Florence

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Introduction

Across the Arno to Florence rowing club

© judesbucketlist

Florence is the capital of the region Tuscany in Italy and considered one of the most beautiful cities in the country. Famous for its art and architecture, this city of 400,000 inhabitants is viewed as the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance, home to such famous Florentines as Leonardo Da Vinci, Michaelangelo and Machiavelli. Steeped in ancient history, it's little surprise that the historic centre of Florence was declared a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1982. The famous Duomo (Cathedral) is an icon of the Florence skyline and a great place to get a magnificent view over the city. Other well-known sites include the Santo Spirito church, Giotto's Bell Tower and Ponte Vecchio.

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Sights and Activities

The city of Florence itself is an amazing sight. Just looking at and wandering around the stone buildings and narrow streets makes one wonder about the old days. But the problem is Florence has so many sights that unless you intend to spend a month there it will be difficult to see everything. Therefore this section has been broken into "Must See" and "Other Sights and Activities." And even then this is only a fraction of the sights you can see in Florence. Some of the sights are described in more detail.

The David

Statue of David

© rshotwell

The statue of David is one of the master-pieces by Italian artist Michelangelo. It depicts David before the fight with Golliath, which was very uncommon, as around that time David was always depicted after the fight. The statue is made out of white marble. Work of the statue has begun in 1464, but several artists failed to complete the statue. It was young Michelangelo, he was 26, who convinced the commissioners that he could complete the statue of David. in 1501 he started where the others had left it, which was basically some rude shapes, and some worked out details of the feet. He would work on the sculpture for 2 years, before it was finished. The statue was unveiled at the 8th of September 1504 and placed outside of the Palazzo della Signoria. At the place of this original sight, now stands a copy, while the original is located at the Galleria dell' Accademia. It is recommended to reserve tickets (especially during holidays) if you want to avoid a long queue. Although at the Galleria dell' Accademia the David is the only thing worth seeing, if you go about 30 minutes before closing there will be no line on most days.

Ponte Vecchio

Ponte Vecchio

© maridod

The Ponte Vecchio ("Old Bridge") is a bridge that crosses Arno River which is covered with little high end jewelry shops, art dealers and souvenir sellers, and a famous meeting place for lovers. The bridge is a Medieval stone closed-spandrel segmental arch bridge and originally, butchers occupied the shops. The Ponte Vecchio's two neighbouring bridges are the Ponte Santa Trinità and the Ponte alle Grazie. The bridge spans the Arno river at its narrowest point and consists of three segmental arches: the main arch has a span of 30 metres and the two side arches each span 27 metres. No one knows why, but the Nazis did not destroy the Ponte Vecchio in World War II, even though they did destroy all the other bridges in Florence. Instead the Nazis blew up everything around the bridge so it could not be crossed.
For more information on famous bridges around the world read the article: Famous Bridges.

Must See

• Duomo Cathedral - Duomo Cathedral is the main cathedral in the city with a nice a view from the top. Vasari's paintings inside the Cupola are a later addition - Brunelleschi's intention was simplicity.
• Medici Chapels - Medici Chapels - do not miss the tombs designed by Michelangelo.
• San Lorenzo - San Lorenzo is a stunning church with some nice private chapels.
• Santa Croce - Santa Croce is a church that has the tombs of some of the most famous people from history buried in it. The perfectly proportioned Pazzi Chapel there, is a prime example of the work of Brunelleschi. Don't miss Giotto's fresco of The Life of Christ.
• Uffizi Gallery - Uffizi Gallery hosts some of the most famous renaissance art work in the world.
• Vasari Corridor - The Vasari Corridor takes you across the Ponte Vecchio, and is packed with artworks. Connects the Uffizi with the Pitti Palace.
• Vecchio - Vecchio was the original government building during the Florence Republic.
• Convento San Marco - Convento San Marco - along with beautiful cloisters, each of the 'cells' contains a fresco by Fra Angelico depicting the life of Christ.

Other Sights And Activities

• Pitti Palace - Pitti Palace is a nice palace but houses lots of left over portraits from the 19th century.
• San Michelangiolo is a church on top of the hill over looking Florence. Every evening at 4:00pm the monks come out and sing.
• Strozzi Palace is a nice traditional Italian palace.
• Rucellai Palace is another traditional Italian palace.
• Piazza di Michelangelo overlooking the city is where the firework display for San Giovanni (24th June) takes place.
• The jewel-like San Miniato al Monte church stand near the top of the Viale Michelangelo, and is well worth the walk there!
• Capella dei Brancacci - Capella dei Brancacci in the Church of Santa Maria del Carmine - Massaccio's amazing fresco - look out for the first shiver depicted in the History of Art!

Travelers should be on the lookout for special vacation deals during this time; some hotels are known to offer special rates during this period.[/listing]

Weather

Florence has a Mediterranean climate with generally mild winters and warm summers, though with fairly cold winter nights and abundant rainfall throughout the year. From June to early September, daytime temperatures are mostly around the 30 °C mark, while nights are between 15 °C and 20 °C. Winters from December to early March see highs of 10-13 °C, while nights are just several degrees above zero on average. The average annual precipitation is around 900 mm, with summers being the driest time of the year and November and December the wettest months.

Getting There

By Plane

Florence Airport (FLR) is an international airport that serves most major cities in Italy and Europe, with regular public buses to the bus station. Meridiana has most flights, with connections to Amsterdam, Barcelona, Cagliari, Catania, London-Gatwick, Madrid, Olbia and Palermo. Other airlines fly to Paris, Rome, Lyon, Vienna, Tirana, Brussels, Timisoara, Copenhagen, Elba, Geneva, Frankfurt, Munich and Zurich.

From airport by bus: The Volainbus shuttles between airport and SMN main railway station every half an hour from 05:30 to 20:00, then hourly to around midnight. The city bus stop is the ATAF-SITA bus station, west side of the railway station; some early morning / late night buses run from the corner of Valfonda and Piazza Adua north of the railway station. Fare €6 one way, €10 return, buy it on the bus. To return to the airport from central Florence, a cheap easy option is the coach to Prato, which stops right outside the airport. They leave from the 2 CAP bus stop at the end of Via Nazionale near SMN station, round the corner from McDonald's. Look for big blue coaches. Buy your ticket (€1.20) from the CAP office right next to the bus stops. You can do this in advance. Buses run every 15 minutes from 06:00 to 23:00. Ask the driver for "aeroporto" or "Peretola" (the suburb it's in).
From airport by tram: As of 2019, a tram connects the airport to the SMN railway station; the stop is on the south side, ending at the Piazza dell’Unità Italiana. The tram station is signposted, left of the main arrivals exit. Trams run every 5-15 minutes (depending on the time of day) until 12:30 (02:00 on weekends). One-way tickets cost €1.50 and can be purchased with cash or credit cards at automated vending machines at any station. The tram ride is approximately 20 minutes end to end.
Taxis charge a €25 flat rate from the airport to anywhere in the historic centre of Florence, plus €1 per large item of luggage.

The best airport for Florence is usually Pisa International Airport (PSA IATA), just 2 km south of the centre of Pisa. This has extensive connections across Europe and beyond, and most budget airlines fly in there. There are direct buses between the airport and Florence Piazzale Montelungo, which is east side of the main railway station Santa Maria Novella. (On arrival, follow ramp into station to access city centre.) Buses are run by Autostradale (cream buses) and Caronna (black buses) every 75 mins or so till 00:40, taking 70 mins. Single fare €14, you can buy tickets in the baggage hall before exiting through Customs. Alternatively take "Pisamover" tram or airport bus or taxi to Pisa Centrale railway station, which has frequent trains to Florence SMN via Rifredi.

By Train

Frequent direct trains connect Florence with Rome (90 mins), Milan (1 hr 40 min), Venice (2 hr), Naples (2 hrs 50 min) and Italy's other main cities.

Coming by train from other countries usually involves changing at Milan. However a direct Nightjet runs from Munich leaving around 20:00, reaching Florence around 06:00 and continuing to Rome, with the return leaving Florence towards 22:00 to reach Munich shortly after 08:00. The fare is about €100. This Nightjet divides and also runs to Vienna, with similar times.

Almost all trains run from the main station, Firenze Santa Maria Novella on the north edge of the historic old town, near most accommodation and sights. There's a bank of Trenitalia ticket machines (cards or cash accepted) on the terminus platform concourse, staffed kiosks in the main hall, and various fast food options there and nearby. An underpass leads south into Piazza SMN.

A few regional trains bypass SMN, calling at Firenze Campo Marte, 2 km east near Florence Stadium, Firenze Statuto 1 km north of SMN, and Firenze Rifredi, 2 km north of SMN. Unless your ticket specifies otherwise, it's valid for any connecting train between those stations and SMN - you'll seldom have to wait longer than ten minutes. Otherwise take a bus or taxi from the street outside.

By Car

Florence is well connected by good highways to the rest of Italy. Autostrada A-1 runs to Bologna, Milan and the North, and to Rome and the South. Use Firenze-Impruneta exit for these routes and for Siena via the "Fi-Si" highway. A-11 runs to Pisa and the West: for north of the river follow A-11 to the end, for south of the river turn onto A-1 south to Firenze-Scandicci exit.

Driving in the historic centre - inside the wide "viale" where the old city walls were (and still are, south of the river) - is strictly prohibited, except for residents with permits. This is ferociously enforced by camera - if you drive in the prohibited areas, you will be hunted down and sent a stiff fine - around €100 for every camera you pass before escaping the zone. The city raises over €50 million in traffic fines each year, half of this from traffic zone offences.

If you're just visiting for the day, use the Park & Ride areas at the edge of town, for instance Villa Constanza (described below under "By bus"). You can't leave your car overnight here.

If you're driving to pre-booked accommodation in the centre, check ahead with them: given your car registration (Italian targa) they may be able to get you a 30-minute waiver, barely enough to find the hotel in the warren of old streets, drop luggage and check in, then take the car out of the zone. Central car rental offices likewise have a waiver and permitted route to exit and re-enter the city.

Firenze Parking run a dozen or so edge-of-centre parking lots, with a long walk or a short bus ride to the centre. For example the lot just north of Piazza della Liberta charges €10 per day, €70 per week.

Near the centre, parking is more expensive: e.g. a garage costs €30 per night. On the street, you can only use a blue parking space, if you're lucky enough to find one free. White parking places are for residents only and yellow ones are reserved. The price is €1 per hour and charges apply from 08:00 to 20:00; leave the ticket visible inside the car. You need coins for parking, as the machine won't accept banknotes or cards.

By Bus

Flixbus ply direct between Florence and Rome (3 hr 30, two per hour), Milan (4 hours, roughly hourly), Perugia (2 hours, 4 times), Naples (7 hours, every 2-3 hours), Geneva (12 hours, one overnight, else change in Milan), Marseille (9 hours overnight), Paris (17 hours), Munich (4 per day, 9 hours), Zurich (9 hours), Frankfurt (14 hours), Vienna (12 hours) and Budapest (14 hours).

Buses that originate or terminate in Florence run from the downtown bus station on Piazzale Montelungo next to SMN railway station. Buses that are passing Florence between other cities pick up and drop off at Villa Constanza Park & Ride, just off Autostrada A-1 on the west edge of the city - take Tram 1. (And see "Get around: By tram" for practicalities.) The parking lot is short of shelter or other facilities.

Busitalia SITA Nord Autostazione, Via Santa Caterina da Siena, 15/17. Main bus stop for Tiemme SpA and CAPautolinee. Which serve many cities in Tuscany and beyond.

Getting Around

The Firenzecard is a 72-hour pass giving access to some 80 museums, costing €85 per person (see "See"). It doesn't cover public transport, but you can add this with a Firenzecard+ for an extra €7 - this can't be bought separately. It covers you and any other family member under 18 travelling with you. Since the average entrance fee is €8.50, you'll need to see more than ten museums in your 72 hours to show a saving, but that target dwindles if you have other young family with you. It also gets you priority entrance; pre-booking is otherwise near-essential for the big name museums.

By Foot

Most of the major tourist sights in Florence are within easy walking distance of each other. It is possible to walk from one end of the historic center of Florence to the other - north-south or east-west in a half hour. Walking is not only an easy way to get around, it also offers the chance to 'take in' much more of the city life. Be warned though, that electric motor scooters are small enough to fit where cars cannot. They are silent but quick and in the summer they often travel into the plazas. Some of the streets in central Florence are closed to traffic. Many more are simply too narrow for buses to get through. Therefore, bus and car tours are not recommended. This is a very small, very compact city that really needs to be seen by foot. And, of course, if you need to, you can always buy a new pair of shoes in Florence.

By Bicycle

There is a bike rental service organized by the city. Bikes can be hired at several points in the city (and returned to the same place). One of the most convenient for tourists is located at SMN station. There are other locations at many railway stations, but often with restricted opening hours.

While there are hills north and south of the center of town, almost all of the historic center of Florence is easy for bikers, because it is as flat as a hat - flatter than that. But there is a problem: Traffic is terrible with buses, trucks, cars, motorcycles, motorbikes, bicycles, and pedestrians are fighting for almost no space. So pay attention.

Beyond the city bikes, some of the hotels in town provide their guest with free bicycles. Bike shops also often rent bikes and some of them organize guided bike tours in the countryside.

By Taxi

Taxis are available, but it may be best if you have your hotel or the restaurant you are eating at call ahead. Taxis should be called by phone and the nearest one available is sent to you through the company's radio system with its meter ticking away. In Florence, it can be difficult to hail a cab from the street curb. You either call for one or get one at the very few taxi stands. One popular taxi stand is at the central Santa Maria Novella Train Station and in a few major squares. The first taxi in the taxi stand line should be free - ask in case of doubt. Most taxis do not take credit card for payment. Be sure to have cash and ask in advance in case you only have a credit card with you. Taxis in Florence are relatively expensive. Tipping is not expected, unless the driver helps you carry luggage etc.

By Bus

Another way of getting around is by using the public buses from ATAF. You can pay using paper tickets or by credit/debit card.

You can tap your contactless Mastercard, Maestro, Visa or Vpay card on the card reader on the bus, it costs €1.50 and you can take unlimited buses within 90 minutes. Tap in every time you get on another bus. You can pay for yourself and up to 4 companions, just press the "Add passenger" button and tap your card again for each additional person.

A single paper ticket costs €1.50, a carnet of 10 tickets - €14. You can buy tickets at tabacchi (shops selling tobacco, which are marked with official looking "T"s out front"), kiosks/newsagents/bars where the symbol "Biglietti ATAF" is shown, as well as at the ATAF ticketing office at the bus station outside Santa Maria Novella train station. Within 90 minutes of stamping/swiping you can hop-off & hop-on on any bus of the urban ATAF network. Tickets need to be stamped when entering the bus (from the front and rear doors of buses - the central door is supposed to be exit only; though now it is more accepted to enter from the central door). If you are unable to find a ticket vendor, the automated parking kiosks will sell one for €1.50 and accept credit cards and coins. A ticket may also be available from the driver at €2.50 but there are no availability guarantees. Unfortunately and completely against Italian law, it is not uncommon to see bus drivers talking merrily on their mobile phone while driving. Don't expect riders to complain about it and don't panic - they will still drive with the same non-comfortable style as when they are "only driving". Hold tight to hand rails as Florence traffic is unpredictable and frequent sudden braking is necessary. Bus rides are not by all means "smooth". Buses are "safe" but pick pocketing is quite common. Please keep a close eye to your belongings and avoid showing off cash, jewelry, etc. especially in very crowded buses (especially for lines 17/23/14/22 - generally speaking any crowded bus can give a chance to pick pocket).

By Tram

There are two tram lines in the city. The first one runs from Villa Constanza Park & Ride on the south-western edge of the city, just off the A-1, so most users are commuters. It runs into town through the western burbs of Scandicci and L'Isolotto to SMN main railway station (25 min), then turns north to Rifredi and the University/Hospital area. It runs daily 05:00-00:30 every three to ten minutes, and a single ride costs €1.50. The second line, opened in 2019, connects the airport and the near west side to the city centre and the Santa Maria Novella station.

Eat

Remember that restaurants have separate prices for food to go or eaten standing up versus sit down service; don't try to sit at a table after paying for food or coffee from the restaurant's to go booth. Also ask always beforehand for the price if you want to sit at a table. Otherwise you might be uncomfortably surprised. Cappuccino al banco i.e. standing up might cost €1-3; but at a table €4.

Florence's food can be as much of a treat to the palate as the art is a treat to the eye. There is good food for any price range, from fine restaurants to take out food from window stands. The best price/quality ratio you will find outside the historical center where normal Italians go to eat. The worst ratio is probably in the neighbourhood of Mercato di San Lorenzo where there are a lot of tourist restaurants, while many of the best restaurants in the city are found in the Santa Croce district. In some, requests for pizza may be met with a rebuff. For local pizza look for small shops near the Duomo.

The best lunch places don't always turn out to be the best dinner places. Dinner in Florence really starts sometime between 19:00 and 21:00. If a place looks like they're preparing to close before 20:00, it might not be the best option for dinner. Reheated pasta is not very tasty.

Typical Tuscan courses include Bistecca alla fiorentina which is huge t-bone steak weighing from 500g to 1,500g. It has always price given per 100g, e.g. €3.5 etto (an etto is a "hectogram" or 100 gram-ettogrammo). Crostini toscani are crostini with tuscan liver pâté.

There is also a uniquely Florentine fast food with a 1,000-year history - lampredotto, a kind of tripe (cow stomach, or calf for preference, but a different part than the more familiar white "honeycomb" kind, dark brown in color; the name comes from its wrinkled appearance, which apparently reminds locals of a lamprey fish). The trippaio set their carts in the public squares in the center, dishing out the delicacy straight from the cauldron in which it is being boiled with herbs and tomatoes, chopping it and slapping the portions between halves of a Tuscan roll; the top is dipped in the broth. A mild green parsley- or basil-based sauce or a hot red one goes with it.

There are many gelato (Italian ice cream) stands; some connoisseurs consider the better Florentine gelato the finest in the world. Often gelato is made in the bar where you buy it. Because of this there are many exotic flavors of ice cream like watermelon, spumante or garlic. It's hard to find a gelato place open very late, so after dinner might not be an option. Near the Duomo though, there are a few places open after 22:00.

Tuscany is also the wellspring of cantuccini, also called biscotti di Prato. (In Italian, the singular of biscotti is un biscotto). It's traditional to enjoy them after a meal by dipping them in Vin Santo ("Holy Wine"), a concentrated wine made from late-harvested grapes, but you can also buy bags of them in stores throughout the city and eat them however you like.

Drink

Tap water is safe but those who prefer bottled water will find it plentiful.

Make sure to sample the excellent wines of the region. Chianti is the local wine that can be ordered cheaply. Many eateries will offer carafes of various sizes of "house chianti", usually for under €4.

Sleep

As elsewhere the price of hotels in Florence has been climbing quickly in the last few years. The golden rule here is if you want something cheap you'll have to stay outside of the historic center. The area around the train station is cheaper, but not as safe, especially for women travelers at night. If you are looking at big chain hotels you should be aware that they are usually quite a distance from the centre, the Novotel for instance is almost at the airport.

Certain hotels, particularly those oriented toward business travellers offer special reduced rates during the weekend (e.g. Starhotel Michelangelo) or during slow weeks like Baglioni. Sometimes you can also get a substantial discount by reserving online. In the train station there is a tourist information office which also offers hotel reservations; you can often get good deals through them at the very last minute, but it's not guaranteed.

There are quite a number of one or two star alberghi within a short distance of the station. Young women can find accommodation with certain convents at very low prices, and usually in historic locations. On the other hand, you'll have to forget about any late-night Tuscan craziness.

There are campsites round the edge of town: to SW is Ostello Tasso Ente, north is Elite Firenze Gestioie SRL, NE is Camping Albergue, east is Me & Mom in Tuscany, and 3 others further east in Rovezzano. Camping Michelangelo south of town has closed.

Learn

• Florence University

Keep Connected

Internet

Almost all towns and cities in Italy have internet cafes. A growing number of budget hostels and nicer hotels have free Wifi. By law all public-access internet points must keep records of web sites viewed by customers, and even the customer's ID: expect to be refused access if you don't provide identification. Hotels providing Internet access are not required to record IDs if the connection is provided in the guest's room, although if the connection is offered in the main public hall then IDs are required. Publicly available wireless access without user identification is illegal, so open Wi-Fi hotspots (like the ones you might expect to find in a mall or cafée) all have some form of (generally one-time) registration.

Phone

See also: International Telephone Calls

The main networks are TIM (Telecom Italia Mobile, part of Telecom Italia, formerly state controlled), Vodafone, Wind, and 3 (only UMTS cellphones). Best advice is to buy a prepaid SIM card (from € 10 upwards) and a cheap mobile phone (€ 19 upwards) to put it in (if you don't have a cellphone already that you can use). It will be much more practical. All land line numbers start with 0. Mobile numbers start with 3. Numbers starting with 89 are high-fee services. In case of emergency call the appropriate number from the list below. Such calls are usually free and calls to 112, 113 (police), 115 (fire), 118 (health) can be made from payphones for free without the need of inserting coins. 112 (standard emergency number in GSM specification) can be dialed in any case for free from any mobile phone.

Post

Post Italiane is the national postal services of Italy and has quite an efficient network of postal offices and reliable postal services. Standard letters and postcards (up to 20 grams) cost €0.39 to send within Europe and the Mediterranean countries outside Europe and €0.41 to all other destinations throughout the country. Up to 50 grams, prices start at €0.52 for Europe, €0.62 for other areas. Packages start at €1.55 within Europe, and around €2.50 for other countries. Post office business hours in Italy are from 8:30am to 2:00pm from Monday to Friday, with closing times at Saturday and the last day of the month at 12 noon. In general, larger post offices in bigger cities and in tourist areas keep longer hours than those in local towns. Also note that business hours in the south might be different than the north, with longer hours at night, especially in summer! If you want to send packages you might try faster and more reliable/efficient private courier companies like TNT, UPS or DHL.

External Links

• Official Governmental Website
• Official Tourism Website