Florence.
Florence can also be discovered away from the well-known tourist paths. Insider tips for your vacation in the Italian city.
Florence is considered the cradle of the Renaissance. Walking around the city feels a bit like visiting a museum. Magnificent buildings wherever you look – above all the mighty cathedral. If you are planning a trip to Florence, you have to be prepared for mass tourism, the city is heavily frequented in every season.
Away from the well-known routes, however, there are many less well-known ones Sightseeing features and attractions that you should get to know. We invite you on a journey of discovery.
Sights in Florence: Green oasis with a view of the old town
The rose Garden just below Piazzale Michelangelo is a real balcony overlooking the old town. It is a place of extraordinary beauty, ideal for a romantic walk and pleasant moments of relaxation in a green oasis. The garden houses a collection of roses – about 400 varieties – as well as lemon trees and other plants, about 1200 in all.
It was built in 1865 when the Italian capital moved from Turin to Florence. The rose garden was inspired by French models and impresses with a natural and idyllic ambience with a rational structure at the same time. In recent years he has been through some works of art enriched, including ten bronze sculptures and two plaster statues by the Belgian artist Jean-Michel Folon.
Trip to Florence: home of Italy’s national poet
What Dante Alighieri (1265-1321) is to the German-speaking world is to the Italians. A name associated worldwide with his most famous work, The Divine Comedy, one of the most seminal works of literature in history. Born in Florence Dante Alighieri is also the founder of the Italian language.
In the heart of medieval Florence stood the houses of the 13th century Alighieri family. At the beginning of the 20th century, after thorough studies, the city of Florence had the reconstructed house where Dante was born rebuilt on the spot where it is traditionally believed that Dante was born.
Here in birthplace Dantes is where the museum is located. The most important moments in the poet’s life are presented on three floors. Since June 2020, the museum offers an interactive experience of the life and work of the poet prince, thanks to a brand new technological and multimedia facility.
Vacation in Florence: The English Cemetery
The English Cemetery is located in the center of Piazzale Donatello. A small island of peace amidst the city’s traffic chaos, it owes its name to the numerous figures of Anglo-Saxon culture who are buried here. The tombs do not have a regular arrangement like in Catholic cemeteries and therefore give the overall picture of the place a poetic and romantic atmosphere.
The current design of the cemetery dates back to the plan by the architect Giuseppe Poggi for the capital city of Florence in 1870, when the city walls were demolished and Piazzale Donatello was created. The Friedhof was closed in 1877 when the new town planning regulations stipulated that burial sites had to be at least 100 meters away from settlement areas. Since then, this place has preserved the memory of the English community, which was particularly cosmopolitan in the 19th century.
A must-do in Florence: opera arias in the church of Santa Monaca
No trip to Italy without opera music! Enjoy an evening of famous Italian opera arias in the spectacular setting of the Santa Monaca church from the 15th century. Let yourself be seduced by the voices of the singers and the incredible acoustics of this unique church in the historic center.
Here are the most beautiful opera arias Italian tradition staged, from La Traviata, Tosca to La Boheme and Madame Butterfly. Several songs of the regional folk tradition of Florence and Naples will also be performed. After the concert you have time for a cozy dinner in one of the surrounding trattorias or you can end the evening in a typical bar.
Eating out in Florence: A foodie’s paradise
A gourmet attraction is the Mercato Centrale, the city’s largest food market. In the historic market hall from the 19th century, you can embark on a culinary journey through the whole of Italy in the morning. The construction of the market hall made of iron and glass alone is worth seeing.
A hundred dealers are on site. In addition to fruit, vegetables, pasta, olive oil, wine, fish and meat, there are also plenty of other local Tuscan specialties on offer. And if you are looking for culinary souvenirs, you will definitely find them here. The Mercato is also a good one Tip for eating out. You can eat well and not expensively at stalls and in small restaurants until midnight.
Oldest pharmacy in Europe: monastery pharmacy in Florence
Santa Maria Novella stands not only for one of the most magnificent churches in Florence, but also for one of the oldest pharmacies. With its vaulted ceilings, it was furnished by Dominican monks in 1221. This means that it can call itself the oldest pharmacy in Europe.
Tinctures were mixed in Florence as early as the 13th century and the products of this tradition are in great demand today. With its wood paneling and magnificent vaulted ceilings full of frescoes, the former appears monastery pharmacy like a treasury. All the showcases and shelves with essences in precious flacons and ceramic jars are extremely impressive. On offer are perfumes made from ancient recipes, beautifully packaged soaps and colorful bags of pastilles.
Leather capital Florence: The museum of the shoe designer Salvatore Ferragamo
Florence is known for its shoe artisans and the leather goods tradition known. The flagship of Florentine shoe creations is the designer Salvatore Ferragamo. He designed and produced shoes for Hollywood stars. Florence was his adopted home.
The Ferragamo Museum shows the most important creations of the celebrated shoe designer and tells the eventful story that took Ferragamo from his village near Avellino to Naples, then on to the USA and back to Italy, to his adopted home of Florence. His work was inspired by the numerous fairy tales and fables in which shoes and shoemakers become great protagonists.
Subdued lights and soft music accompany the museum visit. The shoe collection underlines the technical and artistic skills of the designer who, through his captivating choice of colours, his imaginative models and his experiments with materials, has made a fundamental contribution to the development of the internationally famous Italian shoe production.
Italy: The legendary cafes of Florence
They are full of fascinating stories about the intellectual regulars of the past: the literary ones Cafes of Florence are witnesses of a bygone time. The city’s four famous historic cafes are Giubbe Rosse, Gilli, Paszkowski and Rivoire.
Surrounded by style and elegance, in the atmosphere of time standing still, you can relax here after visiting the museum. “Giubbe Rosse” (Red Vests), is the youngest of the four cafes, and probably the most modern in style and interior.
The Cafe, originally called “Reininghaus”, started out as an ordinary pub run by two Germans. The characteristic thing was the red waistcoats of the waiters in the “Viennese cut” of the time. Later, when the cafe was taken over by a new owner, the waiters stayed true to their red vests. These also inspired the new owners to name the restaurant.
Hidden Gardens in Florence: Ice Pyramid in the Park of the Cascine
Cascine Park covers an area of around 160 hectares on the right bank of the Arno River. He is the greatest public Green area in Florence, originally used by the Tuscan ruling family De’ Medici as a hunting ground, for cattle breeding and as a place for dairies. Under Elisa Baciocchi, governor of Tuscany and Napoleon’s sister, the site became a public park.
In the 19th century, numerous expansion works were carried out. In the middle of the park there is a construction in the form of a pyramid. This is an ice cellar. Within its thick walls ice was stored during the summer months so that two could be made sweets, of which the Florentines were extremely taken. The park has always been very popular. A particularly windy autumn day in Cascine Park in 1819 is said to have inspired Shelley’s “Ode to the West Wind”.
Florentine tradition: the Pagliai silversmith’s trade
There are still many in Florence Handymanwho practice generations old professions. Hats, belts, keys, mugs, rugs, spoons, shoes and stockings were traditionally made in each district of Florence. Each artisan had a specific role in Florentine society.
To the attractions in the city center is the “Argentiere Pagliai” in the Borgo San Jacopo district, where Paolo Pagliai runs his third-generation family-owned silversmith shop. In this silver engraving workshop, the silversmith and restorer creates unique pieces in a room that reflects the charm of a bygone world.
The store is a point of reference for antiquarians and collectors throughout Italy, since the craftsman’s undeniable skill in metalworking and restoration makes Pagliai one of the best of its kind.
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