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Cradle of the Renaissance, romantic, enchanting and utterly irresistible, Florence (Firenze) is a place to feast on world-class art and gourmet Tuscan cuisine.
Florence is
situated in the northwest of Italy,
surrounded by the wine-growing hills of Chianti.
Its classical Renaissance beauty has made it a firm favourite with travellers
to Italy. The resulting traffic, tourists and touts can make the city seem far
from tranquil at times; however its overriding beauty still wins through.
It is
Tuscany’s principal city nestling below the wooded hills of the Apennines,
along the banks of the Arno River. The works of Botticelli, Michelangelo,
Bruneschelli, Leonardo de Vinci, Boccaccio, Alberti, Masaccio, Donatello,
Vasari and Fra Angelico enrich the city making it a draw for all art lovers.
Florence’s heart, the place where everyone congregates, is the Piazza de Duomo
and the Piazza della Signoria. The latter is dominated by statues commemorating
major historical events of the city's life and the magnificent Palazzo Vecchio
still performs its original role as Florence's town hall. Adjacent is Uffizi, the
oldest gallery in the world with a collection of the greatest works of the
Renaissance commissioned largely by the Medici family. But the focus of the
city is still Michelangelo’s David.
The climate
in Florence is subtropical and humid. Its summers are hot and muggy with
temperatures higher than those along the coast. The winter brings rain and
cooler temperatures with occasional snow.
The average
temperatures are:
|
°C |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
|
Day |
9 |
11 |
14 |
18 |
23 |
26 |
30 |
30 |
26 |
20 |
14 |
10 |
|
Night |
1 |
2 |
5 |
7 |
11 |
14 |
17 |
17 |
14 |
10 |
6 |
2 |
Most people
come to Florence for the art, history and architecture. But should the
temptation to shop hit you, you will find plenty of opportunities to exercise
your plastic. As with many other Italian cities, Florence is not short of a
designer or two. The best places for designers such as Max Mara, Yves Saint
Laurent and Gucci are via de Tournabuoni, via Porta Rossa and via Roma.
Piazza
Repubblica and surrounding streets are where you’ll find affordable high street
shops such as Zara and Benetton plus other interesting boutiques. But if you
are after a bargain and don’t mind travelling, 25km north of the city in Barberino
is the McArthur Glen Designer Outlet centre.
The city of
Florence has many historic shops and cafés that date back to the mid 19th
century. You can get a guide and map to these from the tourist information
office at Borgo Santa Croce.
Of course,
no city would be complete without its markets, and Florence is no exception. A
must is the 19th century covered Mercato Centrale (via
dell’Ariento). Others include the flea market, Mercato Nuovo (loggia mercato
nuovo), Mercato delle Pulci (Piazza dei Ciompi) for antiques and second-hand
items and Mercato di Sant’Ambrogio (Piazza Ghiberti) which is great for food.
All open from Monday to Saturday.
There is a
huge amount going in Florence’s theatres, music venues and clubs. The best way
to keep up to date with what’s on where is through the tourist information
centre in Via Cavour 1.
Music is a
big part of Florentine life. Below are a few of the more well known venues with
details of what you may find:
Theatre is
also a popular pastime with the main venues being Teatro Verdi and Teatro della
Pergola. If you are a sport lover you will also be spoilt for choice in
Florence. If you are into football you can see Fiorentina play at the Stadio
Artemio Franchi, for horse riding try Maneggio Marinella (via di Macia) and for
golf, Circolo Golf Ugolino (via Chiantigana, Grassina).
Although
Florence isn’t renowned for its club scene it does have a choice of venues for
you to choose from:
February
March
May
June
July
August
September
November
Florence is
ideally located for excursions into Tuscany and beyond. Your hotel will be able
to provide you with details of possible excursions but below is just a
selection to get you started.
The tap
water is safe to drink in Florence.
Healthcare
is excellent but expensive. There is a reciprocal health agreement with certain
EU states which means dental and medical costs can be received at a reduced
rate upon presentation of a valid EHIC (European Health Insurance Card).
However medical insurance is still vital.
Although on
the whole Florence is a safe city incidents of petty theft and pick pocketing
do occur. Therefore you are advised to take the usual precautions with your
valuables especially in crowded areas.