It's Florence Time

Do you have just a few hours to visit Florence? Often you may find yourself passing through the Tuscan capital, maybe heading for other destinations, on a work trip or for a last-minute weekend. You’re lucky because the city is not huge, the main attractions are all located close to one another and you can visit most of the centre on foot. Here are some ideas so you don’t miss out on the main museums, monuments and culinary specialities, in three personalised itineraries depending on the time you have available.

ONE DAY IN FLORENCE

It must be said, twelve hours are not a long time to visit all the wonders of Florence, but with our suggestions and lots of good will, you should succeed in fitting everything in. An ideal itinerary starts from your hotel, supposing that you can set off early in the morning after breakfast, rested and raring to go. As a starting point we must of course indicate Piazza Duomo, a series of Renaissance architectural works that is unique in the world, which we recommend you admire from outside. The cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, with Brunelleschi’s dome, is one of the greatest and most beautiful cathedrals in Europe. Beside the façade, Giotto’s bell tower, another symbol of the city, 84 metres high and entirely covered in multicoloured marbles, is decorated with numerous sculptures and tiles. Opposite the Cathedral is the ancient Baptistery of St. John, dedicated to the patron saint of the city, which was the investiture site of knights and poets. Three bronze doors tell the story of humanity and the redemption almost like a huge illustrated Bible. One of them, known as the Door of Paradise, in gilded bronze, is the masterpiece of goldsmith and sculptor Lorenzo Ghiberti. By this point the whole morning will have flown by. For lunch you have no time to sit and eat, but you’re lucky, because a few yards from here is All’Antico Vinaio, where you can order a delicious schiacciata, filled with cold cuts and other Tuscan products, and eat it as you walk along (www. allanticovinaio.com). Returning to Piazza Duomo, go along the bustling Via dei Calzaiuoli to emerge in Piazza della Signoria, which was the historical and political heart of Florence. Here stands the majestic Palazzo Vecchio, a museum and the city hall of the Municipality of Florence. You obviously won’t have time to visit it, but, by crossing the threshold of the inner courtyard, you can have an idea of the majesty of the place.

Connected to Palazzo Vecchio is the immense building of the Uffizi, which hosts one of the most important museums in the world, with works by Cimabue, Giotto, Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, to mention just a few. A visit would take quite a lot time, but you can head outside the entrance, towards the Loggia dei Lanzi, and “satisfy yourself” by admiring some statues from the Roman Age and some 16th-century masterpieces such as Perseus by Benvenuto Cellini, the Rape of the Sabine Women and Hercules and the Centaur Nessus by Giambologna. We now advise you to continue on foot towards the Ponte Vecchio, another symbol of the city, which crosses the Arno and connects the two banks, and which for more than 500 years has hosted goldsmiths’ shops and workshops. After crossing the bridge - and maybe stopping to buy one of the hand-crafted creations by the master goldsmiths - you find yourself in the part of the city that Florentines call Oltrarno (literally beyond the River Arno), the most genuine and authentic part. Go along Via dei Guicciardini and you will find yourself directly in Piazza dei Pitti, opposite Palazzo Pitti. It houses numerous museums, which it would be impractical to visit in just a few hours, but if you wish to find some shelter from the summer heat, you can allow yourself half an hour in the Boboli Gardens, the park of the Palazzo, which you can enter with a separate ticket (www.uffizi.it/palazzo-pitti). If you prefer shopping, you’re in the right place, because in this part of the city you will find hundreds of genuine artisan shops where you can buy the perfect souvenir. At this point it should be almost time for an aperitif: treat yourself to a spritz in one of the open-air bars of the nearby Piazza Santo Spirito, the heart of the Florentine movida, where you can breathe the exciting and authentic atmosphere of the neighbourhood. Unfortunately your brief yet intense day in Florence ends here, so, with your eyes filled with wonder, you can head towards your next destination.

36 HOURS IN FLORENCE

So you have almost two days and one night to visit Florence. That isn’t very much, but you can optimise your time. Let us suppose that your entry gate to Florence is Santa Maria Novella Station (after all, even if you arrive by plane, the shuttle from the airport drops you there). The first unmissable Florentine monument is right in front of you: the monumental complex of the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella, a Renaissance masterpiece, with its splendid stained-glass windows, crucifixes by Brunelleschi and Giotto and the monumental cloisters of the adjacent convent. Obviously you will have purchased your ticket online in advance, to have priority access and avoid the queues (www.smn.it). Then head towards Piazza Duomo. The Complex of the Duomo of Florence includes the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore with Brunelleschi’s Dome and the excavations of Santa Reparata, Giotto’s Bell tower, the Baptistery of St. John and the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo. With just one integrated ticket - bought in advance - you can access all the monuments. Brunelleschi’s dome must be booked in advance, but beware: you have to climb 463 steps on foot as there is no lift, so this visit is not recommended for those with heart problems, vertigo or claustrophobia (www.ilgrandemuseodelduomo.it).

At this point, since by now it is probably lunch time, you will be starting to feel hungry. You can go along Via Ricasoli, pass Piazza San Lorenzo, dominated by the basilica of the same name, and continue along Via del Canto de’ Nelli. You find yourself facing the magnificent example of iron and glass architecture that contains the Mercato Centrale, a real institution for lovers of good food, where it is possible to taste Sicilian specialities, vegan dishes, Chianina burgers, sushi, fresh pasta, dishes from the Tuscan tradition, meat, pizza, artisan ice-cream, all under the same roof (www. mercatocentrale.it). A few yards from here, returning to Via Ricasoli, you absolutely must visit the Accademia Gallery, which holds the largest number of sculptures by Michelangelo in the world, including the David, which was moved there because its original position in Piazza della Signoria exposed it to too much risk (www.galleriaaccademiafirenze. beniculturali.it). For today you have seen enough museums and you can therefore devote your time to some more frivolous activities, such as shopping. I recommend that you take a lovely walk of around one and a half kilometres along the narrow streets of the historic centre of Florence, crossing the Ponte Vecchio. Once you have reached the left bank of the Arno, you can do some shopping in the neighbourhood of Santo Spirito. Here, with all the made-to-measure footwear, prints and hand-crafted paper objects, straw hats and bags and leather accessories, you will be spoiled for choice. If you prefer the designer labels, then remain on the right bank and drop by the Rinascente, in Piazza della Repubblica, a luxury concept store where you will find all the major fashion, beauty and design houses, both Italian and not, under the same roof (www.rinascente.it). Towards sunset, without straying too far from Piazza della Repubblica, treat yourself to an aperitif on the terrace of the Hotel Continental, from where you can enjoy a breathtaking panoramic view of the city (remember, however, that if you are not guests at the hotel, then booking is compulsory) (www.lungarnocollection.com). Finally, for dinner, what could be better than a typical Florentine trattoria? Cammillo is a historic restaurant not far from the Ponte Vecchio that offers practically all the main recipes of the regional cuisine: from crostini coi fegatelli to ribollita, to tripe, to bistecca alla fiorentina. To finish the day in style, if you still have room for a good artisan ice-cream, the Gelateria della Passera awaits you not far from the restaurant; it is located in the delightful little square of the same name (gelaterialapassera.wordpress. com). I would say that, after this tiring day filled with all kinds of thrills, now is the moment to return to your hotel and rest, also because tomorrow will be another long day. Your second day in Florence must inevitably start with a pleasant breakfast. Even if you have already eaten at your hotel, I recommend that you have a second break at the historic Caffè Rivoire, in Piazza della Signoria, a former chocolate factory that has conserved its 19th-century wooden furnishings, where you can taste hand-made patisserie products, obviously accompanied by the inevitable cappuccino (www.rivoire.it).

Now it only remains for you to cross the piazza and enter the Uffizi Museum, for which you will of course have bought your tickets in advance, and which will take you a few hours to visit (www.uffizifirenze.it). On leaving, you can conclude your trip to the Tuscan capital in style by tasting one last typical dish: lampredotto, one of the four stomachs of a cow. Not far from the Uffizi, at the stall L’Antico trippaio, they will prepare a traditional panino with lampredotto for you, accompanied by a green garlic sauce and the indispensable glass of Chianti (www.lanticotrippaio.com). Whether it is a farewell or an au revoir, there is no better way of saying goodbye to Florence.

FORTY-EIGHT HOURS IN FLORENCE

So you have around three days and two nights to visit Florence. Cathedral Complex? Done! Uffizi? Done! The statue of David? Seen! Lampredotto? Eaten! Well relax, there are still quite a few things to do, to see and... to taste. For example, you must not miss the Basilica of Santa Croce, located in the piazza of the same name, one of the greatest creations of Gothic in Italy. In addition to frescos and extraordinary works of art by Giotto or Cimabue, the basilica holds the tombs of illustrious personalities, including, to mention just some, Ugo Foscolo, Michelangelo and Galileo (www. santacroceopera.it). Remaining on the theme of religious architecture, another unmissable monument is the Abbey of San Miniato al Monte. It is on the hill above the left bank of the city, and can be reached by public transport, or, if you feel fit, from the neighbourhood of San Niccolò, by walking along the pleasant Via di Monte alle Croci. While you climb up towards San Miniato you can also make a (very perfumed) stop at the Rose Garden, which contains around 400 varieties of this flower. Once you have reached the top of the hill, you will find before you one of the masterpieces of Florentine architecture: the exterior of the church is in Romanesque style, dating back to the 11th century, decorated with green and white marble forming geometrical designs, while a 12th-century mosaic decorates the central part of the façade. From the square of the church you can enjoy an incomparable view of Florence (www. sanminiatoalmonte.it). If you have a bit more time at your disposal, we also recommend an extensive visit to Palazzo Vecchio: built between the end of the 13th and the beginning of the 14th century to contain the city’s supreme body of government, over time it has been the object of numerous expansion projects. Today it is the seat the Mayor of Florence and various municipal offices and is also a museum where works by Michelangelo Buonarroti, Donatello and Verrocchio are exhibited (www.museicivicifiorentini.comune. fi.it).

If you are foodies and you like the most authentic local markets, the district of Sant’Ambrogio is precisely what you are looking for. It is the beating heart of Florence, which still maintains its characteristics of the past, and its core is the market of Sant’Ambrogio, where you can buy fruit, vegetable, desserts, honey, cheeses, meat, bread, fish or, alternatively, take a seat at a table and taste the local specialities cooked promptly for you (www. mercatosantambrogio.it). At the end of another intense day of urban exploration, you can chill out in the 14 th -century former convent of the Oblate Sisters, a few yards from the Duomo, now the Municipal Library, which contains a delightful cafeteria, the main plus point of which is undoubtedly the view of Brunelleschi’s dome from an unusual perspective.

BY CHIARA ZACCARELLI