symbolise summers in Versilia. You can buy them unfilled at the historic Focacceria Valè, or Da Orlando, where they sell the filled versions. Luckily there are plenty of opportunities to burn a few calories: travelling around Il Forte by bike is de rigueur (they can be hired from Cicli Maggi) but alternatively, above all if you have young children, you can rent a rickshaw and have fun breezing along the promenade. But Forte dei Marmi is also culture: every year, in the months of July and August, inside the large Versiliana maritime pine park, the festival of the same name takes place, which includes concerts, theatre plays and events of various kinds (C.Z.)
Gucci
CULTI HOUSE A small, charming space in the centre of Forte dei Marmi, that expresses the spirit of the company and hosts all the collections of home fragrances, from home diffusers to sprays, scented candles and car sachets. Characterised by the same iconic elements as the Milanese boutiques, such as maple wood furnishings, glass shelving, suffused lighting, the boutique is a real “fragrance house” whose mission is to promote the Living Culture conceived thirty years ago: an original concept that translates into a stylistic and olfactive coherence, stimulating the senses in a heady mix of design, art and perfume. www.culti.com Via Carducci, 43. T: 0584 1848084.
ANGELA CAPUTI GIUGGIÙ Florentine designer Angela Caputi also has a shop in Forte dei Marmi with her brand Giuggiù. Her imaginative plastic jewellery is inspired by the US movies of the early 20th century and indeed is much loved across the ocean (to the extent that some of her pieces are exhibited in the Metropolitan Museum Art in New York). The boutique in Forte dei Marmi remains consistent with the holiday spirit of the location and is designed with total white interiors. Here, in addition to the jewellery, it is possible to purchase a selection of clothing items and accessories that complete the brand’s collections. www.angelacaputi.com. Via Stagio Stagi, 50 A/B. T: 0584 80705.
PRINCIPE DI FIRENZE The history of Principe di Firenze is inextricably linked with Tuscany, and particularly with Florence, where it was founded in 1930. The point of purchase in Forte dei Marmi also remains faithful to that calm elegance of British inspiration that is the essence of the Principe di Firenze collections that are much loved by a certain type of cultured, sophisticated traveller. The own-brand tailored creations, which are suited to every occasion of the day, alternate with proposals for women, men and children by major Italian brands. Here you can also find accessories, scented candles, silverware and objects for the home. www.principedifirenze.com Via Carducci 1/3. T: 0584 89369.
FEDELI SWIM & WEAR In recent years Fedeli Swim & Wear, a colourful collection of men’s swimming costumes by the historic Fedeli Cashmere clothing firm, has embarked upon a process of retail expansion into the most prestigious Italian holiday locations. It is almost de rigueur, therefore, to have a shop in the centre of Forte dei Marmi. The space, which is bright and minimalistic, stretches over an area of 75 sq.m. and is structured around tones of white, to make the vitamin colour shades of the shirts, polo shirts, swimming costumes and eyewear of Fedeli Swim & Wear stand out. fedeliswimwear.com Via Idone, 3/C. T: 0584 784128.
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A new icon from Damiani In the boutique in Via Tornabuoni, which was completely renovated a year ago, now is the time for D.Icon “Pink Candy”, the summer’s most coveted ring. By Elena Binda
E
xactly a year ago, in summer 2017, Damiani relaunched its presence in the luxury Florentine street by presenting its boutique completely rethought and renovated. The two-storey space, characterized by a highly spectacular staircase, is located in the historical Palazzo Gianfigliazzi in Via Tornabuoni, which dates back to the 14th century. Among the elements of medieval origin, restored and appropriately highlighted, there are display cases, private rooms and sales counters designed to offer the utmost confidentiality and comfort. So, last year the boutique welcomed the general public once again after the work was completed, reaffirming its presence in a location selected back in 1997. Now, a year later, the space in Via Tornabuoni is the ideal setting for the presentation of the 22 W H E R E F LO R E N C E I AU G U S T 2018
design house’s summer collection, in which the new D.Icon “Pink Candy” is the highlight, as it is one of the summer’s most fashionable rings with incredibly wide appeal: youthful and sophisticated, elegant and unusual. The rounded, easily recognizable shapes have already made D.Icon a cult collection for jewellery lovers the world over. Over the years the collection, which includes necklaces, bracelets, earrings and rings, has gradually added new colours: from classic black and white to the more fashionable “cappuccino” and “sugar paper” tones. Now, with D.Icon “Pink Candy”, a delicate pink tone is added to the range, and is available in the ring and pendant variants. Ceramic meets gold and diamonds, in a piece that is both artisan and hi-tech, giving rise to a jewellery item with a captivating new design.
Among the obvious inspirations are “confetti”, small traditional Italian sweets consisting of an almond coated in sugar. Each colour has a meaning: white for marriage, red for graduation, and so on. And pink? It is used to announce the birth of a woman. >> Damiani Boutique Firenze Via de’ Tornabuoni, 7/r T: 055 290208 www.damiani.com
D.Icon “Pink Candy” ring
FOR MORE LISTINGS VISIT FLORENCE.WHEREITALIA.COM
Guidelines CLOTHING &
The
This directory, grouped by category, is a list of establishments recommended by the editors of Where Magazine and includes regular advertisers. MAP LOCATIONS-Note that references in bold
at the end of each listing (A1, B5 etc.) refer to the coordinates on the street map (pages 62-63). SHOPPING -Shopping hours are generally from 10am to 7pm; less centrally located shops still take the traditional lunch break. Most shops are closed on Sundays (except those located in central Florence) and on Monday mornings. Ask your concierge. Visitors should note that VAT is 22% and it is generally included in the price of goods.
»
TAX-FREE SHOPPING
By law, non-EU residents are entitled to reclaim the VAT paid on items purchased and exported from the EU: before finalizing a purchase, they should ask the shop assistant whether they are eligible for a tax refund. UnionPay Service Hotline: 00 800 800 95516 e-mail: europe@unionpayintl.com
ACCESSORIES Angela Caputi Giuggiù The boutique offers an extraordinary selection of clothing items for every type of woman. In addition, hats, bags and other accessories from all over the world enrich these collections. Stylist and designer Angela Caputi chooses these articles personally to combine with and complete her exclusive resin jewellery with its unique, elegant design. www.angelacaputi.com. Open Mon-Sat 10am-1pm/3.30pm-7.30pm. Borgo SS. Apostoli, 44-46/r. T: 055 292993. Map E4
Anichini
CHILDREN A traditional tailor’s shop for children where skilled artisan hands create elegant items for newborns, children and youngsters using the best Italian fabrics. For each model it is possible to vary the choice of fabrics, colours and details. A centuryold workshop of hand-crafting culture, located in 15th-century Palazzo Ricasoli. www.anichini.net. Open Mon 3.30pm-7pm; Tues-Sat 9.30am-1.30pm/3.30pm7.30pm. Via del Parione, 59/r. T: 055 284977. Map D3
Aspesi The cult brand, created in 1969 by fashion veteran Alberto Aspesi, features quirky, tailored lines, elegant details and natural materials. His current collections are still based on the original “no frills” philosophy and will appeal to all those who like their outerwear without flashy labels. www.aspesi.com. Women. Open Mon-Fri 10am-2pm/3pm-7pm; Sat 10am-7pm; Sun 3pm-7pm. Via di Porta Rossa, 85/r. T: 055 287987. Men. Open Mon-Fri 10am-2pm/3pm-7pm; Sat 10am-7pm; Sun 3pm-7pm. Via Porta Rossa, 51/r. T: 055 287931. Map E4
Brunello Cucinelli The world of Brunello Cucinelli can be summed up as a compendium of art, traditions and Italian craftsmanship. The brand, which came about in Umbria forty years ago from an idea by founder Brunello Cucinelli, represents excellence in the production of high-quality cashmere knitwear and today boasts top-level production with total look men’s and women’s collections. Today it is seen as a model enterprise all over the world for its support for the dignity of work and craftsmanship, defining itself as “a humanistic company”. www.brunellocucinelli. com. Open daily 10am-7pm. Via dei Pecori, 16/r. T: 055 285832. Map F3
UnionPay is an international bankcard association based in China and serves the world’s largest cardholder base. With more than 7 billion cards issued worldwide, UnionPay has become the mayor payment method of the outbound Chinese. By March 2018, almost 600,000 merchants in Italy accept UnionPay card for payment, among which 9,000 merchants are located in Florence. This allows hundred of thousands of affluent Chinese customers to shop with their favourite cards. UnionPay also actively work with famous retail groups, such as the Rinascente department stores, The Mall, SINA hotels, Aspesi fashion boutiques, to provide special discount or services for UnionPay cardholders. DINING
Reservations for most restaurants are strongly advised. In Italy, service is included in the price meaning that although tipping is not compulsory, it is obviously appreciated as a sign of satisfaction. Some menus include the word “coperto”, a small surcharge corresponding to the cost of the service and bread. Although no dress code exists in Italy, semiformal clothing is usually considered de rigueur at restaurants. All restaurants and bars are non-smoking unless a separate smokers’ area is specifically offered. Set meals: prices are per person and usually refer to a 3-course meal (beverages excluded). € = 30 € or less / €€ = 31-50€ / €€€ = 51-100€ / €€€€ = 101-150€ / €€€€€ = 150€ and above. SIGHTSEEING
The information provided on museums and monuments is verified as meticulously as possible. However, data such as telephone numbers, opening hours, prices and the accessibility of sites are all subject to change, on a seasonal basis and also due to restoration work, museum loans or changes of management. Ask your concierge.
Bianchi e Nardi new opening The brand came about in this very place, in 1946. Back then it was just a small workshop, where two talented leather craftsmen produced bags made of precious leathers such as crocodile, ostrich, python and lizard. Now that success has reached the third generation, Bianchi and Nardi have opened their first single-brand store in the centre of Florence. Inaugurated during the most recent Pitti Uomo, the shop presents the entire new collection devoted to the elegant male universe: the soft matt crocodile doctor’s bag, which has now become iconic, takes its place alongside numerous other proposals in buckskin and ostrich, prepared using increasingly eco-sustainable processes. However, taking pride of place is the capsule collection for her in collaboration with Giannico, the brand by Milanese designer Nicolò Beretta that is really in the ascendant. A fantastic top-handle, a micro-bag to wear as a necklace and a mini-bag to wear on the shoulder are the three unique pieces in this project, which came about to combine craftsmanship made in Florence with an unprecedented, marvellously distinctive style. bianchienardi1946.it. Via Vacchereccia, 15/r - Piazza della Signoria. T: 055 0750678.
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[ FA SHION DESIGNERS]
Luxury Top Brands ALBERTA FERRETTI PHILOSOPHY— www.albertaferretti.com. Open daily 10am7pm. Via Porta Rossa, 107. T: 055 212995. Map E4 ASPESI—www.aspesi.com. Women. Open Mon-Fri 10am-2pm/3pm-7pm; Sat 10am7pm; Sun 3pm-7pm. Via di Porta Rossa, 85. T: 055 287987. Men Open Mon-Fri 10am2pm/3pm-7pm; Sat 10am-7pm; Sun 3pm7pm. Via di Porta Rossa, 51/r. T: 055 287931. Map E4 BALENCIAGA—www.balenciaga.com. Open Mon-Sat 10am-7pm. Piazza Santa Trinita, 1/r. T: 055 287931. Map E4 BOGGI MILANO—www.boggi.com. Open Mon 3pm-7.30pm; Tues-Sat 10am7.30pm; Sun 10.30am-1.30pm/3pm-7.30pm. Via della Vigna Nuova, 27. T: 055 219179. Map E3 BORSALINO—www.borsalino.com. Open Mon-Sat 10am-7.30pm. Via Porta Rossa, 40/r. T: 055 218275. Map F4
CHANEL—www.chanel.com. Open Mon-Sat 10am-7pm. Piazza della Signoria, 10. T: 055 2989699. Map F4. Fragrance & Beauty Open Mon-Sat 10am-7pm; Sun 11am-7pm. Via dei Calzaiuoli, 49. T: 055 298181. Map F3 CHOPARD— www.chopard.com. Open Mon-Sat 10.30am-7pm; Sun 11.30am-7pm. Via de’ Tornabuoni, 30-32/r. T: 055 2670157. Map E4 DAMIANI— www.damiani.com. Open MonSat 10am-7pm; Sun 11am-7pm. Via de’ Tornabuoni, 7/r. T: 055 290208. Map E3 DIOR— www.dior.com. Women. Open daily 10am-7pm. Via de’ Tornabuoni, 15/r. T: 055 2669101. Map E3 DOLCE&GABBANA— www.dolcegabbana.it Open daily 10.30am-7.30pm. Via degli Strozzi, 12-18/r. T: 055 281003. Map E4. Baby. Open daily 10.30am-7.30pm. Via de’ Tornabuoni, 18/r. T: 055 2399909. Map E4
BOTTEGA VENETA—www.bottegaveneta.com. Open Mon-Sat 10am-7pm; Sun 2pm-7pm. Via degli Strozzi, 6n. T: 055 284735. Map E3
EMILIO PUCCI—www.emiliopucci.com Open Mon-Sat 10am-7pm; Sun 11am-7pm. Via de’ Tornabuoni, 20-22/r. T: 055 2658082. Map E4
BRUNELLO CUCINELLI— www.brunellocucinelli.com. Open daily 10am-7pm. Via dei Pecori, 16. T: 055 285832. Map F3
ERMENEGILDO ZEGNA—www.zegna.com Open Mon-Sat 10am-7pm; Sun 10.30am7pm. Via de’ Tornabuoni, 3/r. T: 055 264254. Map E3
BULGARI—www.bulgari.com. Open daily 10am-7.30pm. Via de’Tornabuoni, 56/r. T: 055 2396786. Map E4
ETRO—www.etro.com. Open Mon-Sat 10am7pm; Sun 2pm-7pm. Palazzo Rucellai-via della Vigna Nuova, 50/r. T: 055 2670086. Map D3
BURBERRY—it.burberry.com. Open daily 10.30am-7.30pm. Via de’Tornabuoni, 29/r. T: 055 293811. Map E4 CARTIER— www.cartier.it. Open Mon-Sat 10am-7pm; Sun 11am-7pm. Via degli Strozzi, 36/r. T: 055 292347. Map E4
FENDI—www.fendi.com. Open Mon-Sat 10am7.30pm. Via de’ Tornabuoni, 40/r. T: 055 212305 Map E3 FURLA—www.furla.com. Open Mon-Sat 10am7.30pm; Sun 11am-7.30. Via de’ Calzaiuoli, 10/r (corner of piazza della Signoria). T: 055 2382883. Map F4 GIORGIO ARMANI— www.armani.com Open Mon-Sat 10am-7pm; Sun 10am2pm/3pm-7pm. NEW OPENING Via de’ Tornabuoni, 83/r. T: 055 219041. Map E3
Pink quilted nappa shoulder bag with Rockstud Spike chain by VALENTINO GARAVANI. 24 W H E R E F LO R E N C E I AU G U S T 2018
GUCCI—www.gucci.com. Open Mon-Sat 10am-7.30pm; Sun 10am-7pm. Via de’ Tornabuoni, 73-81/r. T: 055 264011. Map E3 • Duomo. Open daily 10-19. Via Roma, 32/r. T: 055 75923803. Map F3 • Garden. Open
‘Panthère’ by CARTIER with 18 carat yellow gold case and crown with blue sapphire: both watch and jewellery at the same time. daily 10-19.30. Piazza della Signoria, 10. T: 055 75927010. Map F4 HERMÈS—www.hermes.com. Open Mon-Sat 10.15am-7pm. Piazza degli Antinori, 6/r. T: 055 2381004. Map E3 HOGAN—www.hogan.com. Open Mon-Sat 10am-7.30pm; Sun 2pm-7pm. Via de’ Tornabuoni, 97/r. T: 055 2741013. Map E3 HUGO BOSS—www.hugoboss.com. Open daily 10.30am-7.30pm. Via Por Santa Maria, 70. T: 055 294909. Map F4 LORO PIANA—www.loropiana.com. Open Mon-Sat 10am-7pm; Sun 11am-7pm. Via de’ Tornabuoni, 34-36/r. T: 055 2398688. Map E4 LOUIS VUITTON—www.louisvuitton.com. Open Mon-Sat 10am-7.30; Sun 11am-7.30pm. Piazza degli Strozzi, 10/r. T: 055 266981. Map E3 MAX MARA—it.maxmara.com. Open Mon-Sat 10am-7.30pm; Sun 11am-7pm. Via de’ Tornabuoni, 66-68-70/r. T: 055 214133. Map E3 • Open Mon-Sat 10am7.30; Sun 11am-7pm. Via de’ Pecori, 23/r. T: 055 287761. Map F3 MICHAEL KORS— www.michaelkors.com. Open Mon-Sat 10am-7.30; Sun 10.30am7.30pm. Piazza della Repubblica, 43. T: 055 290284. Map F3 MISSONI—www.missoni.it. Open daily 10am-7pm. Via Porta Rossa, 77-79/r. T: 055 215774. Map F4 MIU MIU—www.miumiu.com. Open Mon-Sat 10.30am-7.30; Sun 10am-7pm. Via Roma, 8/r. T: 055 2608931. Map F3
The extremely functional ‘Leisure’ bag by BRUNELLO CUCINELLI made of light nylon with buffalo leather details. The ideal bag for sporting uses or short trips.
MONCLER—www.moncler.com. Open Mon-Sat 10am-7; Sun 11am-7pm. Via degli Strozzi, 3/r. T: 055 2657583. Map E3 MONTBLANC—www.montblanc.com. Open Mon-Sat 10am-7. Via de’ Tornabuoni, 63/r. T: 055 292050. Map E3 PRADA—www. prada.com. Open daily 10am-7pm. Via Roma, 27/r. T: 055 287066. • Open daily 10am-7pm. Via de’ Tornabuoni, 53-67/r. T: 055 267471 Map E3 SAINT LAURENT—www.ysl.com. Open daily 10am-7pm. Via de’ Tornabuoni, 43-45. T: 055 9040100. Map E3 SALVATORE FERRAGAMO— www.ferragamo.com. Open daily 10am7pm. Via de’ Tornabuoni, 4-14/r. T: 055 292123. Map E4 STEFANO RICCI—www.stefanoricci.com. Open Mon-Sat 10am-7pm. Palazzo Tornabuoni - Via dei Pescioni, 1. T: 055 210856. Map F3 SWAROVSKI—www.swarovski.com. Open Mon-Sat 10am-8pm; Sun 10am7.30pm. Via dei Calzaiuoli, 43/r. T: 055 216227. Map F3 TOD’S—www.tods.com. Open Mon-Sat 10am-7.30pm; Sun 2pm-7pm. Via de’ Tornabuoni, 60/r. T: 055 219423. Map E3 VALENTINO—www.valentino.com. Women. Open daily 10am-7pm. Via de’ Tornabuoni, 23/r. T: 055 293142. Map E4
GIORGIO ARMANI’s spring/summer 2018 runway show featured elegant outfits enhanced by fluid lines highlighted by chromatic contrasts focusing on black and vibrant, bright lively colours.
Sizing Women,s clothes IT EUR US UK 36 32 1 4 38 34 2 6 40 36 4 8 42 38 6 10 44 40 8 12 46 42 10 14 48 44 12 16 Women,s shoes IT EUR US UK 36 36 6 3 37 37 6.5 4 38 38 7.5 5 39 39 8.5 6 40 40 9 7 41 41 9.5 8 Men,s clothes IT EUR US UK 50 46 36 36 52 48 38 38 54 50 40 40 56 52 42 42 58 54 44 44 60 56 46 46 Men,s shoes IT EUR US UK 40 40 7.5 6 41 41 8 7 42 42 8.5 8 43 43 9 9 44 44 10.5 10 45 45 11.5 11 46 46 12 12
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An independent shop of North-European VI Chiesa di A PI S. Giovanniinspired by the conception E R underground dei Cavalieri A atmospheres of the hot-lazyN T Oneighbourhoods of Giardino N IO di San Clemente M London, Berlin and New York (the name is a homage IC H EL I to Marcel Duchamp and Peggy Guggenheim, who Giardino founded an avant-garde art gallery in New York dei Semplici Convento called Anonyme in the 1920s). Located di SanSociété Marco in the literary artistic district of Sant’Ambrogio, it offers labels of international renown and niche PIAZZA SAN MARCO brands, as well as its own men’s and women’s Giardino Della Gherardesca collection that is only sold in-store and online. www. Chiesa societeanonyme.it. Open Mon 3.30pm-7.30pm; La SS. Annunziata Tues-Sat 10am-7.30pm. Via G.B.di Firenze Niccolini, 3/f corner of via della Mattonaia, PIAZZA 24/a/b/c/d. (Sant’Ambrogio Galleria dell’Accademia VI DELLA VI A SANTISSIMA Map Museo A District).T: 055 3860084. L3 Archeologico G I ANNUNZIA D
V a digitalized purchasing experience: instead of IA X X displaying the garments, they have been V replaced II P IA withV interactive installations. Don’t miss theA elegant R IL G U E E terrace designed by Patricia Urquiola. LF A San Giuliano Open Mon-Sat 10.30am-7.30pm; Sun 11am-7.30pm. www.luisaviaroma.com. Via Roma, 19-21/r. Barnaba T: 055 9064116. San Map F3
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and classic lines that are updated on a seasonal Chiesa di Sant'Agata basis. These include dresses, jackets, coats, bags and accessories for a total look that exudes class and elegance. it.marinarinaldi.com. Open Mon-Sat 9am-9pm; Sun 10.30am-8.30pm c/o RinascenteV IA Piazza della Repubblica. T: 055 219113. G U S TA V O Map F3 M
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An Italian prêt-à-porter brand dedicated to curvy women, for over 30 years Elena Mirò has been Fortezza da Basso synonymous with perfect-fit clothing items that enhance every woman’s look with a contemporary, LF Nostra Signora I del Sacro Cuore refined and ever new style. From dresses to Luisa Via Roma ZZI O TR outerwear, from trousers to accessories, to O S MULTIBRAND STORE Founded in the early V. IP P VIA C. F IL LE BA RI beachwear, the brand expresses the PIAZZALE pleasure of RT Roma is a V IA D OJaquin, today Luisa Via 1930s by Luisa OL LF OM VI I M BAMBINE E BAMBINI A dressing a woman’s shape with style. www.elenamiro. DE landmark for lovers ofPIAZZA fashion and luxuryEIthe world L DI BESLAN INDIPENDENZA com. Open Mon-Sat 10am-7.30pm; Sun 11am-7.30pm. L A over. FO A global powerhouse of e-commerce with 5 RT EZ ZA Via dei Tosinghi, 8/r. T: 055 2657725. Map F3 million visitors a month, its Florence store also offers
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SHOPPING Stefano Ricci Tailoring and Italian tradition “Made in Florence”, with the purest male elegance as the watchword. These, in short, are the values of the company founded in 1972 by Stefano Ricci and his wife Claudia, which, now in its second generation, has become a successful international group. From clothing (jackets, suits and high-fashion sports items, but also shirts and ties) to jewellery, from leatherwear to perfumes and the SR Home and SR Junior collections, Stefano Ricci represents Italian excellence all over the world, making production entirely hand-made by qualified Italian craftsmen its strong point. Faithful to the values of the manufacturing tradition and the roots of the territory, in 2010 the firm acquired the Antico Setificio Fiorentino, a historic silk factory in the San Frediano district that has produced precious fabrics since 1786 and today still uses the original ancient hand looms. www.stefanoricci.com. Open Mon-Sat 10am-7pm. Palazzo Tornabuoni-Via dei Pescioni, 1. T: 055 210856. Map E3
DEPARTMENT STORES Rinascente In the heart of the city, Rinascente is the ideal place to discover the best of fashion, accessories, beauty, home and design items. For women, proposals of the best Italian and international brands range from the classic to the contemporary and for men from formal to smart casual. Rinascente is a point of reference for luxury shopping and for new brands, exclusive products and the unveiling of innovations. There is a Food Market on the fourth floor with gourmet products made in Italy and a selection of excellent international products, while the Terrace with café-bar (T: 055 283612) offers a spectacular 360° panoramic view of the city’s main landmarks www.rinascente.it. Open Mon-Sat 9am-9pm; Sun 10.30am-8.30pm. Piazza della Repubblica. T: 055 219113. Map F3
FINE ART Abacus
BINDERY A workshop producing precious bindings. The raw materials, such as “Acid Free” paper, 100% cotton or leather with vegetable tanning or hand-dyed using ancient methods and natural waxes, are all selected with care. All the phases are supervised in the workshop: from the folding of the sheets by hand to the delicate phase of hand stitching, to the application of the cover
using various styles. www.abacusfirenze.com. Open Mon 2.30pm-7.30pm; Tues-Sat 9.30am-7.30pm. Via dei Macci, 50 (Santa Croce district). T: 345 3280318. Map L4
Antico Setificio Fiorentino The Antico Setificio Fiorentino is the heir to a great tradition of Renaissance textile art and history, thanks also to its famous warping machine based on a design by Leonardo da Vinci. Since 1786 the workshop has been producing some of the most sumptuous silk brocades, damask, taffeta, and lampas in the world, 100% made in Italy. www. anticosetificiofiorentino.com. Open Mon-Fri 10am-6pm (by appointment only). Via L. Bartolini, 4. T: 055 213861. Map B3
Galleria Romanelli The Galleria Romanelli has been handing down precious sculpture artwork for six generations in one of the most picturesque neighbourhoods of Florence, Borgo San Frediano. An artistic workshop, a meeting place for buyers and artists, where sculptors and their students carry out their work daily surrounded by the ancient tools of the trade. Work is done by commission on original sculptures, chalk replicas, bronze and Carrara marble and restorations. www.raffaelloromanelli.com. Open Mon-Fri 10am-1pm/2pm-6pm. Borgo San Frediano, 70. T: 055 2396047. Map C4
Leone Cei & Sons Since 1902, an exceptional firm specializing in dressing tables, appliqués, consuls, chairs and armchairs faithfully reproduced from antique models from a rare and abundant archive. The production, entirely made in Florence, is destined for private homes, hotels and private clubs all over the world. The carving, gilding, burnishing and lacquering work is performed rigorously by hand following traditional procedures and using natural products and pigmentations. A huge department is dedicated to fabrics for furnishings, with a collection of fabrics still produced on ancient looms or limited editions, or produced on request and based on customers’ designs. Qualified consultancy service provided on antiques and on the reproduction of period items. www.leonecei.com. Headquarters & Showroom: Via dei Federighi, 15. T: 055 2381870. Map D3 • Antiques: Via dei Fossi, 47/r. T: 055 2396039. Map D3
Papiro (Il) Established in 1976 in Florence, Il Papiro produces objects drawing their inspiration from the Florentine
tradition of marbled paper (diaries, address books, photo albums, articles for the desk) in addition to a line of classic leather accessories. www. ilpapirofirenze.eu. Open Mon-Sat 10am-1pm/2pm7pm; Sun 10am-6pm. Via C. Cavour, 49/r. T: 055 6499151. Map G1
Pitti Mosaici Since the early 1980s this studio right opposite Palazzo Pitti keeps alive the ancient Florentine tradition of marquetry with marble, hard and semi-precious stones. Unique hand-made items to provide coverings for walls, framed items and furnishings recalling the atmospheres and style of the Renaissance. Today the art studio creates entire made-to-measure residential projects all over the world. www.pittimosaici.com. Open Mon-Sat 10am-7pm; Sun 11am-8pm. Piazza de’ Pitti, 23/24. T: 055 282127. Map E6
Richard Ginori 1735 Tradition and excellence in the high-quality artistic manufacture of porcelain. The Richard Ginori “artistic factory”, of 18th-century origin, still produces accessories for the table and living room and works of art in its Doccia Factory (20 km from Florence) using ancient working techniques. Italian style and international trends. www. richardginori1735.com. Open Mon-Wed 10am-7pm; Thurs-Sat 10am-7.30pm; Sun 12 noon-6.30pm. Via ei Rondinelli, 17/r. T: 055 210041. Map E2
Torchio (Il) Inspired by the ancient Florentine hand crafting tradition, Il Torchio creates bookbinding products with refined materials such as Florentine leather, hand-marbled paper and coloured cloths, also devising new artisan articles with contemporary materials and techniques. www.legatoriailtorchio. com.Open Mon-Fri 10am-1.30pm/2.30pm-7pm; Sat 10am-1pm. Via de’ Bardi, 17. T: 055 2342862. Map G6
JEWELLERY & WATCHES Alessandro Dari
UNIQUE Housed in the 15th-century Palazzo Nasi-Quaratesi, the “Museum Shop” of master goldsmith Alessandro Dari has an area used to exhibit his precious works and another used as an artistic workshop where jewellery and decorative objects are developed, including one-off items and themed collections. Some of his works are displayed at the nearby Treasury of the Grand Dukes in Palazzo
ANGELA CAPUTI GIUGGIÙ In the centre of Florence, in an old 17th-century building known as “Palazzetto Medici”, a few steps from the Ponte Vecchio, are the boutique and the creative heart of Florentine designer Angela Caputi’s brand Giuggiù. Her imaginative plastic jewellery items, much loved by international customers, are genuinely unique pieces of fine craftsmanship. In the Borgo SS. Apostoli boutique it is also possible to purchase a selection of clothing items and accessories that complete the brand’s collections. www.angelacaputi.com Borgo SS. Apostoli, 44/46. T: 055 292993. Map F4 Via S. Spirito, 58/r. T: 055 212972. Map D4
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UNIQUE IN FLORENCE OTTICA MANTOVANI OFFICINA PROFUMO FARMACEUTICA SMN The oldest pharmacy in Europe (1221), it is housed in a part of a Dominican convent complex. Its products (perfumes, beauty products, medicinal herbs, herbal teas, sweets and chocolates) are sold all over the world and represent a production par excellence on account of their quality raw materials and centuries-old handicraft techniques. www.smnovella.com Via della Scala, 16. T: 055 216276.
LEONE CEI & SONS Since 1902, an exceptional firm specialising in dressing tables, appliqués, consuls, chairs and armchairs faithfully reproduced from antique models from a rare and abundant archive. The production, entirely made in Florence, is destined for private homes, hotels and private clubs all over the world. Qualified consultancy service provided on antiques and on the reproduction of period items. www.leonecei.com Via dei Fossi, 47/r. T: 055 2396039.
GALLERIA ROMANELLI It has been handing down precious sculpture artwork for six generations in Borgo San Frediano. An artistic workshop, a meeting place for buyers and artists, where sculptors and their students carry out their work daily surrounded by the ancient tools of the trade. Work is done by commission on original sculptures, chalk replicas, bronze and Carrara marble and restorations. www.raffaelloromanelli.com Borgo San Frediano, 70. T: 055 2396047.
LA MÉNAGÈRE A delightful concept store that includes a shop with design objects for the home, a florist’s, in addition to a restaurant and a bistro. Located right in the city centre, in the space that was once occupied by the first Florentine household item shop, it combines industrial and recycled materials and design objects for a contemporary result with a romantic touch. www.lamenagere.it Via de’ Ginori, 8/r. T: 055 0750600.
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SHOPPING centre, where qualified Rolex technicians are available to look after the precious timepieces. www.cassetti. it. Open daily 10am-7pm. Ponte Vecchio, 29/r. T: 055 2741044. Map F5
Tiffany & Co. Practical and stylish, this soft hammered calfskin backpack by CUOIERIA FIORENTINA, 100% Made in Italy, has a large front pocket with zip closing.
Pitti. www.alessandrodari.com. Open Mon-Sat 10.30am-7.30pm; Sun 11am-7.30pm. Via San Niccolò, 115/r. T: 055 244747. Map G6
Open Mon-Sat 10am-7pm; Sun 11am-7pm. Via de’ Tornabuoni, 7/r. T: 055 290208. Map E4
Angela Caputi Giuggiù
The gold Dodo jewellery line, created in 1995 by Pomellato, is by now a classic either for gift or collection purposes. It sells an array of animal charm pieces, each of which has a particular meaning. www.dodo.it. Open Mon-Sat 10am-7pm; Sun 11.30am-7pm. Via de’ Tornabuoni, 39-41/r. T: 055 2741573. Map E4
COSTUME JEWELLERY The brand is renowned throughout the world. Sophisticated, original creations made from unusual materials such as plastic and resin, combined to create unique objects both in terms of colour and shape. Her creations have been used as accessories by famous television and film producers. The accessory as a focal point, capable of creating a look or dressing up any type of garment. A magical blend of contemporary and classical taste. www.angelacaputi.com. Shop and workshop: Open Tues-Sat 10am-1pm/3.30pm7.30pm. Via S. Spirito, 58/r. T: 055 212972. Map D4 • Boutique: Open Mon-Sat 10am-1pm/3.30pm7.30pm. Borgo SS. Apostoli, 44-46/r. T: 055 292993. Map F4
Annamaria Cammilli A Florentine brand of reference in design jewellery, it has been present with its creations in shop windows and display cases all over the world for over 30 years and is synonymous with a unique, unmistakable Italian style. Attention to detail for rings, necklaces, bracelets and brooches, often drawing inspiration from nature and the floral world. www.annamariacammilli.com. Open Mon 3pm-7pm; Tues-Sat 11am-7pm; Sun 3pm-7pm. Via Vacchereccia, 12/r. T: 055 2608617. Map F4
Aprosio Aprosio came about as a workshop in 1993 and creates jewellery accessories and products for decorating interiors, with glass beads from Murano and Bohemia crystal glass. www.aprosio.it. Open Mon-Sat 10.30am-7pm. Via del Moro 75-77/r, 12/r. T: 055 210127. Map E2
Cassetti 1926 In the spectacular context of Ponte Vecchio, the Cassetti multibrand boutique is known for both fine watchmaking and haute joaillerie, and has a studio that develops innovative projects with its own artisan collection. www.cassetti.it. Open daily 10am7pm. Ponte Vecchio, 54/r. T: 055 287361. Map F5
Damiani Master craftsmen since 1924, Damiani has a long goldsmithing tradition which it has always interpreted with innovative spirit. Line purity, a refined, elegant classic as well as contemporary spirit, are the distinctive values of Damiani jewellery. Their collections are realized by master goldsmiths in full accordance with the best Italian tradition and admired throughout the world. www.damiani.com.
Dodo
Fani Gioielli Starting out as a family-run shop over 50 years ago, Fani Gioielli is now an established fine jewellery and luxury watchmaking firm, with two points of sale, in Florence and Siena. An extensive range of prestigious jewellery brands, including Pomellato, Dodo and Vhernier; it is also an official Rolex and Tudor retailer. www.fanishops.it. Open Mon 3pm-7pm; Tues-Sat 10am-7pm; Sun 3pm-7pm. Via de’Tornabuoni, 72/r. T: 055 212075. Map E3
Massai Orafi Founded in 1950 by Florentine master goldsmith Franco Massai, it boasts over 60 years in the field of Florentine fine goldsmithery. With the techniques of the past it produces unique, rigorously hand-made pieces and is a point of reference for Florentines and others besides. EDITOR’S TIP A visit to the workshop is a unique experience: on the top floor of a 16th-century tower house, for over 200 years master goldsmiths have practised the ancient fretworking, carving and engraving traditions typical of the Florentine goldsmithery art. www.massaiorafi. it. Open Mon-Fri 9am-1pm/3pm-7.30pm. Via delle Terme, 13. T: 055 294800. Map F4
Officine Panerai Situated in the centre of Florence, birthplace of the fine watchmaking trade, this historic boutique boasts a unique design and a strong identity that Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola has enhanced by working with the idea of the “art workshop”. A space on the first floor is devoted to special sales and another is reserved for periodic exhibitions of watches from the historical Museum; on the ground floor, a watchmaker is at customers’ disposal to carry out repairs and share his passion with Panerai enthusiasts. www.panerai.com. Open Mon-Sat 10am-7pm; Sun 11am-7pm. Piazza San Giovanni, 14/r. T: 055 9040013. Map F2
Rolex Boutique-Cassetti 1926 In the unique and exclusive setting that is Ponte Vecchio, the Rolex boutique has three storeys: the ground floor is dedicated to sales, with three display tables; the first floor has two rooms for reserved sales; the second floor has a fully equipped customer care
Located in the luxury shopping street par excellence, the Tiffany & Co. boutique is housed in one of the most beautiful Palazzi in the city. There is plenty of space inside for gold and silver fashion collections, such as ’Tiffany City HardWear’ and ’Tiffany T’, jewels with purest diamonds, the iconic engagement rings, design creations by Elsa Peretti and Paloma Picasso and rigorously Swiss-made men’s and women’s watches. www.tiffany.com. Open Mon-Sat 10am-7.30pm; Sun 11am-7.30pm. Via de’ Tornabuoni 37/r. T: 055 215506. Map C4
Ugo Poggi It came about in Florence in the early 20th century as a producer of silverware, porcelain, glassware and furnishings. After a century, now in its third generation, today the brand proposes a sophisticated production of luxury Florentine hand-crafted items for the home: from precious crystal chandeliers to bone china crockery, to a precious selection of antique silverware. No longer just internally produced furnishing accessories, but also historic Italian and top quality international brands. www.ugopoggifirenze.com. Open Mon 3pm-7.30pm; Tues-Sun 10am-7pm. Via degli Strozzi, 26/r. T: 055 216741. Map E3
Vacheron Constantin Boutique In the unique and exclusive setting that is Ponte Vecchio, this boutique is the oldest fine watchmaking design house in the world, founded in 1755 in Geneva. The façade of the boutique is also known for the tabernacle with a painting of the Madonna with Child and Saint John that marked the presence of an ancient oratory of the Holy Sepulchre, which came under the control of the Knights of Malta in the early 14th century. www. cassetti.it. Open daily 10am-7pm. Ponte Vecchio, 52/r. T: 055 2396028. Map F5
LEATHER Cuoieria Fiorentina From the famous ancient hand-crafting tradition of the Florentine “pellai” [leather craftsmen], typical of this area of Tuscany, here unique, inimitable products are created with extreme care and topquality natural materials. A vast range of leather handbags, travel bags and accessories (belts, wallets, briefcases…), for him and for her, offering excellent value for money. Another strong point is the personalization of the products, organised to satisfy the tastes and requirements of customers, who can count Michelle Obama among their number. www.cuoieriafiorentina.it. Open Mon-Sat 9am-1pm/3.30pm-7.30pm. Via de’ Nicola, 11. T: 055 6505091. Off Map
Gianni Chiarini Established in the 1990s, this brand is the expression of ancient artisan wisdom in the creation of contemporary bags and accessories, with an idea of pure design. A fresh, modern and cosmopolitan brand, but at the same time sophisticated, which has its roots in the heart of Florentine beauty. giannichiarini.com. Open Mon-Sat 10am-7pm; Sun 2pm-7pm. Via della Vigna Nuova, 52/r. T: 055 2654306. Map D3 w w w.wh e re t ravel e r. com 29
SHOPPING
ASPESI See page 25.
Il Bisonte Florentine leather goods brand Il Bisonte came about in 1970 thanks to Wanny Di Filippo’s passion for leather objects. Housed in the boutique in Palazzo Corsini on the Lungarno are its beautifully hand-crafted bags, travel bags, briefcases, wallets, diaries, belts and other accessories epitomising the best of Tuscan workmanship. The brand’s key focus is on materials, including its iconic cowhide: a natural, highly sought-after vegetable tanned leather which has the advantage of improving with age. www.ilbisonte.com. Open Mon-Sat 10am-7pm: Sun 11.30am-6.30pm. Via del Parione, 31-33/r. T: 055 215722. Map E4
PASSION SHOPPING AquaFlor A perfume shop with the charm of past times, dedicated to the hand-crafted manufacture of perfumes made using natural and rare raw materials, personalisable through the choice of fragrances. A studio run impeccably by maître parfumier Sileno Cheloni. www.aquaflor.it. - www. aquaflorfirenze.com Open daily 10am-1pm/2pm7pm. Borgo Santa Croce, 6. T: 055 2343471. Map H5
Dr. Vranjes Home fragrances and elegant furnishing accessories made by hand in Florence for more than 30 years. Florence is home to the laboratories and the headquarters of the Florentine home fragrance company founded and managed by the “nose”, the perfumer, namely chemist and cosmetologist Dr. Paolo Vranjes and his wife Anna Maria. In addition to the traditional production of ambient diffusers and “lamparfum” items, the brand has diversified its production with linen, cosmetics, perfumes and gift boxes, also giving a strong Florentine identity to the packaging, inspired by Brunelleschi’s Dome. drvranjes.it. Open Mon 3pm-7pm; Tues-Sat 10.30am-2pm/3pm-7pm. Via San Gallo, 63/r. T: 055 494537 Off Map • Open Mon-Sat 10am-7.30pm; Sun 11am-7.30pm. Via della Spada, 9/r. T: 055 288796. Map E3• Open Mon 3.30pm-7.30pm; Tues-Fri 10am-1.30pm/3.30pm7.30pm; Sat 10am-7.30pm. Borgo La Croce, 44/r. T: 055 241748. Map l3
30 W H E R E F LO R E N C E I AU G U S T 2018
AQUAZZURA
DR. VRANJES
See this page.
La Ménagère
CONCEPT STORE A delightful concept store of around 1500 square metres that includes a shop with design objects for the home, a florist, in addition to a restaurant and a bistro. Located right in the city centre, in the space that was once occupied by the first Florentine household item shop, it combines industrial and recycled materials and design objects for a contemporary result with a romantic touch. www.lamenagere.it. Open daily 7am-2am. Via de’ Ginori 8/r. T: 055 0750600. Map F1
Marioluca Giusti A Florentine Maison producing practical, elegant design objects for the table and more besides, in a style between fusion and pop. Its synthetic crystal glass and melamine collections are enhanced every year with new models with colour shades ranging from white to black to transparent, to brighter colours such as fluo. Its products are particularly appreciated by important international personalities such as the Princes of Monaco, King Mohammed VI of Morocco, Steven Spielberg, Valentino and the Missoni family. Its boutiques are characterized by total white walls with niches where the accessories are exhibited, as in a museum. It has several sites in Florence: Por Santa Maria, 16/r (open daily 11am-7pm); Via della Spada, 16-20 (Open Mon-Sat 10am-1.30pm/2pm-7.30pm; Sun 11am-7.30pm). Flagship Store: Via della Vigna Nuova 88/r. Open daily 10am-7.30pm. T: 055 2399527. Map D3
Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella
UNIQUE The oldest historical pharmacy in Europe (established in 1221), the Officina ProfumoFarmaceutica is housed in a part of the Dominican convent complex of Santa Maria Novella and has been open to the public for over four centuries (since 1612). Its products (perfumes, beauty products, medicinal herbs, herbal teas, sweets and chocolates) are sold all over the world in 75 single brand stores and represent a production par excellence on account of their quality raw materials and centuries-old handicraft techniques, with the aid of modern technologies. The frescoed monumental environments - Sales Room, Green Room, Ancient Apothecary and Sacristy - have been returned to their former splendour thanks to restoration work. www.smnovella.com. Open daily 9am-8pm. Via della Scala, 16. T: 055 216276. Map D2
See this page.
The Merchant of Venice
NEW The new boutique is structured into a vast range of Eaux de Parfum and Eaux de Toilette, completed by products for personal care, for the environment and accessories. The essences are contained in packaging with designs inspired by the glassmaking tradition of Murano. Furthermore, the single-brand store provides a personalized layering service. www.themerchantofvenice.com. Open Mon-Thurs 10.30am-1.30pm/2.30pm-7.30pm; WedSat 10.30am-7.30pm. Via degli Strozzi, 28/r. T: 055 216559. Map E3
Valli Tessuti Alta Moda A reference point in Florence that offers its clientele the best made in Italy fabrics inspired by the most beautiful haute couture collections. The store carries a vast assortment of precious, sought-after cuts to make elegant dresses, prêt-à-porter and ceremonial attire both for men and women, but also coats, shirts and bridal gowns. vallitessuti.com. Open Mon 3pm7pm; Tues-Sat 10am-7pm. Via della Vigna Nuova, 81/r. T: 055 282485. Map D3
SHOES Aquazzura Created in Florence in 2011 and inspired by the luxury hand-crafting tradition, the brand combines a typically European refined aesthetic sensibility with modern Latin American elegance. Aquazzura shoes have been worn by trendsetters, Hollywood stars, European royalty and fashion insiders around the globe. www.aquazzura.com. Open daily 10am-7pm. Palazzo Corsini-Lungarno Corsini, 42. T: 055 291242. Map D4
STATIONERY Pineider Artisan savoir faire since 1774 in the universe of paper, writing and leather goods. Tradition and design are the distinctive features of this brand, which is unique worldwide: from the printing of precious and embossed paper to articles made of fine leather, to elegant writing instruments. www.pineider.com. Open Mon-Sat 10am-7pm. Piazza de’ Rucellai, 4-7/r. T: 055 284656. Map E3
[RINASCENTE]
The best shopping
In the heart of Florence, just a few steps away from the historic treasures of the city, you will find Rinascente: the ideal place to find the best in fashion, accessories, beauty, home and design. And don’t miss the top floor with the Terrazza bar & restaurant.
THIS PAGE IS KINDLY SPONSORED BY RINASCENTE
Shoppers will find items of the best Italian and international brands. A large area is devoted to women’s fashion which includes a vast and prestigious range in both classic fashions as well as the latest trends. Special attention is also given to men’s wear where shoppers can choose from formal attire to smart casual wear. The constant arrival of new brands, unique commodities and the latest products exclusive to Rinascente makes the store the focal point for your high-end shopping in the city. The Food Market on the fourth floor is a space dedicated to the best Made in Italy gourmet food and a selection of the most sought-after international produce. The choicest pasta, delicious sauces, tasty appetizers, luxurious chocolates and many
more mouth-watering sweet and savoury culinary delights, all distinct for choice ingredients and exquisite packaging. All products at the Food Market can be packaged in one of our elegant Gift boxes. Should you need some advice, you can make an appointment with one of our personal shoppers that are at your disposal every day to help you put together a fantastic food hamper.
>> Rinascente www.rinascente.it Open Mon-Sat 9am-9pm; Sun 10.30am-8.30pm. Piazza della Repubblica. Map F3 T: 055 219113
On the top floor you can enjoy a spectacular view of the Duomo while having a drink at la Terrazza bar & restaurant: at lunch you can enjoy a menu that includes pasta dishes of the day, the renowned pappa al pomodoro (tomato bread soup), Caprese salad, Niçoise with tuna, boiled egg and Greek olives with cucumber, feta cheese and black olives, raw meat and fish, sandwiches with fresh ingredients and seasonal produce. w w w.wh e re t ravel e r. com 31
[ D A I LY T O U R S ]
Fashion outlets LUGANO MENDRISIO
Not far from Florence, in Tuscany but also in nearby EmiliaRomagna, don’t miss a trip to these shopping destinations offering discounts year-round.
BERGAMO BRESCIA
NOVARA
TRIESTE
MILANO
ALESSANDRIA TORINO
PIACENZA? Fidenza Village GENOVA
MAR LIGURE VENTIMIGLIA
FORTE DEI MARMI
FERRARA
MAR
BOLOGNA ?
LUCCA
PISA
Castel Guelfo ADRIATICO The Style Outlets
Barberino RIMINI ? Designer Outlet THE APPENNINI MOUNTAIN RIDGE
FIRENZE SAN GIMIGNANO ? The Mall Firenze
LIVORNO
SIENA
Valdichiana
? Outlet Village
ANCONA
PERUGIA
BARBERINO DESIGNER OUTLET McArthurGlen Barberino is conveniently located adjacent to the A1 motorway, for easy access from Florence (just 30 minutes from the city centre). McArthurGlen also boasts “Serravalle” near Milan (the largest Designer Outlet in Europe), “Castel Romano” near Rome, “La Reggia” near Naples and “Noventa di Piave” close to Venice. Open daily 10am-8pm. • WHERE: take the A1-E35 motorway in the direction of Bologna and exit at Barberino. Daily shuttle bus service from Florence Santa Maria Novella train station (4 times a day). Meeting point: City Sightseeing Firenze Line A Stop No.1, Florence SMN Train Station, left-luggage office side. • WHAT: the perfect location to find your favourite designer brands at up to 70% off, all year round. With more than 120 boutiques, cafés and restaurants, children’s play area and free parking, surrounded by wonderful Tuscany countryside and architecture, Barberino Designer Outlet offers something for everyone. McArthurGlen.it/Barberino CASTEL GUELFO THE STYLE OUTLETS The point where quality, style and convenience meet: men’s, women’s and children’s clothes, sportswear, accessories and cosmetics with discounts of between 30% and 70% all year round. Castel Guelfo The Style Outlets is located in the Emilia-Romagna region, 1.5 hours from Florence. Open Mon-Fri 10am-8pm; Sat and Sun 10am-8.30pm. • WHERE: take the A1 Bologna-Ancona and exit at Castel San Pietro Terme. A free shuttle service is available daily from Castel San Pietro Terme railway station. 34 W H E R E F LO R E N C E I AU G U S T 2018
• WHAT: 110 boutiques by prestigious brands – THE MALL FIRENZE such as Baldinini, K-way, Flavio Castellani, Guess, The luxury outlet centre The Mall Firenze is a Pepe Jeans, Timberland, Trussardi and Vans – of gallery of the world’s most exclusive designers clothing and accessories for the whole family, at truly advantageous prices, offeringPESCARA customers CORSICA sportswear, items for the home and beauty a unique shopping experience. It is set in the products, with discounts of up to 70% on the heart of the Tuscan countryside, just 30 minutes retail price. from Florence. Open daily 10am-7pm (in June, ROMA • NOT ONLY SHOPPING: to make the day of July, August 10am-8pm). shopping even more enjoyable, the centre also • WHERE: take the A1-E35 motorway in the TIRRENO hosts art exhibitions, lots of eventsMAR and initiatives direction of Rome. Leave the motorway at the designed to involve the whole family. “Incisa-Reggello” exit and proceed on the right www.thestyleoutlets.it towards Pontassieve, as far as Leccio. Direct bus NAPOLI service from central Florence (Busitalia/Sita bus FIDENZA VILLAGE station-Via S. Caterina da Siena, near the central This is one of the 11 Villages in Europe and China railway station, €7). Exclusive door-to-door by Value Retail and one of The Bicester Village minivan service from centrally located hotels in Shopping Collection® Villages: a place where Florence (€35 round trip). Ask your concierge. SARDEGNA hospitality makes the shopping experience • WHAT: over 40 luxury stores (fashion, fragrance memorable. The Village is located in the Emiliaand footware) featuring your favourite brands Romagna region, 2 hours from Florence. Open with discounts of up to 70% year-round: Gucci, daily 10am-8pm. Fendi, Salvatore Ferragamo, Dolce&Gabbana, • WHERE: halfway between Bologna and Milan, Jimmy Choo, Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta and near Parma. Take the A1-E35 motorway and exit Chloé (June 2018 Opening). at Fidenza/Salsomaggiore Terme. • NOT ONLY SHOPPING: the Gucci Caffè • WHAT: an exclusive shopping experience with Restaurant, on the top floor of the Gucci store, unique hospitality at the core of the services and is the perfect spot for a lunch break or just to with over 130 boutiques of the world’s leading savour a moment of relaxation after a day’s fashion and lifestyle brands at reduced prices (up shopping. www.themall.it to 70% off ), including Versace, Armani, Missoni, Calvin Klein, Diesel, Paul Smith and Michael Kors. VALDICHIANA OUTLET VILLAGE • NOT ONLY SHOPPING: the Village pays An authentic “Shopping Village” in the province homage to the region’s rich cultural and of Arezzo (1 hour from Florence), offering a gastronomic heritage. After your day of pleasant, relaxing atmosphere and a unique shopping, visit one of its restaurants to indulge shopping experience characterised by quality in delicious homemade pasta with fresh and convenience. It has several facilities and Parmesan cheese from nearby Parma. services, such as a beauty centre, a playground, www.fidenzavillage.com the library and several food courts where the
best local food and wines are on offer. Open daily 10am-8pm. • WHERE: take the A1-E35 motorway in the direction of Rome and exit at Valdichiana Bettolle. • WHAT: 140 designer and brand shops characterized by quality and convenience offering 30% to 70% discounts all year round and further discounts during sale periods: Adidas, Baldinini, Brooks Brothers, Calvin Klein, Diadora, Geox, Guess, Levi’s, Massimo Rebecchi, Samsonite, Tommy Hilfigher, Under Armour and many others. • NOT ONLY SHOPPING: ample choice of the restaurants and refreshments, a modern playground, the possibility of recharging your electric car, free wi-fi, mobile phone recharge and, in the event of rain, the possibility of walking in the dry beneath the porticoes. www.valdichianaoutlet.it
Valdichiana Outlet Village
Castel Guelfo The Style Outlets
The Mall Firenze
Fidenza Village
Barberino Designer Outlet w w w.wh e re t ravel e r. com 35
DINING
Creative cuisine, breathtaking views Michelin-starred dishes and designer desserts in a location as welcoming as a real home, with views of the Ponte Vecchio. The Borgo San Jacopo restaurant offers a unique experience. By Chiara Zaccarelli
A
n excellent offer of culinary delights, a wine list including over 1000 international labels and a charming view of one of the most beautiful cities in the world. What more could you ask of a restaurant? The Borgo San Jacopo, honoured in 2015 with a Michelin star, is a journey into fine Italian and Tuscan cuisine. Set in an exceptional location, overlooking the Lungarno, with which it is in close contact through a large glass window, the restaurant expresses all of Michelin-starred chef Peter Brunel’s love for the Italian territory and its outstanding products. Born in 1975 in Val di Fassa, since 2014 Peter Brunel has been executive chef, not only of the Borgo San Jacopo, but also of two other restaurants of the Lungarno Collection group: The Fusion Bar & Restaurant and Bistrò Caffè dell’Oro. For the Borgo San Jacopo the chef favours a refined and creative cuisine combining 38 W H E R E F LO R E N C E I AU G U S T 2018
tradition and innovation, which uses unusual ingredients from every part of the world, without forgetting the traditions of his own land. Among the tasting menus, “La mia Toscana” [My Tuscany], regional flavours interpreted by the chef, “Experience”, a juxtaposition of flavours and technic where clients will be able to ‘experience’ the most creative line of Peter Brunel’s cuisine and enjoy a gastronomical journey. And finally, the new “Ortaggi” [Vegetables], an experiential journey to get to know some of the best loved families of vegetables. Alongside these proposals, each day the seasonal à la carte menu appears (see the “Risotto with red cabbage” in the photo), while the dessert menu is provided by internationally renowned pastry chef Loretta Fanella, with her sculptured desserts that are pleasing to the eye and the palate.
>> Borgo San Jacopo c/o Hotel Lungarno Borgo San Jacopo, 62/r. T: 055 281661. www.borgosanjacopo.com
FOR MORE LISTINGS VISIT FLORENCE.WHEREITALIA.COM
TUSCAN CUISINE 13 Gobbi Trattoria
In the heart of the old centre just steps away from the Lungarno, the Trattoria 13 Gobbi occupies a historic building where it offers authentic reinterpretations of the most genuine Tuscan recipes. Among the specialities of the house, rigatoni (served in a traditional stoneware tureen) and the inevitable bistecca alla fiorentina. €€. www.casatrattoria.com/ trattoria-13-gobbi. Via del Porcellana, 9/r. T: 055 284015. Map D3
Benedicta
EDITOR’S TIP The Benedicta restaurant, to which the Michelin Guide 2017 assigned 3 forks, is a pearl hidden away in a side street near Santa Maria Novella, inside the Rivoli Boutique Hotel. Italian and Tuscan cuisine revisited in a contemporary vein, with a menu based on locally sourced ingredients that changes every two months depending on the season. Open 7.30pm-11pm; closed on Sun. From late April to October you can dine in the romantic flower garden. €€. www.ristorantebenedicta.it. Via Benedetta 12/r. T:055 2645429. Map D2
Bordino Trattoria High up in a little street just a stone’s throw from the Ponte Vecchio, the Trattoria Bordino is always crowded with both locals and tourists because of its quality food at very affordable prices. The dishes are traditional, with bistecca alla fiorentina grilled directly on wood charcoal the speciality. A wide selection of Italian wines accompanies the dishes in a pleasant, relaxed environment. €€. www.trattoriabordino.it. Via Stracciatella, 9/r. T: 055 213048. Map F5
Cammillo A historic Florentine trattoria not far from Ponte Vecchio. Inside it is as if time stood still: the (very long) menu has practically all the classic Tuscan recipes, plus a few you wouldn’t expect like prawn curry with pilaf rice, actually one of Cammillo’s signature dishes. Also very good are the croutons with chicken livers, the ribollita, tripe, bistecca alla fiorentina and stuffed rabbit. €€. Borgo San Jacopo, 57/r. T: 055 212427. Map E5
Cibrèo Ristorante In Florence and in the area near the Market of Sant’Ambrogio, Cibrèo is a trademark for eating well. The Cibrèo Restaurant offers territorial and regional cuisine that is sincere and vigorous, with no fear of strong ingredients such as olive oil, garlic or Tuscan kale, drenched in personality, in the image of its founder Fabio Picchi. The products are strictly
seasonal and arrive from rigorously selected farm, fisheries, sheep and cattle breeders. €€€. www.cibreo. com/ristorante. Via Andrea del Verrocchio, 8/r. T: 055 2341100. Map L3
Cibrèo Trattoria A few yards from the Cibrèo Ristorante (see listing), if you turn the corner, you find the trattoria that the Florentines call “Cibrèino”. Here you will find a substantial Tuscan menu, not very different from that of the restaurant, but with an atmosphere and a service that are more informal and at decidedly lower cost. Remember that it is not possible to book in advance here, so take into account that you will have to wait a while before being seated to eat. €€. www. cibreo.com/trattoria. Via de’ Macci, 122/r. Map L3
Da Burde The menu changes with the mood of the kitchen, and the seasons. Here you’ll find croutons with chicken livers, fiorentina, pappa col pomodoro, and ribollita. Highlighted by the Michelin Guide as excellent value for money, the atmosphere has remained that of the early 1900’s, as has the food, simple but rich in flavour. A well-stocked cantina, with Tuscan and Piedmontese wines but also French, including some fine champagne. €€€. www.vinodaburde.com. Via Pistoiese, 154. T: 055 317206. Off Map
Fuor d’acqua The cuisine of the Tuscan tradition also includes fish dishes. And in this restaurant in the historic centre you can find the true taste of the sea thanks to the fish that arrives daily from Viareggio. The quality raw materials are cooked in the essential way, as in the Catalana and paccheri alla Trabaccolara and the main courses based on the day’s catch. €€€. www.fuordacqua.it. Via Pisana, 37/r. T: 055 222299. Map A3
IO Osteria Personale In the neighbourhood of San Frediano, which still conserves the charm of the most authentic Florence, surrounded by wooden ceilings and brick walls, a modern tavern that has a preference for the products of the territory, reinterpreting them in an innovative way. Among the titbits are crispy vitel toné, ravioli of wild salmon, whipped cream, ginger, herring caviar and dill or tagliatelle with raw red shrimps and seasonal mushrooms. €€. www.io-osteriapersonale.it. Borgo San Frediano 167/r. T: 055 9331341. Map B4
La Ménagère A concept restaurant not far from Battistero, combining restaurant, bistrot, florist and design store. In an ambiance of industrial design, the restaurant offers a high quality menu at affordable
prices, combining traditional dishes based strictly on seasonal products, with a penchant for experimentation in the mix of flavours and textures. €€. www.lamenagere.it. Via De’ Ginori, 8/r. T: 055 0750600. Map F1
Latini (Il) Historic trattoria near Santa Maria Novella highlighted in the Michelin Guide. Besides bistecca alla fiorentina, there are pork chops and ribs on the Il Latini grill, as well as roast beef or lamb. Also available are Florentine tripe and peposo (peppery Tuscan beef stew), depending on the season. The cantina is well stocked with the best Tuscan wines, autochthonous and non, as well as the big French labels. €€€. www. illatini.com Via dei Palchetti, 6. T: 055 210916. Map D3
Locale Firenze A restaurant steeped in history, in an ancient building where by just descending a few steps you can travel - like in a time machine - from the Renaissance to 13th-century Florence, to the wine cellars that conserve Roman remains. It is possible to stop for just an aperitif with sophisticated cocktails, accompanied by small snacks, or stay for dinner with dishes from the tradition revisited in a contemporary vein. €€€. www.localefirenze.it. Via delle Seggiole, 12/r. T: 055 9067188. Map H3
Lungarno23 In the splendid setting of Lungarno Torrigiani, this restaurant is famous for its Chianina meat hamburgers, which are certified with the I.G.P. mark and come from small local farms. Forget the image of fast food, because here the hamburger is accompanied by fresh ingredients, hand-made sesame seed bread, freshly fried potatoes and browned onions. €€. www.lungarno23.it. Lungarno Torrigiani, 23. T: 055 2345957. Map G6
L’Ortone Situated in the emerging San Ambrogio foodie district, opposite the charming street market, the menu is based on typical Tuscan dishes, with a focus on traditional first courses and grilled specialities, including of course the fiorentina. If you want to try something more adventurous you can’t go wrong with the pork liver confit with kale and Boretto onions. €€. www.lortone.it. Piazza Lorenzo Ghiberti 87/r. T: 055 234 0804. Map L4
Maccheroncino (Il) Those who don’t eat meat in Florence might encounter a few difficulties, but luckily there are also some excellent fish restaurants. Il Maccheroncino
L’ORTONE L’Ortone is in Piazza Ghiberti, opposite the charming Sant’Ambrogio street market. The menu draws inspiration from Tuscan cuisine (painstakingly revisited) and offers a wide choice of antipasti, first courses and grilled specialities, including of course the bistecca alla fiorentina. Opened in 2014, it has always relied on young but expert and professional staff. A good mix of elegance and sobriety. Open daily.
www.lortone.it Piazza L. Ghiberti, 87/r. T: 055 2340804.
w w w.wh e re t ravel e r. com 39
DINING
Top hotel restaurants Tradition, innovation and creativity: Where® highlights some culinary destinations to whet your appetite in several top hotels in Florence. By Jasmine Piazza
Hostaria Bibendum Borgo San Jacopo c/o Hotel Lungarno Borgo San Jacopo, 62/R. T: 055 281661 www.borgosanjacopo.com On the banks of the Arno, with a postcard view of Ponte Vecchio, the Borgo San Jacopo restaurant is the perfect place for a romantic evening. The traditional Italian dishes are reinterpreted using fine quality ingredients by Michelin-starred chef Peter Brunel, accompanied by collector wines from a cantina of 900 labels. Flora & Fauno c/o Hotel Ville sull’Arno Lungarno Cristoforo Colombo 3/5. T: 055 670971 www.hotelvillesullarno.com Facing the river and immersed in the lovely garden of the Hotel Ville sull’Arno, Flora & Fauno offers a peaceful spot with a vintage country feel in which to explore the flavours and aromas of Tuscany. Classic traditional recipes revisited in a contemporary accent. The protagonists on the menu are the local ingredients, juxtaposed sometimes in new and unexpected ways, at other times sticking to tradition. Golden Restaurant c/o Golden Tower Hotel & SPA Piazza Strozzi 11/r. T: 055 287860 www.goldentowerhotel.it The cuisine is based on the authentic flavours of Florentine and Italian wine and food, whose trump card is the guaranteed freshness and quality of the ingredients, chosen personally by the chef. Intimate and refined atmosphere, with high class furnishings and fittings. Gourmet Restaurant c/o Sina Villa Medici Via Il Prato, 42. T: 055 2771891 www.sinahotels.com Tuscan specialities in a fabulous setting. A mix of culinary tradition and fancy comprising reinventions of fine Tuscan cuisine, in the
40 W H E R E F LO R E N C E I AU G U S T 2018
sophisticated ambiance of the Sina Hotel Villa Medici, an aristocratic 18th-century palace, recently renovated and restored to its former splendour. Hostaria Bibendum c/o Helvetia & Bristol Via dei Pescioni, 8/r. T: 055 2665620 www.starhotelscollezione.com This restaurant located in a magnificent 19th-century palace offers a menu inspired by tradition with a penchant for local producers and ingredients. Alongside more contemporary Italian dishes, a fully-rounded experience of Florence has to include Tuscan specialities such as panzanella, Chianti salumi and cheeses, pappa al pomodoro and honeylacquered duck, as well as desserts like cantucci with Vin Santo and Florentine sponge cake with Buontalenti gelato and vanilla topping. Il Conventino a Marignolle c/o Villa Tolomei Hotel & Resort Via di Santa Maria a Marignolle, 10. T: 055 3920425 www.ilconventinoamarignolle.com A very romantic view and frescoed rooms in a wonderful 12th-century villa surrounded by a vast estate comprising 20 hectares of olive groves, vineyards and orchards. The kitchen proposes traditional Tuscan and Italian dishes, prepared with seasonal products from the estate or the nearby countryside. Regional specialities typical of Tuscany, as well as the favourites of Italian cuisine. Il Palagio c/o Four Seasons Hotel Firenze Borgo Pinti, 99. T: 055 2626450 www.ilpalagioristorante.it A sophisticated ambiance with tables both inside and outside, Il Palagio is a Michelin-starred restaurant whose culinary offering looks to Italian and regional tradition with a modern touch. Chef Vito Mollica ventures far beyond the confines of Tuscan cuisine with dishes based on truffles, wagyu beef and three types of caviar. The wine list comprises more than 400 labels, of which 50 are also served by the glass.
The hotel also has two other restaurants: La Magnolia and Trattoria al fresco. Irene c/o Hotel Savoy Piazza della Repubblica, 7. T: 055 273 5891 www.roccofortehotels.com Inside the Hotel Savoy, a sumptuous fin-de-siècle building with an extraordinary collection of art works, the restaurant boasts a menu inspired by chef Fulvio Pierangelini, who together with head chef Giovanni Cosmai has designed a series of classic and new versions of Tuscan tradition, using the best local and seasonal products. J.K. Lounge Restaurant & Bar c/o JK Place Firenze Piazza di Santa Maria Novella, 7. T: 055 5321910 www.jkplace.com Here are Tuscan and Italian specialities made with local and seasonal ingredients, preferably organically farmed. In the summer months the elegant dining room, styled as a cosy living room, opens onto the terrace in the marvellous Piazza di Santa Maria Novella. La Cucina del Salviatino c/o Il Salviatino Via del Salviatino, 21- Fiesole (FI). T: 055 9041111 www.salviatino.com Majestic 15th-century villa in the hills of Fiesole, with a captivating view of Florence. Cuisine with strong links to the local territory and the seasons, with a prevalence of meat courses, though there is no shortage of fish and vegetarian dishes. The historic orchard and organic vegetable garden ensure zero food miles. Le Bistrot c/o Villa Cora Viale Machiavelli, 18. T: 055 22 87 90 www.villacora.it The location in itself is extraordinary: an ancient park that dominates the Boboli Gardens, the aristocratic residence that once hosted princess Eugenia, wife of
DINING
Napoleon III, and the French pianist Claude Debussy, among others. The menu, created by Executive Chef Alessandro Liberatore, offers traditional Tuscan dishes made exclusively with seasonal and for the most part locally sourced products. In winter the restaurant occupies the exquisite oriental Sala Moresca with its frescoed cupola ceiling, while in the summer it moves poolside to the winter garden. Relais Le Jardin c/o Hotel Regency Piazza M. D’Azeglio, 3. T: 055 245247 www.regency-hotel.com Located in the elegant Sala Zodiaco, amidst huge mirrors, candles and a veranda that in summer opens onto the private garden, the restaurant’s chef Sandro Baldini proposes a rich array of Italian and Tuscan dishes (home-made pasta and regional specialities such as truffles, porcini mushrooms, costolette alla fiorentina and others besides) that vary depending on the season’s ingredients, always fresh and of the highest quality. Ristorante La Chiostrina c/o Bernini Palace Piazza San Firenze, 29 (Piazza della Signoria). T: 055 288621 hotelbernini.duetorrihotels.com One of the most elegant and sophisticated restaurants in the historic centre, housed under a
16th-century portico. The menu draws on the most genuine local flavours, such as the celebrated pappa al pomodoro, for a sensory journey through Tuscan cuisine. Besides regional specialities, the menu also offers international dishes. Ristorante La Loggia c/o Belmond Villa San Michele Via Doccia, 4 - Fiesole (FI). T: 055 5678200 www.belmond.com This imposing 15th-century loggia is worth the visit just for its magnificent position looking over Florence. Regional Tuscan specialities and classic Italian dishes. Savini Tartufi Truffle Restaurant c/o NH Collection Firenze Porta Rossa Via Porta Rossa, 19. T: 055 3995913 www.savinitartufi.it/restaurants/savini-firenze Palazzo Bartolini houses one of the three restaurants in Italy run by Savini Tartufi, a family-owned business famed for nearly 100 years for its exclusive selection of truffles. Truffles are served all year round: from antipasto to dessert, savour the best varieties of fresh Tuscan truffles, from the Black Truffle and Tuber Borchii, to the more expensive White Truffle and Tuber magnatum Pico. Classic truffle items are flanked by other sophisticated dishes: tagliolino, egg, tartare. The menu also includes classic Tuscan dishes.
Se•Sto on Arno c/o The Westin Excelsior Florence Piazza Ognissanti 3. T: 055 27152783 www.westinflorence.com Local flavours and seasonal products for a Tuscan cuisine with a touch of innovation and an unforgettable view of Florence. On the sixth floor of The Westin Excelsior, SE•STO on Arno combines a restaurant, lounge, bar and garden enclosed by sweeping picture windows that make the most of the unique position and breathtaking view over the city. Villa La Vedetta c/o Villa La Vedetta Viale Michelangiolo, 78. T: 055 681631 www.villalavedettahotel.com Just moments away from the Piazzale Michelangelo belvedere, with a breathtaking view over Florence, is this discreet and elegant restaurant with a rich wine list, mainly focused on fine Tuscan reds. Local cuisine, with products and recipes typical of the region, so with meat, though there are plenty of vegan and vegetarian options too. Winter Garden by Caino c/o The Saint Regis Florence Piazza Ognissanti, 1. T: 055 27163770 www.wintergardenbycaino.com Immersed in the fin-de-siècle atmosphere of the Hotel Saint Regis Florence, the Michelin-starred restaurant Winter Garden by Caino, was born out of a creative liaison between chef Valeria Piccini and executive chef Michele Griglio. Their menu shines an innovative spotlight on the wonderful local cuisine, with suggestions from all parts of the globe. It ranges from the classic Tuscan dishes for strong stomachs such as tripe and lampredotto to more refined proposals like lobster tail on cream of topinambour and mandarin. The desserts, too, are a joy for both eyes and palate, in particular their original take on tiramisù.
Il Conventino a Marignolle
Savini Tartufi Truffle Restaurant
Gourmet Restaurant
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Michelin-starred restaurants
Bottega del Buon Caffè
Il Palagio
In addition to the historic and well established Enoteca Pinchiorri, with its prestigious three Michelin stars, there are seven other Florentine restaurants that have been awarded one star. Let’s enjoy them together. By Sophia Bertoli
Borgo San Jacopo c/o Hotel Lungarno Borgo San Jacopo, 62/r T: 055 281661 www.borgosanjacopo.com Overlooking the banks of the Arno, with a picture postcard view of Ponte Vecchio, the restaurant Borgo San Jacopo is perfect for a romantic evening. In this case the winning recipe is one that blends creativity, tradition and quality ingredients (lamb in sea water or Bresse rooster and octopus are an example of this), all washed down with wines chosen from a cellar of 900 labels. You can opt for the tasting menu (the potato-based one is unmissable) or à la carte. Bottega del Buon Caffè Lungarno Benvenuto Cellini, 69/r T: 055 5535677 www.borgointhecity.com/it/la-bottegadel-buon-caffe Zero food miles products gathered from the organic vegetable garden that the restaurant possesses in the Florentine countryside, meat reared by local farms and fresh fish. These are the strong points of the Bottega del Buon Caffè. On the Lungarno, in the shadow of the medieval Tower of San Niccolò, chef Antonello Sardi proposes a cuisine based on the use of seasonal ingredients, with a predilection for herbs and spices to bring out the flavours. The seasonal tasting menus include gems such as amberjack served in three ways (tartare, ’ventresca’, fillet) or home-made cappelletti with pigeon, butter and thyme.
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Enoteca Pinchiorri Via Ghibellina, 87 T: 055 242757 enotecapinchiorri.it How do you manage to be honoured with three Michelin stars, the highest recognition, which is only achieved by a hundred restaurants worldwide? In the case of the Enoteca Pinchiorri, it comes from the winning combination of prime quality raw materials, the search for innovation, yet without forgetting the territory’s (great) culinary tradition, obsessive attention to every detail and an unrivalled wine menu, which includes highly prized labels, along with others that are little known but equally interesting. Then we can add the fact that the restaurant is located inside the 18th-century Palazzo Jacometti-Ciofi and that its desserts are a delight for the senses. Il Palagio c/o Four Seasons Hotel Firenze Borgo Pinti, 99 T: 055 2626450 www.ilpalagioristorante.it Inside the Hotel Four Seasons, in a sophisticated environment with tables both indoors and outdoors, Il Palagio bases itself on a culinary proposal that looks to the Italian and regional tradition with a touch of modernity, as in the terrine of foie gras with Vin Santo gelée or cheese and pepper cavatelli with red shrimps and baby squid. Chef Vito Mollica offers a menu that is a symphony of flavours, raw materials and colours, at times
venturing far beyond the confines of Tuscany with dishes based on truffle, wagyu beef or three kinds of caviar. The wine menu includes more than 400 labels, 50 of which also served by the glass. La Leggenda dei Frati in Villa Bardini (Costa San Giorgio) Costa S. Giorgio, 6/a T: 055 0680545 www.laleggendadeifrati.it Inside the Villa Bardini museum complex in Costa San Giorgio is the one-star restaurant La Leggenda dei Frati. A breathtaking view over Florence and across vineyards at the rear, these are just the cherry on the cake of a creative culinary proposal, which in this case too draws its inspiration from the local tradition, with a propensity for quality meat (the boiled sausages and ’soppressata’ are self-produced), but also for vegetables picked directly from the restaurant’s own vegetable and herb garden and for the hand-made bread using flour from ancient grains. Ora d’Aria Via dei Georgofili 11/r T: 055 20016 9 www.oradariaristorante.com An hour of air to escape from culinary boredom. We don’t know if the owner had this in mind when he gave this name to his restaurant, just a stone’s throw from Ponte Vecchio, but it certainly gives that impression. Tuscan chef Marco Stabile is playing at home with dishes that are a reminder of granny’s recipes but tending towards a more creative contemporary style. Lovers of strong flavours can delight in dishes such as soft-crisp piglet or pigeon cooked in three ways. For lunch the choice of the "tapas" formula allows you to try a selection of small portions of gourmet dishes. The wine cellar boasts Tuscan wines, but also prized Italian and French labels and a highly select menu of beers.
DINING
Ora d’Aria
Borgo San Jacopo
Winter Garden by Caino c/o Hotel Saint Regis Piazza Ognissanti, 1 T: 055 27163770 www.wintergardenbycaino.com Steeped in the fin-de-siècle atmosphere of the Hotel Saint Regis Florence, the Winter Garden by Caino has come about from the creative liaison between chef Valeria Piccini and executive chef Michele Griglio. Their menu brings the territory’s great cuisine back to the limelight in an innovative way, with elements from every part of the globe, ranging from classic Tuscan dishes for strong stomachs such as tripe and lampredotto to more refined proposals, such lobster tail on topinambour and mandarin cream. Also the desserts, particularly the ’Diversamente Tiramisù’, are a joy for the eyes and the taste buds.
Winter Garden by Caino
La Leggenda dei Frati
Enoteca Pinchiorri
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Florentine foods termes ’Lampre…’ what’s that? Florence has a multitude of culinary specialities of peasant origin that are still very popular in the city today. Some are so niche as to be unknown outside Florence, let alone to foreigners. So we’ve decided to put together a glossary of Florentine food terms to help you find your way among the soups, animal parts you never thought you could eat and distinctive eateries. By Chiara Zaccarelli cuisine” containing liver, chicken hearts, crests, eggs, lemon juice and onion. Even though presented like that it seems to be an inauspicious mixture, it is famous for having been one of the favourite dishes of Caterina de’ Medici, who attempted - unsuccessfully - to export it to France and it seems she was so fond of it that it gave her indigestion a number of times.
Lampredotto
CANTUCCI This is one of the best-known cake recipes in Tuscan cuisine. The finger-shaped almond biscuits are made by slicing up a long roll of baked dough while still hot. The dough is made with flour, sugar, eggs, butter and raw almonds, not toasted or shelled. Tuscans normally dunk their ’cantucci’ in a fortified local wine called Vin Santo made from dried grapes. You can find them in any bakery or local foods shop. CIBREO A dish for strong stomachs, Cibreo is a typical main course of Florentine “poor
is a small seafood bistro located outside the tourist circuits, in the Rifredi neighbourhood. Fish dishes according to availability and typical products of the cuisine of Le Marche are prepared here with fresh and seasonal ingredients. €€. www.ilmaccheroncino. it. Via Reginaldo Giuliani, 43/r. T: 388 7575928. Off Map
Marione Trattoria The atmosphere of an old-fashioned trattoria in the historic centre of Florence. Here it is possible to taste the typical dishes of Tuscan cuisine surrounded by barrel vaults and baked brick floors. Ribollita, taglierini with truffle, bistecca alla fiorentina and Tuscan cured meats are among the most popular dishes. If you go at the weekend it is advisable to book in advance, because there is usually a long queue of people waiting outside. €€. www. 44 W H E R E F LO R E N C E I AU G U S T 2018
LAMPREDOTTO This is Florentine street food par excellence. But watch out, it’s not for weak stomachs. Actually it’s a cow’s fourth stomach, known as the ’abomaso’, cooked in a herb broth and most commonly served in a panino soaked in the broth or topped with the local parsleybased green sauce. Historically a poor man’s dish, it is still very popular in Florence today thanks to the numerous open-air kiosks known as “lampredottai”, doing a roaring trade with Florentines as well as tourists who can’t wait to try this speciality, accompanied by the obligatory glass of wine. PAPPA COL POMODORO On the face of it this is just another variant of bread and tomatoes. But until you’ve tried this soup made of stale bread (unsalted), tomatoes, garlic, basil, extra virgin Tuscan olive oil, salt and pepper, you’ll never guess how good it is. Everyone loves this tasty,
casatrattoria.com/trattoria-marione. Via della Spada 27/r. T: 055 214756. Map E3
Opera Situated inside the Grand Hotel Adriatico, a few steps from the coolest “Oltrarno” district, the Opera restaurant offers dishes from both the Italian and the typical Florentine and Tuscan culinary traditions. In a relaxed and elegant atmosphere, with a music background of the most important operas, you can taste tortelli,tagliata, steak alla Fiorentina and the traditional Florentine dessert ’zuccotto’. Its wine cellar deserves a special mention. Open 7.30pm10.30pm; closed on Sun. €€. www.hoteladriatico.it. Via Maso Finiguerra, 9. T: 055 294447. Map C2
Osteria Badalì Located in the heart of a rather quiet district,
Ribollita
genuine dish, including the kids. So much so there’s even a popular children’s song all about it. RIBOLLITA Another delicious country dish typical of Florence and the whole of central Tuscany is ribollita, a soup made of stale bread, kale and beans (borlotti, toscanelli or cannellini). ’Ribollita’ literally means boiled several times. The name derives from the fact that in the old days peasants used to make a large pot and serve it, heated up, over a number of days, each time tastier than before.
Pappa col pomodoro
San Niccolò. A culinary proposal that revisits the traditions of the past, all about long cooking times and essentials, starting with the study of old cooking texts found on the second-hand book stalls and based above all on homemade pasta and traditional soups, as well as pork products. €€. www. badaliosteria.it. Via dei Renai 11/r. T: 055 2264422. Map H6
Touch Bistrò Toscano Three young entrepreneurs who met over the hobs of the hotelier institute have made their dream a reality by opening this bistro that favours the use of seasonal ingredients selected from the nearby market of Sant’Ambrogio in the neighbourhood of the same name. The menu, which gives a touch of freshness to the Tuscan tradition, proposes, among other things, ravioli di ossobuco, fried egg and
DINING
The “fiorentina”
Buca Mario
Bistecca alla fiorentina is one of the most iconic dishes in Florence cuisine. But be careful: to recognize the original and tell it apart from the hundreds of impostors, there are a few tips you need to know. Cooking a “fiorentina” is a genuine ritual with unwritten rules that the visitor needs to know to avoid falling foul of the restaurant owner, paying over the odds and to make sure they get the real thing. WHAT. This succulent steak is obtained from a specific cut of a young Chianina cow, a part of the loin near the backbone which has a T-bone in the middle. It should be grilled at a very high temperature, so that a fine crust forms rapidly on the meat. All the flavour of this dish depends on the cooking: the meat must be brown on the outside but red, soft and juicy on the inside, hot, but not cooked through. This is the first vital rule: a fiorentina must be eaten rare. HOW. It should also be at least 3 or 4 cms thick, and weigh between 1.2 kg and 1.5 kgs, although bigger steaks are easily available. And here is another sore point. At a restaurant you pay for a fiorentina by weight. An average price to be sure of getting the real thing is around 50 euros a kilo. WITH. The traditional accompaniment is usually cannellini beans, washed down with a glass of Chianti. WHERE. Here are four restaurants where you can’t go wrong: Il Latini (www. illatini.com), Buca Lapi (www.bucalapi. com), Da Burde (www.vinodaburde.com) and Perseus (www.casatrattoria.com/ ristorante-perseus-firenze). (C.Z.)
fagioli all’uccelletto, but also monkfish and squid. €€. touchflorence.com. Via di Mezzo 42/r. T:055 2466150. Map I3
private room guests can also dine on tatami. €€€€. www.kokorestaurant.it. Piazza F. Ferrucci, 4/5 r. T: 055 6587428. Off Map
Tuscani 3 (I)
Momoyama
If you love “ciccia” (which is what Tuscans call red meat), you must not miss this steakhouse and delicatessen that is very famous in the city. Located in the heart of the historic centre, a few steps from Piazza della Repubblica, it obviously offers the typical bistecca alla fiorentina but also selections of Tuscan pork, cured meat boards or steak tartare and hamburger made rigorously with Chianina meat. €€. http://ituscani3.com.Via Dante Alighieri 18/r.T: 055 285356. Map F4
One of Florence’s historic Japanese restaurants, where alongside the classic sushi and sashimi there are rolls with creative combinations, soups, raw meats and fish, chicken teriyaki, udon and other hot dishes, in the tradition of the Rising Sun. Located over the Arno in the cool San Frediano district, on weekdays at lunchtime it turns into a noodle bar. €€€€. www.ristorantemomoyama.it. Borgo S. Frediano, 10. T: 055 291840. Map D4
Zeb
NEW OPENING A new arrival in the Rooster family, which already boasts one American-style bar in the city. The concept is that of the restaurant/ cocktail bar, just a few steps from Piazza della Repubblica, serving classic American meals such as hamburgers, ribs and BBQ, using prime Tuscan ingredients, preferably organically sourced. €. www. roosterfirenze.com. Via Porta Rossa, 63/r. T:055 2645006. Map F4
Just moments away from Piazzale Michelangelo and the Giardino delle Rose, Zeb - highlighted by the Michelin Guide - serves a host of traditional Tuscan dishes such as cappellacci, tripe, lampredotto, meat balls and stuffed rabbit. A tiny place, the diners eat at the bar, like a delicatessen (actually, its former identity). There is a large selection of Italian wines, with a special focus on small local producers. €€. www.zebgastronomia. com. Via San Miniato, 2. T: 055 2342864. Map H6
CANTINE Antica Mescita San Niccolò Ever wanted to eat lunch in a 1000 AD Romanesque crypt? In Florence you can, at the Antica Mescita San Niccolò, which also used to serve as a customs post for wine originating from Chianti. Naturally, the wine is excellent and predominately Tuscan and the food also reflects the season and the local territory, with dishes such as cold cuts and mixed cheeses, ribollita, bistecca alla fiorentina and lampredotto, to name just a few. €€. www.osteriasanniccolo.it. Via San Niccolò, 60/r. T: 055 2342836. Map H6
Buca Lapi This is one of Florence’s oldest eating places. Crafted out of the wine cellars of the Renaissance Palazzo Antinori, it still preserves traces of over a century of history thanks to the meticulous restoration of the internal frescoes. Buca Lapi is particularly popular with lovers of the real fiorentina, but the other local Tuscan dishes are worth trying too, such as croutons, ribollita or wild boar with polenta. €€€. www.bucalapi.com. Via del Trebbio 1/r. T: 055 213768. Map E3
Buca Mario For years ordinary folk have rubbed shoulders with famous names beneath the bare brick ceilings of Buca Mario to enjoy simple, genuine Florentine cuisine (although you can still request a private room for up to ten people in classic 16th-century Florentine style). The bistecca alla fiorentina is excellent, as is the ribollita or pappardelle with Maremma boar ragù. €€. www.bucamario.com. Piazza degli Ottaviani, 16/r. T: 055 214179. Map D3
INTERNATIONAL & ETHNIC CUISINE Koko Sophisticated chic and fine Japanese cuisine off the main tourist circuits. Besides the classic raw fish dishes (vast selection of tartare, carpacci, sushi and sashimi) Koko’s particular speciality is teppanyaki – various ingredients cooked on an iron griddle. In the
Rooster Firenze
PIZZA O’Munaciello Housed in a 17th-century monastery in the historic Santo Spirito quarter, it recreates the atmosphere of a Naples street, complete with hanging washing and masks typical of Neapolitan Commedia dell’arte. Besides wood oven pizzas, here you can try other traditional Campania dishes, with products from small producers and consortiums situated along the coast. Every Wednesday night there’s live music (Neapolitan). €. www.munaciello.com. Via Maffia 31/r. T: 055 287198. Map D5
Pizza Man Right in the city centre, this colourful Neapolitan school pizzeria with a fun atmosphere does glutenfree and 100% vegan pizzas as well as the traditional variety. Now those with a food intolerance or special dietary needs don’t have to go without a tasty pizza. €. www.pizzaman.it. Via dell’Agnolo 105/107r. T: 055 2480200. Map H4
Pizzaiuolo (Il) Just steps from the Sant’Ambrogio market, this is one of Florence’s oldest pizzerias. Here again the pizza is Neapolitan: wood oven cooked, with quality in-season toppings, mostly sourced from Campania. The rest of the menu also follows Neapolitan tradition, with first courses of fish and local desserts such as babà and pastiera. €. www.ilpizzaiuolo.it. Via dei Macci, 113/r. T: 055 241171. Map I3
Pizzeria Spera One of Florence’s favourite pizzeria’s even won the world’s pizza championship a few years ago. This simple and intimate little place just outside the old centre serves a light crispy pizza with a choice of different types of bread dough and a full range of quality toppings. €. www.pizzeriaspera.it. Via della Cernaia, 9/r. T: 055 495286. Off Map
Santarpia In a room decorated with blue and brown handpainted tiles, the wood oven turns out pizzas made with choice, slow-rising flours, tomatoes from Vesuvius and mozzarella from Campania cheese makers. All accompanied by craft beers or wines from small producers. €. www.santarpia.biz. Largo Pietro Annigoni, 9/c.T: 055245829. Map L3 w w w.wh e re t ravel e r. com 45
ENTERTAINMENT
Art and science to entertain you A sombre, harmonious Renaissance building, two enormous slides, some plants and plenty of visitors: these are the ingredients of an extraordinary exhibition/experiment. By Elena Peverata
S
imilar to a small fortress in the heart of the city, Palazzo Strozzi represents the perfect example of the ideal noble Renaissance dwelling; commissioned in 1489 by rich merchant Filippo Strozzi, it is so imposing as to rival Palazzo Medici with its dimensions. For a decade or so now it has been transformed into a dynamic cultural centre that hosts important exhibitions at international level. Currently the beautiful internal Renaissance courtyard, in which concerts, performances and plays are usually organized, is being conspicuously monopolized by a grandiose installation: two monumental slides allowing you to descend from the open gallery on the second floor to the ground, which are an integral and spectacular part of ‘The Florence Experiment’ exhibition, a project by German artist Carsten Höller and Italian scientist 46 W H E R E F LO R E N C E I AU G U S T 2018
Stefano Mancuso, founder of the study of plant neurobiology. Harder to explain than to try out, this bizarre alliance between art and science in fact uses visitors’ emotions to place them “in resonance” with a number of plants that are part of the experiment. The visitors slide down the 20-metre slope taking a bean seedling with them, and this will be compared with others that have not undergone the same exciting adventure. In the two screening rooms, on the other hand, the fear or enjoyment of visitors when watching horror or comedy films produce different volatile chemical compounds that are transported through two suction ducts onto the façade, where they will be able (who knows?) to influence the growth of the climbing wisteria plants. How strong can the empathy between plants and human beings be? There is time until 26 August to find out.
>> 19 April-26 August. The Florence Experiment. A project by Carsten Höller and Stefano Mancuso. Palazzo Strozzi, Piazza Strozzi. Open daily 10am-8pm; Thursdays 10am-11pm. www.palazzostrozzi.org
FOR MORE LISTINGS VISIT FLORENCE.WHEREITALIA.COM
APERITIVI Chiaroscuro Opened in 1999 as a place to celebrate coffee, Florentines today are attracted by the original and genuine snacks. Coffee, hot chocolate and aperitifs served in a popular bar-cafe furnished with a retro touch. Until 9.30pm. www.chiaroscuro. it. Via del Corso, 36/r. T: 055 214247. Map G3
Easy living Better known to Florentines as the “spiaggina” (little beach), its location is quite singular: this strictly summer-only bar is built right on the river-bed of the Arno, opposite Torre San Niccolò, from where patrons can enjoy a leisurely aperitif with a stunning view of Ponte Vecchio, often with live music. There is always a cooling breeze, a big plus in a sweltering Florence summer. www. easylivingfirenze.it. Piazza G. Poggi. T: 055 2341112. Map I6
Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura The style of one of the world’s favourite fashion brands, a star chef and an incomparable location, surrounded by Florentine art. Popular at any hour, aperitifs are a particularly draw. www.gucci.com. Piazza della Signoria, 10. T: 055 75927038. Map F4
Il Locale Ideal at any time of day, but perfect for aperitifs, located in a small street not far from the Duomo. Hanging garden, lounge bar, cantina and intimate snugs, all beautifully restored. Exquisite nibbles and excellent wine list. www.localefirenze.it. Via delle Seggiole, 6. T: 055 9067188. Map G3
(more than 1500 labels, also to buy), coffee, aperitifs and snacks. Delicious Tuscan and other regional bites. Rooftop terrace with view of Ponte Vecchio. www.signorvino.com. Via de’ Bardi, 46/r. T: 055 286258. Map F5
and French toast. Designer atmosphere. www. dittaartigianale.it. Via dei Neri, 32/r. (Santa Croce district). • T: 055 2741541 or Via dello Sprone, 5/r. (Santo Spirito district). T: 055 0457163. Map E5
Three Sixty
“The right food from the right places” is the motto of this little restaurant where the quality and traceability of the ingredients is the holy grail. An original and genuine light lunch, with the option of half portions. Tuscan street food and fast food, including lampredotto and pecorino, chianina and croutons, besides pasta and soups. 11am till midnight. Intimate bistrot in the Santa Croce district. www.foodyfarm.it. Corso dei Tintori, 10/r. T: 055 242327. Map H5
From May to September the Grand Hotel Minerva, next to Santa Maria Novella, opens its magnificent panoramic terrazza with swimming pool to outside guests. Aperitifs from 7pm. www. grandhotelminerva.com. Piazza di Santa Maria Novella. T: 055 27230. Map E2
Zoe Cocktails and apericena accompanied by hookah, in a bar with essential modern furnishings and soft lighting. For years a favourite with the younger crowd, always a lively atmosphere in the trendy San Niccolò district. www.facebook.com/ zoebarfirenze. Via dei Renai, 13. T: 055 243111. Map H6
BRUNCH Ditta Artigianale Founder Francesco Sanapo finished sixth in a contest held in Melbourne in 2013 involving competitors from 60 countries to find the world’s best coffee barista. Back in Florence, he opened this bistrot which, besides the exceptional coffee, serves a brunch menu (from 9am to 3.30pm) ranging from Greek yogurt and crudités to bacon
Foody Farm
Odeon Bistrot Burgers, brunch and aperitifs in this beautiful little restaurant with a very elegant exterior, white columns and vaulted ceiling. Open each day from 8.30 in the morning till 3 at night, for snacks and traditional Tuscan dishes as well as an exceptional wine list. City centre, next door to its namesake cinema. www.odeonbistro.it. Piazza degli Strozzi, 8/r. T: 055 215654. Map E4
Procacci This delicatessen founded in 1885 has become an institution, and not only in Florence, especially for its truffle-based specialities and impeccable selection of wines. Combines a gourmet food shop and wine bar in a relaxing atmosphere,
Il Rifrullo In 1981 it was the first American Bar in Florence and it has never lost its appeal as a rendezvous for both Florentines and visitors, renovated several times but still a landmark. You can enjoy its rightly acclaimed aperitifs and abundant buffet in the garden in summer or in front of the fire in winter. www.ilrifrullo.com. Via San Niccolò, 55/r. T: 055 2342621. Map H6
Moyo Aperitifs and light dinner in a locale that offers international cuisine, cocktails and DJ set in a modern and stylish setting, a landmark of Florentine nightlife. www.moyo.it. T: 055 2479738. Via dei Benci, 23/r. Map H4
Rivalta Cafè Aperitifs, DJ set and Italian menu in a chic venue that combines modern furnishings and frescoed ceilings. The sight of the Arno at dusk always attracts a crowd. www.rivaltacafe.it. Lungarno Corsini 14/r. T: 055 289810. Map E4
Rooftop Bar La Terrazza Cocktails and champagne on an elegant patio furnished to contemporary taste, looking over at the medieval Consorti Tower. On the top floor of the Hotel Continentale. www.continentalehotel. com. Vicolo dell’Oro, 6. T: 055 27265987. Map F4
Se·Sto on Arno The Westin Excelsior opens its bar for aperitifs every evening from 7pm to 9pm. Two large terrazze provide a 360° view over the marvels of Florence. www.westinflorence.com. Piazza Ognissanti, 3. T: 055 27151. Map C3
Signorvino This wine bar on two floors offers Italian wines
Engines and beautiful women
ADVERTORIAL
The races on Tuscany’s most beautiful roads, the Concours d’Élégance in the Boboli Gardens, the bravery of the drivers, the fascinating women, the roar of the engines and the pungent smell of petrol and the emergence of Italian fashion: this Florentine “Dolce Vita” is told through The elegance of speed, the history of the automobile in Florence and Tuscany between 1934 and 1965, in black and white, through 90 previously unpublished photographs by the glorious Archivio Foto Locchi agency. The elegance of speed. 11 June - 16 September. Palazzo Pitti, Andito degli Angiolini, Piazza de’ Pitti, 1. www.uffizi.it
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ENTERTAINMENT with delicious snacks to eat in. 10am till 9pm (Sunday from 11am till 8pm). Historic venue in the heart of Florence. www.procacci1885.it. Via de’ Tornabuoni, 64/r. T: 055 211656. Map E3
Teatro del Sale
Santa Croce, and hosts all genres of performance. Inaugurated in 1854, since 2000 it has been owned by the Orchestra of Tuscany, which is based there. www.teatroverdifirenze.it. Via Ghibellina, 99. T: 055 212320. Map H4
Theatre-club-lounge-restaurant inspired by Florentine celebrity chef Fabio Picchi – formerly patron of the legendary Cibreo restaurant – and co-founder, president and artistic director Maria Cassi. Every day from 12-noon it serves a highly original brunch of buffet food and hot snacks at a fixed price of 15 euros (20 euros on Saturday and Sunday). From Tuesday to Saturday (7.30pm-9pm), dinner with after-dinner show, both at a fixed price of 30 euros. www.teatrodelsale.com. Via dei Macci, 111/r. (Sant’Ambrogio district). T: 055 2001492. Map I3
Teatro Goldoni
CONCERT VENUES & THEATRES
The Teatro del Maggio is in the centre, beside the old city walls, next to the historic Stazione Leopolda (see listing). The garden that welcomes visitors is Piazzale Vittorio Gui, named after the founder of the Stabile Orchestrale Fiorentina and the Florentine Maggio Musicale. Symphony concerts and operas are performed in a contemporary space in a large wood-covered hall. www.operadifirenze.it. Piazzale V. Gui, 1. Off Map
Teatro Comunale The Teatro Comunale di Firenze is the city’s largest theatre. Overall, it occupies approximately half a block between corso Italia, via Magenta and via Solferino. The main theatre has seating for around 1800, but also part of the complex is a foyer called the “Piccolo Teatro”, which can hold a little under 600 spectators. The name “Comunale” [Municipal] dates back to 1933, when the Florentine Maggio Musicale was established (see entry), but the theatre itself dates back to the second half of the 19th century. www. operadifirenze.it. Corso Italia, 16. T: 055 27791. Map B2
Teatro Verdi The largest "Italian-style" theatre in Tuscany is located in Florence, in the historic district of
Inaugurated in 1817 in the presence of Ferdinand III of Habsburg-Lorraine, thanks to its proximity to Palazzo Pitti it soon became the court theatre. Oval-shaped, with 80 boxes distributed over four orders, the theatre experienced a period of abandonment. After a lengthy restoration, it returned to its original pomp in 1998, with a historical design by Italian director and actor Luca Ronconi. www.operadifirenze.it. Via Santa Maria, 15. T: 055 2779309. Map C6
Teatro del Maggio
Stazione Leopolda Inaugurated in 1848, it was Florence’s first railway station: it was decommissioned, and today has become a sought-after venue for meetings, conferences and various events. A versatile, multifunctional space, it has its name associated with the recent history of Italy, being the venue of the event that launched the career of Florentine politician Matteo Renzi. www.stazione-leopolda. com. Viale Fratelli Rosselli, 5. T: 055 212622. Map A1
Visarno Arena It is located inside the Ippodromo Visarno racecourse, located in Florence in the Parco delle Cascine. Surrounded by greenery and with seating for 60,000, the area is the favourite venue for major open-air events. Active since 2015, it has already hosted, among others, concerts by David Gilmour, Massive Attack, Einsturzende Neubauten, Sting and Duran Duran, but also the 2015 and 2016 editions of World Refugees Day. www.visarnoarena.it. Parco delle Cascine (approx. two kilometres from the Central Station of Santa Maria Novella). Off Map
WELLNESS Bené SPA This 5-star luxury Villa Cora spa is found on the ground floor of Villino Eugenia and connected to the main hotel complex by an underground tunnel. It comprises a tepidarium, leisure area, small gym, sauna, hammam and three large private cabins for personalised treatments. The crowning glories are two prestigious partnerships: tailored face treatment products by beauty guru Sarah Chapman; and the body range from the historic Officina Profumo Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella, founded in Florence in 1612. www. villacora.it. Viale Machiavelli, 18. T: 055 228790. Off Map
Firenze Number Nine This 4-star spa presents itself as an “Urban Wellness Hotel” that claims to be “the only city centre spa under original 15th-century vaults.” A 400-square metre spa offering a full range of treatments, open every day, also to outside guests, though the under 16’s are not admitted. Very well known, among Florentines too, is the Arya Beauty & Comfort Zone, again linked to the hotel (but closed on Tuesdays). www. firenzenumbernine.com. Via dei Conti, 9. T: 055 293777. Map F3
Four Seasons SPA A Four Seasons standard spa right in the heart of Florence. Ten body treatment cabins, a spa suite, plus open-air pool. Exclusive treatments like the Chianti massage and Tuscan cypress scrub are just the start of your wellness journey. Treatments for teens and children also available. The supermodern fitness centre is located in the quiet of the Gherardesca Garden. www.fourseasons.com. Borgo Pinti, 99. T: 055 26261. Map L1
Golden Beauty & SPA This extremely stylish facility in the historic centre of Florence offers a Turkish bath, emotional showers, hydromassage, sauna and treatment zone plus expert care and advice. Part of the 5-star Golden Tower hotel, but also open to outside guests as the beauty centre annex every day from midday till 8pm. www.goldentowerhotel. it. Piazza Strozzi, 11. T: 055 287860. Map F4
Il Villino SPA
THE FLORENTINE MAGGIO MUSICALE The Maggio is Italy’s first musical festival and since 1933 it was offered high-quality operas, concerts, dance shows and theatre events. The orchestra and the festival now live under the artistic direction of Zubin Mehta. www.operadifirenze.it
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A historic villa, completely renovated in 2014, the new Hotel Ville sull’Arno 5-star luxury boutique resort is very popular with Florentines. The Villino is a unique spa, studded with original details, luxury materials, and hand-made decorations by Florentine craftsmen, offering a wide range of treatments, from hydromassage to the ice cascade. www.planetariahotels.com. Lungarno C. Colombo, 1/3/5. T: 055 670971. Off Map
ENTERTAINMENT
SPA VENUES IN TUSCANY
Bagni San Filippo
Bagni San Filippo A small town not far from the slopes of Mount Amiata, famous for millennia for its sulphur waters, which were used by the Etruscans, and for the white calcareous deposits that form the small, spectacular hot water falls (48 °C) of the Fosso Bianco. Unlike the well-being and spa treatment centre, access to this area is free of charge. Terme San Filippo, www.termesanfilippo. it. Via San Filippo, 23. T: 0577 872982. B&B Il Fosso Bianco, Via San Filippo, 22. T: 392 3449596. Bagni San Filippo (Siena). Bagno Vignoni This tiny ancient stone village has one unique and unforgettable characteristic: at its centre is Piazza delle Sorgenti, an ancient pool measuring 49x29 metres (not for bathing) where the spar waters are collected, gushing out at a temperature of 52 °C and shrouding the village in evocative steam during the cold months. Albergo Le Terme, www.albergoleterme.it. Piazza delle Sorgenti, 13. Bagno Vignoni di San Quirico d’Orcia (Siena). T: 0577 887150. Spa Resort Hotel Adler Thermae.
Bagno Vignoni
A region rich in natural thermal springs, Tuscany offers nothing but an embarrassment of choice from among the numerous structures spread out across the territory, particularly in the areas of Siena and Grosseto. In addition to the famous and historic Montecatini and Chianciano, full-blown health towns, there are more “discreet” structures, often associated with resorts, offering a different experience of relaxation and wellbeing. Here are some suggestions. (E.P.)
www.adler-thermae.com. Strada di Bagno Vignoni, 1. San Quirico d’Orcia (Siena). T: 0577 889001. Castello di Velona An 11th-century fortress transformed into a residential villa in the Renaissance, the castle - now a 5-star resort - is located on a hill overlooking the greenery of the Val d’Orcia. between Sant’Antimo and Montalcino. The indoor and outdoor swimming pools (and the bathrooms of some of the rooms) use water from a nearby thermal spring originating on Mount Amiata. Castello di Velona Resort Thermal SPA & Winery, www.castellodivelona.it. Località La Velona, Montalcino (Siena). T: 0577 839002. Grotta Giusti The spectacular Grotta Giusti, on the outskirts of Montecatini, is a natural cave that winds its way among stalactites and stalagmites to a stretch of crystal clear water, the temperatures of which vary from 27°C to 34°C. Above all mud therapy and balneotherapy are practised there in baths enriched with ozone to stimulate the
metabolism of the blood vessels. Grotta Giusti, www.grottagiustispa.com. Via Grotta Giusti, 1411 - Monsummano Terme (Pistoia). T: 0572 90771. San Casciano dei Bagni Classified among the “Most Beautiful Towns of Italy”, San Casciano stands on a hill immersed in the Siena countryside. The Bagno Grande and the Bagno Bossolo are ancient washtubs where it is possible to bathe freely, while there are indoor and outdoor baths, wellbeing treatments and a splendid resort at Fonteverde, sheltered by a magical garden with views of Mount Amiata. Fonteverde. www.fonteverdespa.com. Località Terme, 1 - San Casciano dei Bagni (Siena). T: 0578 57241. Saturnia - Cascate del Mulino Among the most beautiful free thermal baths in the world, the Cascate del Mulino are small natural pools supplied by small waterfalls that form a unique, unrepeatable environment. Next to them, the Terme di Saturnia complex has spring water pools, a wellbeing centre and a 5-star resort. Cascate del Mulino, www.cascate-delmulino.info. Terme di Saturnia Spa & Golf Resort, www.termedisaturnia.it. Località Follonata, Saturnia - Manciano (Grosseto). T: 0564 600111. Terme di Petriolo The thermal baths are sited on a natural spring in the Valley dell’Ombrone, along the course of the River Farma. The waters, rich in salts, gush out at a temperature of 43 °C and are traditionally used to treat various pathologies of the respiratory tracts. www. termedipetriolo.it. Strada Provinciale di Petriolo, Monticiano (Siena). Petriolo Spa Resort, www.atahotels.it/ hotel/petriolo-spa-resort. Località Bagni di Petriolo, Frazione Pari, Civitella Paganico (Grosseto). T: 0577 1606059.
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MUSEUMS & ATTRACTIONS
Cosmic measurements Monumental sculptures that explore the cosmos, trace out stellar maps and investigate the energy in matter and among the stars: Forte di Belvedere reopens its doors for Eliseo Mattiacci. By Elena Peverata
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losed during the winter season, each summer Forte di Belvedere reopens as an important exhibition venue for major contemporary artists. This year it hosts a significant anthological exhibition devoted to Eliseo Mattiacci (Cagli, 1940), one of the pioneers of the Italian avant-garde of the late 1960s, the inventor of cosmological iconographies and a new relationship between art and nature, between people and the environment. Twenty sculptures are distributed over the exterior of the Forte, where the large steel works of cosmicastronomical inspiration are positioned around the spacious terraced gardens, and the interior of the Villa, including the fascinating Gong that gives the exhibition its title. Forte di Belvedere – or more accurately Santa Maria in San Giorgio del Belvedere – is a very charming location with a fine view over 50 W H E R E F LO R E N C E I AU G U S T 2018
Florence, a genuine terrace overlooking the city. Set at the highest point on Boboli Hill, it was created at the end of the 16th century following the wishes of Grand Duke Ferdinando I de’ Medici to demonstrate all the Medicis’ power with its majesty and – a by no means secondary aspect – to guarantee a refuge in the event of revolts, as the final stage of the Vasari Corridor connecting Ponte Vecchio with Palazzo Pitti with a suspended walkway, Via Boboli, through a charming interweaving of passages, apartments, corridors, bridges and gardens. Today the Forte’s vocation is to host top-level events and exhibitions in the summer period, making good use of its spacious interiors and exteriors. During the weekend, the guided visit to the exhibition, which also included the history of this magnificent architecture, is definitely not to be missed.
>> Gong. Eliseo Mattiacci at Forte di Belvedere 2 June - 14 October Forte di Belvedere, Via di San Leonardo, 1 www.musefirenze.it
FOR MORE LISTINGS VISIT FLORENCE.WHEREITALIA.COM ALL CONTRIBUTIONS RELATED TO MUSEUMS AND EVENTS ARE BY Elena Peverata Lifestyle & Culture Editor Where ® Italia
ATTRACTIONS & MONUMENTS Duomo and Cupola Completed in 1436, at the time the Duomo in Florence was the largest Christian church in the world. Today the religious building, whose official name is “Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore”, is third in terms of dimensions after St. Peter’s in Rome and St Paul’s Cathedral in London. The most important artists of the period participated in its creation (the bell tower is by Giotto), while the famous multi-coloured marble façade dates back to the 19 th century. Brunelleschi’s Dome, still the tallest construction in the city, is a symbol known all over the world: it is possible to climb to the top (exclusively on foot) up its 463 steps. www. ilgrandemuseodelduomo.it. Piazza del Duomo, 3/56. T: 055 2302885. Map F2
Battistero Located opposite the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, the Baptistery of St. John the Baptist is the building that completes the considerably striking appearance of the square. Its origins are uncertain, but its first official dating is at least in the 12th century. It is characterised by an octagonal plan, lined with a dome of eight segments, covered by a pyramid roof. The outside is decorated with white marble from Carrara and green marble from Prato, characteristics of the Florentine architecture of the Romanesque period. It has three famous doors, sumptuously decorated, and an interior that, with its marble and mosaics, is reminiscent of that of the Pantheon. Used in antiquity for the investiture of knights and poets, its praises are sung by Dante in the Divine Comedy. www.ilgrandemuseodelduomo. it. Piazza di San Giovanni, 8. T: 055 2302885. Map F2
Tribunale della Mercanzia, Palazzo Uguccioni and Palazzo delle Assicurazioni Generali. Also prominent in the square are the Fountain of Neptune and a series of statues of Renaissance origin, representing one of the most important sculptural cycles in the world. The most famous is certainly Michelangelo’s David: the one on display in its original position is a copy, whereas the original is conserved in the Galleria dell’Accademia. Map F4-G4
finally arriving at Palazzo Pitti. It was built in 1565 by the great Florentine architect Giorgio Vasari. On display along the Corridor are over 1000 paintings created between the 17th and 19th centuries and an important collection of self-portraits by great artists including Filippo Lippi, Rembrandt, Velázquez, Delacroix and Ensor. www.uffizi.it. Piazzale degli Uffizi, 6. T: 055 294883. Map E6-E5-F5-G5
Palazzo Vecchio
The symbol of wealth and power, the building was inhabited by the Medici in the period of their maximum splendour, then by the HabsburgLorraines and, after the Unity of Italy, by the Savoy family. The original architecture dates back to the 15th century and “Pitti” is the surname of its first owner. The building is located Oltrarno (on the left bank of the river), at the foot of Boboli Hill. It is from the latter that the famous Boboli Gardens take their name; they are one of the most important examples of Italian-style gardens in the world and are considered a genuine open-air museum on account of their admirable architectural and landscaped layout and their collection of sculptures, attracting approximately 800 thousand visitors a year. Currently they are the site of four different museums: the Treasury of the Grand Dukes, the Palatine Gallery and the Royal Apartments, the Gallery of Modern Art and the Museum of Fashion and Costume. They are connected to Forte di Belvedere. www.uffizi.it/palazzo-pitti. Piazza de’ Pitti, 1. T: 055 294883. Map E6
Located in piazza della Signoria, today it is the seat of the Municipal Council of Florence. It is the finest synthesis of 14th-century civil architecture and is one of the best known civic buildings in the world. Its imposing façade, abounding in history, the charm of its magnificent courtyards and its precious interiors make it a site visited daily by hundreds of people. www.museicivicifiorentini.comune.fi.it. Piazza della Signoria. T: 055 2768325. Map G4
Ponte Vecchio There has been a bridge at this point of the River Arno ever since before the year one thousand; yet, between floods and reconstructions, the official date of foundation of the current Ponte Vecchio is given as 1345. For the entire Middle Ages the bridge hosted greengrocers’, fishmongers’ and butchers’ shops, who used the river to dispose of their waste in a hurry. At the end of the 16th century, however, when it became the “noble” zone of the city, the goldsmiths and jewellers started to arrive, and they have been there uninterruptedly to this day. To celebrate this history, on prominent display on the bridge is a bust of Benvenuto Cellini, the greatest goldsmith of the Renaissance. Access is gained to the bridge between via Por Santa Maria and Lungarno degli Archibusieri and between Borgo San Jacopo and via de’ Guicciardini. Map F5
Corridoio Vasariano The Vasari Corridor is a raised walkway connecting Ponte Vecchio with Palazzo Pitti. It is a rather narrow passage the entrance to which is at the beginning of the second corridor of the Uffizi Gallery; it then stretches along the Arno, over the Ponte Vecchio,
Palazzo Pitti and Giardino di Boboli
Piazzale Michelangelo Piazzale Michelangelo is the most famous and appreciated panoramic point in Florence, with its views seen all over the world in million of postcards and reproductions. The design of the square dates back to 1869, when Florence was capital of Italy. Dedicated to the city’s most famous artist, the square has bronze copies of some of Michelangelo’s most famous sculptures. Access to the Piazzale can be gained by car, along the treelined Viale Michelangelo, or on foot, by climbing the monumental flight of steps known as the
FIRENZECARD
Campanile di Giotto 84.70 metres high and around 15 wide, a manifestation of 14th-century Florentine Gothic architecture, the Giotto’s bell tower is one of the four main components of the complex of Santa Maria del Fiore, in piazza del Duomo. Lined with white, red and green marble, like that adorning the Cathedral, the majestic squarebased bell tower, designed by Giotto in 1334, can be visited by climbing no less than 414 stairs up to the top, from where you can enjoy extraordinary views of Brunelleschi’s Dome. www. ilgrandemuseodelduomo.it. Piazza del Duomo. T: 055 2302885. Map F3
Piazza della Signoria This is the central square of Florence, the seat of civil power and social heart of the city. L-shaped, it is located at the centre of medieval Florence south of the Cathedral. Already important in the Roman Age, the square has been gradually enhanced over the centuries; facing onto it are Palazzo Vecchio (see entry), the splendid Loggia della Signoria, the
Firenzecard costs €72, allows access to 72 museums and is valid for 72 hours from the initial entry to a museum on the Circuit. It can be purchased online or from one of the authorised sales points in Florence. It includes: • 1 entry ticket + 1 exhibition supplement + 1 priority ticket for each museum on the Firenzecard circuit • Priority access to museums without needing to book • 72 hours available www.firenzecard.it
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SIGHTSEEING |
MUSEUMS & ATTRACTIONS
“Rampe del Poggi”, which start from piazza Poggi in the neighbourhood of San Niccolò. Map I7
San Miniato al Monte Not far from Piazzale Michelangelo, in via delle Porte Sante, stands the Abbey of San Miniato al Monte, a medieval religious building situated at one of the highest panoramic points in Florence. The most spectacular access is gained via the monumental flight of steps (which is not advisable, however, for those with problems walking). The outside of the church is decorated with green and white marble, typical of Florentine Romanesque, while a 12th-century mosaic decorates the central part of the façade. The interior, which is unusual and of great beauty, boasts one of the city’s best conserved original floors. www. sanminiatoalmonte.it. Via delle Porte Sante, 34. T: 055 234 2731. Off Map
Mercato Centrale Built at the end of the 19th century in the period in which Florence was capital of Italy, the Central Market is a building of a certain architectural merit located between piazza del Mercato Centrale and via dell’Ariento, via Sant’Antonino and via Panicale. The project was entrusted to Giuseppe Mengoni, the architect of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele in Milan, who was inspired by Les Halles in Paris. Since 2014, on the first floor of the historic covered market there has been a complex containing dozens of small restaurants, leisure activities and street food options, and this has now become a point of reference for informal but good quality cuisine for both Florentines and tourists. www.mercatocentrale.it. Piazza del Mercato Centrale/Via dell’Ariento. T: 055 2399798. Map F1
Santa Croce Together with Santa Maria Novella, San Lorenzo and Santo Spirito, it is one of the “great basilicas”, a point of reference of the Franciscan order: a radiant example of Tuscan Gothic, it owes its sober appearance of wooden trusses and terracotta floors to Franciscan charisma. Giotto painted some of his great masterpieces here and the French writer Stendhal experienced that profound artistic agitation that has been known since then as the “Stendhal syndrome”. The basilica contains the monumental sepulchres of Michelangelo, Galileo and Machiavelli and for this reason was celebrated by the Italian romantic poet Ugo Foscolo as a temple of “italic glories”. www. santacroceopera.it. Piazza Santa Croce, 16. T: 055 2466105. Map H4
Santa Maria Novella Together with Santa Croce, San Lorenzo and Santo Spirito, it is one of the “great basilicas”, a point of reference of the Dominican order. Its foundation dates back to the end of the 13th century but work on it continued for centuries, so the church, with its elegant façade by Leon Battista Alberti, is a harmonious synthesis of Gothic and Renaissance styles. The church of Santa Maria Novella hosts exceptional works of art by Masaccio, Giotto, Brunelleschi, Filippino Lippi, Domenico Ghirlandaio and Paolo Uccello. www. smn.it. Piazza Stazione, 4 - piazza Santa Maria Novella, 18. T: 055 219257. Map D2-E2
Santo Spirito Together with Santa Croce, San Lorenzo and Santa Maria Novella, it is one of the “great basilicas”, a point of reference of the Augustinian
order. The church has given its name to the entire surrounding neighbourhood, “Borgo Santo Spirito”, located “Oltrarno”, that is, on the left bank of the river. A jewel of Renaissance architecture, the church was the last great project by Filippo Brunelleschi and conserves elegant and austere rationality in its architectural plan. In the interior there is also a wooden crucifix carved by a young Michelangelo. www.basilicasantospirito.it. Piazza Santo Spirito, 30. T: 055 210030. Map D5
San Lorenzo Together with Santa Croce, Santo Spirito and Santa Maria Novella, it is one of the “great basilicas” of Florence, founded, according to the tradition, by Saint Ambrose, the first bishop of Milan, in the fourth century AD: it is therefore one of the oldest churches in the city. Its current appearance, however, is the result of the last major reconstruction work that took place in the 15th century at the wishes of the Medici and under the direction of the great architect Filippo Brunelleschi. Its bare stone façade was intended to receive a rich marble decoration designed by Michelangelo, which unfortunately was never executed. The interior is a masterpiece, also embellished by sculptures by Donatello of rare expressive intensity. www. operamedicealaurenziana.org. Piazza di San Lorenzo, 9. T: 055 216634-055 214042. Map F2
MUSEUMS & EXHIBITION SITES Basilica di San Lorenzo This is one of the “great basilicas” of Florence, the oldest (see "Monuments&Attractions"), the current appearance of which is the result of the radical renovation begun in 1418 by Giovanni di Bicci, founder of the Medici dynasty. The complex conserves key works by Brunelleschi, Donatello, Michelangelo, miniated codices, sacred goldsmithery and paintings from the 15th to the 20th century, and is structured into the Basilica (with the Old Sacristy and the Treasure Museum), the Medici Chapels (which form a separate museum, see the relative indications) with the New Sacristy and the Museum, in the Laurentian Library (see entry). Open Mon-Sat 10am-5pm. Sundays: from 1 March to 31 October 1.30pm5.30pm. Closed: Sundays from 1 November to 29 February, 1 and 6 January, Easter, 10 and 15 August, 8 and 25 December. Full ticket price: Basilica €6, Basilica + Medici Library €8.50. www. operamedicealaurenziana.org. Piazza di San Lorenzo 9. T: 055 216634-214042. Map F2
Basilica di Santa Croce
GALLERIA DEGLI UFFIZI A new layout design for the museum’s large room 41 establishes new synergies between the masterpieces created by Raphael and Michelangelo when they were both in Florence. The ‘Doni Tondo’ by Michelangelo, for example, is now positioned beside the portraits of his clients, Maddalena and Agnolo Doni, painted by Raphael. www.uffizi.it
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A splendid example of Tuscan Gothic (13th century), it owes its sober appearance, with wooden trusses and terracotta floors, to the Franciscan order. The Basilica, the cloisters, the Sacristy, the Pazzi Chapel and the Museum of Opera are all part of the visitors’ itinerary. Mention must be made in particular of the sepulchres of Michelangelo Buonarroti and Galileo Galilei, the masterpieces by Giotto (Bardi and Peruzzi Chapels, Baroncelli Polyptych), by Taddeo Gaddi ( The Last Supper, The Tree of Life) by Donatello ( The Annunciation, Crucifix, Saint Louis of Toulouse), by Agnolo Gaddi (Alberti and Castellani Chapels) and by Cimabue (the famous Crucifix). Open Mon-Sat 9.30am-5.30pm; Sun and holidays 2pm-5.30pm. Closed 1 January, Easter, 13 June, 4 October, 25-26 December. www.
MUSEUMS & ATTRACTIONS
| SIGHTSEEING
santacroceopera.it. Piazza Santa Croce, 16 (visitors’ entrance: Largo Bargellini). T: 055 2466105. Map I5
Biblioteca Marucelliana A precious archive of rare pieces established between the 17th and 18th centuries by Abbot Marucelli, it conserves 500,000 volumes, manuscripts and prints. The ancient reading rooms, including the magnificent and spectacular “Salone”, are visitable during opening hours or with a guided visit (by booking in advance). Open Mon-Thurs 8.30am-6pm, Fri 8.30am-4pm. Closed Sat-Sun, 1 and 6 January, Easter, 25 April, 1 May, 2 June, 24 June, 15 August and 2 weeks in the second half of August, 1 November, 8 and 25-26 December. www.maru.firenze.sbn.it. Via Cavour, 43-45. T: 055 2722200. Map G1
Palazzo Pitti Museums
Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana Part of the museum complex of the Basilica di San Lorenzo (see entry), it is one of the finest examples of the architecture of Michelangelo. Commissioned by Pope Clement VII (a Medici) and completed at the wishes of Grand Duke Cosimo I in 1571, entry is gained by ascending the monumental staircase designed by Michelangelo and built by Bartolomeo Ammannati in 1559. The stained-glass windows were created by Flemish craftsmen from designs by the Vasarian school. The Library conserves approx. 11,000 Greek, Latin and Oriental manuscripts, often richly miniated, dating from the 5th to the 19th century, in addition to papyruses and rare print editions. Open Mon-Fri 9.30am-1.30pm. Closed Sat, Sun and holidays. Full ticket price: Basilica + Medici Library €8.50. www.bmlonline.it. Piazza di San Lorenzo, 9. T: 055 2937911. Map F2
Cappella Brancacci The Church and the Convent of Santa Maria del Carmine, dating back to the mid-13th century, house the Brancacci Chapel, a masterpiece that is universally renowned for the frescos of the cycle of Scenes from the Life of St. Peter by Masaccio and Masolino da Panicale. Executed in 1425-1427, they were left unfinished and were eventually completed by Filippino Lippi between 1481 and 1482. Access is permitted to the chapel by groups of a maximum of 30 people and the stay time is 30 minutes. You are advised to book (T: 055 2768224-8558). Open MonSat 10am-5pm, Sun and holidays: 1pm-5pm. Closed on Tues and 1 January, 7 January, Easter, 16 July, 15 August, 25 December. Full ticket price: Wed-Fri €6; Sat-Sun-Mon: Brancacci Chapel+Fondazione Salvatore Romano €7. www.museicivicifiorentini. comune.fi.it. Piazza del Carmine, 14. T: 055 2768224558-2382195. Map C5
Cappelle Medicee Since 1869 the Medici Chapels have been a state museum, but their history is closely associated with that of the Basilica di San Lorenzo, of which they are part (see entry). The museum consists of the New Sacristy, designed and conceived as regards its sculptural furniture by Michelangelo, the Chapel of the Princes, a monumental mausoleum built using semi-precious stones, the Crypt, where the Medici Grand Dukes and their relatives are buried, and the Lorenese Crypt, which, in addition to the remains of the Lorena family, contains the funeral monument to Cosimo the Elder, founder of the dynasty. The museum also holds a part of the Treasure of the Basilica: sacred vestments and magnificent shrines. Open daily 8.15am-1.50pm; from 9 April to 4 November 8.15am-5pm. Closed: 1st, 3rd, 5th Monday and 2nd, 4th Sunday of the month, 1 January, 1 May, 25 December. Full ticket
A palace for three dynasties, this extraordinary building (see Attractions&Monuments) is located in the Oltrarno, at the foot of Boboli Hill. The famous Boboli Gardens, which are the park of the palace, a genuine open-air museum (see Museo Giardini di Boboli), take their name from this hill. Palazzo Pitti currently contains four different museums. Treasures of the Grand Dukes (ground floor and mezzanine) Conserved in what were the summer apartments of the Medici family are the precious “Treasures of the Medici”: vases made of semi-precious stones, rock crystals, ambers and ivories, the exceptional collection of Oriental porcelains; there is also the silverware of the so-called “Treasure of Salzburg”, an important collection of jewels created between the 17th and 20th centuries, and a significant section dedicated to contemporary jewellery. Palatine Gallery and Monumental Apartments (noble floor) The 14 sumptuously furnished rooms of the Royal Apartments offer a fascinating blend of styles telling of the daily lives and tastes of the various periods and families that lived there. The “Quadreria”,
the Picture Gallery, established between the 18th and 19th centuries by the Lorena family, includes the world’s largest concentration of works by Raphael, as well as paintings by Titian, Tintoretto, Caravaggio and Rubens. Gallery of Modern Art (second floor) Today the sumptuous environments that were once the residence of the Lorena family house paintings and sculptures, mostly Italian, from Neoclassicism to the 1930s, with an important group of paintings by the Macchiaioli school. Museum of Fashion and Costume (Palazzina della Meridiana) This museum possesses a stock of six thousand items, including ancient clothing, theatrical costumes and fashion accessories from the 18th century to today, in addition to underwear, jewels and costume jewellery. Included among the costumes are the 16th-century burial clothes of Cosimo I de’ Medici, Eleonor of Toledo and their son. Open Tues-Sun 8.15am-6.50pm. Closed on Mondays, 1 January, 1 May, 25 December. Museum full ticket price: €16 (1 Mar/31 Oct)/€10 (1 Nov/28 Feb). www.uffizi.it/ palazzo-pitti. Piazza de’ Pitti, 1. T: 055 294883.
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price: €8. www.bargellomusei.beniculturali.it/ musei/2/medicee | www.operamedicealaurenziana. org. Piazza Madonna degli Aldobrandini, 6. T: 055 282984. Map F2
Cenacolo di Sant’Apollonia In around 1447 Andrea del Castagno frescoed the back wall of the refectory of the ancient Benedictine monastery of Sant’Apollonia (1339) with The Last Supper, The Crucifixion, The Deposition and The Resurrection. Other outstanding frescos by Andrea del Castagno and paintings from the monastery are also on display in the museum. Open daily 8.15am1.50pm. Closed 1st, 3rd, 5th Saturday and Sunday of the month e 1 January, 1 May, 15 August, 25 December. Free entry. www.polomusealetoscana. beniculturali.it. Via XXVII Aprile, 1. T: 055 2388608/610.Off Map
Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi Palazzo Strozzi is one of the finest examples of private architecture of the Renaissance and a dynamic cultural centre that hosts international level exhibitions, ranging from ancient art to the Renaissance, to contemporary art. Always present are an exhibition devoted to Palazzo Strozzi, the café and the museum shop, which looks out onto the Renaissance courtyard, where concerts, performances, contemporary art installations and theatrical plays are organised. Open daily and holidays 10am-8pm, Thurs 10am-11pm. Museum full ticket price: €12. www.palazzostrozzi.org. Piazza Strozzi. T: 055 2645155. Map E3
Fondazione Salvatore Romano The museum is housed in the ancient Cenacolo (14th century) of the convent, built beside the church of Santo Spirito, the ancient function of which is recalled by the imposing fourteenth-
century fresco by Andrea Orcagna that decorates its eastern wall, with fragments of a Last Supper at the bottom and a superb Crucifixion at the top. The museum houses works donated to the Municipality of Florence in 1946 by collector and antiquarian Salvatore Romano, a precious collection of sculptures, fragments of architectural decoration, detached frescos and furnishings of various origins and from periods between the ancient Roman Age and the 17th century. Entry to the Cenacolo is gained directly from Piazza Santo Spirito, to the left of the façade of the church. The museum is contained entirely within the vast setting of the Cenacolo. Open Mon and Sat 10am-5pm, Sun and holidays: 1pm-5pm. Closed 1 January, 7 January, Easter, 16 July, 15 August, 25 December. Full ticket price: Brancacci Chapel+Fondazione Salvatore Romano €7. www.museicivicifiorentini.comune.fi.it. Piazza Santo Spirito, 29. T: 055 287043. Map D5
Flemish Astronomical ring dial (ca. 1550) from the Medici collection hosted at the MUSEO GALILEO.
At the end of the 16th century, Ferdinando de’ Medici commissioned Bernardo Buontalenti to design a fortress on the top of Boboli Hill, to incorporate a villa to be used as a “belvedere” by the Grand Duke’s court. Despite its strategic position, it was never used for defensive purposes; however, a vault was created in the underground floors to house the state treasury. The fort currently hosts top-level events and exhibitions. Open exclusively on the occasion f temporary exhibitions. Full ticket price: €3. www.museicivicifiorentini.comune.fi.it. Via San Leonardo, 1. Map F7
1560 and 1580 based on a project by Giorgio Vasari; it is one of the most famous museums in the world on account of its extraordinary collections of ancient sculptures and paintings (from the Middle Ages to the modern age). The collections of paintings from the 14th century and the Renaissance contain a number of absolute masterpieces of the art of all time: from Giotto to Simone Martini, Piero della Francesca, Beato Angelico, Filippo Lippi, Botticelli, Mantegna, Correggio, Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo, Caravaggio and Canaletto. There are also important collections by German, Dutch and Flemish painters, including Dürer, Rembrandt and Rubens. The Museum also houses the famous Department of Drawings and Prints and the Classical Antiquities Collection. Open Tues-Sun 8.15am6.50pm. Closed on Mondays, 1 January, 1 May, 25 December. Museum full ticket price: €20 (1 Mar-31 Oct)/€12 (1 Nov-28 Feb). www.uffizi.it. Piazzale degli Uffizi, 6. T: 055 23885.Map F5
Galleria degli Uffizi
Galleria dell’Accademia di Firenze
Forte di Belvedere
The Gallery occupies the whole of the first and second floors of the large building erected between
The Galleria owes its vast popularity to the presence of a number of sculptures by Michelangelo: the Prisoners, St. Matthew, but above the famous David, transported here from Piazza della Signoria (where it was replaced by a faithful copy) in August 1873. Housed in the adjacent premises, which were originally two convents, are works coming from the Academy of Design, the Academy of Fine Arts and the convents themselves, which were abolished in the Napoleonic Age. And also, the Gipsoteca, or Hall of Models, the collection of Russian icons and musical instruments of the courts of the Medici and Lorena families. Open Tues-Sun 8.15am6.50pm. Closed on Mondays, 1 January, 1 May, 25 December. Museum full ticket price: €8. www. galleriaaccademiafirenze.beniculturali.it. Via Ricasoli , 58/60. T: 055 2388609/612. Map G2
Galleria Rinaldo Carnielo
MUSEO DEGLI INNOCENTI This new museum - which was the first orphanage in Europe (15th century) - opened to the public in 2016 and combines art, architecture and the history of Childhood all together. Its museum itinerary is developed around the theme of welcoming. www.istitutodeglinnocenti.it
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Conserved in the townhouse in Liberty style that was the home-studio of Rinaldo Carnielo (1853-1910) are over three hundred sculptures by the artist and a number of paintings by artists who were his contemporaries, such as Silvestro Lega, Michele Gordigiani and Arturo Calosci. An exponent of late 19th-century commemorative statuary, Carnielo had close relations with the environment of the Macchiaioli, of whom he was a friend and passionate collector. Museum temporarily closed to the public. www.museicivicifiorentini.comune.fi.it. Piazza Savonarola, 3. Off Map
Gino Bartali Cycling Museum The museum is located at Ponte a Ema, the locality where the great cycling champion Gino Bartali was born and began his competitive career. The building, completed in 2006, contains a store of cycles from various periods, enabling visitors to
MUSEUMS & ATTRACTIONS
recognise their technical evolution, the actual museum, with displays of velocipedes, bicycles, clothing and relics documenting the history of cycling and the feats of Gino Bartali and other champions, and finally collections of period newspapers, publications and films. Open Fri-Sat 10am-1pm, Sun and holidays: 10pm-4pm. Closed 1 January, Easter, 1 May, 15 August, 25 December. Free entry. www.museicivicifiorentini.comune.fi.it. Via Chiantigiana, 175 - Ponte a Ema (30 minutes from Florence). T: 055 287043. Off Map
Museo degli Innocenti The Museum is located in the ancient Spedale degli Innocenti, a masterpiece of Renaissance architecture designed by Brunelleschi. Opened in 1445 as a refuge for abandoned children, today it continues its function as the “Institute of the Innocents”. The museum itinerary combines the documentary and historical-artistic heritage, and in its Gallery hosts precious artworks by Sandro Botticelli, Domenico Ghirlandaio, Bartolomeo di Giovanni, Piero di Cosimo, Neri di Bicci and Luca and Andrea della Robbia. EDITOR’S TIP On the terrace the elegant Caffè del Verone offers beautiful panoramic views. Open daily 10am-7pm. Closed 1 January, 25 December. www.istitutodeglinnocenti.it. Piazza Santissima Annunziata, 13. T: 055 2037308. Map H1
Museo del Bigallo The headquarters of two ancient benevolent institutions, the Compagnia della Misericordia and the Compagnia del Bigallo, the so-called Loggia del Bigallo is a complex the construction of which was begun in 1352. A precious record of the history of Florence, the museum conserves wonderful frescos from the 14th century, including the Virgin of Mercy (1342), presenting the first famous view of Florence and precious panels from the 14th and 15th centuries. Access only for pre-booked guided visits (T: 055 288496): Mon-Sat 10am, 12 noon, 3pm; Sun and holidays 10am and 12 noon. Free entry. www.museicivicifiorentini.comune.fi.it. Piazza San Giovanni, 1. T: 055 288496. Map F3
city’s civil power, and today it is still the seat of the Municipal Council of Florence. Built in 1299, over time it has undergone numerous enlargement and transformation projects. Along its labyrinthine routes are rooms and private environments sumptuously decorated by some of the most famous artists of the Florentine Renaissance, with period furnishings and exceptional masterpieces such as Judith and Holofernes by Donatello, The Genius of Victory by Michelangelo and Verrocchio’s Cherub. Open daily, from 1 April to 30 September: 9am-11pm; from 1 October to 31 March: 9am-7pm. Thursdays throughout the year: 9am-2pm: Closed on 25 December. Museum full ticket price: €10. www. museicivicifiorentini.comune.fi.it. Piazza della Signoria. T: 055 2768325. Map G4
Museo di Santa Maria Novella The complex of Santa Maria Novella includes the 13th-century Dominican Basilica and the monumental cloisters. The church contains extraordinary works such as Giotto’s Crucifix, Masaccio’s Holy Trinity, Brunelleschi’s Crucifix, the Tornabuoni Chapel by Ghirlandaio and his workshop and the Strozzi Chapel by Filippino Lippi. The cloisters present rare examples of the Florentine painting of the 14th and 15th centuries. The Ubriachi Chapel and ancient Refectory house a permanent exhibition of gold jewellery, sacred furnishings and liturgical vestments, part of the church’s ancient Treasury, plus a series of paintings. Open: Mon-Thurs 9am-7pm (from 1 April to 30 September); 9am-5.30pm (from 1 October to 31 March). Fridays throughout the year: open from 11am. Saturdays throughout the year 9am-5.30pm; Sundays and Holidays 1pm-5.30pm. Closed on 25 December. Full ticket price: €7.50.
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www.smn.it, www.museicivicifiorentini.comune.fi.it. Piazza Stazione, 4 - piazza Santa Maria Novella, 18. T: 055 219257- 055 282187.Map E3
Museo di Storia Naturale - "La Specola" Zoology Section Opened to the public in 1775, “La Specola” is one of Europe’s oldest science museums. It possesses a collection of over 3.5 million animals (5,000 exhibited to the public) and the largest collection in the world of 18th-century anatomical waxworks illustrating the entire human body in every detail (visitable by booking in advance, T: 055 2756444). Open Tues-Sun 9.30am-6.30pm (1 Oct-31 May), Tues-Sun 10.30am5.30pm (1 Jun-30 Sept). Closed on Mondays and 1 January, Easter, 1 May, 15 August, 25 December. Full ticket price €6. www.msn.unifi.it. Via Romana, 17. T: 055 2755100. Map H1
Museo Galileo Housed in the historic Palazzo Castellani, its unique collections include ancient scientific instruments datable between the 11th and 19th centuries, including all of Galileo Galilei’s original instruments. One group consists of the collection of instruments of the Medici dynasty, the other of the objects subsequently gathered together by the Grand Dukes of Lorraine. Open daily 9.30am-6pm, Tues 9.30am-1pm. Closed 1 January, 25 December. Full ticket price € 9. www.museogalileo.it. Piazza dei Giudici, 1. T: 055 265311. Map G5
Museo Giardini di Boboli Stretching out behind Pitti Palace are the marvellous Boboli Gardens. It was the Medici who were first responsible for designing their layout, creating the model of the Italian-style garden that was to
Museo dell’Opera del Duomo The Museum houses works designed and built for the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, the Bell Tower and the Baptistery: it is a unique collection, with masterpieces by Arnolfo di Cambio, Ghiberti, Donatello, Luca della Robbia, Antonio Pollaiolo, Verrocchio and Michelangelo, in addition to paintings, goldsmithery, liturgical vestments, ancient work tools, models and architectural projects. Open daily 9am-8pm. Closed: 1st Tuesday of the month, 1 January, Easter, 25 December. Single ticket for the Museum and all the monuments of the Duomo (Dome, Baptistery, Giotto’s Bell Tower): €18 (online). www.ilgrandemuseodelduomo.it. Piazza del Duomo, 9 (ticket office Piazza San Giovanni, 7). T: 055 2302885. Map G2
Museo dell’Opificio delle Pietre Dure An elegant collection of works made of semiprecious stones and multi-coloured marble and scagliola, paintings on stone and oil paintings, instruments, plus an extensive collection of stone samples. The works are displayed in chronological order from the early 17th century to the 1880s. Open Mon-Sat 8.15am-2pm. Closed on Sundays and holidays. www.opificiodellepietredure.it. Via degli Alfani, 78. T: 055 218709. Map H1
Museo di Palazzo Vecchio For over seven centuries Palazzo della Signoria, or Palazzo Vecchio, has been the symbol of the
An evening with Michelangelo Every Tuesday and Thursday in summer, the Galleria dell’Accademia in Florence extends its opening hours to 10pm, enabling you to stroll among its many masterpieces feeling cooler and more relaxed. This important museum owes its huge popularity to the presence of a number of sculptures by Michelangelo: the Prisoners, St. Matthew, but above all the famous David, an icon of Florence, the symbol of male beauty and perfection. The one on display at the Accademia is the original work, and was moved here for its protection in 1873 from Piazza della Signoria, where it was replaced by a faithful copy. Galleria dell’Accademia di Firenze. Open until 10pm, until 25 September. Via Ricasoli 58/60. www.galleriaaccademiafirenze.beniculturali.it
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EXCLUSIVE FLORENCE MAP by Where® Italia Hand-drawn with Indian ink and watercolours, using the ‘bird’s eye view’ technique. Illustrator Mario Camerini is currently working on reproducing remarkable maps of Italian cities.
Museo Stefano Bardini A connoisseur of art and an unbridled merchant in antiquities, Stefano Bardini (1836-1922) donated his private collection to Florence, where it was displayed in the Neo-Renaissance building (formerly the church and convent of San Gregorio della Pace) that housed his antiquarian gallery. There are over 2000 items there, including sculptures, paintings and objects of applied arts, from ancient art to that of the 18th century, with a major presence of works from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Among its most significant works are St. Michael the Archangel by Antonio del Pollaiolo, the Madonna of the Ropes by Donatello and Guercino’s Atlas. Open Fri-Sat-Sun-Mon 11am-5pm. Closed on 1 January, Easter, 1 May, 15 August, 25 December. Full ticket price €6. www.museicivicifiorentini.comune.fi.it. Via dei Renai, 37 (Ponte alle Grazie). T: 055 2342427. Map G6
Museo Stibbert
THE MAP CAN BE PURCHASED IN TWO FORMATS. 140X100cm or 70X100cm. €100 + courier costs
info@whereitalia.com become an example for many European courts. Populated by ancient and Renaissance statues, adorned with grottos - including the famous Buontalenti Grotto - and large fountains, such as those of Neptune and the Ocean, they are a genuine open-air museum. The terraced area includes the Rococò pavilion known as the Kaffeehaus and the Limonaia, the Lemon House. At the centre of the Rose Garden is the Palazzina del Cavaliere, which houses the Porcelain Museum (see entry). Open daily 8.15am-6.30pm (Apr-May-Sept), 8.15am4.30pm (Jan-Feb-Nov-Dec), 8.15am-9.30pm (Jun-JulAug), 8.15am-5.30pm in March, 8.15am-6.30pm in October. Closed first and last Monday of the month. Closed 1 January, 25 December. Full ticket price: €10 (1 Mar-31 Oct)/€6 (1 Nov-28 Feb). www.uffizi.it. Piazza Pitti, 1. T: 055 23885. Map E6
Museo Nazionale del Bargello This imposing building, built between the 13th and 14th centuries as the seat of the Podestà and the Council of Justice, was a lowly prison between 1574 and 1858 (the “Bargello” was the head of the Grand Duke’s Guards). The Museum conserves a highly important collection of Renaissance sculptures, with masterpieces by Donatello, Luca della Robbia, Verrocchio, Michelangelo, Cellini and Giambologna, and prestigious collections of “lesser arts” (bronzes, Majolica ware, jewellery, ivories, medals, fabrics and antique weaponry). Open daily 8.15am-1.50pm. From 9 April to 4 November 8.15am-5pm. Closed: 1st, 3rd, 5th Monday and 2nd, 4th Sunday of the month, 1 January, 1 May, 25 December. Museum full ticket price: €9. www.bargellomusei.beniculturali. it/musei/1/bargello. Via del Proconsolo, 4. T: 055 282902. Map G4 56 W H E R E F LO R E N C E I AU G U S T 2018
Museo Novecento The Museum is housed in the ancient Spedale di San Paolo (13th century), which was later the Scuole Leopoldine (18th century). Dedicated to the Italian art of the 20th century, it offers a selection of around 300 works representing that unrepeatable artistic season that saw Florence at the centre of the international cultural scene. Structured in reverse chronological (from the 1990s to the early 20th century), thematic and interdisciplinary order, the immersive museum itinerary includes multimedia workstations, sound devices and video rooms along with the works themselves. From 1 October to 31 March: open daily (except Thurs) 11am-7pm, Thurs 11am-2pm. From 1 April to 30 September: MonTues-Wed-Sat-Sun 11am-8pm, Thurs 11am-2pm, Fri 11am-11pm. Closed on 25 December. Full ticket price: €8.50. www.museonovecento.it. Piazza Santa Maria Novella, 10. T: 055 286132/055 217158. Map D3
Museo Salvatore Ferragamo This is a museum devoted to the history of the Ferragamo company, to the life of its founder, Salvatore Ferragamo, and to his creations. Every year it organises exhibitions that investigate the relationship between fashion and art. The museum is situated in Palazzo Spini Feroni (1289) – which was purchased by Ferragamo in 1938 to make it the headquarters for his company and his workshop – and in its rooms it displays masterpieces of Florentine art from the 17th and 18th centuries. Open daily 10am-7.30pm. Closed 1 January, 1 May, 15 August, 25 December. Full ticket price €6. www. ferragamo.com/museo. Palazzo Spini Feroni, Piazza Santa Trinita, 5/r. T: 055 3562-846/466. Map E4
One of the most fascinating and unusual places in Florence, it is a Neo-Gothic castle built by Frederick Stibbert (1838-1906) with exceptional collections, including weaponry, art objects and everyday items from European, Islamic and Far Eastern civilisations, particularly Japanese, portraits, but also great masterpieces by Botticelli, Crivelli, Bronzino, Suttermans and others. Eclectic taste characterises the sumptuous private apartments and the park, decorated with groves, pavilions, statues, artificial ruins and a small Egyptian temple. Open MonTues-Wed 10am-2pm; Fri-Sat-Sun 10am-6pm. Closed on Thursdays, 1 January, Easter, 1 May, 15 August, 25 December. Full ticket price €8. Visits are run every hour for accompanied, groups of 25 people. www. museostibbert.it. Via Stibbert, 26. T: 055 475520. Off Map
Orsanmichele A unique, extraordinary monument, in which civil and religious functions are combined. Built as a granary, in the mid-14th century it was consecrated for Christian worship. On the ground floor the Church houses a grandiose marble tabernacle by Orcagna. The originals of the numerous sculptures (works by famous Florentine artists from the 15th and 16th centuries) that
The bronze statue of Perseus holding the head of Medusa (Benvenuto Cellini, 1545-1554) is located at the LOGGIA DEI LANZI in PIAZZA DELLA SIGNORIA.
MUSEUMS & ATTRACTIONS adorned the niches outside on the four sides of the imposing stone cube are conserved in the museum on the first floor. On the second floor you can enjoy a fine panoramic view of Santa Maria del Fiore. Classical music concerts are held here. Church (ground floor): open daily 10am-4.50pm. Museum of Sculptures (first and second floor): open Mon (10am-4.50pm) and Sat (10am-12.30). Free entry. www.bargellomusei.beniculturali.it/musei/3/ orsanmichele. Via dell’Arte della Lana, 1. T: 055 2388606. Map F4
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Sunday 5 August: free admission to State Museums
Palazzo Medici Riccardi Four centuries of the history of art, architecture and collections in a single building, one of the most beautiful in Florence; built in the mid-15th century by Michelozzo at the wishes of the Medici, it is the prototype of Renaissance civil architecture. Its jewel is the Magi Chapel, which you enter by climbing the elegant seventeenth-century staircase. Open daily 8.30am-7pm. Closed on Wednesdays. Via Cavour, 3. T: 055 2760340. Map F2
Porcelain Museum Housed at the top of the Boboli Gardens, in the 18thcentury Palazzina del Cavaliere at the centre of the Rose Garden, are the collections of table porcelains of the ruling houses that succeeded each other at Pitti Palace, representing Italian and European production: from the Manifattura di Doccia, founded by the Ginori family, to the porcelains of Sèvres and Meissen. For address, opening and closing times, see Museo Giardini di Boboli. Map F7
Santa Maria del Fiore The monuments of the complex of Santa Maria del Fiore, the symbol in Florence throughout the world, are a single large open-air museum, a unique combination of art, faith and history located in the city’s main square, the religious, historical and artistic centre of Florence. The Duomo (Santa Maria del Fiore), Brunelleschi’s Dome, the Baptistery of Saint John, Giotto’s Bell tower (see all in "Attractions&Monuments"), together with the Crypt of Santa Reparata and the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo (see entry) are all visitable with a single ticket that can be purchased online (full price €18), with prior booking necessary for the Dome. The visiting times of the monuments are different and vary depending on the day. www. ilgrandemuseodelduomo.it. Piazza del Duomo. T: 055 2302885. Map G2-G3
Villa Bardini and Gardens The most beautiful view of Florence earned it the name “Villa Belvedere”. Today Villa Bardini, a place rich in history, art and culture, has become an exhibition centre, which, along with temporary exhibitions, also hosts the Pietro Annigoni Museum (www.museoannigoni.it), dedicated to the great realist painter, and the Roberto Capucci Museum (www.fondazionerobertocapucci.com, currently being restructured). In addition, there is also a Michelin-starred restaurant inside it, La leggenda dei Frati (see "Dining"), and surrounding it are four hectares of woodland, an Italian-style garden and a kitchen garden and orchard. Open Tues-Sun 10am-7pm. Closed on Mondays. Full ticket price €8. Bardini Gardens: open daily 8.15am-4.30pm (Nov-Feb); 8.15am-5.30pm (Mar); 8.15am-6.30pm (Apr-May, Sept-Oct); 8.15am-7.30pm (Jun-Aug). Closed first and last Monday of the month, 1 January, 1 May, 25 December. Full ticket price €10 (with Boboli Gardens and the Porcelain Museum). www.villabardini.it. Costa San Giorgio, 2 - Via dei Bardi, 1/r. T: 055 20066233. Map G6-G7
Botticelli Room, Galleria degli Uffizi
Every first Sunday of the month, more than 450 museums and archaeological sites across Italy open their doors to the public free of charge. Florence, like many other cities in the country, has joined this initiative promoted by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage by offering free admission to the museums listed below on Sunday 5 August. GALLERIE DEGLI UFFIZI www.uffizi.it • Gli Uffizi piazzale degli Uffizi, 6 • Gabinetto dei Disegni e delle Stampe via della Ninna, 5 • Palazzo Pitti Museums Porcelain Museum, Tesoro dei Granduchi Giardino di Boboli, Galleria Palatina and Royal Apartments, Museo della Moda e del Costume, Galleria d’Arte Moderna piazza Pitti, 1 MUSEI DEL BARGELLO www.bargellomusei.beniculturali.it • Museo delle Cappelle Medicee piazza di Madonna degli Aldobrandini, 6 • Museo Nazionale del Bargello via del Proconsolo, 4
• Museo di Casa Martelli via Ferdinando Zannetti, 8 • Museo di Palazzo Davanzati via Porta Rossa, 13 • Museo di Orsanmichele via Arte della Lana, 1 • Cenacolo di Andrea del Sarto a San Salvi www.polomusealetoscana.beniculturali.it via di San Salvi, 16 • Galleria dell’Accademia di Firenze www.galleriaaccademiafirenze.beniculturali.it via Ricasoli, 58-60 • Giardino della Villa di Castello www.polomusealetoscana.beniculturali.it via di Castello, 44 • MAF-Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Firenze museoarcheologiconazionaledifirenze. wordpress.com piazza S.S. Annunziata, 9 • Parco di Villa Il Ventaglio www.polomusealetoscana.beniculturali.it via Giovanni Aldini, 10/12. • Villa Medicea della Petraia www.polomusealetoscana.beniculturali.it via della Petraia, 40. • Villa Medicea di Cerreto Guidi and Museo Storico della Caccia e del Territorio www.polomusealetoscana.beniculturali.it via Ponti Medicei, 7 - Cerreto Guidi
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ESSENTIALS
The museum city Within its historic centre (declared a “UNESCO world heritage site” en bloc) Florence contains a unique concentration of historical and artistic attractions. Here is some guidance for you to enjoy it.
F
lorence’s labyrinthine plan, made up of alleyways and sidestreets, derives from its medieval origins. Yet the city’s period of maximum splendour was undoubtedly the Renaissance, of which countless masterpieces remain. With less than four hundred thousand inhabitants and covering an area of little more than a hundred square kilometres, Florence is practically impossible to tour by car, and in fact the centre is to a large extent prohibited to vehicle traffic. We suggest, if possible, that you tour it on foot, to best enjoy its beauties, but you can also count on quite an efficient public transport network (which, however, is severely limited during the nighttime hours, so take care after midnight). Taxis and bikes can reach all the strategic points, whereas private cars are usually only 58 W H E R E F LO R E N C E I AU G U S T 2018
allowed into the centre to load and unload your luggage at your hotel (but always ask your concierge, also so you can receive indications of where the car parks are located in the centre). To find your way around the city, it is a good idea to keep well in mind that Florence is developed along the two banks of the River Arno. All the roads that run alongside the river, on both sides, are called “Lungarno” and it is only the second part of the name that changes. Lungarno degli Archibugieri, for example, is right in the centre: it is there that the Vasari Corridor passes and the Uffizi looks out over it. The whole area on the other side of the river, to the south, is called “Oltrarno” by the Florentines. It was originally outside the historic centre, but today it contains important attractions, such as Pitti Palace, the Boboli
Gardens and Borgo Santo Spirito, the city’s most bohemian neighbourhood. For decades the Florentine naming system has had a peculiarity that is gradually disappearing, but some traces of it can still be found: the civic numbers, in fact, were divided between “black”, which denoted he residences, and “red”, for businesses. Some red numbers still remain, so bear that in mind. Finally, some suggestion for improving your visit. The Tuscan regional capital is one of the cities with the highest tourist density on the entire planet: wherever you wish to visit, book in advance (or have them book for you at your hotel). You should also bear in mind that the serious overcrowding takes place around mid-morning, so if you are an early bird then that could give you a significant advantage. (E.B.)
FOR MORE LISTINGS VISIT FLORENCE.WHEREITALIA.COM
Emergency AMBULANCE – T: 118 POLICE – T: 055 3285 FIRE SERVICE – T: 115
European Emergency Number – T: 112 (available at the end of 2018) 112 is the unique European Emergency Number created to provide all European citizens with a single number: Ambulance (118), Fire Service (115), Police (113). Operators will also answer calls in English, French or German. If the caller does not know where he or she is, the operator will identify where the person making the call is physically located and will pass this information to the emergency services. OPEN PHARMACIES Farmacia Comunale 13
(inside S. M. Novella Station. T: 055 216761) open daily 24/24; Farmacia all’Insegna del Moro (Piazza San Giovanni, 20/R. T: 055 211343) open daily 8am-midnight. www.farmaciediturno.net PASSPORTS Questura di Firenze, Via Zara, 2.
T: 055 49771.
Taxi In Italy taxis cannot be flagged down as they pass you along the street; they are stationed at special taxi parking stands in most of the major squares in any city or town and at the airport and can be requested by phone. TAXI FIRENZE 4242.IT T: 055 4242 - www.4242.it TAXI FIRENZE 4390 T: 055 4390 - www.4390.it
www.apptaxi.it/firenze: available for iOS and Android, it has more than 4045 licensed taxi drivers. Fixed taxi fares to airports From Amerigo Vespucci Airport to Florence (city centre): €22 (plus baggage supplements and extra fee for night or holiday travel). From Florence (city centre) to Pisa: €140 / Bologna: €180 / Rome Fiumicino: €550 / Milan Linate: €550 / Milan Malpensa: €650 Fixed taxi fares to some destinations in Tuscany Pisa: €150 / Montecatini Terme: €90 / Siena: €120 / Livorno: €160 / Forte dei Marmi: €180 / Arezzo: €140 / Lucca: €140 / Empoli: €55 / Pistoia: €65 / San Gimignano: €100 / Volterra: €150 / Piombino: €300. Fixed taxi fares to main Shopping Outlets The Mall: €65 / Barberino Designer Outlet McArthurGlen: €65
Trains The most important railway station is Santa Maria Novella (SMN), in the central Piazza della Stazione, and regional, interregional, high-speed and international trains arrive at and depart from there. Florence offers fast-track access to major cities across Italy thanks to its high-speed trains: • Bologna: 35 min • Rome: 1 hour 20 min • Milan: 1 h 40 min • Venice: 2 hours 5 min • Naples: 2 hours 52 min • Turin: 2 hours 55 min TRENITALIA Railway Company - Info T: 892021. www.
trenitalia.com. WHERE TIP Train+bike is a viable formula for sustainable mobility. It is possible to put your bikes on Trenitalia regional trains.
ITALO - Info T: 060708. Italo Assistance T: 892020.
www.italotreno.it. WHERE TIP For travellers with Italo departing from Florence or arriving in
PUBLIC TRANSPORT MAP © ATAF Florence, it is possible to travel on all the means of transport (both trams and buses) with no added cost by taking advantage of your train ticket for 24 hours from the time of arrival and 24 hours before departure to visit the city using public transport on the network served by Ataf means of transport and the T1 tramway.
Airports AEROPORTO DI FIRENZE PERETOLA “AMERIGO VESPUCCI” (FLR) - (4 km from the centre of Florence). The airport, to the North-West of Florence, lies between the “Firenze Nord” exit from the freeway and Florence’s industrial area near Prato. Call centre T: 055 30615. www.aeroporto.firenze.it • Connections to the airport VolaInBus Shuttle Service (www.fsbusitalia.it) from S.M. Novella Station (Piazza della Stazione). Every 30 min, travel time approx. 30’ (5am-8pm) and approx. 1 h (10pm-midnight). Tickets can be purchased on board, at the BusItalia-Sita Nord ticket office near the S.M. Novella Station (Via S. Caterina da Siena) or at ATAF ticket offices (www. ataf.net). One-way ticket: €6 - round trip ticket: €10. WHERE TIP A new line Tramway 2, connecting the airport with S.M. Novella Station, is activated in June 2018. AEROPORTO DI PISA “GALILEO GALILEI” (PSA) - (80 km from the centre of Florence). Call centre T: 050 849300. www.pisa-airport.com • Connections to Florence-S.M. Novella Station and Aeroporto di Firenze Peretola Shuttle Services: 1) Terravision – One-way ticket: €4.99 - round trip ticket: €9.98. Every 30 or 60 min, travel time approx. 70’ (9am-midnight) and approx. 1 h (10pm-midnight). www.terravision.eu 2) Autostradale – T: 02 30089000. One-way ticket: €7.50 - round trip ticket: €13.50. Every 30 or 60 min, travel time approx. 70’ (9am-midnight) and approx. 1 h (10pm-midnight). www.autostradale.it
Getting around Florence ATAF - Azienda Trasporti dell’area Fiorentina/ Local Public Transport Company - www.ataf.net Infoline daily 6am-9pm. Green Line (Toll Free Number) T: 800 424500; from mobile (Toll Number): T: 199 104245. ATAF Point-Customer Care Railway Station Firenze S.M. Novella – Offices no. 8 and no. 9. Open Mon-Sat 6.45am-8pm. Lost and Found on ATAF vehicles: Mon-Wed-Fri 9am-12.30pm; Tues-Thurs 2.30pm-4pm. Via Veracini, 5 (int. 5). T: 055 334802. Purchase your ticket before you get on the bus or the tram: the ticket must be validated using the machines on the bus. Ordinary ticket (€1.20) valid for 90 minutes. Can be used on buses, trams or trains. Ticket 2x90’ (€2.40). Ticket 4x90’ (€4.70). 90 minutes onboard ticket (€2, no change given). Daily ticket: 24-hour ticket (€5). 3-day ticket (€12). 7-day ticket (€18). Daily Family: one-day ticket for one family of 4 (€6). Nottetempo Ticket: one-day ticket from 10pm to 3am (€4, by phoning T: 055 5650555). The T1 Tram connects S.M. Novella Station in Florence to Scandicci (www.gestramvia.com) Electric buses move around the historic centre and also reach the pedestrian areas. There are four lines: C1-C2-C3-D. WHERE TIP Route C1 is convenient for visiting the most important museums in Florence. The entire historic centre of Florence (which is approximately the part located within the 19thcentury ring-roads or viali, which is a protected UNESCO heritage site) is a “Zona a Traffico Limitato” (ZTL), or restricted traffic zone. Bicycles, electric vehicles, motorcycles and scooters are allowed to enter. WHERE TIP Access is granted, at any time, to visitors who need to reach a hotel where they have a booking in their car.
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ESSENTIALS
Tourist Information INFOPOINT FIRENZE TURISMO www.firenzeturismo.it 1. Train Station Infopoint > Piazza della Stazione, 4. T: 055 212245. Open Mon-Sat 9am-7pm; Sun and holidays 9am-2pm. Multilingual tourist information and sales point for Firenzecard. 2. Tourist Information Office > Via C. Cavour, 1/R. T: 055 290832. Open Mon-Fri 9am-1pm. Free brochures and complaints service. Sales point for Firenzecard. 3. Bigallo Infopoint > Piazza San Giovanni, 1. T: 055 288496. Open Mon-Sat 9am-7pm; Sun and holidays 9am-2pm. Quick information service. 4. Airport Infopoint > Piazza San Giovanni, 1. T: 055 315874. Open daily 9am-7pm. TOURIST CONTACT CENTRE – T: 055 000 Info about services for tourists, exhibitions, events, opening times of museums, how to move around the city. Available daily 9am-7pm in Italian, English, French, German and Spanish. Via email (touristinfo@comune.fi.it) you can ask for information in any language, including Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese, Russian and Arabic (answers within 24 hours). TOURIST CARDS Firenzecard is a special tourist card valid for 72 hours providing you with admission to 72 museums, villas and historical gardens in Florence
and the surrounding areas. It costs €72 and provides priority access to museums. Firenzecard+ is the Plus version: you can travel by all the city’s buses for 3 days and you have access to many commercial partners with discounts and
UNIQUE | FAST TRAINS NETWORK FROM FLORENCE
offers. It costs just €5, but you can only buy it if you have the Firenze Card. www.firenzecard.it.
Special Tours CITY SIGHTSEEING® FIRENZE HOP ON HOP OFF
Hallmark red double-decker bus. 7 days a week, all year round. You can join the tour from any stop. Tickets on board, in hotels and from authorised agencies or on the Internet. Wi-fi on board. “Sightseeing Experience” Free App. 24-hour ticket > Prices: Adults €23 - reduced €12 – family €70. 48-hour ticket > Prices: Adults €28 - reduced €14 – family 84€. 72-hour ticket > Prices: Adults €33 - reduced €17. The public transport ticket is included in your ticket. 2 lines, over 40 stops. Commentary in 8 languages. Main departures > A Line: S.M. Novella Station. B Line: Piazzale Michelangelo. Combo tickets for top Florence attractions can be purchased at special prices. www.city-sightseeing.it/it/firenze SEGWAY - The trendiest, most environmentally
friendly way to visit the city. Rental fare: 1 hour: €19. www.segwayfirenze.it LOOKALS - The new platform where travellers
can choose from the best selection of tours and activities in Italy created by locals and tour guides, who can promote and sell their own itineraries, getting in touch with thousands of travellers from all over the world. www.lookals.com.
Bike Sharing MOBIKE – This ’free floating’ bike-sharing system allows you to book a bike via the free Mobike App (App Store or Google Play), identify the position of the bike nearest to you and then leave it in any authorised parking area in the city or in a bike rack. Cost: €1 deposit, and €0.30 for every 30 minutes. For more information, visit www.mobike.com Useful information about cycling maps on www.becycle.comune.fi.it.
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Museo dell'Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore
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Battistero di San Giovanni
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VIA DE’ CO NTI
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Museo Archeologico
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Museo Leonardo da Vinci
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Mugello 30km
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Galleria dell’Accademia
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