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FLORENCE Streets Athousandtalesofthepast:Medievaldyers Coloured Evokes Woolin Eve Beinghurledoutofparadise

FLORENCE Streets Athousandtalesofthepast:Medievaldyers Coloured Evokes Woolin Eve Beinghurledoutofparadise

streets athousandtalesofthepast:medievaldyers coloured evokes woolin Eve beinghurledoutofParadise. muscularwarrior, ortheBrancacciChapel’semotiveMichelangelo’s frescoes ofAdamand foranyonewhocanremainin fact, completely unmoved after viewingBotticelli’sSpring, Florence (Firenze) ismagnetic,romantic,unrivalledandtoobusy.A visit here ismadness, trotting touristswhoflockhere architecture, andextraordinary tofeast onworld-classart noother.as itis,thiscityislike CradleoftheRenaissanceandmassesglobe- times inaday,andthelight,moodviewchangeevery time. Surprisinglysmall Return timeandagainyoustillwon’tseeitall.Standonabridgeover the Arnoseveral Florence 92 © LonelyPlanetPublications After alittlewhileinthisintensely absorbingcity,youmightjustwanttodothesame. hillsaroundFlorence Florentine, today. hangsoutinthewine-rich Cavalli manyasmart who,like boutiques aroundVia de’Tornabuoni.Gucciwasbornhere, aswasfashiondesignerRoberto given toLorenzo theMagnificentbyanEgyptian sultanin1486. caged those Medicididkeep on Via deiCalzaiuoli; tannersmadeastinkin on Via delleCaldaie; Renaissance Yet there’s more tothisriver-side citythanpricelessmasterpieces. Strollingitsnarrow Plush, decadent and equally exotic is contemporary Florence’s flamboyant line-up of designer Plush, decadentandequallyexoticiscontemporary ofdesigner Florence’s flamboyantline-up

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Fleethecityforabreath offresh airin View theDuomo,baptistryandcampanilefromatop Swillandspitsome ofItaly’sfinestwines onatastingtour through Huntwhite truffles andlearnaboutChianinacattle See the Do original ’s inthea Davidtour: atthe Marvel world’s greatest in Renaissanceart on anestate nearSanMiniato Andrea Verrocchio in Michelangelo ies onPiazza dellaSignoria Galleria dell’Accademia the (p141) olino or (p137) one atTrattoria Mario foodmarket city’s colourful steak), (p105) Brunelleschi’s famousred-brick dome (p112) alongsideotherFlorentine specialitiesinthe bistecca allafiorentina ( p127 ), andthosebyDonatello and (p108) Museo delBargello ( p119 ), thefamouscop- leoni (lions),althoughnothingcausedquite astirasthegiraffe 18) and (p108) 13) te sample then ( p143), (loin steak orT-bone ( p170 ) calzaiuoli Trattoria Angi- Fiesole Piazzale (hosiers) hand-crafted fineshoesinworkshops ( p154) conce (tanneries) onVia delleConce;andyes, Miniato San (p164) Il Chianti Florence Il Chianti Fiesole caldaie (vats)

gic garrisononthenarrowestcrossingof the makingitastrate- Florentia around59BC, founded theRomancolonyof Julius Caesar themselves inFiesole.Etruscans, whobased Florence’s history stretches tothetimeof the lonelyplanet.com of the arts,assumedpower. Hiseyefortalent known simply asCosimode’ Medici), apatron 1434, whenCosimo ilVecchio (theElder,also Boccaccio forhis asabackdrop by the city’shistorywasused most halfthepopulation.Thisdark periodin toreturn.never was expelledfromhisnative cityin1302, went withtheBianchi –thewrongsideand Neri (Blacks)andBianchi (Whites), Dante After the Guelphs splitintotwofactions,the familybelongedwhose totheGuelphcamp. ist Giottoandoutspoken Dante Alighieri, poet tious atmosphere were bornrevolutionary art- the twoforalmostacentury.Intothisfrac- 13th century,withpoweryo-yoingbetween Ghibellines (Ghibellini)startedinthemid- (Guelfi) andthepro-HolyRomanEmpire on thehorizon. this burgeoning city.Butapoliticalcrisiswas of artistswhofoundlucrative commissionsin guilds andpatronisingthegrowingnumber eyed merchantsbeganforming andartisans leather trades.Thesizablepopulationof mon- player intheinternational wool,silkand banking andculturalcentres, andamajor comune, oneof ’sleadingfinancial, local cliquesandalliances. ciple fromtheplottingandwheeler-dealing of head of statecalledthepodestà, aloof inprin- led totheappointmentin1207of aforeign Agitation factionsinthecity amongdiffering mainly fromtheprosperousmerchant class. One Hundred), members whose were drawn (Councilofassisted bytheConsigliodiCento state) andby1138wasruled12consuls, 1110 Florence becameafree moved fromLuccatoFlorence. hiscapital In fortunes whenMargrave Ugo of marked acrucialturningpointinthe city’s AD1000Lombards andFranks.Theyear Florence fell toinvadingGoths, followedby andGaul. linking RometonorthernItaly sohecouldcontroltheViaFlaminia HISTORY The historyof Medici Florence beginsin In 1348theBlackDeathspirited awayal- thepro-papal between Struggles Guelphs Medieval Florence wasawealthydynamic ofAfter thecollapse theRomanEmpire, FLORENCE••History Decameron. comune (city- the House ofthe House Lorraine (atthetimeeffectively signed the grandduchy of Tuscany over to in 1737,after which hissister, AnnaMaria, Florence drifted intosteepdecline. afterthough thereign of CosimoI(1537–74), time theygainedcontrolof allof Tuscany, continued foranother200years, during which Charles madeDuke of Florence. Medici rule dro de’Medici, aruthless transvestite whom accept Lorenzo’s great-grandson, Alessan- forces besieged Florence, forcingthecityto Two years later,imperialandpapal though, Medici fortunestokickthefamilyoutagain. tines tookadvantage of thislowpointinthe the emperorCharlesVin1527,Floren- ruled bytheMedici popeClementVII,fell to rule endeared themtofew, andwhenRome, the Medici were reinstated. Theirtyrannical 1512 aSpanishforcedefeated Florence and flict withthepopeandhisSpanish allies.In republican government itintocon- brought favour andwasburnedasaheretic. following yearSavonarola fell frompublic the infamous‘Bonfire of theVanities’. The ‘immoral’ worksandfinerytotheflamesof the likes of Botticelligladlyconsignedtheir who ledastern,republic. puritanical In1497 Savonarola, ahumourlessDominicanmonk the cityfell underthecontrolof Girolamo the splendourandexcessof theMedici court, driven outof Florence. Inareaction against failed, and,twoyears later, theMedici were Just before hisdeath,theMedici bankhad effectively dyingalongwithLorenzo in1492. Ghirlandaio atwork. as Michelangelo, BotticelliandDomenico epicentre of this‘Rebirth’,withartistssuch Magnifico (1469–92),Florence becamethe popular andcultured grandson,Lorenzo il the Renaissance.Underruleof Cosimo’s but itdidinfluencewhatwaslater knownas by thepope,achieved nothingintheend, classical antiquity.TheCouncil,attended would imparttheknowledge andculture of scholars andcraftsmen,whotheyhoped ern churches, tothecityByzantine brought aimed atreconciling andEast- theCatholic under hispatronage. Angelico, andFilippoLippiflourish Alberti, Brunelleschi, LucadellaRobbia, Fra thelikes indealingwithartistssaw ofand tact The pro-French leanings of thesubsequent The lastmaleMedici, GianGastone, died But Florence’s goldenage wasnottolast, In 1439theChurch Councilof Florence,

93 FLORENCE FLORENCE FLORENCE old-fashioned environment. booksinapleasing andAmerican 4r)British Ognissanti BM Bookshop Bookshops INFORMATION (1:6500). ence (1:12,500),withacity-centre cutaway TouringClubItaliano’s shops sell Tourist officesdoleoutfree mapsandbook- Maps known asOltrarno. trendy, lesstouristyarea southof theriver is the piazza’ssouthernedge, neartheArno. The of government.historic seat TheUffizi ison forPiazzadella Signoria, the de’ Calzaiuoli Vecchio. FromPiazzadelDuomofollowVia azza dellaRepubblicaandbeyondtoPonte around thebaptistry,ViaRomaleadstoPi- ing distance.FromPiazzadiSanGiovanni SpottheDuomoandyou’retani. there. walk) isViade’Panzani thenViade’Cerre- The mainroute tothecitycentre (a10-minute Mariasouth aroundPiazzadiSanta Novella. centrated east of itaroundViaNazionale and hotels andpensioni (smallhotels) are con- Novella isagoodreference point.Budget Maria diSanta Stazione trainstation Central ORIENTATION exhibiting area by2012ifit’slucky. todoubleits its biggest-ever expansion,set a fairamountof controversy embarked on a decadelater, thisworld-classgalleryamid and destroyingapartof theUffizi. Justover a massive carbomb,killingfive, injuring37 out thecountry.In1993Mafia exploded techniques thathave saved artworksthrough- to thewidespread of use modernrestoration thesalvageworks. However, operationled inestimable damage toitsbuildingsandart- ing floodsravaged thecityin1966,causing its bridges exceptPonte Vecchio. Devastat- by theretreating whoblewupall Germans, 1871. assumedthemantlepermanentlyin ayearlater,became thenationalcapital but Kingdom of in1860.Florence briefly until theduchy wasincorporated intothe ruption underNapoleonfrom1799to1814, mained unchanged, apartfromabriefinter- under Austriancontrol).Thissituationre- 94 Florence wasbadlydamaged duringWWII Most major are sights withineasywalk- FLORENCE •• Orientation FLORENCE ••Orientation Mp p103; (Map % 055 294575;Borgo Flor- in English. books onFlorence andTuscany; novelsandnonfiction midnight Sun)Stocksmaps,travelguidesandreference 27r; Repubblica shop, newandsecond-hand. book- www.papex.it; ViadellOche4r)Anglo-American Paperback Exchange literature, guides,reference booksandmaps. .melbookstore.it; Viade’Cerretani 16r)Tuscan travel Bookstore Mel Books McRae Edison €3.20; 10pm Sat&Sun); pp100-1 ; perhr€3.20; Mon-Sat, 10am-midnightSun); 38r Train Internet Pitti Internet Internet Access Police Tourist Police Station Emergency branches. 11am-9pmSat& Sun)Inall,10-odd midnight Mon-Fri, Sun); office here. 71; ViaZara2; organised. gambit ofgenres; brilliantly thewhole Mon-Sun) English-languagebookshopcovering 32r; .mcraebooks.com; Viade’Neri pp100-1 ; pp100-1; rentals etc. bulletinboard crammed withadsforflatmates,room Piazza Pitti 7;perhr€4; Sat) dei Ciompi; dress inahurry. purple ifyou’re huntingforaspecificad- building mayhave several. Itcanturnyou refers toonecommercialentity–anda buildings, whileeachred/brown number private residences. whereas blackorbluenumbersare for number) indicate commercialpremises, usually have ‘r’forrosso,orred, after the systems: red orbrownnumbers(which Florence hastwoparallelstreet-numbering THE RED&BLACK (Map (Map pp100-1 ; perhr€4.30; (Map Via Guelfa24(Map pp98-9 ; perhr€3.20; h Black/blue numbersmaydenote whole (Map (Map pp100-1 ; % 10am-10.30pm Mon-Fri, noon-8pmSat,3-7pm 10am-10.30pm Mon-Fri, h 055 203911;ViaPietrapiana 50r,Piazza h Mp pp100-1; (Map (Questura; Map (Questura;Map pp98-9 ; Mp p101; www.internetpitti.com; pp100-1; (Map h 8.30am-6.30pm Mon-Fri, 8.30am-1pm8.30am-6.30pm Mon-Fri, (www.internettrain.it)ViaPortaRossa (PoliziaAssistenzaTuristica; Map Mp pp100-1; (Map (Map Via dell’Oriuolo40r(Map pp100-1 ; perhr 4r Rpr tet a te foreigners’ the at thefts Report 24hr) 9am-midnight Mon-Sat,10am- h h % (Map (Map pp100-1 ; 11am-10pm Mon-Fri, noon- 11am-10pm Mon-Fri, 11am-11pm Mon-Sun)Excel- 055 213110;Piazza della % (Map Borgo SanJacopo30r(Map h % h

055 2382456;www 9.30am-midnight 055 287339;www lonelyplanet.com 9am-7.30pm % % 055 293460; 055 497 h 9am- For a doctor atnightoronapublicholiday. For adoctor station. Novella)Insidethemaintrain Stazione diSantaMaria % (Map 129 (Map pp98-9 ) pp100-1); p103); de’ Serragli87r(Map p103 ); BorgoSanFrediano39r(Map links southoftheriver. 11; Via Lorenzo il Magnifico 59; 11; ViaLorenzo ilMagnifico newspaper. information oncitylife. 5-6pm Mon-Sat) English-speaking doctors oncall24hours. doctors 5-6pm Mon-Sat)English-speaking Firenze-Oltrarno City ofFlorence Locally generated blogs are alsouseful;see p56 . Internet Resources lonelyplanet.com Central Post Office Central Post Express American Money Service Medical Tourist Nuova Ospedale diSantaMaria Pharmacy inbusinesssince1521. % Farmacia all’InsegnadelMoro Doctor Emergency Kerr Dr Stephen 24-Hour Pharmacy Medical Services Novella Stazione diSantaMaria Left Luggage Wash &Dry Laundry guidetolivingandstudyinginFlorence. practical viviFirenze Studentsville Florentine The forFunFlorence Net Firenze dent British doctor, byappointmentoropenclinic. doctor, dent British Rossa1; .dr-kerr.com; ViaPorta Dante Alighieri 22r; Dante Alighieri Farmacia Molteni midnight) Find itonplatform16. €0.60; hrthereafter item for5hr€3.80,every aimed atinternationalstudentsinFlorence. information. de’ Calzaiuoli7; studying, livingandlodginginthisstudent-busycity. 055 2 75 81; Piazza di Santa Maria Nuova1) 055 27581;Piazza diSantaMaria 055 211343;Piazza diSanGiovanni20r; (Map Via deiServi105r(Map pp98-9 ); (Map Via dellaScala52-54r(Map pp98-9 ); ViaNazionale (www.vivifirenze.it) Anotherstudentperspective: (http://english.firenze.net) Up-to-the-minute (http://english.firenze.net) Up-to-the-minute (wash ordry€3.50; (www.studentsville.it) Everythingabout h (www.theflorentine.net) English-language (www.comune.firenze.it) City Mp pp100-1; (Map (www.firenze-oltrarno.net) Loadsa’ (www.firenze-oltrarno.net) (www.florenceforfun.org) Practical info Practical (www.florenceforfun.org) h 24hr) Pharmacy. FLORENCE••Dangers&Annoyances Mp pp100-1; (Map Mp pp100-1; (Map (Guardia Medica; (GuardiaMedica; (Map (Map pp100-1 ; ViaPellicceria) Mp pp98-9; (Map 9am-5.30pm Mon-Fri) Mp pp98-9; (Map h h

h % clinic11am-noon& Mp pp100-1; (Map % % % 3-5pm Mon-Fri) Resi- 3-5pm Mon-Fri) (Map (Map pp98-9 ; per 8am-10pm) (Map Via delSole29r(Map 055 288055;www % 055 289490;Via 055 216761; 055 50981;Via

% Mp pp100-1; (Map 055 287788) h 055 4754 h

24hr) Via 6am- 82) for tourists introuble(disputesoverhotelbillsetc). 82) fortourists organisation. 25r)Florence branchofnationalyouth-travel Via de’Ginori Also runsthe opening hoursandaccommodation;sellsbooksmaps. lists ofrecommended guidedtours,updatedmuseum Information onthecityandprovinceofFlorence: stocks [email protected]; Sun); 1r; .firenze.it inItalian,www.firenzeturismo.it; ViaCavour pp98-9; monuments (Uffizi and GalleriaAccademia of narrowstreets isthetrick. thecity’swarrenample meanderingthrough your personal pickof themajor with sights combining sured anddoeverything: tosee unrivalled. Yet thesecret isnottofeel pres- ples of artanditsarchitecture Renaissance is and exquisiteworld’s mostimportant exam- many of andgallerieshouse themuseums Florence overwhelms. seriously Itswealthof SIGHTS footpath. along theForte diBelevedere scam( suitcase!’ p402 ). Watch out forthe‘You-have-gunk-on-your- andFlorenceon buses hasmanybagsnatchers. after dark. Pickpockets are active incrowdsand frequentedCascine, bypimpsandprostitutes Maria diSanta Stazione Novella andParco delle tack. flogging followedbystreetcrowds, closely vendors Florence’s mostannoyingfeature isits DANGERS &ANNOYANCES CTS Travel Agencies Office Tourist diFirenze Provincia Board Tourist Florence Office Tourist Comune diFirenze Tourist Information Information onthecity,runbyFlorence’s citycouncil. Santa Croce29r; Sun); della Stazione4; pp98-9; Mon-Fri) Mon-Fri) 16; 20; www.firenzeturismo.it; ViaManzoni h Readers warnwomennottowalk/jogalone In true Italian fashion, state and fashion,statemuseums In trueItalian Solo travellers shouldavoid thearea around (Map (Map pp98-9 ; Santa Croce(Map pp100-1 ; Mp pp96-7; Florence Airport(Map 8.30am-6.30pm Mon-Sat,8.30am-1.30pm % % 055 212245;www. comune.fi.it inItalian;Piazza 055 290832/3;www.provincia SOS Turista phoneline SOS Turista h h % 9am-7pm Mon-Sat, 9am-2pm Sun) 9am-7pm Mon-Sat,9am-2pmSun) 8.30am-7pm Mon-Sat, 8.30am-1.30pm 8.30am-7pm Mon-Sat,8.30am-1.30pm 055 28 95 70; www.cts.it inItalian; 055 289570;www.cts.it Mp pp100–1; (Map (Continued on page 104) % % 055 234 04 44; Borgo 055 2340444;Borgo h

(Map Train Station(Map 055 315874; ( 8.30am-8.30pm) City Centre % % h 055 27603 055 233 9am-1pm (Map (Map

95 FLORENCE FLORENCE CTRY CITY 0 1 km 96 FLORENCE 0 0.6 miles 97 CITY CTRY Rifredi

To Medicea To Villa Medicea To Zona Archeologica di Castello (3km); di Careggi (1km) (500m); Campeggio A Teatro della B C D E F Panoramico (4km) GH 6 Limonaia (4km) rt Via M M e ercati b ib t S Ponte Parco di ia di Mezzo V Villa Fabbricotti Le V i a Vi Cure a a Vitto 3 n 1 F rio E ti 1 m n Area Ex-FIAT G an e i ue a l Fa n Piazza e a n II i e V To Aeroporto di l i GB Giorgini l Firenze (5km); o z r Piazza P (30km) e T Leopoldo e t 5 en rr See Stazione & Around Map (pp98–9) To

Ponte di S Piazza Donato T A Edison To La Capponcina To Tenax Giardino Vi (3km) (8km) V dell's Piazza ale ial delle A e F Orticltura ug ra Cure us nc V t e se o Ponte s i i c e n Ri o a Ponte o gh alle R n z V e d n i i d Rosso g i a Piazza G i e V le 2 Mosse o M ia 2 l l A Ferraris l G le l o o es San n d s B o e a S D i nd Piazza S Gervasio t a M ro i e a l i V t ia ll olta V S Gervasio u V e to Torrente Mugnone Piazza della Piazza e Protasio San Libertà L Nobili Piazza Antonelli Jacopino le Filippo Strozzi Via ini agn Lav co arta ello Sp to Marc iale nedet V ia Be V V V ia i l a e e Canale Macinante d r 8 e G io l f i P l a Piazza o e c Cimitero Campo n o o B ll m A Conti te a della Di e o a l G l a M Misericordia Marte le i n V a a V M i Piazza S tt i Stazione ell e al o ss del a Museo o e s Ro i Palazzo P Porta al s i tt a 3 e ll Crocifisso V Capponi Botanico i 7 s 3 ate qu Prato Fr Stazione a le Palazzo le Via Cimitero Campo di Marte Pa degli ol To Piscina Le Ex-Stazione Porta Affari degli i Leopolda Inglesi Vi Pavonière (200m) al C ale Prato Piazza ial din E Stazione di i i Mercato r Donatello Santa Maria o Centrale n Novella i G

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c r o e a S n Giardino di P a ' Piazza e e om Boboli t d R r Gualfredotto a a a () r i i c da Milano V V a See Central Florence Map (pp100–1) Isolotto o San l Bellosguardo e Niccolò g Piazale n a di Porta l e Romana V Istituto h c i Cimitero Monte i a d'Arte SLEEPING e l e delle Porte Alle M s

e Ostello Villa Camerata...... 5 G1 See Oltrarno & Nearby d Sante e n e Croci l 1 a e Gavinana Quarters Map (p103) l i S P V o a ENTERTAINMENT i g Gallo 6 g 6 V i l i l e

o l d SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES Auditorium Flog...... 6 C1 To Certosa di Firenze (3km); Trattoria Bibe V e I v e m i r Chiesa di ...... 1 E6 Chiosco degli Sportivi...... (see 8) (3km); Guesthouse Villino Giulia (3km) a r ia o p l T e e h Mercato delle Cascine...... 2 A3 CinemaVi aPoggetto...... (seeannotti 6) ri c Donato Gi Nicolò Ma a a ll l Museo Stibbert...... 3 D1 Palazzo dello Sport...... 7 G3 e e d Piscina Bellariva...... 4 H5 Stadio Comunale Artemio Franchi...... 8 G3 a i

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a i CTRY CITY V 0 400 m 98 STAZIONE & AROUND 0 0.2 miles 99 CITY CTRY

A B C D V E F GH i e a t Via Glovanni Fabroni s Piazza B c e i ENTERTAINMENT G r INFORMATION Tanucci T u 24-Hour Pharmacy...... 1 D6 Be Bop Music Club...... 48 G6 a ia s t V Agenzie 365 Hotel Reservation...... 2 D6 Box Office...... 49 C5 i Comune di Firenze Tourist Office...... 3 E6 Central Park...... 50 A6 1 Via Trento 1 Consorzio ITA...... 4 D6 Ex-Stazione Leopolda...... 51 B5 V

i CTS...... 5 F6 Meccanò Club...... 52 A6 a Via Circondaria d Internet Train...... 6 F5 Palazzo dei Congressi e l

R Left-Luggage Office...... 7 D6 (Open-air Cinema)...... 53 E5 o m

Police Station...... 8 G4 Teatro del Maggio Musicale i t Provincia di Firenze Tourist Office...... 9 F6 Fiorentino...... 54 B6 o Tourist Medical Service...... 10 F3 Via de Wash & Dry...... 11 G6 SHOPPING l Pellegrino Wash & Dry...... 12 F5 Arte Liutaria...... 55 G6 ovanni Lami Giardino Wash & Dry...... 13 D6 Le Spose di Laila...... 56 G4 Piazza Via Gi dell's Via LA Muratori Orticltura E Fabbri IXF Via Via G ia e SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES TRANSPORT V b Richa b G G C Abba r Alice Atelier...... 14 E6 Alinari...... 57 E5 a Via Via I N i Amici del Turismo...... 15 G6 ATAF Ticket & Information Office....58 E6 na o dor C Vanini Torrente Mugnone dei Ca Basilica di San Lorenzo...... 16 F6 Biciclette a Noleggio...... 59 D6 Viale 2 ievo 2 Basilica di ...... 17 E6 CAP & COPIT Bus Station...... 60 E5 Via dello Statuto 28 voia i Sa Cappelle Medicee...... 18 F6 Florence by Bike...... 61 G4 M d Piazza Via Cenacolo di Sant'Apollonia...... 19 G5 Lazzi Bus Station...... 62 E5 Cinque Giornate della Ponte Viale Francesco Redi Via Rosso Centro Lorenzo de' Medici...... 20 E6 SITA...... 63 D6 Via LeoneVia della Cernaia Vittoria T

o

V Chiesa della SS Annunziata...... 21 H5 Terravision Bus Stop...... 64 D6 s

c i a a Chiesa Russa Ortodoss...... 22 F3 Ticket Office...... 65 D6 n P Piazza F e City Sightseeing Firenze...... 23 E6 Train Information Office...... 66 D6 l Baldinucci Torrente Mugnone l i ...... D4 osse 24 T V lla Galleria dell'Accademia...... 25 G5 i e a d ne Galleria dell'Accademia Entrance...... 26 G6 C n a re Via del Ponte Rosso me mb La Bottega dei Ragazzi...... 27 H6 Cri Francesco Puccinotti tte L Via Via Se a Piazza XX n Via Mado Mondobimbo...... 28 H2 ia d V n i della ilto n M o Museo Archeologico...... 29 H6 Costituzione G Piazza Viale Don Vi iale Museo di San Marco...... 30 G5 a V della G Minzoni M ia Cosseria V a V i 22 Palazzo Medici-Riccardi...... San 31 F6 r a Libertà ag Jacopino l L 3 ia e 3 Spedale degli Innocenti...... 32 H6 n Via o o n e A 10 Viale Giac zi X SLEEPING Stroz lippo Hotel Casci...... 33 F6 e Fi V Via Pi ial ia V d Hotel Morandi alla Crocetta...... 34 H6 ell etr Via Lorenzo il Magnifico e omo Matteotti Johannao Toselli& Johlea...... 35 G4 M vour an Ostello Archi Rossi...... 36 E5 te V ll ia a Ostello Gallo d'Oro...... H4 te Ospedale Via Ca 37 B o V Militare Palazzo Alfani...... 38 G6 ello n ia 37 Marc i etto fa D Bened Via Viale Spartaco Lavagnini c uc Via io a le Filippo Str L d' EATING Via Enrico Poggi u Ao p st Antico Forno Santi...... 39 E5 i a 8 Via S Anna Via Carabè...... 40 G6 V Gustavo Moden ia Via G a Da Sergio...... 41 F6 d e 24 Dolfi ar ll ozzi Z e 35 Divino...... 42 F6 a G i 43 V a 4 II Vegetariano...... 43 G4 h Via di 4 i Camporeggi a Via de Via Venezia La Mescita...... 44 G6 V c 61 56 i c a i a Via F Mercato Centrale...... 45 F6 G i Via CVia Ridolfi di Barbano u Via J Peri e Bartolommei lle Ruote Nerbone...... 46 F6 id Santa Caterina d'Alessandria Via delle Porte Nuove o Alfonso Lamarmora e Cherubini Trattoria Mario...... 47 F6 M Via Piazza Via o n della a San Gallo V c del Pratello Indipendenza ia del o Via della Fortezza Via Viale Belfiore Via Via Valfonda Luigi Salvator Pont Via XXVII Aprile Via Via Cittadella e all 53 Piazza Giardino elli e oss del i dei Museo M R b lli o Botanico o te Crocifisso Semplici ra n a sse F 49 a t Palazzo le Z a ia r Capponi V n a Via Luigi Alamanni a p Stazione Palazzo S e 19 Via 30 36 57 R ia degli Porta al Prato Piazzale degli i a Arazzieri Via Jacoppo da Diacceto in V t Porta Affari n n 5 n 12 a 5 al Prato e S Piazza C Università Giardino Ex-Stazione Leopolda B ia San Via Giorgio la Pira Via Gino Capponi Canale Macinante ia V degli Studi di della V 39 Via Gu Marco Firenze (facoltà) Gherardesca 51 Porta Piazza le V a Via i Adua ic elfa a al n Cesare Batt a F Prato 62 le P 6 21 o a ss 60 n ia V o Stazione di io V ia rsola M V z T i a a isti ac Santa Maria a N d Vi in de S O a Via Cavour an Novella F a V a de 25 Parco te i i i g u V a Via li A m l delle d fan Piazza della SS e e 46 i Via Via l Piazza del 38 Cascine l' 42 26 Annunziata Laura 50 Montebello 7 58 A Mercato 47 i i Via ri 55 ia 34 a 2 20 V e 45 Centrale V ll 1 n b ia della Scala i a b e a t i V o f de c 44 F 32 i u u 11 ll V a 4 F t a C i R 23 a la Noce i ale deg S e olon I 65 e 27 I o 33 d 66 n a 5 29 l d Piazza l 15 i n i O P r Largo Alinari z l l 13 a i 40 a a lm r a e r o i i a della s n i Borgo t r r d o V 52 a o a a t e l n c a l Stazione a i i i n e i B c V e i 59 G R g a r V o San 41 V V i i in i a O 64 a n ' a V V o 9 ia o 6 i i a de t Lorenzo e i d 6 M ia t 63 rin ’ n 14 V c e d r P d l ate anzani t'A Palazzo c g a P O C Market li a a a an Via dei Servi la A Santa b la li t n S a 48 l L Corso Italia i n e i Pucci l un r zz g Sa Si Cappellone Via Piazza 31 e fa Croce g u e a V t n ar o d ia d 3 Via de' s Piazza i n lo Via degli Piazza 18 o Ga V degli Avelli San a Am ia Via del Via delde' Canto Nelli Gori C Brunelleschi Ponte e V dell'Unità Piazza Lorenzo l rig G Spagnoli 17 Melarancio Via della Pergola della o V Italiana Madonna degli 16 de es ia ia Vittoria pu V See Oltrarno & Nearby Quarters Map (p103) V cci 54 Aldobrandini See Central Florence Map (pp100–1) Lorenzo Market

CTRY CITY 0 400 m 100 CENTRAL FLORENCE Palazzo 0 0.2 miles 101 CITY CTRY Pucci

See Stazione & Around Map (pp98–9) A B C D E F GH i l l Via Nuova de' Caccini i n e Piazza V t c a i r i i c a V S o Massimo a v n u d z r i e ia r d l n e 110 d'Azeglio r l o M S a a 'A e F g F l r ' i C lo r Via Bufalini Z o e e Piazza di r o 194 o o a L d 16 l è d r Via del Giglio n B u a a Santa Maria e 208 i Via della s Mattonaia a 92 t i V C io Maggiore t 103 Pergola 182 a i 1 Piazza di i 15 6 V G 1 n ig 98 a Santa Maria Via dei 111 48 l u ia della Banch Piazza i o L Novella i 100 de’ Cerretani t s V V Via n e a i 102 Piazza del di Santa i i i a li P F G Via l V e Via Teatina Cavallari Maria Nuova 188 B 93 24 38 o a N in g i ic d r V c 161 101 n 109 o o o Piazza di 173 140 lin V R B 80 i ia d ' Piazza el Tra e Via de Boni San Giovanni 131 108 bbio d 54 Piazza del Duomo 125 22 a de' Pecori 164 i Via degli Agli Via Via de' Brunellesch dell'Olio Santa Piazza degli Antinori 53 Via A Manzoni 155 V 129 Piazza Via de Via dei Pilastri V ll'Or Croce 107 iuo Via de' Pepi Via degli Antinori i lo a del Via de ll 197 a V Piazza d Adimari Can 128 e onica i 31 a 8 l 192 l Piazza degli V e V Sant'Egidio i Via delle d i Via de'Tosingh Oche i Via a B Via de' Via de’ Cor 158 si lio a Sant' g e Ottaviani Via d Via de' Vecchiet ampido el C Via Santa E 17 21 e d escioni l Via di Mezzo l lisabetta l V e l Giaconini a d 95 Ambrogio ia l e 154 o Piazza de S e

o d S D 157 o S l e 151 Benedetto l o 69 Piazza l t 10 la e P n Rom 34 u 18 S r n 13 p d San a o e Piazza G d a i 172 i c

Piazza i Pancrazio a Medici de' o 114 o Via dei PVia Via V Salvemini Via Pietrapiana Strozzi Piazza n Borgo degli Albizi 33 150 5 Via 124 Speziali s 144 Via del Mor Via dei V Palchetti ia d ' Calzaiuoli el Corso della o Via degli Strozzi V Piazza dei Borgo

147 Piazza l Via 146 i o 99 Piazza San Pier 139 118 La Croce va Repubblica a 148 Martiri del42 PopoloCiompi uo ti 75 2 72 a N i 165 119 de'Donati 36 61 Maggiore 141 2 n o ig d

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i o V 206 Cerchi u ti i l 117 189 Via della Rosa ie e V ri 57 Condotta lla Vigna ecchia G 20 Via Via della d Via de 135 Porta Calamal Via de' Macci Rossa Piazza 4 ia L 7 a 28 55 i Piazza di S 183 45 ia ungarno Santa 175 Piazza 168 Via de V Vi V ll a Via Parioncino V ia 205 122 127 e Bure 160 Via Michelangelo Buonarroti d 56 Piazza de' V San lla Simone ell'Ag Trinità alimaruzza V V e nolo Co Davanzati C Firenze ia d ia 126 74 Vi 174 Piazza 30 ell'An Vi de rsi 19 201 a d guillara a l Fi n el 60 della 106 i T co i del le o 94 T 187 Via rd r 170 er V Signoria de’ ’ o t m ia Gon e c a Via e Via di a Va di d i cc c Via Fiordaliso r he a Ghibellina Capaccio a r B a t a B ec or i o c 76 go n i r M ia d V l 27 g e e Via G da Verrazzano o ' G a r B SS ta Piazza eci t A iasso di I p h n os a Saltarelli to C S 43 Borgo Allegri e Chiasso li Manetto Via de' Pepi n L r e 133 i u o Via delle Conce in n Via s v 3 g del Bene P Piazza Piazza di Via delle ViaPinzocher S Cristofano V Ca 3 Chiasso degli a Piazza del di ia o rn a V San le i L Piazza o i Via Lam i ia i de' Santa Croce de el un d V b z Piazza de' ic i Giuseppe i d g Altoviti e Pesce e 178 i V t c C a G a del g r f in o i rn li t f s Peruzzi n n V o A 86 e Castellani 195 eg u 62 c a G c 91 sc ia e ia l Via Fra Giovanni Angelico u Limbo ci 90 a U R e B to l ic a e ci iu i ' h ri a Piazza de' o l Piazza ' 3 25 rdi li 116 85 i V e c d n Ponte Santa Trinità g i a e i n a ddi San r Frescobaldi e d 185 e 132 96 la d B Via Pi l Vicolo dell’Oro d l e a ' i Remigio a a e N 167 i 149 etro Thouar i t V le 176 65 e e l V 198 l s a V Via Santo Spirito i ri e e a a r o 14 c 79 e t d ro 41 Chiesa z C t n C de’ Georgofili z ' s a e a a 134 nt Via de’ a u a i a 207 de' i d O l S l V o 115 Via P G e rg Girolami 37 a a a o Santo i i l d B 143 V e sc ' i V V d ia o e ll o i Stefano n a 136 V d e i Bo 202 M C r t d rg onte Vecchio Piazza ellai o i o ' Vag r 180 Biblioteca 49 e r 84 P ia de so Via a e t Sa 12 51 V Ar i v a l n de' d nolfo lo n Ja ei Nazionale V o co T M a 81 p i V i o Giudici nt ia C S l o S p Via Vincenzo M 52 ri de 64 r g alenc i i o 83 Piazza hini Via Magliabecchi M d a Via di Barbadori Lu o V n nga lco e m r o ia no Mentana nt t 66 d a Vi G en s e' Piazza a ene ti V R 199 de ra e el ’ ’ le r 63 lutini Ba Di P della e 82 rdi az 68 d A R o Via Tripoli a i passera Piazza dei i Via Stracciatella g V Piazza di L V V i a ungarno i a i N O delle G Cavalleggeri g a d Santa Maria razie a S e V Piazza Piazza g ' Soprarno Lungarno d 4 M u V de' Rossi ella Zec Piave 4 a e ie ca Ve z ll cchia a 71 za a u i ll ti L Lungarno G Pecori Giraldi V e i V u n in 35 142 ia n a d 97 d ga S c r Piazza e rn Graz 67 o s ia ' o e r o c B T c Santa a To ll d i a Lungarno del Tempio e u rd rri ' ia G Felicità i gia P V ' ni it de 58 ti ia V Ponte

osta Sca C rpu Piazza C cci 9 os a A R N O de' Pitti V ta Piazza Nicola Lu i d ngarno c i 196 Serristori ol S Piazza Demidoff o a Via de 73 i Renai Via Lupo de n de' lla G 40 Mozzi Cava io Via del Giardino Piazza Palazzo rg 169 Lung i 177 Serristori Giuseppe Poggi arno Ben Pitti o 105 venuto C iccolò 32 ellini ia San N 152 59 V 78 Ponte San Niccolò 70 Bastioni 191 dei 5 Via L 5 ungarno Fr 138 120 163 ancesco Ferrucci Piazza F 77 Ferrucci 171 186 87 Giardino di Bardini re () ede i Belv d Viale G Via iusep Vi Giardino di Boboli pe Pog a 159 gi de (Boboli Gardens) orte di lla Via F F or San Giorgio na Piazzale 89 ce Via Michelangelo Fontana di V San ia d del 39 V i San Miniato al Monte Quarters Map (p103) Salvatore See Oltrarno & Nearby ia

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A B i C D Ponte See Stazione & Around Map (pp98–9) ld S a a ' V della ib ia i e i ia r o c d c INFORMATION Palazzo Michelozzi...... 68 A4 Ruth's...... 140 F1 a tr V u c d Vittoria s L a G e a a e 24 l 56 rr i n ll 20 American Express...... 1 C2 Palazzo Nonfinito...... 69 D2 Teatro del Sale...... 141 F2 a 54 a a G P e V S u V C c ia ia ig ia a Central Post Office...... B2 ...... A5 Trattoria Bordino...... B4 V l 2 70 142 Piazza V in Pa a F la Via Benedetta Gaddi zz Comune di Firenze Tourist Office...... 3 E3 Palazzo Ricasoli-Firidolfi...... 71 A4 Trattoria Cammillo...... 143 A3 so 49 uo a lo 1 Pignone M Dr Stephen Kerr...... 4 C3 Palazzo Rucellai...... 72 A2 Trattoria Cibrèo...... 144 F2 ia Edison...... B2 Palazzo Serristori...... E5 Trattoria Coco Lezzone...... A2 5 V 5 73 145 INFORMATION o cellana 6 an 34 Farmacia all'Insegna del Moro...... 6 C1 Palazzo Spini-Ferroni...... 74 A3 Trattoria Garga...... 146 A2 Arcilesbica Firenze...... 1 D3 n 14 Piazza eg Via Montebello Farmacia Molteni...... 7 C3 ...... 75 B2 Trattoria Marione...... 147 A2 Azione Gay e Lesbica...... 2 B2 el di San M 39 Paolino BM Bookshop...... 3 D2 ia 55 Borgo Ognissanti Florence Tourist Board...... G2 ...... C3 Tripperia Pier Paolo e Sergio..(see 144) V Via del Por 8 76 4 Internet Pitti...... 9 A5 Porta San Miniato...... 77 E5 Vestri...... 148 E2 French Consulate...... 4 C1 40 German Consulate...... 5 B1 Internet Point...... 10 E2 Porta San Niccolò...... 78 F5 Lun Piazza US Consulate...... 6 C1 garn d'Ognissanti o d 46 Internet Train...... 11 B2 Scuola del Cuoio...... 79 E3 DRINKING Wash & Dry...... 7 C2 i S i R L ss os u o Internet Train...... 12 B4 Synagogue...... 80 F1 Baldovino...... 149 F3 a ng F Wash & Dry...... 8 C4 ar ' no Via del e Libreria delle Donne...... 13 E2 Torre de'Belfredelli...... 81 B4 Caffè Giacosa...... 150 A2 A 3 d m Moro ia Piazza er V McRae Books...... 14 D3 Torre degli Ubriachi...... 82 B4 Caffè Gilli...... 151 B2 igo Pier PontePiazza Amerigo Vespucci V es Piazza Mel Bookstore...... 15 B1 Torre dei Mannelli...... 83 B4 Caffè La Torre...... 152 F5 Vettori del pu o c Carlo i Tiratoio A R N O c V le Mura di i ia r Ospedale di Santa Maria Nuova...... 16 D1 Torre dei Marsili...... 84 A4 Caffé Cibrèo...... 153 F2 Pisa 50 f Goldoni o na o t n e Via a Lungarno 2 Paperback Exchange...... C2 Uffizi Gallery...... C3 Café Concerto Paszkowski...... B2 O i 17 85 154 v L ’ i B l a t a 41 Lungo rto r Corsini lin n r U i 2 i a Tourist Police...... 18 F2 Walking Tours of Florence...... 86 B3 Cantinetta Antinori...... 155 A1 l a S Via Santa Rosa e o Piazza di L C l Piaggione u t z a n i n z Cestello g a UK Consulate...... 19 A3 Colle Bereto...... 156 B2 22 ar l o V n l o i o Piazza a G n 29 G Wash & Dry...... F2 Coquinarius...... 157 C2 M Via de u 20 SLEEPING n ic e i di Verzaia c t B a ia d rd n a v Piazza i Wash & Dry...... 21 A2 Alle Rampe...... 87 H5 Eby's Latin Bar...... 158 D2 a l n o i l o o 16 i Piazza a i r P i V e o de n t V G O degli Borghese Palace Art Hotel...... D2 Enoteca Fuori Porta...... E5 s Piazza 88 159 ’ a Nerli o 53 Z i n d N Sauro Scarlatti r B a org Campeggio Michelangelo...... 89 G6 Enoteca Pinchiorri...... 160 E3 o A o o SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES S 7 S g a m n o a a F o i re r Alinari National Photography ...22 A1 Continentale...... 90 B3 Fiddler's Elbow...... 161 A1 c d c i ia Via de’ Geppi V no 35 a D 48 i v

V l 33 G o ia ...... 23 D2 Gallery Hotel Art...... 91 B3 Giubbe Rosse...... 162 B2 d e 51 d el Vi a l'O d a o S 47 i rto 26 an Baptistry...... 24 C1 Grand Hotel Minerva...... 92 A1 James Joyce...... 163 H5 V L a 1 t i B o S 36 e V or p Via Domenico l go d iri Basilica di Santa Croce...... 25 E3 Hotel Abaco...... 93 B1 JJ Cathedral...... 164 C1 V a e to i i Burchello ale Piazza del lla S V t A i ell British Institute of Florence...... 26 B2 Hotel Cestelli...... 94 B3 La Terrazza...... 165 C2 A l Carmine 43 17 a lea o 44 18 rdi ld 32 25 Chiesa dei Santissimi Apostoli...... 27 B3 Hotel Dalí...... 95 D2 Mayday Club...... 166 C2 Ar a Via io m 9 Sa sto a nta Chiesa della ...... 28 A3 Hotel Hermitage...... 96 B3 Moyo...... 167 D3 C 11 M a i 3 i e on f n ac f d a a Santo Chiesa di ...... 29 C2 Hotel La Scaletta...... 97 B4 Naima...... 168 D3 SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES o e ia e n V M Spirito L V io i Chiesa di San Firenze...... 30 D3 Hotel Monna Lisa...... 98 E1 Negroni...... 169 D5 Basilica di Santa Maria del l l a a 10 g S i 13 i V Monticelli Piazza de d a Chiesa di San Gaetano...... 31 B2 Hotel Orchidea...... 99 D2 Noir...... 170 A3 Carmine...... 9 C3 r ia San n Torquato V A t Via de’ Michelozzi Basilica di Santo Spirito...... 10 D3 V ia l' ’ Chiesa di San Niccolò Oltrarno...... 32 E5 Hotel ...... 100 B1 Plasma...... 171 H5 d Frediano l 38 A Tasso el e g la d Cappella Brancacci...... 11 C3 o 27 C s Chiesa di San Pancrazio...... 33 A2 Hotel Pensione Ferretti...... 101 A1 Procacci...... 172 B2 hi a t 42 es i i 45 ...... 12 D4 28 a V n Chiesa di Sant'Ambrogio...... 34 F2 Hotel Perseo...... 102 B1 Rex Caffè...... 173 E1 o Mercato 30 Cenacolo di Santo Spirito.....13 D3 dell' 37 Chiesa di Santa Felicità...... 35 B4 Hotel San Giovanni...... 103 B1 Rivoire...... 174 C3 Chiesa di Ognissanti...... 14 D1 Antiquariato Chiesa di Santa Margherita...... C2 Hotel Scoti...... A2 Slowly Café...... 175 B3 Piazza Santo di 36 104 o Chiesa di San Felice...... 15 D4 t o SpiritoV s e in Corridoio Vasariano...... 37 C3 Hotel Silla...... 105 E5 YAG Bar...... 176 F3 V ia rt Chiesa di San Frediano in ia a d Duomo...... 38 C1 Il ...... 106 C3 Zoe...... 177 D5 Cestello...... 16 C2 V el M a Pr M V i C a Vi S ia a am z l z e p Forte di ...... 39 B6 Il Salotto di Firenze...... 107 C1 Florence Dance Center...... 17 C3 M u 31 e c 8 t F c t i io n a Immagina...... 18 D3 r Via Giardini Bardini Entrance...... 40 C5 JK Place...... 108 A1 ENTERTAINMENT a i m n io 52 Maggio Museo Zoologico La c a la Istituto per I'Arte e il Restauro Palazzo Relais del Duomo...... 109 B1 Caruso Jazz Café...... 178 C3 e o s 15 Specola...... 19 D4 g c delle Caldaie e 12 4 o Giardino Piazza Spinelli...... 41 E3 Soggiorno La Pergola...... 110 E1 Chiosco degli Sportivi...... 179 B2 To Albergo Torre di T Officina Profumo Via P V Bellosguardo (200m) Torrigiani ia o San Felice ...... 42 F2 Tourist House...... 111 B1 Ex-Ex...... 180 D4 V e S rg Farmaceutica di ia d t a o B i r n 23 el a Loggia della Signoria...... C3 Full Up Club...... D2 losg ta B 43 181 Santa Maria Novel...... 20uardD1 r M o c de' Serragli a Ludoteca Musicale...... 44 D2 EATING Jazz Club...... 182 E1 Porta Romana...... 21 C6 a ria 19 Via Porta San Frediano...... 22 B2 Via Mercato Nuovo...... 45 B3 Alle Murate...... 112 D2 Loonees...... 183 B3 d el Museo Casa di Dante...... 46 C2 Angels...... 113 D2 Odeon Cinehall...... 184 B2 Ca son Museo del ...... 47 D2 Antico Noè...... 114 E2 Piccolo Café...... 185 E3 SLEEPING e Althea...... 23 D4

Museo dell'Opera del Duomo...... 48 D1 Borgo San Jacopo...... 115 B3 Silver Stud...... 186 G5 Map (pp100–1) Hotel Consiglia...... 24 B1 a See Central Florence Museo dell'Opera di Santa Croce...... 49 E4 Buca dell'Orafo...... 116 B3 Tabasco...... 187 C3 an Ostello Santa Monaca...... 25 C3 m Museo delle Porcellane...... 50 B6 Caffè Italiano Sud...... 117 D2 ...... 188 E1 Ro Via del Ronco Palazzo Magnani Feroni...... 26 D3 ia Museo di Arte e Storia Ebraico...... (see 80) Enoteca Vitae...... 118 G2 ...... 189 E2 Residenza Santo Spirito...... 27 D3 V Museo di Storia della Scienza...... 51 C4 Festival del Gelato...... 119 C2 YAB Club...... 190 B2 Via Museo Horne...... 52 D4 Filipepe...... 120 E5 EATING le dei Platani Museo Marino Marini...... (see 33) Gelateria Vivoli...... 121 D2 SHOPPING AI Tranvai...... 28 C3 Bellosguardo onti 5 Museo Salvatore Ferragamo...... (see 74) Gustavino...... 122 C3 Alessandro Dari...... 191 D5 All'Antico Ristoro di' Cambi..29 C2 Via V M Borgo Antico...... 30 D3 na ia Museo Storico-Topografico 'Firenze I Fratellini...... 123 C2 Ceruti...... 192 D2 d Canapone...... 31 D4 ri Com'Era'...... 53 D1 Il Latini...... 124 A2 II Bisonte...... 193 A2 e M Isolotto Le Barrique...... 32 C3 a i Palazzo Antinori...... 54 A1 Kosher Market...... 125 F1 Il Papiro...... 194 C1 ll ss Napoleone...... 33 C3 ENTERTAINMENT e pre d Ci Palazzo Bartolini-Salimbeni...... B3 La Botega del Cioccolato...... F3 Jamie Marie Lazzara...... C3 ei 55 126 195 Osteria dei Centopoveri...... 34 D1 British Institute of Florence..47 D3 a d i iale Palazzo Buondelmonti...... 56 B3 La Canova di Gustavino...... 127 C3 Lorenzo Villoresi...... 196 C5 Ristorante Beccofino...... 35 D3 Chiardiluna...... 48 A3 V V Giardino di Palazzo Corsini...... 57 A2 La Pentola dell' Oro...... 128 F2 Loretta Caponi...... 197 A2 Trattoria Angliono...... 36 D3 Cinema Fulgor...... 49 C1 Boboli (Boboli Trattoria Casalinga...... 37 D3 21 Piazza della Gardens) Palazzo Corsini-Suarez...... 58 A4 Leonardo...... 129 B1 Lory...... 198 A3 Piazale Calza Palazzo de'Mozzi...... 59 D5 Mercato Sant'Ambrogio...... 130 F2 Madova...... 199 B4 Trattoria da Ginone...... 38 D3 SHOPPING di Porta Trattoria dei 13 Gobbi...... D1 Antico Setifico Fiorentino..... B2 V Romana 39 50 ia 57 Palazzo dei Capitani di Parte Guelfa...... 60 B3 Oil Shoppe...... 131 D1 Mercato dei Pulci...... 200 F2 U Trattoria Sostanza...... 40 D1 Francesco...... 51 D3 Fo go Palazzo dei ...... 61 D2 Oilio & Convivium...... 132 A3 Pampaloni...... 201 B3 sco Vico del Carmine...... 41 B2 Plus Minus...... 52 D4 lo V Istituto i a Palazzo del Bargello...... (see 47) Oro d'Aria...... 133 G3 Paolo Pagliai...... 202 B4 l d'Arte Stefano Bemer...... 53 C2 e

d Palazzo dell'Antella...... 62 E3 Osteria de' Benci...... 134 D3 Parione...... 203 A2 DRINKING e l

P 6 Palazzo di Bianca Cappello...... 63 A4 Osteria del Caffè Italiano...... 135 D2 Pietro Bazzanti & Figlio...... 204 A2 Cabiria...... 42 D3 TRANSPORT o i g l e l g s a i Palazzo di Cosimo Ridolfi...... 64 A4 Osteria del Cianghale Bianco..136 A4 Pineider...... 205 C3 La Dolce Vita...... 43 C3 Avis...... 54 C1 o g e a I O!O...... 44 C3 Europcar...... 55 C1 n t m V Palazzo Frescobaldi...... 65 A3 Perchè No?...... 137 C2 Pusateri...... 206 C2 e n i a p a S e le Pop Café...... 45 D3 Hertz...... 56 C1 C r i Palazzo Martelli...... A4 Rifrullo...... E5 San Jacopo Show...... 207 A3 a a N 66 138 i a i l i e co V Sei Divino...... 46 D2 Parking...... 57 C6 V l Palazzo Martellini...... 67 A4 Ristorante Cibrèo...... 139 F2 Torrini...... 208 C1 ò Machiavelli FLORENCE plunging necklines. for visitors: shirts noshorts, or sleeveless closing time. ticket officesusuallyshut 30minutes before youareweek intown.Note thatmuseum of major openwhichever dayof sights the a year-round destinationandthere are plenty onMonday.ButFlorenceincluded) close is 95) page from (Continued 104 Most churches enforceastrictdress code at the fine art ofFlorentinethe fineart craftsmanship and adjoiningBaptistry eating choices( p141 ). Monte ( p127 ) forfeisty views,thendescendfordinneratoneoftheOltrarno’smany excellent and cross theriver uptoPiazzale andhike Michelangelo (p127) magazineatFabiolanguage newspaperorart Picchi’s Santo Spirito. Shouldaspotoftheatre appeal,dineat wherethe Oltrarnodistrict, youcoulddineinoneofthetraditionalTuscan restaurants alongVia Recover afterwards withastrollalongtheArno,crossing lems), scaleeitherBrunelleschi‘ its mainsquare. BackinFlorence, inthehills, andrelaxingits RomanandEtruscanremains, inthecafésandrestaurants walking on lowed bythe Bardini Gardens ( p124 Florentine) instead. Endthedaywithanall-essential wine-tasting or aspotofwine-tasting and Palazzo Vecchio ( p110 ) isfuntotour;orwhatabout the you missedorback-tracking tobitsthatleftyou wishingyouhadmore timetoexplore. Otherwise, ( p128 adaytriptoIlChianti( ) ormaking p164 oftheoldcitytoMedici Follow theprevious itinerary,andonthefifthdayconsiderheadingnorth ). Spendyourlastdayscoopingupthebits One Week Italiano sance intheMuseo delBargello ( p108 ), followedbylunchateither Follow theabove itineraryforthefirsttwodays. Usethemorningofdaythree todiscover Renais- Four Days withacappuccinoin yourself, starting office ticket ( opposite ) tobookslotsforlater thatdayandtwo. Then concentrate onenjoying If youdon’thave prebooked fortheUffiziandGalleriadell’Accademia,racestraighttoa tickets Two Days FLORENCE IN… Mercato Central foratripesandwichat –butgettheremarket bynoonatthelatest toensure atable;ifyou’re toolate, nipintothe foraspeedlunchtoremember at zip north the afternoon outsidethecityin La Mescita ( p137 ). Take abreak frommuseumsintheafternoon: go FLORENCE ••Sights Devote theafternoon to Start daytwowiththe Start Next ,visit BasilicadiSantaCroce Next Basilica di SanLorenzo ( p140),

Galleria dell’ La Canova diGustavino

( p107 prob- ) and,assumingyouhave aheadforheights(andnoheart Fra Angelicofrescoes ( p177 ) intheMuseo diSanMarco ( p144). Accademia

Piazza dellaSignoria ( p118 ), followedbyapeekinthe 17) r the or s dome(p107) Fiesole Alle Murate ( p139 sightseeingdinnerchoice. ) isasmart Caffè Gilli( p143 ). Explore thesplendid ( p119 ), hometoMichelangelo’s

Nerbone ( p154 ), enjoyingfantasticviewsover Florence, exploring ( p139 ) orthemore upmarket

( p150 ) orenjoyagreen strollthroughthe ( p121 ), followedbyalonglazylunchover anEnglish- Trattoria Mario ( p137 ) nearFlorence’s centralfood 17) instead. ( p137) your eyesopen. possible toplanatriparoundthis,butkeep is free of charge; dates change makingitim- time inspring),admissiontostatemuseums half-price. zens whoare aged 18and25pay between Florence’s forfree. statemuseums EUciti- as ID)aged under18andover 65get into withanEUpassport(haveThose itonyou FREE ENTRY &DISCOUNTS ( p111 ) andtheneighbouringUffizi For one week ofFor oneweek theyear(usuallysome Campanile Teatro delSale(p141). Teatro delSale( p141 ). Inthe afternoon Basilica diSantaMaria Novella Cappelle Medicee

( p107 ). Whenhungerbeckons, Chiesa diSanMiniatoal shopping , andasimplelunch Gustavino

( p123 ) foraglimpseof (opposite ) Duomo Osteria delCaffé

aperitivo 19) discover ( p149),

( p118). lonelyplanet.com 19) Spend ( p139). Boboli and

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( p112). ( p146) ( p115) its vastculturalheritage, admissiontoallstate the Medici familywhobequeathedthecity (1667–1743) died.Inhonourof thelastof ary, thedayAnnaMaria de’Medici Louisa lonelyplanet.com century. The oldest and most clearly Gothic century. TheoldestandmostclearlyGothic uncompleted original,torndowninthe16th tury byarchitect Emilio deFabris toreplace the Gothic façadewasdesignedinthe19thcen- took almost150years tocomplete. Itsneo- theworld’sfourth-largest di Cambio, cathedral tiny AliceinWonderland. building fromthepiazza–turnsyouintoavery and green marblefaçade–asyouapproach the size andvivacityof itsbreathtaking pink,white packed withdramaandintrigue,whilethesheer red-tiled domedominatingFlorence’s skylineis of month,massinEnglish5pmSat) 10am-4pmThu,10am-4.45pmSat,10am-3.30pm1stSat & Fri, dral; Map pp100-1 ; the Tower andRome’sColosseum, tion an Leaning icon of alongsidePisa’s Italy As thecity’smosticoniclandmark,nottomen- Duomo &Around isfreemuseums onthisday. One date that doesn’t shiftis 18Febru-One date thatdoesn’t Begun in 1296 by Sienese architect Arnolfo architect in1296bySienese Arnolfo Begun 7pm Tue-Sun) first to pay for/collect your ticket then again to actually getintothemuseum. thenagaintoactually yourticket first topayfor/collect holderstoadifferent ticket booked entrance;insummeryoumightwellhave toqueuetwice– need toquote whenyouarrive At atthesighttopayforyourticket. theUffizi,signspointpre- a real person,you’llbeallotted number,whichyou adate andtimetovisitabooking that swingthroughwiththefirstflush. gallery by7am;whenthedoorsopen at8.15am,youshouldbeamongthestream of visitors inhand,setthe alarmfor6amtobereadyno Uffiziticket andwaitinginthequeue outsidethe on dayoneforortwodayshenceisthesavvythingtodo. tickets reserving Forthosewith 6.30pm Mon-Fri, 8.30am-12.30pmSat) 6.30pm Mon-Fri, .com), call fee. forthoseagedunder18alsoincurthe€3booking tickets yourselfacoffee Make then Pitti, Museo del Bargello, MuseoArcheologico andtheMedicichapels(Cappelle Medicee).Free statali (state museums),includingtheUffizi,Galleriadell’Accademia(where on thedayofyour visit. at leastonedayin advance, printouttheemailconfirmation andpresent itatthecashier’sdesk time tozero (or,inthecaseofUffiziatpeaktimes,anhourorso). however, slasheswaiting ahead, can meanahotandstickywaitoffourtoseven hours!Booking In summerandbusy periods such asEaster, museums ridiculouslylongqueuestogetintokey CUT THEQUEUE In Florence, beprebooked canlikewise at tickets Online, museum tickets can also be booked through canalso bebooked Online, museumtickets Many hotels andB&Bs alsoprebook forguests. museumtickets For afee canbereserved uptoonedayin advancetoall13 tickets of€3perticket, Firenze Musei a web service for booking museums,galleries, showsandtours(commission€5.70). Reserve forbooking a webservice % at theUffizi( p112 ) andPalazzo Pitti ( p123 ) –fortravellers intownforafew days, FLORENCE••Sights 055 2302885; (Florence Museums; (Florence Museums; thrills. Its famous thrills.Itsfamous h 10am-5pm Mon-Wed 10am-5pm Mon-Wed and loiter intheinevitablephonequeue. Onceconnected with Duomo % 055 294883;www.firenzemusei.it; (Cathe- actually twoconcentricdomesbuiltfromred during constructionof thedome(1420–36), builders faced.Nosupportingframewasused much of agargantuan 15th-century task tobuilditbringhomejusthow winches used drumalreadyoctagonal completed in1417– one of fourdecorative exedrae aroundthe up the463stonesteps insideit. cannot befullyappreciated withoutstaggering afeat ofis indeed andonethat engineering 6yr €6/free; Florence’s famouscathedraldome the finestmasterpieces of theRenaissance, a greater dome,butnotafairer one’.Oneof ter’s inRome,hereportedly ‘Igotobuild said: When Michelangelo wenttoworkonStPe- DOME Maria delFiore (StMary of theFlower). reflecting diSanta itspropername–Cattedrale on thestem thatisthenave of thechurch andso trio of designedtoappearastheflowers apses, climb upinsidethedome).Wanderaround Gothiccreationcentury High (youenter here to by part of thecathedralisitssouthflank,pierced Firenze Musei informationdesks At thefirst stopforbreath ontheascent– (Canons’ Door),amid-14th- (Canons’ deiCanonici Porta Weekend aFirenze h 8.30am-7pm Mon-Fri, 8.30am-5.40pmSat) 8.30am-7pm Mon-Fri, h ticket reservations 8.30am- reservations ticket

David lives), Palazzo (www.weekendafirenze ( h (adult/under 8.30am- musei 105

FLORENCE FLORENCE FLORENCE hour uphere toenjoy (andrecuperate). beautiful cities.Allowyourself atleasthalfan 360-degree panorama of oneof Europe’smost inner dome–rewards with anunforgettable of the upthecurve flight final leg–astraight to innerwallof thedouble-walleddome. The cutfromtheouterand airlesspassageways as thegruellingmazeof narrowstonesteps Florence small windows flashpastthrough trail of colouracrosstheinterior of thedome. Judgment),thatblazeafiery Universale (Last and Frederico Zuccari,depictingthe late-16th-century frescoes byGiorgio Vasari drum. Lookupandstudythemesmerising stained-glass windowspiercingtheoctagonal of round thecathedralbelowandseven an aerialviewof coro(choir) theoctagonal and 45.5m-widedome,fromwhere youget ofup toabalustradeatthebase the91m-high his tombinthecathedralcrypt. Brunelleschi won,onlytodiemonths later; see the crowninglantern tocompetition–which againwhenauthoritiesthrewhimself open ade on,theFlorentine maestrohadtoprove architectevery before him.More thanadec- took theleadonaproject thathaddefeated the world’slargest church dome,hequickly Ghiberti tobuildwhatwouldbe,atthetime, was initiallycommissioned witharch-rival brick todesignsbyBrunelleschi.he Though 106 Continuing up (puff puff), snapshotsof puff), Continuing up(puff From theexedrae, steps spiralrelentlessly

„ „ „ „ „ everyone else–oratleastthevastmajority.Ourtoptricks: impossibleitmightseem,butplayyourcardsrightandispossibletogetawayfromMission TOP FIVETRICKSTOFLEETHECROWDS

IfyousucceedingettingintoFlorence’s infamous Forget Piazzale ( Michelangelo p127 ) withitstickytackysouvenir stalls;continuehigherto fortheUffizi( yourticket Whenprebooking p105 aslotforthelate), take afternoon when TovisittheBoboliGardens( p123 themainentrance(andhorridqueue)itshares with), skip Forget thebigsights;instead, downhiddentreasures devote timetotracking such as FLORENCE ••Sights Dec, to 5.30pm Mar, to 6.30pm Apr, May, Sep & Oct, to7.30pmJun-Aug), &Oct, Sep to6.30pmApr,May, Dec, to5.30pmMar, €6/3; &SilverMuseum Via deiBardi1r;adult/concessioninclBoboliGardens Chiesa di San Miniato alMonteChiesa diSanMiniato ( p127 ) towatchthesunsetover thecity. there are supposedlylesspeople. Palazzo Pitti. Enter thegardensinstead fromneighbouring ( p118) staircaseandvestibule intheBiblioteca Laurenziana curvaceous Michelangelo’s Medicea around thesesmallerbutsubstantiallybetter-kept gardensfirst. private promenadebetweenPalazzo Vecchio withPalazzo Pitti today. andstrungwithart leged few are allowedintothisenclosedwalkwaycommissionedbyCosimoIin1565asa 29 4883; h guided touronspecialrequest Giudizio ), you’llleave thecrowdsbehindyou.Onlyaprivi- dral notpaidforbythechurch): downthe reflection of thesizeablechunk of thecathe- inplaces(aIt isalsounexpectedly secular 155m longand90mwide,comesasasurprise. decoration of thecathedral’svastinterior, traordinary frescoes of thedome,sparse After thevisuallytumultuousfaçadeandex- INTERIOR glazed terracotta Resurrezione in thematerial. Above thedoorway ishis by LucadellaRobbia –hisonlyknown work iano. Thefinebronzedoors were executed andGiuliano daMa- byBenedetto carved of inlaidwood Sacristy), itspanellingamarvel isthe and theapse just westof thechoir stalls. ofstatues Apostles,asare thetwoheftypillars areinto each wingandtheapse fronted by chapels. Thepillars delimitingtheentrance the rear spread apse out,eachfive containing dome,thetwowings of and coed thetransept His Worlds). Michelino’s Dante ishonouredpoet withDomenicodi Florence inthe14thcentury;while‘divine’ of intheservice by Uccello–whofought SirJohn andright Hawkwooddel Castagno ies) –leftNiccolòdaTolentinobyAndrea portraytwo statues frescoes ofleft aisletwoimmense equestrian Corridoio Vasariano Between theleft(north)armof thetransept Between From thecentralchoir beneaththefres- Giardino Bardini allowing plentyoftimetostroll Dante eISuoi Mondi h 8.15am-4.30pm Jan,Feb, Nov& (Mass delleMesse Sagrestia condottieri ( Map pp100–1 ;

( % lonelyplanet.com (Resurrection). 055 2612214; (mercenar- (Dante and % 055 cathedral leadsdowntothecrypt and Lorenzo Ghibertipositively glow. atello, AndreaPaolo delCastagno, Uccello stained-glass windowsbyDon- Throughout, lonelyplanet.com several byArnolfo– several be-completed Gothic façade. Piecesinclude originalnever-to-from ArnolfodiCambio’s del Duomobythis book’spublication. the US,willreturn dell’Opera totheMuseo remaining three panels,currently ontourin yearstook 27painstaking tocomplete. The of Paradise) designedforthebaptistry–that masterpiece –the the original10panelsfromGhiberti’s glorious yard withitsawe-inspiringdisplayof of seven the Duomo,baptistryandcampanile. cathedral safeguards treasures onceadorning h Piazza delDuomo9;www.operaduomo.firenze.it; admission€6; the crowds, airyand Light, surprisingly overlooked by MUSEO DELL’OPERADELDUOMO dell’OperadelDuomo.the Museo by Donatellotheoriginalsin andothers; see niches of theupperstoreys are copiesof works of theProphetsandSibylsin The sacraments. virtues, theartsandseven tierdepicttheplanets,cardinal second onthe umane (artsandindustries).Those depicting theCreation of Man andthe butpossiblydesignedbyGiotto, by Pisano, of thecampanileare copiesof carved those The first tierof bas-reliefs aroundthebase rea andFrancescoTalenti Pisano tofinish it. of thebelltowerwascomplete, leaving And- erally). not recommended forthefaint-hearted (lit- 6yr €6/free; up thegraceful,82m-high Equally physicalistheheady414-step climb CAMPANILE is alsohere, besidethegiftshop. of churches. earlyItalian Brunelleschi’s tomb of floor,typical sections theoriginalmosaic Roman pottery, architectural fragmentsand stood onthesite. There’s a small displayof which Reparata, originally diSanta tury Chiesa vations have unearthedpartsof the5th-cen- h The main room is devoted tostatuaryThe mainroom is devoted A stairway nearthemainentranceofA stairway the Make fortheglass-toppedcourt- abeeline Architect Giottodied before thebuilding 10am-5pm Mon-Fri, 10am-4.45pmSat) 10am-5pm Mon-Fri, 9am-7.30pm Mon-Sat,9am-1.40pmSun) h 8.30am-7.30pm) FLORENCE••Sights Museum Cathedral Porta delParadisoPorta (Doors Boniface VIII, , anotherescapade bell tower , where exca- behindthe Mp pp100-1; (Map (admission €3; (adult/under attività The the eastern doors. Another28years of work, Church. the fourEvangelists and four fathers of the Testament, lower onesshow andtheeight top 20panelsrecount episodesfromtheNew 20 years completingthenorthern doors: the bronze. AvictoriousGhibertispentthenext Old Testament of of tale in thesacrifice Isaac artists, includingBrunelleschi, whocastthe lowing acontestsix leading in1401between andthird,fol- Ghiberti sculpted thesecond lustrate the life of Lorenzo StJohn theBaptist. told. TheearliestbyAndrea (1336)il- Pisano of humanityandtheRedemptionwouldbe ceived of asaseries panelsinwhich thestory built onthesite of aRomantemple. thick blackdirtcovering thefaçade),itwas marble (hardtomake daysamid the outthese stripedstructureoctagonal of white andgreen €3; 11th-century Romanesque at theeastern entranceof thiswonderful, domes…and doors, asthegildedbronzedoors Ghiberti andBrunelleschi competed for BAPTISTRY Mary Magdalene. representation of agaunt,desperately desolate the centre of anadjoiningroom,hiswooden the belltower,and,dramaticallyplacedin gaze of hisProphet Habakkuk, originallyin byDonatello are thehaunted carvings several amid somuch sombre piety.Moststrikingof dren atplayaddarefreshingly frivoloustouch theirscenesofsacristy, musiciansandchil- face each other. Originallyinthecathedral’s Donatello, theotherbyLucadellaRobbia – carved figure. lo’s later restored thearmandcompleted the the figure of Christ.Astudentof Michelange- sculpture, destroyingthearmandleftlegof work, Michelangelo broke uptheunfinished both thequalityof themarbleandof hisown in hisLives of the with that,dissatisfied Artists intended forhisowntomb.Vasari recorded known piece,Michelangelo’s statues. evangelist outamongthefourmighty ing beard,stands Donatello’s Virgin andChild andSantat Reparata –and Continue upstairs, apairof exquisitely Decades of toilforGhiberti climaxed with The baptistryhasthreeof sets doors, con- best- On themezzanineismuseum’s h noon-7pm Mon-Sat,8.30am-2pmSun) cantorie cantorie St John, which, withitslongflow- (singing galleries)–oneby baptistry Pietà, aworkhe testify. An (admission

107 FLORENCE FLORENCE FLORENCE ment awaiting himinthe afterlife shouldhe experiencing ahellishvision of thepunish- Ugo of Tuscany.Ugo continuedher workafter founded byWilla, themotherof Margrave cloister 3-6pmMon,church 7am-6pmTue-Sat &Sun pm) (Florence Abbey;Map pp100-1 ; ViadelProconsolo; Recently restored 10th-century BADIA FIORENTINA into thecourtyard. days,butyou can peek asofficesthese It’s used clearly influencedbyPalazzo Medici-Riccardi. pp100–1 ), constructed a centuryearlierand theequallyproud stands ing’s name. completelynever finished, hencethebuild- is Palladian instyle,buttheupperfloors were completed the1stfloorandcourtyard,which andothersStrozzi family,in1593.Buontalenti Map pp100–1 ), aresidence formembers of the Palazzo Nonfinito(literally ‘Unfinished Palace’, startedworkonthe Buontalenti Bernardo VIA DELPROCONSOLO From theDuomotoPiazzadellaSignoria least Giovanni coulddo. his willtobeburiedinthebaptistry,itwas askedinto papalbanking.SowhenCossa in credited withmakingtheMedici rich –break Bicci de’Medici (1360–1429)–theMedici but asantipopehehadhelpedGiovanni di washardlyasaint, Cossa antipope John XXIII, are itsChristinMajesty 12th century.Thestars of thisvibrantceiling craftsmen over 32years towardstheendof the cluding Cimabue, andcarriedoutbyVenetian wasdesignedbyTuscanartists,in- spectacle were startedin1225andtheglittering dome arresting decorative feature. intheapse Those grubby) where formthesinglemost mosaics baptistry’s façadecontinuesinside(less dell’OperaDuomofortheoriginals. Museo taken awayforrestoration);been turntothe copies (inturn,pawedsomuch theytoohave Paradise), are hencetheirname. Whatyousee delParadisothem fittobethePorta (Gate of stood before thedoors inaweanddeclared reliefs that,manyyears later, Michelangelo in 10panels.Soextraordinarywere thebas- they depictscenesfromtheOldTestament 108 sculpted byDonatello. knownasthe Better (1370–1419) cent tombof Cossa Baldassare The grubbytwo-coloured marbleonthe On theothersideof Borgo degliAlbizi To the right of liesthemagnifi- To theright theapse FLORENCE ••Sights andLast Judgment. Palazzo deiPazzi (Map Badia Fiorentina h frescoed was

Tue-Sat, 2nd&4thSunofthemonth) mission €4,audioguidefor1/2€5.50/7; and 16th-centurysculpture. Unfortunately ground-floor toMichelangelo halldevoted grape-adorned commissioned himtocreate thedrunken Michelangelo wasjust22whenacardinal hiscreator’ssee earlyworksintheBargello. of sculpture. TuscanRenaissance mostcomprehensive Italy’s houses collection pp100-1; (Map century until1502.As the istrate) meted outjustice fromthelate 13th Podestà, thatthepodestà liest publicbuildingalsocalledPalazzo del del Bargello (Map pp100–1 ), Florence’s ear- It wasinsidethegauntexterior of Palazzo PALAZZO DELBARGELLO remain forrenovation. closed Thebelltowerandfrontcloister St Benedict. 15th-century frescoes illustratingthelife of lery overlooking thecloister, decorated with of leaduptoanopengal- to theright thealtar Fiesole’s monumenttoMargrave Ugo. Stairs ter. Attheleftendof isMinoda the transept church clois- thesmallRenaissance through Bernard (1485),totheleftasyouenter the pino Lippi’sAppearance of the Virgin toSt limelight withJason limelight and amenagerie of animalsjostlefor the gna’s portrayalsof Architecture, Geometry Moving Giambolo- upstairs totheLoggia, asa beardedman–isequallyimpressive.Pisa Florence – portrayedasawoman, Pisa over of marble. Giambologna’s from asingleblock forbeingcarved notable (1560), apowerfulportrayalof dominance magnificent be abletoviewedfromallangles withhis Danti, demonstrates howasculpture should laterRenaissance’s ,Vincenzo room,exponentoflifting. Inthesame the (Ganymede) feeding afalconmeatisup- playful marbleGanimede whose nuto Cellini, hisAdam&Eveinelli (see here) andBenve- sculpture Band- wasdominated byBaccio a very humanlight. the Madonna andChildwiththeinfantStJohn, to abanker. Theartist’s large roundelof the the cardinaldidn’tlike theresult andsoldit not repentFilip- hissins.Visitsimplytosee Crowds claw to see Crowds clawtosee After Michelangelo leftFlorence in1534, Tondo Pitti, portraysthehalo-bare pairin % Honour Triumphs overHonour Triumphs Deceit 055 2388606;ViadelProconsolo4;ad- (1589),the formidable David butfew rushto Florence Triumphs

displayed inthe (governing mag- Museo delBargello Museo today, theplace lonelyplanet.com h 8.15am-1.50pm

hall until last and start insteadhall untillastandstart withtheSala chronological order?Save theMichelangelo fleece. Francavilla; noteof thedetail thedeadewe’s late-mannerist sculpture of hispupilPietro lonelyplanet.com palette of colours. ther Luca’s orcousinAndrea’s, using alarger more elaborate andflamboyantthaneither fa- recognisable,Instantly Giovanni’s worksare of aBoy;c1475) andGiovanni’s Andrea’s ing someof theirbest-knownworks,such as by theprolificdellaRobbia family,includ- with asuperbcollectionof terracottapieces in Paradise. portrait of Dante,aspartof standing acrowd, prison. Allthemore remarkable wasGiotto’s the chapel wasturnedintoastore roomand otto were notdiscovered until1840when frescoesfrescoed byGi- onthewalls.These Chapel, where Podestà, alsoknownastheMary Magdalene execution del inthepalace’s1st-floor Capella 15th-century collection. of last themuseum’s (1475–80), ahighlight in Verrocchio’s Noblewoman with Bouquet hand of tobeseen theyoungmaestroissaid asapprenticeLeonardo in1469. Thedeft Florence workshop tookon a17-year-old chio, master another Renaissance whose – sculpted 15years later byAndrea Verroc- decapitated, heavily beardedheadathisfeet ish Davids withthe classical times.Compare twoearlyboy- these naked tobesculptedstanding statue since so whenyouconsideritwasthefirst free- 1450. Thelatter isextraordinary–themore 1440andand hisfabledbronzebetween youthful dressed image inmarble1409 fascinate: Donatello fashionedhisslender, a favourite subjectforsculptors, which really sculpture. of perspectivesense andmovement toItalian GiorgioSan (StGeorge; anew 1416)brought atthehall’sfarend,Donatello’stabernacle diOrsanmicheleChiesa andnowwithina can beenjoyed.Originallyonthefaçadeof atello andotherearly-15th-centurysculptors the city’sgeneral councilmet,worksbyDon- majestic where Salonedel Consiglio Generale di Donatello onthe1stfloor. Here, inthe Keen todiscover sculpture Renaissance in Criminals received theirlastrites before Yet itisDonatello’s twoversions of David, The 2ndfloormoves intothe16thcentury Ritratto Idealizia diFanciullo FLORENCE••Sights Hell andParadise are finely David (1465) –Goliath’s Pietà (1514). (Bust with coloured marble,byAndrea Orcagna. decoratedis thesplendidGothictabernacle, tacky souvenirtacky andleather stalls. pp100-1 Rossa) ; ViaPorta Nuovo gold tradedatthe Mercato to protect such merchandise aswool,silkand builtinthemid-16thcentury to thisloggia, bringsyou A strollsouthdownViaCalimala MERCATO NUOVO ( p143 ) flankthesquare today. (see p123 of thecity’soldestcafes). Several was saved and re-erected onViaPietrapiana delPesce (FishMarket;Loggia Map pp100–1 ) Jewish andsurrounding slums.Vasari’s ghetto involving thedemolitionof theoldmarket, an ambitiousplanof ‘civicimprovements’ square wascreated inthe 1880s aspartof heart of Florence, medieval thispeople-busy Originally thesite of aRomanforumand the PIAZZA DELLAREPUBBLICA 5pm Tue-Sun) % the remainthe middleonViaArte in dellaLana) Ghiberti’s bronze delBargello,such as in theMuseo butseveral of thegreatest artists;manyare Renaissance and 16thcenturies,represent theworkof some around thebuilding’sexterior. of inniches theirpatronsaints andtabernacles and commissioned sculptors toerect statues ordered theguildstofinanceitsdecoration ate achurch. The were walledinduringthe14thcenturytocre- Unusually thearcadesof anoldgrainmarket CHIESA DIORSANMICHELE in thechurch. Donati;bothwomenareried Gemma buried Portinariandmar- first Beatrice spiedmuse , iswhere thepoet known astheChiesadiDante Margherita limited displayinsidemildlydiverting. with aspecialinterest mayfind the inthepoet any claimsthathelivedbelieve init!Those the foundationsof Dante’s dwelling,sodon’t month, closedlastSunofmonth) h pp100-1; The MUSEO CASADIDANTE&AROUND These statues, commissionedover statues, These the15th Up theroad,11th-centuryChiesadiSanta 055 2 38 85; Via Arte dellaLana;admissionfree; 055 23885;ViaArte 10am-5pm Tue-Sat, 10am-1pm Sun, 10am-4pm 1st Sun of 10am-5pm Tue-Sat, 10am-1pmSun,10am-4pm1stSunof diDante Casa Museo Chiesa e Museo diOrsanmichele Chiesa eMuseo % 055 219416; 1;admission€3; Via SantaMargherita . Themainfeature of theinterior (Map (Map pp100-1 ; ViaSantaMargherita) San MatteoSan signoria (citygovernment) . Sadlyit now onlyshelters was builtin1910above (Dante’s Museum House; Map House;Map (Dante’s Museum (StMatthew; in (New Market; Map Map (New Market; Mp pp100-1; (Map h , also

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109 FLORENCE FLORENCE FLORENCE Greek marbleoriginalintheUffizi. Rub the of aboar,anearly-17th-centurycopyof the lino imposing fortress palacewithits striking of The traditional seat government, Florence’s PALAZZO VECCHIO Palazzo Vecchio). andHolofernes;erne (Judith originalinside delBargello;Museo p108 ) and heraldic Florentine lion(fortheoriginalsee p120 ). DittoforDonatello’s Marzocco, the but isnowintheGalleriadell’Accademia; not the entrancetoPalazzo Vecchio since 1910is marble, bymanyaFlorentine. white thing), nottomentionawaste of good and ismuch mocked as at itsedges, thishuge ishardlypretty headed bronzesatyrs anddivinitiesfrolicking Nettuno ground infrontof Ammannati’sFontanadi marked byabronzeplaqueembeddedinthe a yearlater. as aheretic alongwithtwoothersupporters minican monkwashunginchains andburnt ofVanities in1497,andwhereBonfire theDo- mirrors, fineclothesandon–hisfamous pieces ontothepyre), musicalinstruments, and Michelangelo bothhurledacoupleof the city’sart–books,(Botticelli pious preacher-leader to Savonarolalight set terrible itwashere suffering: thatvehemently alternated ofand circumstance withthose and victoryforothers. Scenesof great pomp frequently meantruinforsomerulingfamilies plebiscite) torubber-stamp decisionsthat be calledhere asa thepeoplewould numerable politicalcrises, tory thananyother. morehas witnessed inFlorentine events his- ofequestrian statue CosimoIbyGiambologna café-lined piazzapiercedatitscentre withan of itsmostcelebrated buildings,thislovely out the centuries andsurroundedbysome The hubof thecity’spoliticallife through- Piazza dellaSignoria return toFlorence. thelegend –you’reand –sogoes boundto porker’s snout,throwacoinintothefountain 110 At itssouthernendisthe No, themuch-photographed David spotwhereThe same bothfires burntis Whenever FlorenceWhenever entered oneof itsin- the original(which stoodhere until1873 (Piglet Fountain) and the bronze statue andthebronzestatue (Piglet Fountain) FLORENCE ••Sights (Neptune Fountain). Withitspin- (Neptune Fountain). parlamento (people’s il biancone(thebig Fontana delPorcel- Giuditta eOlof- guarding cal dramaandintrigueisbythematicguided municipal council. power, hometothemayor’sofficeand 9am-2pm Thu) additional tour€1,familyof4/5€14/16; visit plusguidedtouradult/18-25yr/3-17yr€8/6.50/3,each 82 24;Piazza adult/18-25yr/3-17yr€6/4.50/2, dellaSignoria; Palazzo Vecchio then onwards,theducalpalacewascalled Medici familymoved inanyway1549.From she diedbefore theworkwasfinished,but Ironically, andwithadashof , poetic the waydemandingEleonorawanted. Palazzo Pittiinstead. at theresult andpersuaded herconsorttobuy up Eleonora deToledo,whoturnedhernose the interior –tothehorrorof hissnootywife, missioning Vasari torenovate anddecorate residence andcentre of government, com- ensuring amplecomingsandgoings. nine newnameswere pulledoutof thehat, Signoria lived inthepalace. Every twomonths guild members picked atrandom– their shorttimeinofficethenine original namePalazzo dellaSignoria. During Florence, andRenaissance henceits dieval 1298 and1314forthesignoria thatruledme- between was designedbyArnolfodiCambio as much asymbolof thecityasDuomo. It crenellations and94m-high covering thewalls,not asaprince,but as an pearing in oneof the 34 emblematicpaintings artists todecorate thestudy, Francescoap- Vasari and ateam of topFlorentine mannerist mad sonFrancesco I.Cosimocommissioned studiolo (study)of hisintroverted, alchemy- intimate more butsubstantially sumptuous door andexited byanother–withtheequally lection, entered byonecarefully concealed no larger thanacupboard forhisprivate col- tesoretto bytheFlorentines ayearlater. Florence, packingbackto onlytobesent Lordofthe palaceandnominated himself Duke of AthensWalter deBriennewhoseized a tinydooronViadellaNinna)forFrench walls in1342asanescaperoute (emerging at staircase sage tour. Groupsof 12are ledalongthesecret the bestof theadultbunch isthesecret-pas- there are forchildrentour: several ( p130 ) and The bestwaytodiscover thisdenof politi- But ittooktimetofitoutPalazzo Pittijust In 1540CosimoImadetheplacehisducal Another narrow stone staircase linksthe Another narrowstonestaircase built between thepalace’ssuper-thickbuilt between (treasury) of CosimoI–atinyroom . Itremains of thecity’s theseat (Old Palace; Map pp100-1 ;

h Torre d’Arnolfois Torre lonelyplanet.com 9am-7pm Fri-Wed, 9am-7pm Fri-Wed, % priori priori

in the 055 276 – treasures. andothercurious his shells,stones,crystals 20 cabinetsinwhich theyoungprincehid gunpowder. Thelowerpaintingsconcealed scientistexperimentingwith inconsequential lonelyplanet.com proved thatallthree died frommalaria. death by Cosimo:investigations have since to the other,onlyfor theothertobestabbed at theage of 40after one of hersonsstabbed fromabrokenso thestorygoes heartin1562 Eleonara had11children withCosimo,dying frescoes byBronzinointhechapel. Inall, ro’s Ghirlandaio, inspired bydesignsfromNe- VerdeCamera (Green Room)byRidolfodel of thepalace. Ofnote istheceilingin blaring thegloryof theMedici astherest heavy-handedwaiting bearthesame décor apartments forbothherandladies-in- the hall, Cosimo’sfractiouswife comestolife in ismesmerising. effect which rest simplyonawoodenframe. The ceiling andpaintthe34gold-leafed panels, Michelangelo, justtwoyears toconstructthe Vasari andhisschool,with inconsultation tours experience. –isastaggering Ittook accessibleonlytosecret-passagestaircase reachedwood trusses byyetanotherhidden from above the25hefty fir- –frombetween Viewingtheresultnal ceiling7minheight. fore commissioningVasari theorigi- toraise the exquisite panelledceiling–butnotbe- portrayedasagodinthecentrehimself of celebration of hisownpower,Cosimohad Tower’).Totopoffthisunabashed Leaning are depicted bare of armour(play‘Spotthe andSiena:unlike thePisans Pisa theSienese, tine victoriesbyCosimoIover arch rivals and hisapprentices, which glorifyFloren- tle scenes,painted floortoceilingbyVasari sizeaside,are sheer though, theswirlingbat- finished intheartist’sstudiowhenhedied. Rome andPopeJuliusII’stomb,butleftun- della Vittoria of (Genius Victory),destinedfor isMichelangelo’sfloor level sculpture end of of the15thcentury.Star theshowat (Council of 500)thatruledFlorence atthe accommodate theConsigliodeiCinquecento within theoriginalbuildingin1490sto Cinquecento magnificent 53m-long,22m-wideSalonedei What impresses mostaboutthisroom Completely oversized bycontrastisthe Across the balcony taking youaboveAcross thebalconytaking the Quartiere diEleonoraToledo. Quartiere Domus Aurea inRome;andthevibrant (16th-Century Room),created(16th-Century FLORENCE••Sights Theprivate Genio Piazza de’Giudici 1;adult/concession €6.50/4; of Science bizarre collectionof the ous stages of childbirth are inthe highlights wax andplasticcutaway models of thevari- of timeand distance, space, andaroomfullof Telescopes, instruments forthemeasurement MUSEO DISTORIADELLASCIENZA of Ponte Vecchio. which originallystoodnearthesouthernend Nesso (Hercules Nessus), withtheCentaur Giambologna’s works,ErcolecolCentauro isanotheroffinal work.Insidetheloggia ofdelle Sabine theSabine;1583),his (Rape isGiambologna’sManneristthe right (1545) brandishing theheadof Medusa. To of magnificentbronzestatue Cellini’s sculptures andtouristsfromtheraintoday. mind peoplewhowasincharge. Itshelters mercenaries, armedwithlances,here tore- Manzi hisSwiss whenCosimoIstationed assumedthenameof dei subsequently Loggia public ceremonies, (Map thisloggia pp100–1 ) Built inthelate 14thcenturyasaplatformfor LOGGIA DELLASIGNORIA from thepolarregions totheCaribbean. everywhere intheknown worldatthetime, and of varyingdegrees of accuracy,charting tion of 16th-centurymaps,often rudimentary CosimoI’sfascinatingcollec- Room), houses other room, where Machiavelli plotted forawhile. The Botticelli. be oneof byotherartists,including aseries figures fromRomanhistory,wasmeantto Ghirlandaio’s onthefarwall,depicting Oloferne of Donatello’s powerfulcarving at theremarkable coffered ceilingandenjoy public, thatdecorates three of thewalls,look fleur-de-lys, representing theFlorentine Re- To theleftof thestepsBenvenuto stands A smallstudyoffthehallischancery, In theSaladeiGigli,namedafter itsfriezeof €21/24) (per adult/18-25yrs/3-17yrs€8/6/3,familyof4/5 Palazzo Vecchio? Buya mine ( p126 ), Cappella Brancacci( p126 ) and Visiting theBasilicadiSantaMariadelCar- CENT SAVER

. (Judith andHolofernes).(Judith Domenico Mp pp100-1 ; (Map (Map Geografiche Sala delleCarte % 055 265311; www.imss.fi.it; Museum of the History oftheHistory Museum combined ticket Guiditta e h Perseus 9.30am- Ratto 111

FLORENCE FLORENCE FLORENCE h 18yr €6.50/3.25/free, 85-minaudioguidefor1/2€5.50/8; % Uffizi anticlimax. etc,canbearealon loantoothermuseums groups youjostlewith,workstemporarily visit moreover, dependingonhowmanytour hours. Theactual inlineforseveral standing ably involves thealarmfor6amand setting visit. Incredibly really, given getting ininvari- to Florence, artlover ornot,feels obliged to this world-famous visitor artgallerythatevery an immediate awe- inspiring mystiqueover circusof aticketsary?) snagging ( p105 ) casts justtheridiculous(isit second: Forget theworld-famous masterpieces fora The Uffizi accusers. as ifatimelessriposte tohisInquisition desiccated middlefinger,skywards, raised ance, 9am-1pmSat) 4.30pm Mon-Fri, 112 Yet thatisthepowerof the Loggia dellaSignoria framingtheother sideoftheUffizi onPiazza dellaSignoria. wiseresponse:bed frame’.Isozaki’s reflection acontemporary, ofFlorence’s cutting-edge historic of medievalFlorence –much tothegleeofcriticswho’dalready slammeditas an‘abandoned in2000wasshelvedArata Isozaki five years later after bulldozers duguparchaeological ruins exitdesignedforthe16th-centurygalleryonPiazzaand cutting-edge Castellani byJapaneseartist world’s mostpricelessart. the preposterous ideaofinteractive exhibitsaidingvisitorsintheirnavigation ofsomethe fromtheoriginals’,media distracts continuedDrTartuferi, hisheaddogmatically at shaking because oflackdisplayspace. workshaveyears hundreds underwrapsinstorage,simply beenkept ifnotthousandsofart ‘New Uffizi’;www.nuoviuffizi.eu inItalian; andaconstant‘workinprogress’) willembrace. For so on’,headdedreferring Nuovi tothegreater historytheso-called Uffizi(literally periodofart will have manynewrooms,forexamplearoomthe13th-centuryItalianpaintingsand Angelo Tartuferi, ‘Butwe collection. chiefcuratoroftheUffizi’smedievalto15th-centuryart don’t holdyourbreath. crane hittheFlorence skylineinearly2007.Hoped-for completiondate: 2010,maybe,possibly, way backin1997);implementingitistheproblem.Eventually, finally,yearstoolate, thefirst revamp pledging project tomore thandoublethe5400-sq-mstate galleryin size wasannounced gallerysucksinterms ofmuseumdesignandefficiency. but Italy’siconicart vast, worldfamousandrammedtotherafters withthevery bestoftheRenaissanceit mightbe, alone explainedinEnglish;andworld-classmasterpieces jostlefor limited wallspace. Historic, The lighting in placesisatrocious;thevitalstatisticsofsomeworksare noteven let marked, THE UFFIZI:FACE OFTHEFUTURE 8.15am-6.35pm Tue-Sun) 055 2388651;adult/18-25yrwithEUpassport/under FLORENCE ••Sights Indeed traditionseemsdetermined todoggedlyreign over modern theUffizi:startlingly ‘The new traditionalway ofpresentationAsked ifnewmediawouldplayapart: isimportant; ‘The backbone ofthegallery,sequencecurrent rooms,willremain thesame’,saidDr theUffiziurgently needsafacelift. YetIn short, thisinitselfisnottheissue(a€49million (Uffizi Gallery; Map Map Gallery; (Uffizi pp100-1 ; Piazzale 6; degliUffizi preserved like relic, asaintly preserved isGalileo’s . Butthepiècederésist- ,

a legend initsown really Galleria degli Galleria neces- in 1560. ary andguilds–onthebanksof theArno offices) forthecity’sadministrators, judici- a government-office building(uffizi and buildthisgargantuan U-shapedpalace – Cosimo Icommissioned Vasari todesign THE PALACE the square below. gathered tolisten tomusicperformanceson raced hanginggardenwhere theMedici clan grand olddaysof theduke, thiswastheter- €1.60/4.50) andfabulousviews.Duringthe up/sittingdowncappuccino standing snacks(pizza/panini€3.50/4.50, light serving café(onlyaccessibleonceyou’re in) rooftop spend thedayhere, theUffizi hasalovely ests youmost). preselect which artists orperiodof artinter- and 1555masterpieces properlyinonevisit– (don’t dream of viewingthe50-plusrooms sizealoneimpresses, itssheer Palazzo degliUffizi and Tate. Fillingthevast,oversized U-shaped upthereright withtheHermitage, Louvre Should youhave to stamina themental

lonelyplanet.com means en route. theUffizithrough andacross Ponte Vecchio link Palazzo Vecchio andPalazzo Pitti,cutting ridor begunayearlater thantheUffizi to the lonelyplanet.com some rooms are likely to betemporarily closed space inthelate 17thcentury. the westcorridor that wasturnedintogallery 1580. Theportraits andantiquesculptures line ridor whereof theUffizi theseeds were sown in Medici familyportraitshangingintheeastcor- the decoratingtheceilingand corridors,hour canbespentinthese admiring the mysterious CorridoioVasariano. Agood view inFlorence of crowdedPonte Vecchio and corridoio), fromwhere youcanenjoythefinest They are linked atoneendbyaloggia doio dilevante) off twodramaticallylongcorridors –east(corri- ofon the3rdfloorinaseries numbered rooms collections thatare themoststriking. masterpiece-rich andmannerist Renaissance 18th-century Venetian paintings.Butitisits art historyfromancientGreek sculpture to the collectionspanswholegambitof Arranged inchronological orderbyschool, THE COLLECTION collection were alsodestroyed. ing five people.the Documentscataloguing exploded outsidethegallery’swestwing,kill- 1993 whenacarbombplanted bytheMafia artworks were destroyedorbadlydamaged in lections inturnhave moved been here. Several Archeologico, andothercol- and theMuseo have moved been delBargello totheMuseo Florentine artwassealed. world’s singlegreatest collectionof and Italian leave thecity.Florence’s fate asbearer of the the dealbeingcollectionshould never- inherited itfromAnnaMaria whenshe died, and thefortuneof luckyoldFlorence who family’s private artcollectionwasenormous– the lastof theMedici familydiedin1743,the the buildingwasfinallycomplete. Bythetime a passioninherited fromhisfather. In1580 works of artkeenly collected byFrancescoI, ing theupperfloorof the thepalacetohouse over theUffizi project, modify- Buontalenti took Alfonso Parigi Buontalenti andBernando Vasari wasalsothedesignbrainbehind As expansion plansslowly cometofruition, Following Vasari’s deathin1564,architects As inthe16thcentury,worksare displayed theyears,of sections Over thecollection 16) a rvt cor- private a (p106), Vasariano Corridoio (corridoio di ponente). and west(corridoio diponente). FLORENCE••Sights (secondo (secondo as hedirects thelances, horses and soldiers forts tocreate perspective withamusing effect of(Battle San Romano)showstheartist’sef- Uccello’s striking La Battaglia Romano di San and ’sNational Gallery)fromPaolo one panel(theothertwoare intheLouvre (room 7)thatpioneered theRenaissance. The of theearly-15th-centuryFlorentine school A concernfor perspective wasahallmark Renaissance Pioneers knownasGiottodiStefano). erwise 1851 –bygifted Giottopupil,Giottino(oth- Pietà traordinary gold-leafworkof strate: savour thedepthof realism andex- counterparts, asworksinroom4demon- much attention astheirSiennese todetail from theplagueinSiena1348. Ambrogio andhisartisticbrotherPietrodied realismsame asGiotto;unfortunately both Ambrogio Lorenzetti, which demonstrates the e Santi (Madonna withChildandSaints)by of note isthetriptych the 14thcentury–focusof room3.Also and isamasterpiece of school of theSienese theMadonna oftion; 1333)sets gold inasea ni’s shimmering andGiottomaster Cimabue.segna painted some25years after thatof Buonin- Madonna andchild amongangels andsaints, realism overtones inGiotto’sportrayalof the Renaissance. Note theovertly naturalistic sition fromGothictotheprecursor of the throned inroom2clearlyreflect thetran- Giotto likewise featuring theMadonna en- Cimabue andGiotto–apolyptych by by Tuscanmasters DucciodiBuoninsegna, Madonna inMaestà (Madonna Enthroned) churches viewedinchronological order– Three large fromFlorentine altarpieces Century Tuscan Masters: 12thCentury to14th at www.virtualuffizi.com. .firenze.it/English; thegallerycatalogue search by-room breakdown, visitwww.polomuseale thatday.Foranupdated room- what’s closed ticket boothandatthemainentrance say andhischiaroscuro cronies. Caravaggio area affected willbethe1st-floor hang-outof and thecontents of others changed; themain Masters in14th-centuryFlorence paid as period,SimoneMarti-Dating tothesame Upon arrivalatthegallery,boards (1360–65) –displayedintheUffizi since Annunciazione Madonna colBambino San Reminio San (Annuncia- 113

FLORENCE FLORENCE FLORENCE their seven cardinalandtheologicalvalues their seven and PierodelPollaiolo,fillroom9,where his sonFilippino. (1439–47), which hangsalongsideworksby as apodgyfriarin outtheartist’sself-portrait scandal. Search marrying anunfromPratoandcausinghuge unfortunate soft spotforearthlypleasures, painted jointlybyMasaccio andMasolino. donna colBambino(Madonna withChild) portrait of solemnhumanityreflected inMa- are whollyhumanistinspirit.So,too,isthe the posthumousportraitdiptych was– the latter painted a deathlywhite reflecting eyeinajoustingaccidentand losing hisright former alwayspainted fromtheleftsideafter red-robed Duke andDuchess of –the traits (1465;room8)of thecrooked-nosed, celebrates Florence’s victoryover . point:thepainting to acentraldisappearing 114 Another related pair,brothers Antonio monkFilippoLippihadanCarmelite Piero dellaFrancesca’sfamousprofile por-

„ „ „ „ „ Ditch thetraditionalroom-by-roomaudioguide:setyourselfanalternative tour. FIVE TOPFIVES

Nudes: Adoration oftheMagi: GentileDaFabriano (International GothicStyle;rooms5and6); Treasures: Hidden Leonardo daVinci’s Masterpieces: Botticelli’s Madonna and Child:MadonnacolBambinoedueAngeli FLORENCE ••Sights Man the Roses;room28);andParmigianino’s del Cardellino (MadonnaoftheGoldfinch;room26); Titian’s Renaissance; room20). (Renaissance; rooms10–14);Leonardo daVinci (Renaissance;room15);andDürer (German Filippino Lippi(Renaissance;room8);Botticellirooms10–14);Ghirlandaio cigno ( shownoffinthesmalloval roombuilttohousethedowryofFerdinandoportraits I’swife. the westwing;andworld’ssecond-largest ofminiatures collection comprising472small to themysterious CorridoioVasariano, wedgedbetweenroom25and34atthefarendof shops byLudovico Buti intheSaladiMantgena ediCorreggio (room23);thesecret entrance and Hercules’decapitated head;theceilingfrescoes (1588)ofweaponandgunpowderwork- student ofVerrocchio; Botticelli’stwinsetofminiature panels(room9)starringwarriorJudith into Paris (room41);Rembrandt’sSelf-Portrait, Portrait ofanOldMan Enrico IVaParigi 10–14); Titian’s Flora and Angels),otherwiseknownas gels) byFilippo Lippi(room8);Sarto’s room 29). Eva ( Adam) &Eva (room 44);andCaravaggio’s (Leda and theSwan;room32). Medici Venus (LaTribuna); Eve; bothroom 20);Titian’s Coronation of the Virgin portraying French HenriIVattheBattleofIvryandhistriumphalmarch King portraying (room 28);Ruben’s Primavera Sacrificio d’Isacco Sleeping Hermaphrodite Madonna dalColloLungo (Spring) andLa NascitadiVenere Annunciazione (room 26); Raffaello’s Madonna colBambino(room26);Raffaello’s Enrico IVallaBattagliadiIvry Madonna colBaminoeAngeli Urbino Venus (room28);andTintoretto’s bered 10to14,butonelarge hallinfact–a in aglasscabinetroom9. Decapitated Holofernes inhisTent displayed ofCamp Holofernes andtheDiscovery of the a sword-bearing Judithreturning fromthe oftwin set Botticelli’sminiatures depicting toBotticelli,mostvisitorsdevoted miss the In theirhaste toreach thenextroomwholly itapartfromPollaiolo’s. in theface,setting clarity of andthehumanity lineandlight, the first documented workbyBotticelli,the –is armour, cloakdrapedacrossherknee elegant youngwomandressed inshining to another. Fortezza portrayed pouringliquidfromonevessel andTemperencea serpent; istraditionally chalice; withamirrorand Prudenceposes suckles atherbreast; bears acrossand Charity holdsaburningflameasbaby boy Signoria –burst energy: forthwithfantastic for themerchant’s tribunalinPiazzadella of 15th-centuryFlorence –commissioned (SacrificeofIsaac;SaladelCaravaggio). The spectacular SaladelBotticelli,num- The spectacular (room 15),painted whenhewasa (MadonnawithChildandTwoAn- (room 17);Lukas Cranach’s (Madonna withtheLongNeck; Madonna delleRose (Birth ofVenus; (Birth and and (Madonna withChild (Strength; 1470)–an Self-Portrait asanOld Ingresso Trionfale di

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Madonna rooms Adamo figures, masterRenaissance knownforhisethereal tive Uffizi Ofthe15worksby highlight. beamed ceiling–gets packed: itisadefini- former Medici theatre, hencethefinehigh lonelyplanet.com winged creatures (‘theharpies’) withbloated smothereddonna sits onapedestal inhorrid adistressed Ma-fills theroomwith terror: Sarto’s classical (1486–1530) rubshoulders inroom26,where Palazzo Pittiin1594. it above bytheMedici hisbed) andbought for Florentine merchant Agnolo Doni(whohung applied in1506.Itwaspainted forwealthy the colours asvibrantwhenthey were first shoulder asshe twistsroundtogazeathim, an exuberantJesus onhismuscledmother’s holding The compositionisunusual,Joseph showinroom25handsdown. Renaissance tion of theHolyFamily thatsteals theHigh zles withhisbrilliantTondoDoni,adepic- Arriving inthewestwing,Michelangelo daz- High Renaissance toMannerism work. century BC Wrestlers, serenade the famousnude,including (frustratinglyunlabelled)classical statues otherlovelyplace intheTribuna. Several Medici collectionsince1688,takes prideof the Greek sculptorPraxiteles andpartof the workby copyof a4th-century-BC tury-BC with alantern (representing air). the domedceilingafeast fortheeyes,crowned Delicate mother-of-pearl (water) inlaysmake marblefloor(representingning mosaic earth). way leadsvisitors aroundtheedge of thestun- (red theelementof evoking fire) andawalk- ily portraitshangonthered upholstered walls most precious masterpieces. Todaytheirfam- esco I,thattheMedici treasure trove (room18),created byFranc- It wasinthisexquisite octagonal-shaped La Tribuna tions of Savonarola. thepuritanical his free spiritinordernottoinvite theatten- he aged; forothers, adeliberate reining inof Botticelli’s loss of faithinhumanpotential as umny): forsome,adisturbingreflection of withCalunnia known. Contrastthese Annunciazione (Annunciation)are thebest Primavera Raphael (1483–1520)andAndrea delSarto Raphael The celebrated Nascita diVenere (Birthof Venus), a 1st-centuryADcopyof a3rd- (Spring) and the deeply spiritual (Spring) andthedeeply Madonna colBambino (1517) FLORENCE••Sights Medici Venus, clan stashed awaytheir clan stashed a1st-cen- (Cal- The ut suh f tzoe i at Mra Novella, Maria this Santa di Stazione of south Just BASILICA DISANTA MARIA NOVELLA Santa MariaNovella &Around anddark)tofulldramatic effect. light she Caravaggio, used revenge males.Likewomen seeking onevil rapetrial,painted strong ous seven-month schi scandal- (1593–1653),victiminahighly Artemisia Italy, Gentile- post-Renaissance of thefirst female artiststobeacclaimedin andyou get thepicture.del Caravaggio One dagger thrustinbloodythroat–theSala (1620–21) –deadman’seyeballsstrewn, tileschi’s gruesome admirers. Take onelookatArtemisia Gen- exponent of thebaroquemovement, andhis marks of (1573–1610),leading Caravaggio bloody and loadedwithtension are thebaroquehall- invariably dramatic, intense, p112), a buildingsite astheUffizi revamps itself; Downstairs on the 1stfloor(somethingof Baroque &Neoclassicism pair of hands. black barahintof rich purplevelvet anda outfromacanvasthatisalmostentirelypeer is astonishing: theadmiral’sdarksolemneyes edelTintorettothe SalaalBassano (room32) Veneziano mannerist painter. HisRitratto diAmmiraglio Tintoretto wastheVenetian school’s greatest the more figurative of thought anolderface, ment onherface. withahintof amuse- MaryBaptist, observing with flowers proffered bytheinfantJohn the inwhichthe Roses), theChristchild plays study of Madonna delleRose sual Uffizi’s sen- Tribunafrom1736;thehighly with acover portraying posite ), painted in1538andhungdisguised include theworld’smostpowerfulnude( op- moment –11Titians kickin.Masterpieces in room28where –inanotherdefiningUffizi ent intheworkof theirVenetian counterparts compared withthegreater naturalisminher- the nextroom,are often equallydisquieting. tormo andRossoFiorentino, represented in Florence’s twomainmanneristmasters, Pon- ping acrosstheirmonstrousfaces.Theworkof tummies, bonylegsandcriesof distress rip- Painter of portraitswithapenchant for Previous worksbyTuscanmasters canbe church Flora Mp pp98-9; (Map (Portrait of aVenetian Admiral)in (1515); andanexquisitely tender Judith SlayingHolofernes % chiaroscuro (contrastof 055 215918; Piazza diSanta Sacred LoveSacred inthe (Madonna of

115 FLORENCE FLORENCE FLORENCE Mon-Thu &Sat) ( Bonaiuto. frescoes byAndreasome well-preserved di onora deToledo,CosimoI’swife. It contains for theSpanishretinue thataccompaniedEle- aside lone degliSpagnoli(SpanishChapel),set sale (Great Flood)isoutstanding. party wallwiththechurch. tistically, byPaolo Uccello, are onthe those recounting Themostinteresting Genesis. ar- four wallsare decorated withfadingfrescoes and followsignsforthe foritsfrescoes, goout of used base thechurch which takes itsnamefromthegreen earth the centre of thenave. choir. Giotto’scrucifix(c1288)hangsabove Gondi,thefirst chapelin theCappella leftof the Brunelleschi’s crucifixhangsabove thealtar abuoni family,whocommissioned them. feature portraitsof members of the Torn- Florentine life and duringtheRenaissance, the frescoes are fortheirdepictionof notable Virgin Mary, andothers, StJohn theBaptist young Michelangelo. Relatingthelives of the help of artistswhomayhave includedthe waspaintedbehind themainaltar with ofDomenico Ghirlandaio’sseries frescoes John theEvangelist andStPhilip theApostle. by FilippinoLippi,depictingthelives of St , featurespella diFilippo Strozzi spirited frescoes perspective andproportion. thethennewlydiscovereduse techniques of (Trinity; 1428),oneof thefirst artworksto interior isMasaccio’s superbfresco Trinità of theGothic the northaisle,highlight and completed around1470.Halfway along the maindoorwaywere designedbyAlberti and esque toGothic,whiletheuppersection marble façadeistransitionalfromRoman- the whodiedinthecity,isnear Constantinople, was heldin1439.Thetombof thePatriarch of was here thattheChurch Councilof Florence rior continuedwellintothe15thcentury.It on thefaçadeandembellishment of theinte- it wasmostlycompleted byaround1360,work Dominican order’sFlorentine Although base. Fri) Novella;admission€2.50; Maria 116 % wasbeguninthelate 13thcenturyasthe The first chapel of totheright thealtar, Off the nextsideofOff thecloister istheCappel- To reach theChiostroVerde (Green Cloister), On thewestside of thecloister, amuseum The lower section ofThe lowersection thegreen-and-white Cappella Rucellai. Cappella 055 282187; adult/concession€2.70/2; FLORENCE ••Sights showcases ecclesiasticalrelics. showcases h museo. Three of its 9am-5pm Mon-Thu, 1-5pm Il Diluvio Univer-Il Diluvio h 9am-5pm Cap-

algae to spur on weight lossetc).Visitthefreealgae tospuronweight claw toaidjointfunctionetc,bladderwrack herbalist shop (dandelion topurify,devil’s supplementsavailableand thedietary inthe di Melissa toaiddigestion, andsmellingsalts) MariaSanta Novella tocure hysterics, acqua remediesRenaissance (acquadi itstillsells today. Particularly funare theold-fashioned face- andbody-care productsitcarefully crafts natural rootsinthemanyfragrancesand 1221, thepharmacycontinuestohonourits Dominican friars atthemonastery here since concocted frommedicinalherbsgrownby ence atthisvenerable Take astepFlor- backintimetoRenaissance SANTA MARIA NOVELLA OFFICINA PROFUMO-FARMACEUTICA DI and there’s anitineraryforblindvisitors. rary exhibitsaddanup-to-the-minute angle century originstocontemporary art.Tempo- snapshot of photographyfromitsearly-19th- Sun&Mon,9.30am-11.30pmSat) 7.30pm Tue-Fri, Novella14a;adult/child€9/6; .it; Piazza SantaMaria seum Mu- NationalPhotography dine convent, theAlinari Thoughtfully laid outinsideaformerLeopol- FOTOGRAFIA MUSEO NAZIONALEALINARIDELLA Ognissanti andVia ilPratobringsyou to Ognissanti About 10minutes’ walk westalongBorgo LE CASCINE three of worksdate from1480. these posite isBotticelli’spensive Augustin San . All portrait,Stdetailed Jerome, isinthenave. Op- refectory, reached via thecloister, whilehis ers mostof awallintheformermonastery’s masterpiece, the Madonna and theoldman.Ghirlandaio’s between headpeeks be theyoungboywhose to to theAmericancontinent,issupposed the Florentine navigator whogave hisname tor of theVespucci family.AmerigoVespucci, features Madonna protec- dellaMisericordia, fresco, above ontheright, altar thesecond façade wasadded.DomenicoGhirlandaio’s altered inthe 17th century,whenitsbaroque h This 13th-centurychurch CHIESA D’OGNISSANTI adjoiningtheshoptolearnmore.museum 16) p103; , inbusinesssince1612.Thefruitof cures 7am-12.30pm &4-8pmMon-Sat,Sun) % (Map pp100-1; (Map 055 216276;www.smnovella.com; ViadellaScala (Last Supper),cov-Ultima Cena(Last % 055 216310;www.alinarifondazione perfumery-pharmacy perfumery-pharmacy (Map p103 ; Borgo Ognissanti; Ognissanti; Borgo p103; (Map

lonelyplanet.com wasmuch provides a h 9.30am- Porta Porta (Map (Map lung, thatstillsurroundsthecity. boulevards late 19thcenturytomake wayfortheringof al Prato,partof thewallsdemolished inthe lonelyplanet.com tury in 1944. restored after beingblown upbytheNazis ished itin1567.The bridge waspainstakingly was handedover toAmmannati,whofin- Michelangelo foradvice. Intheendjob in charge of theproject, andheinturnasked views of Ponte Vecchio. CosimoIputVasari byPietro Francavilla andprime the seasons nious andcharming bridge of withstatues the feature known as insideisaspiralstaircase completed until1735.Themostinteresting it in1640,andworkontheexterior wasn’t belonged totheMedici family,buttheysold rather shabby, late-baroque edificepreviously butnow 13th century.Theonce-grandiose Corsini familywhoarrived inFlorence inthe free; 28 80;www.palazzocorsini.it;ViadelParione 11b;admission you reach in 1466. cellai toLorenzo theMagnificent’s daughter climaxed Ru- withthemarriage of Bernardo good fortunesoriginated inwoolandsilk, of thecity’swealthiestnoblefamilieswhose pp100–1 ), designedbyAlbertiforanother the classicallyinspired and turnintoViadeiPalchetti; you’llpass Arno. course of intothe theMugnonetributary ing Room).Thestreet followstheoriginal as the‘SalottodiFirenze’ (Florence’s Draw- out inthe17thcentury)andoften referred to wealthy Florentine noble family(which died expensive shoppingstreet namedafter a abuoni, thecity’smostfashionableand fashion shops ( p151 ) borderViade’Torn- mansionsandclassydesignerRenaissance Via de’Tornabuoni&Around stomping groundforpimpsandprostitutes. ming pool.Comeduskpartsof itbecomea andanopen-airswim- birdsanctuaries tains, foun- to thepublicin1776,withboulevards, of theMedicihunting reserve dukes, opened A shortwalksouthisFlorence’s great green Turning inland, youarrive atthe14th-cen- Continuing southtoLungarnoCorsini, Head eastdownViadellaVignaNuova , aharmo- Head SantaTrinità eastforPonte h lumaca (literally ‘snail’). Chiesa della Santa Trinità Parco delleCascine 9am-1pm &4-7pmMon-Fri) Palazzo Corsini FLORENCE••Sights (Map pp98–9 ), aprivate Palazzo Rucellai(Map Mp pp100-1; (Map , residence of the Mp p101; Piazza pp100-1 ; (Map % 055 21 by Giovanni da Maiano. (Map pp100–1 ) wasbuiltinthe15th century posite andafew strides north,Palazzo Antinori a church aroundsincethe11thcentury. Op- pp100–1), (Map (1683) of ChiesadiSanGaetano hosts artexhibitionstoday. if somewhatgloomycourtyard.The palazzo iano, speaknaked power. Insideisagrand daMa- designedby Benedetto sandstone), pietra (literally ‘strongstone’,alocal forte its three finished façadesinheavy rusticated completed, never rival families.Although by oneof themostpowerfulof theMedici’s Strozzi sions borderingViade’Tornabuoni is the northaisle. Giovanni dellaRobbia located attheendof by Youwillfindaterracottatabernacle light. left of theentranceanditbursts intomuted soar heavenwards. Put€0.50intheslotto rounded arches of itsRomanesqueinterior andthe11th-century façadeisstillintact, overlooked bymost visitors. Mostof the babies,itisoftencemetery for unbaptised away inasunken square thatwasoncethe Florence’s splendour. Renaissance Tucked a refreshingly sober church against whenset Santissimi Apostoli tissimi Apostolitovisitthelovely designers. for youngshoe helpsfundscholarshipsmade bythemuseum Greta GarboandKatherine Hepburn. Money by Hollywoodstars such asMarilyn Monroe, shows offclassicFerragamo manyworn shoes, abuoni 2;adult/under10yr€5/free; Ferragamo the floor andinthebasement 1940s and1950s–languishes ontheground Ferragamo boutique– styled asitwasinthe part of theFerragamo empire. shoe A pope’s banker, inthe13thcenturyand now (Map pp100–1 Spini, the), builtforGeri chapel walls. on thesouthaisleandfrescoes onthe painted inthefourthchapel thealtarpiece Lorenzosetti. Monaco,FraAngelico’s master, Sas- Cappella inthesouthtransept’s Ghirlandaio depictthelife of StFrancisof ent taste. Eye-catching frescoes byDomenico graced withamanneristfaçadeof indiffer- Santa Trinità) Two blocksnorthloomsthebaroque façade Across theroadloomsPalazzo Spini-Feroni Most impressive of man- theRenaissance Sneak brieflyeastwardsalongBorgo San- (Map pp100–1 ), a great colossus raised raised colossus great a pp100–1), (Map Mp pp100-1; (Map , rebuilt inGothicstyleandlater (Map (Map pp100-1 ; Piazza delLimbo1) % 055 3360456;Viade’Torn- h 10am-6pm Wed-Mon) Museo Salvatore Salvatore Museo Chiesa dei Salvatore Salvatore Palazzo 117

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FLORENCE FLORENCE FLORENCE 86 02;Piazza degli Aldobrandini;admission€6; Madonna most precious marble, semiprecious stones rulers, sumptuously adorned withgranite, the of month) h Medicee plicitly asintheirmausoleum,the Nowhere isMedici conceitexpressed soex- Medicean Chapels architectureaissance anddesign. mannerism fromthestricter boundsof Ren- steps are asignof themaster’s move towards executed ingrey pietra serena.Itscurvaceous designedinwalnutbutsubsequently staircase, Michelangelo’s magnificentvestibule anda today toresearchers. Thereal attractionis the extensive Medici libraryandrestricted de’ Medici (PopeClementVII)tohouse on specialrequest only) .bml.firenze.sbn.it; Piazza SanLorenzo 9; Medicea Laurenziana lioteca the firstleadsto cloister, astaircase you enter the church’s peaceful From anotherentranceoffPiazzaSanLorenzo Biblioteca Laurenziana Medicea by Donatello. by Brunelleschi anddecorated inthemain the chapel of onthesouthaisle. is Left thealtar of theVirgin Mary; 1523)isinthesecond ’s Filippo Lippi’s he died,isburiedinthechapel featuring Fra adorned withpanelsof theCrucifixionwhen who wasstillsculptingthetwobronzepulpits rate thenave fromthetwoaisles.Donatello, sepa- stone) crownedwithCorinthiancapitals unfinished appearance. executed,marble wasnever henceitsrough façade in1518buthisdesignwhite Carrara Michelangelo wascommissionedtodesignthe basilica. Butitlooksnothingfromtheoutside: 5pm Mon-Sat) (Map pp98-9 ; Piazza SanLorenzo; admission€2.50; architecture,aissance the one of themostharmoniousexamplesof Ren- 50-odd Medici are buriedhere. Considered family’s parish church and funeral chapter – leschi torebuild what would becomethe In 1425theMedici commissioned Brunel- BASILICA DISANLORENZO San LorenzoArea 118 Inside, columnsof 8.15am-1.50pm Tue-Sat, 1st&3rdSun2nd 4th Mon (OldSacristy),designed Sagrestia FLORENCE ••Sights Sposalizio dellaVergine ,

(Medicean Chapels; Map Chapels;Map (Medicean pp98-9 ; principal burialplace of theMedici stands onthesite stands of a4th-century Annunciation. RossoFioren- commissioned byGuilio pietra serena(soft grey Basilica di San Lorenzo Basilica diSanLorenzo ( % 055 21 1590;www h . Off . Off cloisters (Marriage by guidedtour % h Cappelle Cappelle 055 238 10am- Bib- (1492–1519), towhomMachiavelli dedicated of theunpopularLorenzo Duke of Urbino ( andDusk)lounge onthesarcophagus haunting sculptures. Aurora eCrepusculo forthreework andshowcase of hismost Sacristy), Michelangelo’s first architectural butgraceful to thestark chapel asurprisinglyaustere air. I andCosimoII,remain bare, lendingthe the niches, which, bar bronzesof Ferdinando of& III.Statues each Medici were plannedfor alongside Ferdinando I&IIandCosimoI, (Princes’Chapel) deiPrincipi lies intheCappella from acute arsenicpoisoning.FrancescoI 1587, didnothave malariabutratherdied denly died11daysapartfromeach otherin whosud- I andhiswideBiancaCappello, wasthediscoverysensational thatFrancesco from breast canceritwasdiscovered. More ily arttreasures tothecityof Florence, died the Medici linewhobequeathedallthefam- Anna Maria Luisia(1667–1743),thelastin and –more –howtheydied: importantly (syphilisandmalariawereeases common) the Medici lifestyle, genetic make-up, dis- of aresearch project tolearnmore about members of thedynastyburiedhere aspart sculptures. and someof Michelangelo’s mostbeautiful pile onthree storeys. Therusticated façadeof stout butnotinelegant to create a self-assured, more orlessundisputed, allowingMichelozzo longer andCosimo’spowerwas necessary, ers reminiscent of Gothic Florence were no Palazzo Strozzi,foryears tocome. family residences, such asPalazzo Pittiand that influencedtheconstructionof Florentine concession €5/3.50; % sign in1444.Theresult is this andentrusted Michelozzohouse withthede- his positionin Florence, hedecidedtomove When CosimoilVecchio felt fairlysure of PALAZZO MEDICI-RICCARDI Bambino (Madonna andChild). simply adornedwithaserene planned forthetombof Lorenzo ilMagnifico, funerarymonument finished thegrandiose il Magnifico isburied.Michelangelo never mark thespotopposite where asonof Lorenzo NotteThe Prince. eGiorno The fortress withtheirtow- townhouses In 2004forensic scientistsexhumed49 From thePrinces’Chapel,acorridorleads 055 276 03 40; www.palazzo-medici.it; Via Cavour3;adult/ 055 2760340;www.palazzo-medici.it; h 9am-7pm Thu-Tue) (New Nuova Sagrestia

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Renaissance canon–andtoppedwithaheavyRenaissance cal lines–already afeature of theemerging less aggressive, restrained maintaining classi- theuppertwostoreysthe building,though are the groundfloorgives aratherstern aspectto lonelyplanet.com ble himself, itwasveinedble himself, anditsdimensions most challenging themar- –hedidn’t choose Michelangelo’s mostfamous workwasalsohis tors before him(bothof whomhadgiven up), of marblealready worked onbytwosculp- fromasingleblock computer screen. Carved hislocks,slingand soonin3Da to see David, aninteractive of visualisation thestatue digesting itshistoryandplayingwith Digital encircling it,viewingitfromdifferent angles, – around thestatue his legs,thechange inexpression asyoumove the veins inhissinewyarms,themuscles original Michelangelo’s greatest masterpieces of theRenaissance, Tue-Sun) sion Dec-Aug€8/4, €6 Sep-Nov .50/3.25; pp98-9; (Map A lengthyqueue marks thedoortothis GALLERIA DELL’ACCADEMIA San MarcoArea desk. yourslotinadvanceatthepalaceticket serve for amaximumof minutes; re- justseven inthecrowd. the artist’sself-portrait Lorenzo ilMagnifico, CosimoilVecchio and the Medici trytospy clanintheirbestlight; a slenderpretext forportrayingmembers of ostensible themeof Journeyof the Magi Gozzoli,apupilof Fra’Angelico.Benozzo His serenewonderfully detailed frescoes (1459)by Chapel of theMagi of upstairs flauntsaseries thistiny diBenozzo, Also knownasCapella Cappella deiMagi bursting withcolour. of late baroque,drippingwithgoldleafand Wisdom (1685),aratheroverblown example ceiling withhiscomplex and builtthesumptuouslydecorated gave thepalaceacomprehensive remodelling way fortheRiccardifamilyacenturylater who the street below. timber roof broadeaves whose protrudeover quite asilluminated oncopies)of thereal thing– on the2ndfloor. LucaGiordanoadornedthe He doesn’t disappoint. The subtle detail (not He (not Thesubtledetail disappoint. doesn’t The Medici here stayed until1540,making Only eight visitorsOnly eight are allowedinatatime , simply because it contains oneof itcontains the , simplybecause % 055 2388609;Via 60;adult/conces- Ricasoli FLORENCE••Sights is impressive. Spendtime David. Allegory of Divine h 8.15am-6.50pm Galleria gallery isbut

paintings of theRenaissance. theend resultcritics deem oneof the first true original artist,Lorenzo Monaco, died.Many a commission taken onbythefriar after the sizione diCristo portrayal of nature comestolife intheDepo- co’s attention toperspective andthe realistic to enter theSaladell’Ospiziowhere FraAngeli- Sant’Antonio art, youenter viaMichelozzo’s fascinating museums. 3rd &5thMonofmonth) 8.15am-6.50pmSat,8.15am-7pm2nd&4thSun1st, Tue-Fri, Piazza 1;adult/concession€4/2; SanMarco diSanMarco Museo God.Todaythe Savonarola piouslyserved Angelico (c1400–55)andthesharp-tongued Dominican convent where gifted painter Fra diSanMarcosits Chiesa andtheadjoining At theheartof Florence’s university area MUSEO DISANMARCO Gaddi are worthscoutingout. theworksbyBotticelliandTaddeomuseum, off theirclassicaleducation.Elsewhere inthe to soakuptheculture andhistory,round whotouredclasses Europe,especiallyItaly, members of themoneyedmiddleandupper sioned bywealthyVictorian‘GrandTourists’– of dozensof bustscommis- nameless,ghostly Room),shelves heaveCentury withtheweight hitting David. Sala delColosso ofSabine theSabine)dominates (Rape the plaster modelof Giambologna’s of completed. never A PopeJuliusII,itself the marble;theywere meantforthetomb tofreeing andstruggling themselves from ers’ or‘slaves’; tobewrith- 1530),whoseem hallandthefour in thesame the unfinished rather thanayoungboy. for thefirst timeasamanintheprimeof life ensured lastingnotorietyforDavid, depicted and libertycivicprideintheirRepublic larger-than-life nudeasasymbolof power This coupledwithFlorentines embracingthe azzo Vecchio onPiazzadellaSignoriain1504. before infrontof assumingitspedestal Pal- Florentines) gainednear-mythical even status the resultant masterpiece (dubbedColossusby were already decided.Forthisreason alone Off totheleft,in Off Essentially a showcase forFraAngelico’s ashowcase Essentially Michelangelo wasalsothemaster behind (1440).Turnimmediately right , thefirst roomyoucrossbefore San MatteoSan (StMatthew; 1503) (Depositionof Christ;1432), , itisoneof Florence’s most Mp pp98-9; (Map Sala dell’Ottocento (19th- Sala dell’Ottocento (‘prison- Prigioni % h 055 2388608; 8.15am-1.50pm Ratto delle Chiostro di 119

FLORENCE FLORENCE FLORENCE on theexternalcells25and26. wallbetween delle Ombre(Virgin of theShadows; c1450), masterpieces isthemagnificent Gozzoli.Amongseveral including Benozzo othershimself, byaidesunderhissupervision, tion. Mostwere executed byFraAngelico frescoes toguidefriars’devotional medita- rated thecellsin1440and1441withdeeply reliefs bytheTuscan-born friar,whodeco- reveals snippetsof manymore finereligious at you.Astrollaroundeach of the20cells featuring StDominic,leapsoffatthewalls faced ontheopposite wallbyaCrucifixion most famousworks, ing: Atthetopof thestairs, FraAngelico’s monk cellsremain thatisthemosthaunt- Chapterhouse. Butitisupstairs where the fixion) fresco (1442)decorates theformer Fra Angelico’s huge former monks’refectory inthecloister; and Supper of StDomenic;1536)dominates the deiDomenicaniProvidenza (TheMiraculous 120 Giovanni AntonioSogliani’sfresco who restored thestatue,so storygoes. , upthepiecesand16years later thenachild,picked hadthemsenttoCosimo I is where duringthe1527revolt hisarmgotbroken outFlorence. when theMediciwere kicked and hadhistoesbashed withahammer. The twopalewhite linesvisible onhislowerleftarm Occupational hazards: pack’, bathindistilledwater (2004) Beauty treatments: the apse,fromwhere hisheadandhandwouldhave appeared proportion. inperfect And thebigheadandhands: hence thedaintiersize. alarge orevenWhy thesmalldick:Inclassicalart normal-sized wasnot deemedelegant, packet from thetension inhisrighthiponwhichheleanstotautleft arm. Goliath heisabouttoslay;(b)thesenseofcounterbalanced weight ripplingthroughhisbody, boyish; fromtheright,concentrated, manlyandhighlycharged inanticipationofthegargantuan Outstanding features: expression (a)His which,fromtheleftprofile,appearsserene, Zen and took seven longdays. the streets ofFlorence, tribuneintheGalleriadell’Accademia1873 toitscurrent purpose-built workshop behindthecathedraltoPiazza dellaSignoriain1504.Itsjourneyfromhere, through Famous thestatueonrailsfromMichelangelo’s journeys:Ittook40menfourdaystotransport front ofthePalazzo Vecchio onPiazza dellaSignoriawhere itstayeduntil1873. Commissioned: In1501bytheOperadelDuomoforcathedral,butsubsequentlyplaced in over brute force. thanhimself.more powerful ofinnocenceandintellect Scarcelyvisibleslingemphasisesvictory Spirit: Carrara quarries inMiseglia, Vital pearlywhite Statistics:516cmtall,19tonnesofmediocre-quality marblefromtheFantiscritti Occupation: Name: WHO’S THAT BLOKE? FLORENCE ••Sights Young biblicalheroinmeditative posewho,withthehelpofGod,defeats anenemy David world’s mostfamoussculpture Annunciazione (c1440), body scrubwithhydrochloricacid(1843); clayandcellulosepulp‘mud Crocifissione Over the centuries he’s been struck by lightning, attacked byrioters Overthecenturieshe’sbeenstruck bylightning,attacked

David wasdesignedtostanduphighona cathedral buttress in Madonna (Cruci- La & Mon) admission free; Here inthe CENACOLO DISANT’APOLLONIA allowed inSavonarola’s cell. by admirers in1873.Ten visitors atatimeare sions andagrandmarblemonumenterected linen bannerSavonarola carriedinproces- aportrait,fewit houses personal items, the Kept asakindof shrine totheturbulentpriest, luxury, greed andcorruptionof theclergy. here thatthefanaticalmonkrailedagainst prior attheDominicanconvent, itwasfrom Savonarola calledhomefrom1489.Risingto cell –athree-room suite infact–which for more onFraAngelico’s art. Pope John Paul IIin1984.See p41 and p173 religiousblessed painterby wasmadeasaint most theRenaissance’s (theblessed), ‘il Beato’ Angelico’ (literally angelic’) ‘blessed orsimply After centuries of being known as ‘Il Beato After centuriesof beingknownas‘IlBeato Contrasting withsuch pure beautyisthe of what was once a Benedictine convent, of whatwasonceaBenedictine h refectory 8.15am-1.50pm Tue-Sat &alternatingSun (Map (Map pp98-9 1; Aprile ; ViaXXVII

lonelyplanet.com tion) byJacopo Pontormo. ThemanneristIl resurrection. ple of abeardless Christfigure), burialand portray ’ crucifixion(witharare exam- 1450. Above it,anotherthree frescoes of his ple, painted byAndreaaround delCastagno Supper) inrich shadesof red, blueandpur- frescoes, includinga restoration workrevealed someremarkable lonelyplanet.com degli Innocenti, Innocenti and Nocentini can degli Innocenti, Innocentiand Nocentinican of people inFlorence withsurnames such as unwanted children were left.Agoodnumber by railingswasonce arevolving doorwhere end of doorsurrounded theportico, thefalse of babiesinswaddlingclothes.Atthenorth famously decorated withterracottamedallions tico, which Andrea dellaRobbia (1435–1525) in itsname. Brunelleschi designedthepor- rope’s first orphanage, hencethe ‘innocents’ southeastern sideof thepiazzain1421asEu- Innocents, Map pp98–9 ) wasfoundedonthe masses. eachin between morning’sseven yourself inordertosqueeze to timeitjustright the church’s officialopeninghours, you’llneed Ghirlandaio, Domenico’slittlebrother. Within lunettemosaic of theAnnunciation byDavide Above themainentrancetochurch isa contributortothefrescoes. is alsoanimportant Rosso Fiorentino (theRedheadfromFlorence) Andrea delSartoandthe Nascita dellaVergine (Birthof theVirgin) by inMichelozzo’s atrium,particularlythe coes by Perugino inthefifthchapel, andthefres- two chapels ontheleftof thechurch, afresco frescoes byAndreainthefirst delCastagno it wascompleted byanangel. Alsoof note are tributed toa14th-centuryfriar,andlegend says miraculous paintingof theVirgin. the church fromthe atrium,isaso-called ornate toyourleftasyouenter tabernacle, is dedicated totheVirgin Mary, andinthe elozzo andothers inthemid-15thcentury.It order,andrebuilt byMich-ers of theServite 4-6.30pm) Piazza dellaSantissimaAnnunziata; ChiesadellaSantissimaAnnunziata with studentsratherthantourists. scene fromthecentre of thissquare, teeming Duke Ferdinando Ide’Medici commandsthe ofGiambologna’s equestrianstatue Grand PIAZZA DELLASANTISSIMA ANNUNZIATA The No longer onpublicview,thecanvasisat- The church thatgives thesquare itsname, (Hospital of Spedale degliInnocenti(Hospital the , was established in1250bythefound- , wasestablished FLORENCE••Sights (Last L’Ultima Cena(Last Visitazione h 7.30am-12.30pm & Mp pp98-9; (Map (Visita- the The French writer Stendhal wassodazzledby BASILICA DISANTA CROCE south sidesof itscourse. mark theoval outlineof thenorth,westand Peruzzi, andViaTorta Viade’Bentaccordi Croce.Piazza diSanta Tothisday, de’ took upthearea facingthewestern endof before. Thecity’s2nd-centuryamphitheatre have funinmuch area thesame centuries in theworld. line onthis,oneof theoldestfootballpitches south sideof the piazza; itmarksthehalfway of in thewallbelowgailyfrescoed façade rules. Lookforthemarblestoneembedded combination of footballandrugbywithno calcio storico the colourfulsceneof jousts,festivals and andfromthe14thcenturyitwasoftenuses, heretics were executed here. the church was full.InSavonarola’s itself day, to allowhordesof thefaithfultogatherwhen initially cleared intheMiddleAges, primarily andsouvenirtaurants shops. Thesquare was piazza of name,todaylinedwithres- thesame The watch haughty overFranciscan stands the PIAZZA DISANTA CROCE Santa CroceArea and Greco-Roman art. onEtruscan forthesmallersection or right head leftintotheancientEgyptian collection splendour. Onthe1stflooryoucaneither past andoffers analternative toRenaissance hoard of antiquities,plunges intothe youdeep lection of finds,includingmostof theMedici Tue &Thu, 8.30am-2pmWed&Fri-Sun) della Colonna38;admission€4; Mon-Sat, 8.30am-2pmSun) Annunziata 12;adult/concession€4/2.50; 17 08;www. istitutodeglinnocenti.it; Piazza dellaSantissima dello Galleria Spedale degliInnocenti Magi menico Ghirlandaio’sstriking and educate itswardsuntiltheyturned18. but theSpedale’savowed aimwastocare for orphanage. Undoubtedly, life insidewashard, trace their family tree only as far back as the trace theirfamilytree onlyasfarbackthe Museo Archeologico Archeologico Museo Curiously enough, the Romans used to theRomans used Curiously enough, foundother Such anopen spaceinevitably Works byFlorentine artists,includingDo- About 200msoutheastof thepiazzais (MapPalazzo dell’Antella pp100–1 ), onthe Basilica di Santa Croce (Adorationof theMagi; 1488),fillthe matches. This lastwaslike a Mp pp98-9; (Map onthe2ndfloor. Mp pp100-1; (Map h 2-7pm Mon,8.30am-7pm , whose rich col- , whose % Adorazione dei 055 235750;Via h % ( 8.30am-7pm % 055 24661 055 249

121 FLORENCE FLORENCE FLORENCE Cappella Castellani (1385) Castellani while, painted theCappella coes abovecoes thealtar. Claus’) and wasalsoresponsible for thefres- St Nicholas (later transformedinto ‘Santa frescoes depictingthe lifewith delightful of tures thelife of theVirgin. and nearby frescoed theneighbouring ChapelleMajeure loyal pupil,(1300–66),who frescoes paintedandmost byhisassistant to make anydecentcomparisonwiththe butstilltoopoorquality the bestpreserved, St Francis(1315–20)inthe depictingscenesfromthelifeence. Those of are thebestexamplesof hisworkinFlor- frescoes byGiotto–thesewith fragmentary sideofthe right the chapel beingdecorated thetwonearest linethetransept, Maggiore Five chapels oneithersideof the thanothers. bettersubstantially preserved ures comeintheshapeof frescoes, some directly opposite, in theleftaisle. clutching a telescope andgazingskywards,lies easy tospotwithitsbustof thegreat scientist are andGalileoGalilei’s(1737), inRavenna), memory of remains, Dante (whose infact, tothealong isa19th-centurycenotaph sculpture, paintingandarchitecture. Next below itrepresent histhree principalgifts: the firstaltars. Thethree andsecond muses (1570), isalongthesouthernwallbetween Michelangelo’s tomb,designedbyVasari this church thatdraw mostvisitors, though. Gothicchurches. inItaly’s occasionally used example of thetimber,Aframe–styleceiling pillars.by solidoctagonal Peer afine uptosee interior isdividedintoanave andtwoaisles is thebelltower. Inside,itsmassive, austere 19th-century neo-Gothicaddition,asindeed by thevaryingshades of coloured marbleisa in 1258.Themagnificentfaçadeenlivened to theFranciscansbyKingLouisof France from asplinter of theHolyCrossdonated 1294 and1385,thechurch’s namestems so theysay. treat adozenof cases ‘stendhalismo’ each year by thebeautyof Florence; Florentine doctors not theonlyonetohave felt sooverwhelmed able towalkforfaintness.He isapparently 5.30pm Mon-Sat,1-5.30pmSun) dell’Opera€5/3; 05; adult/concessioninclMuseo 122 Taddeo’s sonAgnolo (1345–96), mean- Croce’sartistictreas- Santa Otherwise, It isthefamousFlorentines buriedinside between Designed byArnolfodiCambio FLORENCE ••Sights Cappella Baroncelli;thelatter fea- Cappella that hewasbarely Capella BardiareCapella h Cappella Cappella 9.30am-

features aCrucifixionbyCimabue, restored to 5.30pm Mon-Sat,1-5.30pmSun) admission inclbasilicaadult/concession€5/3; Medici dynasty. to overthrow Lorenzo ilMagnifico andthe spiracy –whenpapalsympathiserssought banking familydestroyedinthePazzi Con- by,thewealthy used was builtfor,butnever a masterpiece of architecture. Renaissance It lions of theApostlesbyLucadellaRobbia, is nious linesandrestrained terracottamedal- at theendof thefirst cloister, withitsharmo- before hisdeathin1446.His Brunelleschi designedtheserene Cloisters &Cappella de’Pazzi byAndrearacotta dellaRobbia. inglazedter-with afinetwo-tonealtarpiece At theendof thecorridorisaMedici chapel fashioned andalsobuyth and shop,wherethegoodsbeing youcansee the room, thechurch bookshop, youcanaccess thenext including hiscowlandbelt.Through are alsoafew relics of StFrancisonshow, deo Gaddi’sfresco of theCrocifissione. There century roomdominated ontheleftbyTad- , anenchantingoff which 14th- istheSagrestia and Lorenzetti, most are though by minor works by masters such asGiotto, FilippoLippi concession €5/3; 24 4661;www.museohorne.it inItalian;Viade’Benci6;adult/ create hisown ceramics, furniture andotheroddmentsto paintings, sculptures,15th-century Italian hiseclecticcollection ofinstalled 14th-and to re-create ambience,and aRenaissance intheearly1900s,renovatedthis house it tric Britslivingabroad withcash. He bought Herbert Percy Horne was oneof eccen- those MUSEO HORNE Supper;1333). (Last frescoes byGiotto,includingan bythedellaRobbia workshop,stigmata and ful terracottabustof StFrancisreceiving the nacle ontheOrsanmichele façade,awonder- Toulouse (1424),originallyplacedinataber- Donatello’s gildedbronzestatue Crocearea.the Santa include Otherhighlights 1966 whenmore than4mof water inundated the bestdegree possibleafter flooddamage in signed byMichelozzo leadsintoacorridor, The From the transept chapelsFrom thetransept adoorwayde- Scuola del Cuoio ( Scuola delCuoio p150 ), aleatherschool Museo dell’OperadiSantaCroce Museo h Horne Museum 9am-1pm Mon-Sat) , inthefirst cloister, e finishedproducts.

Mp pp100-1 ; (Map Cappella de’Pazzi , Cappella . There are afew lonelyplanet.com Ultima Cena just cloisters

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The first bridge here wasbuiltin1237by PONTE ALLEGRAZIE exquisite. artists. More interesting isthefurniture, some lonelyplanet.com takes inallof Florence southof the river. the Arno’,trendyLiterally ‘Beyond Oltrarno Oltrarno died inNaziconcentration camps. garden liststhenamesof Florentine Jews who vestments are displayed.Amemorialinthe ceremonial objectsandrichly embroidered Inside its with Moorishandneo-Byzantine elements. fanciful structure 1874 and1882 builtbetween year-round) 10am-2pmFri to2pmNov-Mar, &Sep-Oct, May concession €4/3; pp100-1; domes of Florence’s Sinagoga the shinycopper-turned-vibrant pea-green Fiesole andVerrocchio. ing placeof artists,includingMino da several he visited Florence. Thechurch isthelastrest- inanearlierconventstayed onthissite when erful 4th-centuryarchbishop of ,who thepow- from Sant’Ambrogio(StAmbrose), 15th-century refurbishment. Thenamecomes inside isamixof 13th-centuryGothicand inthe10thcentury,butwhatyousee raised of name. thesame Thefirst church here was spicuous 18th-centuryfaçadeonthesquare (Map pp100-1 ; ViaPietrapiana) century, andfinallyre-erected here in1955. the surroundingarea were cleared inthe19th di SanMarco whentheMercato Vecchio and blica. wasmoved Theloggia totheConvento the heartof whatisnowPiazzadellaRepub- Mercato Vecchio (OldMarket), which wasat Via Pietrapiana) market. Piazza deiCiompi,venue forasmallflea Michelangelo Buonarrotiandcontinueto Buonarroti,walknorthupVia From Casa PIAZZA SANT’AMBROGIO &AROUND and thepresent version wentupin1957. blewupthebridgezie. TheGermans in1944, called after oneof them,theMadonna alleGra- were builtonitsreplacement. Thebridge was podestà. Itwassweptawayin1333andchapels Messer Rubaconte daMandella, aMilanese A blockeast,theplain The Just northof PiazzaSant’Ambrogiorises % Loggia delPesce Loggia Museo di Arte e Storia Ebraico, eStoria diArte Museo 055 2346654;ViaLuigi CarloFarini 6;adult/ wasdesignedbyVasari forthe h 10am-6pm Sun-Thu Jun-Aug,to3pmApr- FLORENCE••Sights (Fish Market; Map Map (Fish Market; pp100-1 ; presents anincon- Chiesa di Sant’Ambrogio Chiesa diSant’Ambrogio ( Synagogue; Map Map ( Synagogue; Jewish , a Brunelleschi to build this forbidding-looking Brunelleschi tobuild thisforbidding-looking Wealthy banker Luca Pitticommissioned PALAZZO PITTI disturbingly surreal colours. downofthe taking ChristfromtheCrossin and aDeposizione fresco of the Pontormo (1494–1557)lefthismark witha asyouenter,, ontheright JacopoBarbadori without beingseen. it; theMedici couldstopbyandhearMass ridoio Vasariano ( p106 across right ) passes Mon-Sat, noon-1pmSun) Florence’s oldest(4th-century) of this18th-centuryremake of whathad been The mostcaptivating thing aboutthefaçade CHIESA DISANTA FELICITÀ (Map pp100–1 ), theDrunks’Tower. degliUbriachi theTorre ridoio, youcanglimpse asyoureyefollowstheCor-Via de’Bardi it astheMedici wouldhave preferred. Across through was builtaroundit,notsimplystraight looks ratheroddastheCorridoioVasariano dieval quarters ateitherend). (yet stillwreaked havoc byrazingthemedieval veryman commanderdisobeyedthose orders on Hitler’sexpress orders, others thattheGer- by theretreating in1944;somesay Germans and wastheonlyonesaved fromdestruction unwanted leftovers intotheriver. ence of thetownbutchers, totoss whoused here toreplace theoften malodorouspres- when Ferdinando Ide’Medici ordered them to generation, sincethe16thcentury, ever their tradeoften downfromgeneration passed twinkled withtheglittering wares of jewellers, hoods, butthistimethebridge held. floodwaters awaytheirliveli- wouldsweep with shopsonthebridge were convincedthe to beingdestroyedagain.Many of thejewellers destroyed thebridge, andin1966itcameclose it gets very mean.Floodsin1177and1333 butwhenitgetslooks placidenough, mean, length of theArno,dates from972.TheArno at thenarrowestcrossing pointalongtheentire The first ofdocumentation astonebridge here, PONTE VECCHIO pp100-1 ; Piazza SantaFelicità; Cappella Inside, inBrunelleschi’s smallCappella At thesouthernendof thebridge istheme- They’re stillhere. thebridge Indeed, has The bridge wasbuiltin1345 asitstands Mp p101) which pp100–1), (Map deiMannelli Torre Annunciazione isthefactthatCor- (Deposition) h 9am-noon &3.30-6pm (Annunciation) , church depicting

(Map (Map 123 FLORENCE FLORENCE FLORENCE scenes, where the Medici andtheirsuccessors lished with ceilingfrescoes of mythological furnished anddecorated rooms, manyembel- ofApartments), aseries rathersickeningly The backdropisthe fromthepalace’s centralcourtyard. staircase in the1st-floor bytheMediciart amassed andLorrainedukes the enviablecollectionof 16th-to18th-century audience inthesmallerchamber nextdoor. court. Onlyaluckyfew were granted aprivate Duke received visitors inthepresence of his the publicaudiencechamber, where theGrand above inthenextroom, thepainted staircase ‘Talk little,bebriefandwitty’isthecurtmotto spot Michelangelo givingLorenzo astatue. ebrating thelife of Lorenzo the Magnificent – frescoesits lavish (1635–42)cel- head-to-toe Sala diGiovanni daSanGiovanni, stunswith by theMedici. Thefirst roomyouenter, the and than extraordinarysilverware, amber,ivory (Silver reveals Museum) farmoredegli Argenti noon totake itallin. atleastanafter- Reserve porcelain museum. art galleries,silver andgardenswith museum thepalace’sroyalapartmentsand everything: oneticket coverswant tosee, admission to Irrespective of how much youdo–ordon’t Museums presented ittothestate in1919. a residence of theSavoy royalfamily,who nascent Kingdomof in1865,itbecame Italy sors. WhenFlorence of wasmadecapital the Austrian and(briefly)Napoleonicsucces- city’s rulers, thedukes of Lorraineandtheir nasty, thepalaceremained theresidence of the of andthirdstoreys. windowsonthesecond sets braced thespaceencompassingseven tion: theoriginalnucleusof thepalaceem- ofto distinguish thevariousphases construc- ently respected, makingitalmostimpossible which continuedforcenturies. took ituponherselftooversee theextensions, of EleonoradeToledo,wife of CosimoI,who it toarch-rivals, theMedici, in1549–tothejoy fortunes were onthewane,forcingthemtosell but bythetimeitwascompleted, thefamily concession €11.50/5.75; palace 124 Following the demise ofFollowing thedemise theMedici dy- Raphaels andRubensvieforcentre stage in Raphaels A strollaroundtheground-floor Incredibly theoriginaldesignwasconsist- pietre dure(hardstone)piecesamassed FLORENCE ••Sights Mp pp100-1; (Map Galleria Palatina, reached bya Galleria % h 055 2388614;Piazza de’Pitti; adult/ 8.15am-6.50pm Tue-Sun) Appartamenti Reali (Royal Reali Appartamenti in 1457, in 1457, Museo Museo Tuscan works and high fashionrespectively.Tuscan worksandhigh lery), displaying18th-tomid-20th-century Gallery) and 2nd-floor (False Cupid)areout. worthseeking Agata Lorenzo Lippi’sgruesomeportraitof Santa nymph, snarlingatanervous-looking satyr Dossi’s Dyck. Amongthelesser-known works,Dosso Titian, Veronese, Velasquez, RubensandVan Otherartistsrepresentedhighlights. include sizione (Deposition)are justafew of themany dramatic Fanciullo 1620),Guercino’s (YoungBacchus; Cupid; 1608),GuidoReni’sgrinningBacco Caravaggio’s the Chair;1515)isparticularlyintriguing. whose Foremost amongthemare byRaphael, those andforeignworks byotherItalian painters. del Sarto. Thecollectionalsoboastsimportant by FilippoLippi,Botticelli,Vasari andAndrea aqua green red. todeep-wine roomhasacolourtheme,rangingfrom Each ily bedecked withdrapes,silkandchandeliers. reminiscent of Spanishroyalpalaces,allheav- and divisionof assignedtoeach tasks roomis lived, sleptandreceived theirguests.Thestyle 1777), which stillskeeps around500 citrustrees surrounded byanimals;an lished with24niches sheltering classical statues include asix-tieramphitheatre gardenfeatures artist. Othertypical Renaissance a fancifulgrottodesignedbytheeponymous fromthewavesrise inthe watch afleshy the gardenalongsignposted discoverodd statues; birdsongandspeciesin Cavaliere rip withagallantfrolicinthewalled Alley ; lettheimagination skip alongtheCypress Tuscan gardennonethelessandisfuntoexplore: Boboli remains aprimeexampleof aformal Niccolò Pericoli, akaIlTribolo. century accordingtoadesignbyarchitect 8.15am-4.30pm Nov-Feb) 8.15am-5.30pmMar, &Oct, Sep Aug, 8.15am-6.30pmApr,May, (Map p103 ; adult/concession€6/3; Relax inthe palace’s Renaissance Giardino diBoboli Only themostdedicated make ittothe Among Tuscanmasters,work youcansee A shabby shadow of its former glorious self, A shabby shadowof itsformergloriousself, andOrazioRimnaldi’s Madonna (Madonna dellaSeggiola of Ninfa eSatiro, featuring agrotesque (Knights’Garden); dancearound 170- (Knights’Garden); San SebastianSan andTintoretto’s Depo- Galleria d’Arte Moderna d’Arte Galleria

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to make wayforadriveway forcarriages. Don’t wasrazedinthe1830s horticultural standard, be supped.The17th-centurymaze,aTuscan kaffeehaus snug inwinter; botanicalgarden;andRococo lonelyplanet.com for short stays. ary-rich apartment today,which canberented here. EtonCollege Britain’s ownstheliter- ing birthtotheir only child andlater dying home for14years Elizabethgiv- andpoetess Men andWomenintheapartmenttheycalled h .browningsociety.org; Piazza SanFelice 8; admissionfree; Guidi ence atCasa Robert andElizabeth Browninglived inFlor- CASA GUIDI in bloom. are(all AprilandMay) all (June) andirises special joywhenitsazaleas,peonies,wisteria the crowds.Aspringtimestrollisanextra- ing upthebeautifultiered gardens–butnot stagger- baroquestonestaircase monumental amphitheatre loggia, , anda statues, orangery, marble garden –artificialgrottoes, have allthefeatures of Tuscan aquintessential bouring BoboliordownbytheArno,they lish gardenandsoon.Accessiblefromneigh- much of garden,created themedieval anEng- thevillaandgardensin1913,restoredbought (1836–1922)who collector Stefano Bardini €5/2.50; Museum dens &Viade’Bardi1r;adult/concessioninclBoboliPorcelain pp100-1; are Florence’s little-known Smaller, better tended andmore manicured Giardino diBardini when welastvisited. Palazzo forrenovations Pitti.Itwasclosed the endof the16thcenturytoprotect the built byGrandDuke Ferdinando Itowards fortifications of the ants. Atthetopof thehillare therambling pieces collected byPalazzo Pitti’swealthyten- Meissen, Wedgewood andotherporcelain Map pp100–1 ), hometoSèvres, Vincennes, the decidedly neglected rosegarden,overlooked by Florentine countrysidefanoutbeyondthe viewsoverfantastic thepalacecomplexand today. nearCarrara in Pietrasanta Polish sculptorIgorMitoraj (b1944),athome ‘face’sculpturemiss themonumental (1998)by At theupper,southernlimitof thegardens, 3-6pm Mon, Wed & Fri Apr-Nov) 3-6pm Mon,Wed&Fri Museo dellePorcellane Museo % (1775),where afternoon tea canstill 055 294883;CostaSanGiorgio4-6viaBoboliGar- h FLORENCE••Sights 8.15am-sunset) Mp p103; (Map (p126), diBelvedere Forte (Porcelain Museum; (Porcelain Museum; Bardini Gardens Bardini Gardens % , Robertwriting ,

named after art 055 284393;www (Map (Map in the19thcentury.Astripof thewallstill the outer circleof citywallsknocked down p103 ), animposingcitygate thatwaspartof e Santi (Madonna withChild andSaints)in is Filippino Lippi’s umns lendsanair of grandeur. monumental colonnade of grey of chapels,lined byaseries semicircular andthe sions. Inside,theentire lengthof thechurch is Wed afternoon) h façade of the ern end,thesquare isfronted bytheflaking to reach lively PiazzaSanto Spirito. Atitsnorth- From ViaMaggio turnintoViade’Michelozzi PIAZZA SANTOSPIRITO (MapCorsini-Suarez pp100–1 ) atNo42. take aglanceatthesquarely imposing theroad, 14th, 15thand16thcenturies.Over were builtandfiddledaroundwithover the (Map di CosimoRidolfi pp100–1 ) atNo15.All (Map Martelli pp100–1 ) atNo13and (Map Michelozzi pp100–1 ) atNo11, (Map azzo Martellini pp100–1 ) atNo9, Ricasoli-Firidolfi style,include Renaissance the same ofa series mansions,more orlessfollowing becamehiswife.eventually Acrossthestreet, FrancescoIde’Medici’sCappello, lover, who pp100–1 ), atNo26,isnamedafter Bianca duly attests. as theline-upof mansions fineRenaissance This wasaposhaddress inthe16thcentury VIA MAGGIO you toget tothetopof thegate. you sooncomeacrossanentrancethatallows inside of thiswall(thearea isnowacarpark), stretches northfromthegate. Ifyoufollowthe the endof thestreet isthe mana astheyleftFlorence behindthem.At Rome-bound pilgrimsheadeddownViaRo- PORTA ROMANA offbeat change fromallthatartandhistory! anatomy invaryingstatesof badhealth.An a collectionof waxmodelsof bitsof human exhibitapart, thestuffed-animal delectation, h p103; Felice, thisratherfusty Further downViaRomanafromPiazzaSan MUSEO ZOOLOGICOLASPECOLA One of themost noteworthy worksof art 10am-noon & 4-5.30pm Mon-Sat, 11.30-noon Sun, closed 10am-noon &4-5.30pmMon-Sat,11.30-noonSun, closed 9am-1pm Thu-Tue, until5pmSat) % 055 2288251;ViaRomana17;admission€4; , oneof Brunelleschi’s lastcommis- Palazzo (Map diBiancaCappello Basilica diSantoSpirito (Map pp100–1 ) atNo7,Pal- pietra Corinthiancol- forte Madonna conilBambino zoological Porta Romana Porta offers foryour museum Mp p103; (Map Palazzo Palazzo Palazzo Palazzo Palazzo (Map

125 (Map (Map FLORENCE FLORENCE FLORENCE lar lends the image a human touch hitherto little lar lendsthe image ahuman touch hitherto little work. His depictionof Eve’s anguish inparticu- on theleftsideof thechapel, ishisbest-known dei Progenitori early stages of theRenaissance.The a plunge intonewworldsof expression inthe adefinitivesenting break withGothic artand considered amonghisgreatest works,repre- fresco cycle,illustratingthelife of StPeter, is Lippi; see p173 foranin-depthlook.Masaccio’s Masolino daPanicale, Masaccio andFilippino booked inadvance. are strictlybyguidedtour;places allowed intothechapel atatimeandvisits on thesquare. Amaximum of 30visitors are entrancenexttothebasilica via aseparate €4; 0552768224,768558;admission vance reservations frescoes inits Fortunately thefire spared themagnificent destroyed byfire inthelate 18thcentury. delCarmine di SantaMaria its southernflankis the 13th-century mine isanoldsquare used as acarpark.On West of PiazzaSantoSpirito,delCar- BASILICA DISANTA MARIA DEL CARMINE della QuerciaandDonatello. Romanesque sculptures andworksbyJacopo Among itsmostintriguingpiecesare rare pre- Sat Apr-Nov,9am-5pmDec-Mar) 29;admission€2.20; Piazza SantoSpririto diSantoSpirito Cenacolo with apenis)attributed toMichelangelo. wooden (it’snotoften Christ yousee church. isapoignantlytender Inthesacristy of placeinthespare of setting Brunelleschi’s is avoluptuousbaroqueflourish, ratherout beneaththecentraldome, The mainaltar, illustrates anepisodefromtheApocrypha. andTobias;1698),whichArchangel Raphael stucco a club,andGiovanni marbleand Baratta’s Madonna wardsoffalittlered with devil Velutti,1485), intheCappella inwhich the donna delSoccorso (Madonna of theRelief; includeDomenicodiZanobi’s highlights Other transept. Nerliintheright the Cappella 126 the Neapolitan collectorSalvatorethe Neapolitan Romano. collection bequeathedtothecityin1946by ion (c1370).Alsoondisplayisthesculpture depicting the decorated therefectory withagrandfresco This chapel is atreasure of paintingsby Next doortothechurch istherefectory, h FLORENCE ••Sights 10am-5pm Wed-Sat&Mon,1-5pmSun) L’Arcangelo Raffaele eTobiolo Cappella Brancacci Cappella Last SupperandtheCrucifix- (Expulsion of(Expulsion AdamandEve), Mp p103; (Map (Map . Andrea Orcagna h Mp p103; (Map p103 % 10.30am-1.30pm 055 287043; ), allbut , entered Cacciata must Basilica (The % Ma- ad- be Mon-Fri, 5-6pmSun) Mon-Fri, a restrained baroqueinterior. Frediano inCestello Frediano in theunadornedbrickwallsof unpolished feel of thearea neatlyreflected youreachBefore thegate, you’llnoticethe walls were demolishedinthe19thcentury. of theoldcitygates leftinplacewhenthe lonely ing awayforcenturies. class quarter where have artisans beaver- been of theirtraditionalfeel –thatof aworking- street andsurroundingarea retain something mine, youreach Borgo SanFrediano. The Heading northwardsfromPiazzadelCar- BORGO SANFREDIANO Crucifixion, intothesceneofalso painted himself St Peter’s leschi, Masolino andAlberti. FilippinoLippi around himhave identifiedasBrunel- been outattheviewer.Apostle, staring Thefigures Enthroned; besidethe he’stheonestanding Lippi. Masaccio features himself inhisSt Peter was completed some60years later byFilippino Rome, where hedied,aged only28.Thecycle Masolino, andinterrupted togo thetask over frescoes inhisearly20s,taking these from inEuropeanpainting.Masaccio seen painted 1415, the latter’s family wasonthedecline. simo ilVecchio in wed Contessina de’Bardi alongthisstreet,houses butbythetimeCo- familyonceownedallthe The powerfulBardi enter quieter apleasantly corner of Florence. fork)awayfrom thesquare(the right andyou Soprarno. Follow thenarrowViade’Bardi rebuilt inquestionable taste after thewar. minesin1944,andhastily tened byGerman of itsrecent history.Thisentire area wasflat- first stretch of showsclearsigns Viade’Bardi Continuing eastawayfromPonte Vecchio, the PONTE VECCHIO TOFORTEDIBELVEDERE keep watch over thearea. , de’Belfredelli andTorre deiMarsili towers, theTorre the square of name. thesame Two12th-century including familymansions, Along thewayyoupassseveral Ponte TrinitàalongBorgo Santa SanJacopo. you canfollowtheriverCestello, bankasfar From thefrontof diSanFrediano Chiesa in BACK TOPONTEVECCHIO At thewestern endof thestreet stands The street Maria spillsintoPiazzadiSanta Mp p0 , another p103), (Map SanFrediano Porta Palazzo (Map Frescobaldi pp100–1 ) on alongwithhisteacher, Botticelli. , itsincomplete façadehiding

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h lonelyplanet.com 9-11.30am &5-6pm Chiesa diSan free; vella withPiazzaleMichelangelo. antique varieties–make apretty picture. 1000 typesof inbloom–including350 roses peace between theGuelphspeace between andGhibellines. Mozzi residences. PopeGregory at Xstayed surrounded bythesturdyfaçadesof grand lonelyplanet.com church further uphill, atthiswonderful The real pointof your exertions isfive minutes CHIESA DISANMINIATO ALMONTE delle Rose nipintothehill-sideGiardino season, the right Shouldriver Poggi. itbe andPiazzaGiuseppe paths andsteps thatscalethehillsidefrom 10-minute road, uphillwalkalongthewiggly Florence’s twoDavid copies:thesquare isa esplanade (Map pp100–1 ), piercedbyoneof in thesoaringcitypanoramafromthisvast how-to-make-limoncello souvenir flogging stalls of Turn yourbackonthebevy ticky-tacky Theviewsareattack. excellent. protect the Palazzo Pittiasagainstforeign four fronts–asmuch to forinternal security this massive bulwarksoldiers kept watch on nando Iattheendof the16thcentury.From forGrandDuke Buontalenti Ferdi-Bernardo (Map pp100–1 ), aramblingfortdesignedby steep hillthatleadsyouto the eastandforastretch furtherwest,upa pp100–1 ). Thewallextends ashortwayto (Map SanMiniato Porta colò Oltrarnothrough like, diSanNic- walksouthfromChiesa To get anideaof whatthewallswere once pp100–1 ), allthatisleftof thecitywalls. at thetowermarking colò; walkeastalongthisstreet toemerge of SpainbyhisbrotherNapoleon. ofheight hiscareer, appointed hadbeen king in 1844;ahumbleendtothemanwho,at parte inthelastyears of hislife untilhisdeath (Map pp100–1 Bona- ) washometoJoseph of ViadeiRenai,16th-centuryPalazzo Serristori lived nearbyinViaSanNiccolò.Attheend the 19th-centuryRussian philanthropistwho leafy PiazzaNicolaDemidoff,dedicated to Bus 13 links Stazione di Santa Maria diSanta Bus 13linksStazione No- Via de’ Bardi expiresVia de’Bardi inPiazzade’Mozzi, Turn right andyouenduponViaSanNic- Turn right Next, turneastdownViadeiRenai,past h (Map (Map (Map (Map pp96-7 ; ViaMonte alle Croce;admission free; 8am-8pm Mon-Sun May &Jun) 8am-8pm Mon-SunMay pp100-1 ; (Rose Garden; VialeGiuseppePoggi2;admission (Rose Garden; FLORENCE••Sights Piazza de’Mozzi 2) Porta SanNiccolò Porta tea towelsandtake statues andDavid statues Forte di Belvedere diBelvedere Forte when brokering en route where Romanesque Palazzo de’

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built in 1534 on the orders of Alessandro de’ built in1534ontheorders of de’ Alessandro h in iconography. ists butmostly byRussians who were experts decoratedrior levels inpartbyFlorentine art- in thenorthern-Russian style,withtwo inte- the resident Russian populace, itwasdesigned pp98–9 ) colourthe skyline. Builtin1902for domes onthisRussian Orthodox A coupleof blockseast,theonion-shaped CHIESA RUSSAORTODOSSA children andmenswearfashionshows( p60 ). annual andacatwalktoItaly’s cultural events forexhibitions, vasion. Nowadaysit’sused Florentines, ratherthanadefence againstin- aimed atoverawing thepotentially rebellious Medici. Itwasastatementof Medici power, This huge defensive FORTEZZA DABASSO North oftheOldCity Gregorian chant waftingupfromthecrypt. (in summer)andyoucanhearthemonks’ terracotta bydellaRobbia. ceilingin andatabernacle tonio Rossellino side thenorthaisle,features atombbyAn- all contributed. elozzo, Agnolo GaddiandLucadellaRobbia bijou vault represent theEvangelists. Thefourfiguresof initscross StBenedict. frescoes depictingthelife bright marvellously The screen, rich incomplexgeometrical designs. presbytery have anintricate marblepulpitand choir and fine Romanesquecrypt.Theraised signs linethelengthof thenave, leadingtoa the southwallandintricate inlaidmarblede- Inside 13th-to15th-centuryfrescoes adorn was tacked onacoupleof centurieslater. theVirginChrist between andStMinius, depicting marble façade,featuring amosaic century. ItstypicallyTuscanmulticoloured head tucked underneathhisarm). tive version, tohave walked upthehillwithhis the town(or,ifyoucare analterna- tobelieve have flowntothisspotafter hisdeathdownin Christian martyrinFlorence to whoissaid church isdedicated toStMinius,anearly Come around4.30pm(inwinter) or5.30pm Bus 13stopsnearby. The Slap banginthemiddleof thenave isthe The church wasstarted intheearly11th 8am-7pm May-Oct, 8am-noon&3-6pmNov-Apr) 8am-7pm May-Oct, , inthesoutheastcorner,features sacristy Capella delCrocefisso Capella Cappella del Cardinale delPortogallo delCardinale Cappella fortress fortress , towhich Mich- (Map pp98–9 ) was was pp98–9) (Map church

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, be- 127 FLORENCE FLORENCE FLORENCE 427 9755;VialePieraccini 17;admissionfree; for the local hospital today in Careggi. The todayinCareggi. for thelocal hospital 9am-noon Sat) Mon-Fri, diCareggi Medicea 1492 atVilla Petraia.Same busroutes asLa grotto, alltherage Florence. inRenaissance sumptuous gardenswithananimal-sculptured was afavourite of CosimoIandisframedby Mon ofthemonth) to5pmNov-Feb, &Oct, to6pmMar closed2nd&3rd &Sep, May tello 47;admissionfree; diCastello Medicea Novella. bus ( p131 Maria diSanta ) fromStazione Take ATAF bus28ortheCitySightseeing isanexceptionaltimetovisit. and hothouses, tubs are outfromthelemongroves brought Giambologna, andMay, whenitsflowering magnificent gardensfeature by afountain FerdinandoCardinal de’Medici in1576.Its wascommissionedthe cityinCastello, by closed 2nd&3rdMonofthemonth) to5pmNov-Feb, &Oct, to6pmMar &Sep, to 7pmApr,May Via dellaPetraia 40;admissionfree; to visitors. sprawl. Onlythegardensof thistrioare open Florence –nowcitysuburbandindustrial villas inwhatwasthencountrysidearound and prosperitygrew, theMedici builtseveral In the15thand16th centuries astheirwealth from where itisashort walk. Novella tothe‘Gioia’stoponViaFabroni, 19th-century paintings. and16th-to clothes, furnishings,tapestries rub shoulders. Other variedexhibitsinclude of armourfromEuropeandtheMiddleEast horses andtheirriders inallmannerof suits north of Fortezza daBasso. child €5/2; % akathe Montughi, ing personal inVilladi collection,showcased antiquities market anintrigu- andamassed century wheeler-dealers ontheEuropean bert (1838–1906) was oneof thegrand19th- Anglo-Italian, Florence-born Frederick Stib- MUSEO STIBBERT 128 (Parade Room)where life-sized figures of Great forkidsisthe Villa Medicea LaPetraia Medicea Villa Lorenzo ilMagnifico breathed hislastin Lorenzo ilMagnifico’s summerhome, Take Maria diSanta bus4fromStazione 055 47 55 20; www.museostibbert.it; Via Stibbert 26;adult/ ViaStibbert 055 475520;www.museostibbert.it; FLORENCE •• Activities FLORENCE ••Activities h 10am-2pm Mon-Wed,10am-6pmFri-Sun) , a little further north in Castello, , alittlefurthernorthinCastello, (Map p155; (Map h Museum Stibbert , administrative offices 8.15am-8pm Jun-Aug, to7pmApr, Mp p155; (Map % h Sala dellaCavalcata , 3.5kmnorthof 055 454791;ViadiCas- 8.15am-8pm Jun-Aug, Mp p155 ; (Map % h Mp pp96-7; (Map 055 452691; 9am-6pm % Villa Villa 055 ,

Via Roti Michelozzi 2) Via RotiMichelozzi decorated withbustsfromthedellaRobbia prayers.honey between Thegreat cloister is where monksmake Carthusian liqueurand Tue-Sun) h admissionfree; 206-208r,Galuzzo; 204 9226;ViaSenese astery, the remarkable mon- 14th-centuryCarthusian for 3kmtothevillage of Galluzzoandits southtip of theOltrarno,followViaSenese RomanalocatedFrom Porta atthesouthern CERTOSA DIFIRENZE as a14th-centurycastle. a bucolicescapefromthecityheat,startedlife about. Thetop-endhotel, longappreciated as di Bellosguardo Michelozzi intothegroundsof from here, butifyouwanderalongViaRoti anything Piazza Bellosguardo. Youcan’tsee ple of villasfromPiazzaTorquatoTasso to narrow, windingroadleadsuppastacou- spot for19th-centurylandscapepainters. A southwest of thecitycentre, wasafavourite The hillof View), (Beautiful Bellosguardo BELLOSGUARDO South oftheOldCity Novella. ATAF Maria diSanta bus14CfromStazione gardens here canalsobevisited; take the brightest highlights. brightest highlights. This route introduces you tomanyof thecity’s WALKING TOUR before divingin. times are restricted inbothpools;calltocheck Sep) Viale dellaCatena2; Tue &ThuJun-Aug) 21; Lungarno AldoMoro6; cina Bellariva back theroof over theOlympic-sizepool, On those torrid summer dayswhentheypull ACTIVITIES Maria Novella. Studi. Take diSanta bus37from Stazione tormo intheGothichallof Palazzo degli workshop, andthere are frescoes byPon- when admission isfree. dell’Unità and the Duomo passes nearby. dell’Unità andtheDuomopasses From mid-September toJune,openingFrom mid-September Piscina LePavonière guided tour9am,11.30am,3pm&4.30pmor5.30pm hasapizzeriaandbar. Dipintheevening , also called Certosa delGalluzzo, , alsocalledCertosa Certosa di Firenze diFirenze Certosa (Comunale Nannini; Map (Comunale Nannini;Map Mp p0 www.torrebellosguardo.com; p103; (Map is heaven. Bus14fromPiazza , you’ll see whatthefusswas , you’llsee h h 10am-6pm &8pm-2amJun–mid- Mp pp96-7 ; (Map 10am-6pm daily, 8.30-11.30pm 10am-6pm daily,8.30-11.30pm

(Map pp96-7 ; pp96-7; (Map pp96-7; lonelyplanet.com % Albergo Torre Torre Albergo 055 362233; % 055 67 75 055 6775 % Pis- 055 lonelyplanet.com of of Nocetoenjoythecontemporary bustle La slip inaquickdetournorthwardsupBorgo and to PiazzaSanLorenzo, withitsmarket stalls azza Madonna degliAldobrandini, andon continue eastonViadelMelarancio, pastPi- and as farbusyPiazzadell’UnitàItaliana, ( Novella overlooked byBasilicadiSantaMaria

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; ; FLORENCE FLORENCE FLORENCE children; green spacesandplaygroundsare not theeasiestcitytovisitwithvery young gusto inarestaurant. Florence Thatsaid, is strollingwithagelatoevenings, ordiningwith quently goingout with youngchildren inthe where, anytime, in Florence, familiesfre- Children are welcomedpretty much any- FLORENCE FORCHILDREN p76. see see p402 ; forcourses covering foodandwine, dance andsoon.Forgeneral information, merous others teach art,arthistory,film, languagecourses inItalian andculture. Nu- Florence hasdozensof schools offering COURSES your exertions. tiful Romanesquejewelandafittingendto alMonte Chiesa diSanMiniato along VialeGalileoGalileibringsyoutothe five minutes more of sturdyuphill work panorama over thecity.Fromhere, barely Michelangelo steep, windingfootpathleadsupto thegate,ing citygates.you’llfinda Behind colò along ViaSanNiccolòasfar rounded bygrandresidences, andcontinue asfarPiazzade’Mozzi, sur-de’ Bardi head upstream alongaltogether quieter Via dynasty. Pitti ciardini asfarthebroodinghulkof Palazzo trarno. ContinuesouthalongViade’Guic- Cross thisbridge, and youwillbeintheOl- the River Arno. art.PiazzadegliUffiziaissance leadsonto most precious collectionsof primarilyRen- 130 Returning totheriver andPonte Vecchio, Vecchio Face thePonte westtosee Santa Croce 10)Fresco andgraphicdesign, gildingandmarquetry. restoration, interior Classical, jazzandmodern dance. Istituto perl Florence DanceCenter Centro Lorenzo de British Institute ofFlorence LanguageCentre Alice Atelier TOP FIVECOURSES guage with huge variety ofsupplementarycourses,includingjewellerydesign,archaeologyandfilmproduction. guage withhugevariety Professor Agostino Dessìand daughter, Alice. Piazza degli Strozzi 2) Much-respected institution dating to 1917; language, art history, cooking andwineappreciation. history,cooking institution datingto1917;language,art Piazza degliStrozzi2)Much-respected ( ( 12; p126 ), oneof Florence’s few surviv- FLORENCE ••Courses 11; p123 of theMedici), one-timeseat ( 13; p127 ) withitsbreathtaking ’ Mp pp100-1; (Map Arte eilRestauro Palazzo Spinelli ’ Medici Mp p103; (Map % ( 14; Mp pp98-9; (Map 055 287370;www.alicemasks.com; ViaFaenza courseswith 72r)Mask-making p127 ), abeau- Porta SanNic- Porta % ( p123). 10; Piazzale 055 289276;www.florencedance.org inItalian;BorgodellaStella23r) % 055 287360;www.lorenzodemedici.it; ViaFaenza 43)Lan- Mp pp100-1; (Map Mp pp100-1; (Map 86; www.istitutodeglinnocenti.it;ViadeiFibbiai 2;one/three co’s studiolo and visit the latter; while those co’s studioloandvisitthelatter; whilethose shadow theatre aboutatheftfromFrances- dren aged years three canwatch toseven a and games. can popintoplaywithitsmanytoys,books simply turnup.Anytime,parents andkids years andsixto11years; bookinadvanceor shops forchildren aged three years tofive to theSpedaledegliInnocenti,runswork- spirational ‘playandlearnwithart’spacenext workshops €10/20; byMaria SalviaBaldini. Art by SimoneFrascaand older children, try For opportunities tocarryoutsimpletasks. chasing aroundthecitylookingforitems or ure HuntFlorence Mouchawar’s sites. Ellen&Marvin pencils anddo-and-find formajor sections ence Howard’s activity-driven book NancyShroyerticularly tip-topselection. shop inPalazzo Vecchio ( p110 ) hasapar- help children discover Florence –thebook- fortourists. service can provide baby-sitters, there’s noorganised scarce and,whilesomeof thepricierhotels 10) wih a a gory medical section. a has which dellaScienza(p110), di Storia theexhibitsat kidsthrough talks mour atthe Vasari. dressed up) ortake atourof theplacewith Cosimo IandEleonoradeToledo(actors Michelangelo atheatre though sketch, meet aged years eight ormore canlearnabout Several locallypublished booksandgames Several At thePalazzo Vecchio ( p110 ), younger chil- deiRagazzi La Bottega Boys candroolover inshining ar- knights kits outkidsaged sixto10years with % % 055 267 78 200; www.britishinstitute.it; 055 26778200;www.britishinstitute.it; 17) ad ‘Galileo’ and (p127), Stibbert Museo 055 246001;www.spinelli.it; Borgo h 9am-1pm &3-7pmMon-Sat) Florence, Just AddWater sets the same age thesame group sets Florence: Playingwith Mp pp98-9; (Map

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free; inItalian;ViaPandolfinoi 18;admission 00; www.musicarte.it as walking and one-day bike tours(€75). bike andone-day as walking andsnoozingtoursas well natural trails, picnics,walking tour–sunsetstrolls, €10) thensignupforan activity Becomean taltourist.com) (membership accidental tourist and theirchildren. portunity tominglewithFlorentine parents along Lungarno Santa Rosa (crosstheriver Rosa along LungarnoSanta years are intheOltrarno:river-side space port and route A or B, buy a one-day PassePartour (€22/11). androuteA orB,buyaone-day port adult/six to15years€28/20.Ifyouintendusing publictrans- lines A&Badult/fiveto15years/family€20/10/60, lineC villas. TicketsMedici valid24hoursincludingaudioguide: San Frediano and Fiesole; between Porta andline Ctoursthe lineByo-yos southeastern exit)withPiazzale Michelangelo; toATAF(bus stopnext bus stopsoppositethestation’s Novella around thecity;lineAlinksStazionediSantaMaria bus, hoppingonandoffasyoupleaseatbusstopssprinkled www.firenze ghetti inhisold-fashionedghetti 28 0909;ViadeiRustici6) pools etcforkidsaged twoto10years. play area inatent withbouncycastles,ball Duomo racing upthebell-toweranddomeof the lonelyplanet.com Accidental Tourist Accidental Tourist Cycling City SightseeingFirenze CAF Tours Bus TOURS h % after at and onPiazzaTorquatoTasso (lunch before/ using Ponte AmerigoVespucci andturnright) Musicale at theLudoteca enchanting. sel pool tosplasharoundin.Thevintage which insummerhasanopen-air pp96–7), (Maping roundParco delleCascine inthe statues inside Stazione Santa Maria Novella. inside StazioneSantaMaria ITAonline, atitsofficeorConsorzio toPisa,and trips Lucca andothertowns(€40to€115);book to €90);designer-outlet shopping tours Sant’Antonino 6r)Half-andfull-daycitycoachtours(€42 The best Watching Giovanni Franchini make spa- Otherwise there’sOtherwise Mondobimbo

If you speak Italian, themusicalactivities If youspeakItalian, on Piazza della Repubblica never stopson PiazzadellaRepubblicanever 10am-midnight May-Sep, 10am-7pmOct-Apr) 10am-midnight May-Sep, 055 5532946;ViadelPonteRosso;admission€5; h ( p105 between ); playinghide-and-seek 9.30am-12.30pm Mon-Sat) p141). Al Tranvai, ( .city-sightseeing.it) Tour Florence by open-top .city-sightseeing.it) TourFlorencebyopen-top % playgrounds 055 21 06 12; www.caftours.com; Via 055 210612;www.caftours.com; 14) r tear- or Giardino diBoboli(p124) FLORENCE••Tours ( % 055 699376;www.acciden (Map pp98-9; (Map is afunescapade,as Mp pp100-1; (Map for children undersix offer agoodop- Laboratorio Laboratorio (Map (Map pp98-9 ; p132 ) (€23 to€30; p151 ) % % 055 29 04 51; 055 290451; Mp pp98-9; (Map swimming 055 26386 ,

( a soft- % carou- 055 32km-long daytourofChianti(includinglunch€75). €2.70/7.50/14/34.50)anda cityitineraries self-guided rental (perhour/fivehours/day/three daysincluding bike ViaSanZanobi120-122r)Straight .florencebybike.it; easy-going’, says Lonely Planet reader Katie J,USA. saysLonelyPlanetreader Katie easy-going’, funand Vignoli: ‘professional, accommodating,extremely racerMarco ence, SienaandIlChiantiledbyformerbike ofFlor- ontheoutskirts rides .com; ViaBelgio4)One-day online. byphone or (€67.50).Reserve half-day IlChiantitrips toursofthecity(€42.50)and walking .org) Three-hour de’Sassetti 1) Excellent one- to three-hour walksofthe tothree-hour de’Sassetti 1) Excellentone- Via 264 5033,329 6132730;www.italy.artviva.com; lunch andvineyardvisit€60). andequipment, bike countryside (includingtransport, to Fiesole andIlChianti (both€65includinglunch). citytours(€35),anddaytrips €13/32/50/65), three-hour itineraries daysincludingself-guiding one/three/five/seven ViaFiesolana rentalwww.tourbikeflorence.it; (per 14r)Bike .com; Walking ToursofFlorence Walking Tours Mercurio Florapromotuscany. themetoursby dell’Accademia (€25)andvarious 1) Florence ina (€30),Galleria Day (€70),theUffizi 46 77;www.florapromotuscany.com;ViaPellocceria GuidedTours Florence Walking Florence Tour Bike Tuscany I Bike Italy I Bike byBike Florence Bicycle Tuscany bike toursintheTuscanbike countryside. andtwo-day pledge ofthistourcompany,whichrunsone- ‘No museums,nochurchesandannoyingcrowds’isthe privately owned, high wallsinFlorence andaround.Mostly many ofahistoricalnature, hidebehind sitely landscaped,lovingly tended gardens, It isquite astonishingjusthowmanyexqui- A GARDENTOUR obligatory. areof thegarden.Advancereservations cialist guideandinvariablywiththeowner urday afternoon (€25),alwayswithaspe- around Florence every Thursday andSat- private toursofgardensinFlorence and societyorganisesciation, thehorticultural HomesAsso- ing withtheItalianHistorical 83; www.hortibus.com) 83; www.hortibus.com) h Mar-Nov) One-day bike rides intheTuscan rides bike One-day Mar-Nov) ( % ( % ( 055 234 23 71; www.ibikeitaly.com) 055 2342371;www.ibikeitaly.com) ( % % (Map (Map pp98-9 ; 335 8120769;www.ibiketuscany ( 055 213355;www.mercurio-italy % 055 222580;www.bicycletuscany Hortibus Hortibus ( % 055 2343048,340 635 1800; holds the key. Work-holds thekey. (Map (Map pp100-1 ; 055 210301,349 316 % 055 488992;www ( % 4 1 07 348 910 % 055

131 FLORENCE FLORENCE FLORENCE festival (see p148 ). Mary’s birthday on7September. birthday Mary’s Santa CrocetoPiazza SSAnnunziatatocelebratetheVirgin dress, windsitswayfromPiazzaand othersinmedieval di by drummers,sbandieratori (flagthrowers),musicians A processionofchildren carryinglanterns,accompanied fireworks overPiazzale Michelangelo. football)matchesonPiazza(medieval diSantaCroceand Florence celebratesitspatronsaintwiththe parking is etc, see parking is etc,see p397 . rates, the costlynightmareseasonal hotel accommodation. are ashort train tripawayandoffer cheaper Townslikehouses). Arezzo, PratoandPisa including places, butdocarrylistsof whatisavailable, www.lonelyplanet.com. more Florence optionsare reviewed onlineat fortheirgoodvaluemoney;plenty selected haveinflated prices. Placesinthissection been demand,reflectedin constant bythecity’s nation formuch of theyearandrooms are Florentine charm of hundreds of years too. midrange optionsooze thatdistinct sleeping good-valuethe market. Several budget and strictlyforthetop-endofaces isnotreserved the city’splethoraof beautifulhistoricalpal- at leastonechurch spire orbelltower),while (across burnt-red rooftops interspersed by in centralFlorence have roomswithaview bed andbreakfast (B&B)scene. Many places ries, someexcellenthostels andaburgeoning The cityhas hundreds of hotels inallcatego- SLEEPING Festa delleRificolone Fiorentino Musicale Maggio Festa diSanGiovanni Scoppio delCarro Medici Festa diAnnaMaria inFebruaryCarnevale aside,festivals abound. FESTIVALS &EVENTS hours). murderstroll(€25,1½ Medici ates, includinganevening historygradu- orart city (€25to€39)ledbyhistorians 132 Medici) Sunday. fireworks isexplodedinfrontofthecathedralat11amon Medicee. Medicee. parade fromPalazzo Vecchio tohertombintheCappelle withacostumed ismarked AnnaMaria, the lastMedici, For general information on reservations, For general information onreservations, Tourist officesdon’trecommend orreserve But get inquick.Florence isahotdesti- FLORENCE ••Festivals &Events

18 February, thedateofdeathin1743 affittacamere (roomsinprivate (Explosion of the Cart) A cart of Acart (ExplosionoftheCart) (Feast ofStJohn)On24June (Festival ofthePaper Lanterns) Amajorsummermusic (Feast ofAnnaMaria calcio storico

20 40 085; www.trattoriabibe.com; ViaDellaBagnese11r, 20 40085;www.trattoriabibe.com; by telephone. ments andhotelsinFlorence andTuscany; bookonlineor .familyhotels.com; VialeFratelliRossi39r)B&Bs,apart- Maria Novella; reservation fee €5.50. Novella;reservation Maria 9pm Mon-Sat,10am-7pmSun)Platform5,StazioneSanta % furnished apartments – unbeatable valuefor furnished apartments–unbeatable three withgardencontains beautifully house ence’s most-loved inns( p138 ), this1930s s€50-70,d€60-120) Galuzzo; look online. hard tosource;see p398 foralistof spots to apartmentscanbeexpensive and Self-catering Apartment Rental Top Quark Promhotels Florence ITAConsorzio Reservation 365Hotel Agenzie you. ahotel roomfor –canfind/reserve station of which have officesinsidethemaintrain For free agencies orasmallfee, these –two Accommodation agencies car &tentlow season€8.90/10.70,high season€9.90/11.90; 80;adult/ inItalian; VialeMichelangelo 77; www.ecvacanze.it Michelangelo Campeggio Camping friendlier. Alfani anddaughterFrancescacould notbe ure of theJacuzzi showers; andfatherMarco productsaddtothepleas- and self-pamper decorate thewalls;dressing gowns,slippers bang-slap opposite thegallery.Originalprints interior gardenpiercedbyamedlartree: it’s ments insidethisconvent-turned-palace with inthefivefor guestsstaying beautifulapart- son toqueueoutsideGalleriadell’Accademia €200-350, 6people€350-500; 49;aptfor4people 99 31;www.palazzoalfani.com;ViaRicasoli central Florence. ing roadisbusybutyouare just3kmfrom is provided Theneighbour- forshortstays. every thing istop-notch qualityandbreakfast money. Fromfloorrugstotoilet-paperholder, hotels inandaroundFlorence. tofive-star forone- Online andtelephonereservations www.promhotels.it; Alberghiere; Map Alberghiere; Map pp98-9 ; Novella next to the pharmacy; reservation fee €3. tothepharmacy;reservation Novella next 7.30pm) InthemainhallofStazionediSantaMaria Guesthouse Villino Giulia Guesthouse Villino Palazzo Alfani 055 284201;[email protected];

( % Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com (signposted InformazioneTuristiche 055 334041,800608822;www Mp pp98-9; (Map h 9am-7pm Mon-Fri, 9am-1pmSat) 9am-7pm Mon-Fri, ( % %

ai Mp pp100-1; (Map 055 553941,800866022; 055 2893; Run byoneof Flor- % Mp pp96-7; (Map Mp pp98-9; (Map ) 055 291574,346033 There’s norea- % h h 055 68119 8am- 8am- % 055 fast €30/75; www.ostellogallodoro.com; ViaCavour104;dm/dinclbreak- Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com serve guests afree serve duo Florentine Silvia andUmbrianMax, who namic 24-bed hostel, runbybubblyyoung (knock toget inafter 2am). the five-terminal internet corner. Nocurfew andfreefor gueststouse unlimited wi-fi in frozen-meal dispensers(€3.50),microwaves quieter); there are washing machines (€3), three acrossthegarden are to12beds(those Maria Novella. white Bright dorms have at thisprivate hosteldiSanta nearStazione brightenupthewalls paintings andgraffiti & sheets€18-26; www.hostelarchirossi.com; ViaFaenza 94r;dminclbreakfast 10am and2pm.Curfew 2am. fourto22andaredorms sleep locked between computers tosurf(perhour€3).Single-sex alaundrette,use, free safe depositsandtwo recommended. There isakitchen forguests’ cooperative sincethe1960s,comeswarmly .ostello.it; ViaSantaMonaca6;dm€17-19; SantaMonaca Ostello Hostels the otheralternatives. ( below Panoramico) orCampeggio ( p156 ) are Novella. Take Maria diSanta bus13fromStazione with tent canpitch for€10.50year-round. it’sasteepwalkhome.though Abackpacker city views,it’shandyforthehistoricquarter, Arno. Bigandcomparatively leafywith lovely off PiazzaleMichelangelo, southof theRiver p convent, thislarge Oltrarnohostel, runbya Ostello ArchiRossi Ostello The leafygroundsof Ostello VillaCamerata Ostello Gallo d’Oro Gallo Ostello it reopens. and awaitingafacelift.Don’tmissitwhen noble oldRenaissancepalazzoisnowshut wholly irresistible Pensione Bandini,this Run foryearsasshabby,over-priced but shot several scenesofTea withMussolini. Piazza SantoSpirito(No9),where Zeffirelli randa atoptheRenaissancepalazzoon uphighontheroofedthose tucked ve- thana viewintown?Then looknofurther forthemostromanticroomwith Looking A ROOMWITHVIEW ) The closest site Theclosest tothecitycentre, just i ) Playhappyfamilies atthisdy- h closed 2weeksDec;

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055 290804; ) ) Guests’ Oncea .parishotel.it; ViadeiBanchi2;s€80-125,d€110-165; .parishotel.it; ning water in its rooms. Flat-screen TVs, ning water inits rooms. Flat-screen TVs, Florence in1926 to have hot-and-coldrun- wasthefirstand-son team, Casci hotel in pai 190, q€150-230,allincl breakfast; casci.com; ViaCavour13;s€60-110,d€90-150, tr€120- is €11andparking€16. weren’t allowedtoenter nextdoor. Breakfast the nuns‘attended’ Mass atthechapel they résistance gardenstolazein,butthe chief-sized paintings. Acoupleof roomshave handker- full of authenticperiodfurnishings and is astunner. Roomsare refined, tasteful, and turned-hotel awayfromthemaddingcrowds 115, d€140-180; % in thebreakfast roomisbreathtaking. rich, embroidered drapes. Thepainted ceiling dow pelmetsandbedheadsare adornedwith ceilings,andwin- Three-star roomssporthigh experience. theRenaissance the placetosleep linked onthe2ndfloorbyaglasswalkwayis ofin the15thcentury,thistwin-set palaces pai Paris Hotel MIDRANGE parked nearby. equally exuberant.Lookfortheelectricbuggy sized hallwayandrooms(nogreenery) are plastic plantsgreets guestsinthecupboard- AjungleofBarlozzi. orange trees andother character –thatof larger-than-life hostLetizia the cornerfromTeatro dellaPergola oozes d €72-103,tr€80-134) www.soggiornolapergola.it; ViadellaPergola 23;s€45-60, LaPergola Soggiorno BUDGET East ofStazionediSantaMariaNovella hostel. Mariadi Santa Novella stops400mfromthe mostbeautiful.Bus17fromStazione Italy’s hostelfrom town,thisHI-affiliated isamong by extensive groundsa30-minute busride In aconverted 17th-centuryvillasurrounded d/tr/q withbathroom€60/69/80,allinclbreakfast; [email protected]; 2-4;dm€18, VialeAugustoRighi beds andthree have atinybalcony. dinner (€10)each Dormsmaxatfive evening. o Camerata Villa Ostello Casci Hotel 055 234 4747;www.hotelmorandi.it;ViaLaura 50;s€80- 055 ) ) is frescoed No29–theroomwhere Designed by Buontalenti DesignedbyBernardo Hotel MorandiallaCrocetta Hotel Run byasuper-efficient mother- Mp pp100-1 ; (Map Mp pp98-9; (Map pa Thisbudget placearound FLORENCE ••Sleeping ) Mp pp100-1; (Map This medieval convent- Thismedieval Mp pp96-7; (Map % % 055 211686;www.hotel h 055 280281;www closed 2weeksJan; % % Mp pp98-9; (Map 055 213886; 055 601451; pièce de pi 133

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FLORENCE FLORENCE FLORENCE heirlooms. Nonchalantly adorning theold- palazzo packedis aRenaissance with family 460, q€286-520,allincl breakfast; monnalisa.it; BorgoPinti 27;s€116-158, d€193-308,tr€262- MonnaLisa Hotel TOP END also available. three soon.Free internetand wi-fi station are cino couldmake of itstwinset stars become breakfast withabottomlesscappuc- buffet shell-shaped cornerbaths aswellafeisty 134

„ „ „ „ „ „ Affittacamere Florentine homeoffers. Unusually,theownerrarely lives in. valueformoney,charmandhospitalitythatstayinginalocalingly turningtotheextraordinary Bed andbreakfast (B&B)isaboomingbusinessinbusyoldFlorence where visitorsare increas- TIP-TOP B&BS Some favourites: RelaisdelDuomo InPiazza dellaSignoria Residenza SantoSprito IlSalottodiFirenze Alle Rampe Johanna&Johlea FLORENCE ••Sleeping €85-175, allinclbreakfast; ing doubleroomsisthefamilyfavourite. remarkable. The frescoed GoldRoomisthefirsttogoandGreen Room withtwoconnect- time square, thisromantictrioofroomswithsky-high ceilingsinPalazzo Guadagni (1505)is d’epoca azza delleSignoria,in2000andspentayeardoingitup.The result: astylish,refined nights. oured rooms. There doorbutroomsare isanIrishpubnext soundproofed. staytwo Minimum open theheftywoodendoortobegreeted bythelovely Mariaandfourelegant,pastel-col- a 17th-centurypalazzo online. dences. last-minute Those desiringtotalluxurycanaskaboutitssuite apartments; offers dozen tasteful, impeccable,individuallydecorated roomssplitbetweenfourhistoricresi- plenty ofknick-knacks itfeel tomake home. like there’s spaceforfive carstoparkonthedriveway. hem –inthecity.Virgin Maryguards theentrance,potsofflowersaddawarmwelcomeand B&Balovely thisfive-room spottoescapethecitymay- down thehilltowardsyou,making d €110-130,tr€145-170,q€180-210; are plentyofbooksinthelibrarytoborrow. bathroom, theGiovanni Fattori downonVia roomhas a littleterrace Romaandthere peeking six-room B&Boverlooking the baptistry,cathedralandbusysquare. Every roomhasitsown and stylishfurnishingsbecomeincidentaltothesoul-stirringviewsfromwindowsofthis €50-90, d€75-130; ap zzini 2;s€140-210,d€200-280; €90-130; ) Step behindthismustardhouseacrossfromtheArnoandanolive grove staggers ai (historical residence), with the family’s portraits inthehallway,periodfurnishingsand(historical residence), withthefamily’sportraits Mp pp100-1 ; (Map Mp pp100-1; (Map (AB&BA; ) Nestledabove ,theDrawingRoomofFlorence iswellnamed.Quality a Mp pp100-1; (Map Mp pp98-9; (Map Mp pp100-1; (Map ) Location is the prime selling point of this upscale B&B, perfectly placedin LocationistheprimesellingpointofthisupscaleB&B,perfectly % pa on aquiettraffic-free street aroundthecornerfromcathedral.Push a % Mp pp100-1; (Map Mp p103; (Map 055 6540860;www.abba-firenze.it) % ) 055 2479751;www. a OneofthemostestablishedB&Bsintown,J&Jhasmore thana 055 6800131;www.villaallerampe.com; Piazza Ferrucci 6-7;d€60-140; ) MonnaLisa % % ) AlessandroandSoniaboughtthishouse,asplitsecondoffPi- a % % 055 463 32 92; www.johanna.it; Via San Gallo 80;s€70-120,d ViaSanGallo 055 4633292;www.johanna.it; 055 210147;www.relaisdelduomo.it inItalian;Piazza dell’Olio2;s ) 055 218347;www.ilsalottodifirenze.it; ViaRoma6r;s€70-80,d % Brilliantly placedonFlorence’s mostbuzzingsummer- 055 2658376;www.residenzasspirito.com; Piazza 9; SantoSpirito 055 239 95 46; www.inpiazzadellasignoria.com; ViadeiMaga- 055 2399546;www.inpiazzadellasignoria.com; with bathroom €50-85,dwith bathroom€60-105, www.pensioneferretti.it; ViadelleBelle Donne17;s€40-75, Pensione Ferretti Hotel &MIDRANGEBUDGET Around Piazzadi SantaMariaNovella costs €15. sit forbreakfast insummer. Hotel parking bijou flower-bedecked garden where guests ents ownthehotel. Someroomsoverlook the descend- the 19th-centurysculptor,whose world palaceare worksbyGiovanni Dupré,

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% residenza 055 2381328; .touristhouse.com; ViadelleScala1;s€50,d€60-85,tr€100- .touristhouse.com; making themthemostwhite andsparkly.No ofThose the3rdfloorhave refurbished, been no-frills, unpretentious hotel with16rooms. dra willmake athomeintheir youfeel right bed€30,allinclbreakfast; extra Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com could be several kilometrescould be several from theobelisk- oyster shutters includeawinter garden (you this four-star hotel withcream façade and d €155-440; Novella16; Piazza diSantaMaria .grandhotelminerva.com; Minerva Grand Hotel TOP END dream. Parking is€15. terrace withdeckchairs gazer’s isastar vehicles are kept well away,anditsflowery blocked USembassy,meaningmotorised cycle todinner. Itisnextdoortotheroad- guestshappytois perfect forpeace-seeking from town,thisriver-side palace Renaissance 150, tr€120-170,allinclbreakfast; .hotelconsigli.com; LungarnoVespucci Amerigo 50;d€100- living room(1780). ofstar theshowis floor-to-ceiling frescoed and contemporary private bathrooms,butthe shopping strip.Roomshave antiquepieces 16th-century palazzoonFlorence’s smartest thehotel isenthroned ina Carmello, Italian smiling aplombbyAustralianDoreen and charm andgreat valueformoney.Runwith to 1875isasplendidmixof old-fashioned this Prada andMcQueen, tr €100-140,q€130-165) www.hotelscoti.com; Viade’Tornabuoni7;s€50-75,d€75-115, air. rooftopsbetween isawelcomebreath of fresh and breakfast ontheplant-bedecked terrace ing, buttheyrepresent goodvalueformoney, heartsrac- steamy summerdaysmaynotset rooms withair-con tocoolthingsdownon 120, qe€100-140,allinclbreakfast; get air-con andbreakfast (€5)forfree. thebillincashand con switched on–orsettle bathrooms. Pay toget €5extraanight theair- style withcanopybeds;three have private artistandfurnished inhigh-baroquesance areestablishment each namedafter aRenais- 135; ViadeiBanchi1;d€45-75,tr€65-110,q€80- .abaco-hotel.it; air-con butceilingfans.Free internet point. Hotel Consiglia Hotel o Abaco Hotel Tourist House Tourist ai pais Hotel Scoti Hotel ) The seven roomsinthissimple The seven Mp pp100-1; (Map Mp pp100-1; (Map Mp p103 ; (Map Mp pp100-1; (Map Wedged , between Mp pp100-1; (Map ) i Stand-out featuresStand-out of pa % a % ) % Roberto andSan- pensione 055 2381919;www % ) 055 214172;www Theninebasic 055 268675;www ) % Ashortwalk 055 27230;www

055 292128; dating .com; Piazza di Santa Maria Novella7;d€290-330,penthouse .com; Piazza diSantaMaria 13; www.hotelcestelli.com;BorgoSSApostoli25;s€45-55,d www.hotelsangiovanni.com; Viade’Cerretani 2; air to this eight-room hotel,air tothiseight-room stylish homeof and flicker addasoothingZen of lights night ( p109 ) family roosted inthe13th-century pensione inthemansion where theDonati €50-75, tr€75-100,q€80-125) .hotelorchideaflorence.it; Borgodegli Albizi11;s€35-55,d dining recommendations. ferent andthecouplebrimwithdependable massage therapistAsumi. roomisdif- Each Florentine photographerAlessioandJapanese 2 weeksJan,3Aug) bed€15-25; €60-75, dwithbathroom€80-110,extra Breakfast is€5. air-con: Nos6,7and8facethecathedral. a private bathroom andfourof which have and spaciousrooms,justtwoof which have Lofty light ceilingstopofftheothereight where fresco tracesstilladornroomNo3. private residence –a14th-centurypalazzo uptothisformerbishop’ssized suitcases) ride therattlyoldcage lift(forget jumbo- rates areseason 10%to15%less. concept asrare asicebergs inFlorence. Low there’s free parkingformotoringguests–a fourorfiveeasily sleep (extrabed€25)and the street canbenoisy.Doublesare bigand leafy innercourtyardare facing serene; those Marco andSamanta.Roomsoverlooking the energy andsmilesbybusyparents-of-three ple hotel onClockRdisrunwithunrelenting €80; 17;s/d€40/65,dwithbathroom .hoteldali.com; Viadell’Oriuolo Dalí Hotel BUDGET Between theDuomo&Arno topped courtyard–itisallvery Charles Xfireplace andbreakfast inaglass- with amixof oldandnew–retro 1950slamps, boutique hotel meansbusiness.Design-driven with viewsguaranteedtomake youswoon,this Michele Bonan,andaJames-Bond penthouse designed byoneof Florence’s toparchitects, €610-750, allinclbreakfast; is €28. this city–arooftop swimmingpool.Parking studded square outside)and–unusuallyfor €50-95, tr€68-98,q€80-108; Hotel Orchidea Hotel o SanGiovanni Hotel JK Place h closed three weeksJan; Mp pp100-1; (Map Hotel Cestelli Cestelli Hotel Mp pp100-1; (Map Mp pp100-1 ; (Map FLORENCE ••Sleeping pai Mp pp100-1; (Map Thescentof joss sticks % a Mp pp100-1; (Map p % Thisold-fashioned 055 2645181;www.jkplace ) Buzz toenter and ) % 055 2340706;www Thisspruce,sim- ) With aninterior 055 2480346;www % alla moda. % 055 288385;

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closed 135 FLORENCE FLORENCE FLORENCE 170, q€160-200; perseo.it; ViadeiCerretani 1;s€85-99,d€110-140,tr€135- reigns inits74minimalist, edgyand soft- ish gallery hotel is true21stcentury. Peace Florence architect Michel Bonan,thismod- Ferragamo anddesignedby fashionhouse 1110, allinclbreakfast; .lungarnohotels.com; Vicolodell’Oro5;d€350-450,ste€640- edge indeed. the glassliftwithcushioned sofa iscutting cinema inthe1950s.Roomsare hi-tech and (very pink)celebrationof creativity Italian and dip insideandbebowledover byaglamorous bour, anuglyconcrete blockopposite. But design isthethrustof thisnext-doorneigh- breakfast €300-380; [email protected]; Vicolodell’Oro6r;dincl terrace is an impressionable affair. onthe the theatricalanddinnerbycandlelight century tothepresent day.Décorverges on originalworksofshowcases artfromthe18th and sculptures loominguplarge inreception ode todesignwithglass-toppedcourtyard pa 63; www.borghesepalace.it; ViaGhibellina174r; s/d€190/350; Hotel Palace Art Borghese TOP END in 1966before getting inthelift. theArnorose howhigh lower down.Observe panoramafromyourroom;they’rethe same Vecchio viewishardtobeat.Butdon’texpect river-side buildingneartheUffizi, thePonte breakfast roomonthe5thand6thfloors of a With afloweryrooftop terrace, reception and 1;d€160-220; www.hermitagehotel.com; VicoloMarzio quads, makingitagreat familychoice. turnintobunk-bedhues. Doublescleverly walk-inshowers andmellownatural TVs, andmodern–flat-screen light all sweetness, three-star hotel overhauled in2006,décoris grubby façade. Onceoutof thecage liftinthis Perseo Hotel MIDRANGE all yourquestions.Nocredit cards. terrace. Have acuppaandletMirandaanswer gorgeous gardenwhileNo4spillsoutontoa 5, 6and7have huge windowsoverlooking a sink andshared bathroomare simple;Nos roomswith tower) ischarm Itsseven itself. wasallegedly(Dante’s Gemma borninthe 136 Hotel Hermitage Hotel Gallery Hotel Art Art Hotel Gallery o FLORENCE ••Eating ) Akey address forartlovers, thisstylish Continentale Mp pp100-1; (Map ai pa Mp pp100-1; (Map pai Mp pp100-1 ; (Map ) Don’tbedeceived bythe ) Samedesigner,funkier Mp pp100-1; (Map % Mp pp100-1; (Map 055 212504;www.hotel ) % Ownedbythe % 055 27263;www % 055 287216; % 055 27262; 055 2843 a )

quarters in1944anda breakfast; .it; ViadelleCaldaie25;s€40-60,d€60-90,tr€80-105,allincl the leaves roomsand fallinautumn,several in oneof theleafiestpartsof Florence. Once Silla sitsinapalacewellawayfromthecrowds 220, allinclbreakfast; 5;s€90-125,d€100-170,tr€140- .hotelsilla.it; ViadeiRenai downonthegardens. 20, 21and22peep Boboli isaninspiringexperience;roomsNos taken ontheroofaperitivi terrace overlooking But roomsare spacious,andbreakfast and a hotel, hiddenina15th-centurypalazzo. An austere thismazeof airwaftsthrough €65-140, tr€85-160,q€100-180,allinclbreakfast; www.hotellascaletta.it; Viade’Guicciardini13;s€55-100,d with Skypeandfree internet access. own bathroom,fridge, andcomputer terminal isspotlesslyclean,hasits Each outstanding. for moneyprovidedroomsis seven bythese power withplentyof chintz, butthegoodvalue Althea &MIDRANGEBUDGET Oltrarno ( Fusion Bar p143 ). public areas, includingitshipJapanese-style is unforgettable. Contemporary artdresses initsrooftop hued rooms–anight penthouse between €25and €50forafullmeal, while between wine). €25 forameal(three courses aswell ashouse in Tuscany.Count onpayingaminimumof Dining ismore expensive here thanelsewhere EATING costs €40to€47. from therooftop isunforgettable. Parking Florentine soaps.The360-degree cityview in thebathroomandachoice of handmade furnishings, rich fabrics,Bulgariproducts vast andoozeelegancewithauthenticperiod residence wedged the12suites inbetween, are across fourfloors withthefamily’sprivate of old palaceisthestuff dreams. Languishing breakfast €335-800; 95 44;www.florencepalace.com; BorgoSanFrediano 5;steincl o TOP END green. Parking is€16. thelookoutis across theArno;otherwise, the breakfast terrace enjoybeguilingviews Hotel Silla Hotel LaScaletta Hotel Mp p103; (Map Places listed inmidrange command Palazzo Magnani Feroni Palazzo Magnani i

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(a fiery spicy Tuscan beef stew)(a fieryspicyTuscanbeef Thursday, lonelyplanet.com eaten aroundshared There’s woodentables. ble dishes, build-your-own andmains salads cooks upagreat of selection Tuscanvegeta- & SunSep-Jul) Ruote 30r;meals€15; fancies calà day, Monday, (traditionaltuscanwinebar)cookstripe teria five Inbusinesssince1927,thisfiaschet- tables. century woodenceiling,bottle-linedwallsand ists millingpastthishistoricpearlwith16th- are madetotheswarmsof 70r; meals€12; La Mescita &MIDRANGEBUDGET market. and tripe-hotNerbone( above ) isinsidethe islinedwithrestaurant terraces, cato Centrale options. Theeastern sideof Piazzadel Mer- ( p143 ) predictably cheap tasty cookupseveral The streets aroundtheMercato Centrale East ofStazionediSantaMariaNovella Tuscan dishestoexpect,see p66 . a head. the billintop-endplaceswillbeatleast€50 to €3) and pasta (€4)areto €3)andpasta dailystaples. Il Vegetariano Il Vegetariano For alookattraditionalFlorentine and secondi €3.50/6; stomach chopped‘nsimmered forhours‘nhours). vies) orsalsapiccante ( up onbarstoolsinthestreet reading newspapersbetweentripebites. Pay €2.30fortripe Paolo eSergio are increasingly farandfew betweenthesedays. Onefaithfulstillgoingstrongis up, boiled,sliced,bunginabunanddousedhotchillisauce. Yum! ofwheelsormobilestand–forajuicytripeburger.trippaio –acart Think cow’sstomachchopped When Florentines fancyafast munch-on-the-move ratherthanaslowfulllunch,theyflitby FAST-FOOD FLORENCE Jul), many tripestallswhere thefrillyoffal,piledhigh,costs€6perkg. ing uporaroundahandfuloftables. Complete theexperiencewithastrollaroundmarket’s potimmediately (no, it’snotsoggy,incredibly). beforedipped inthecooking Dinestand- serving tripe simplybetoooffal(!)foryoutostomach– for lunchtimeplatters oftrippaallafiorentina sandwich) dousedinsalsaverde (pea-green sauceofsmashedparsley,garlic,capersandancho- (salted cod)Fridayandwhatever thechef porchetta Or there’s Nerbone Much loved bySlowFood( p21 ) asabastionofgoodold-fashionedFlorentine tradition, a tripe cart parked infrontofonethe city’sbusiesttrattoria parked a tripecart (i’cche c’ec’e) Mp pp98-9; (Map lampredotto This self-service veggie restaurant Thisself-service h (roast pork)Wednesday,peposo 10am-3pm Mon-Sat) Mp pp98-9; (Map FLORENCE••Eating h h Mp pp100-1; (Map 7am-2pm Mon-Sat) lunch & dinner Tue-Fri, dinner Sat lunch &dinnerTue-Fri, % Saturday.Panini (a typeof tripe)Tues- 347 7951604;ViadegliAlfani (chilli sauce),andnotalotmore forabowlof Mp pp98-9; (Map % David-bound tour- 055 475030;Viadelle

No concessions Via de’ Macci; Via de’Macci; , a market stallinbusinesssince1872,where, amarket crowdsqueue % (€1.60 055 21 99 49; Mercato Centrale,Piazza Centrale;primi/ 055 219949;Mercato delMercato bac- h (tripeandtomatostew), tripepanini 8.30am-7pm Mon-Sat Sep-May, 8.30am-3pmMon-SatJun& 8.30am-7pm Mon-SatSep-May, panini conbollito, 85 50; www.trattoriamario.com; ViaRosina 2;meals€20; 85 50;www.trattoriamario.com; Carabè Carabè GELATERIE Santo). dolci(cantucciniand asolitary menu issimple:fourprimi, trattoria. handwritten Thechoice onSergio’s men diningsolo–theultimate signof areal and begreeted byacollectionof oldFlorentine hole hiddenbehind market since1915 stalls way intothisSlowFood–recommended bolt- Lorenzo 8r;meals€20; and orderthenext.Nocredit cards. no forwardplanning:orderonecourse,eatit Florence’s best.Ingeniously, Mario’s requires Friday fish dayandthe bistecca Romeo. MondayandThursday are tripedays, produce expertlycooked byolderbrother Once in,lunch elbow-to-elbowonmarket waiting outsideforhimtoyelltheirname. Tell Fabio andjointhegaggle youwantatable toria Mario dishes upunforgettable dining. his twosonsandtheirchildren today,Trat- by Mario’s parents in1953andcontinuedby lure opened withlocals:a100%familyaffair guidebook buthasnotlostitssoulor every h menu changes daily. always avegan optionandthechalked-up .com; Via Ricasoli 60r) .com; ViaRicasoli Da Sergio Da Sergio o noon-3.30pm Mon-Sat,closed3weeksAug) Mp pp98-9; (Map Trattoria Mario Trattoria (Map pp98-9 ; pp98-9 (Map a boiledbeefbuninfamously h Runwith asizzlingpassion where oldmensitpropped % lampredotto (cow’sfourth lunch Mon-SatSep-Jul) 055 289476; www.gelatocarabe %

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137 Vin Vin FLORENCE FLORENCE FLORENCE ner Tue-Sun) Trattoria Sostanza Trattoria dei13Gobbi Trattoria withthebill. Santo platecomplimentary of cantuccini flows andifyou’re get luckyyoumight a or veal withwhite beans.Thewineandwater hunk of finelyroasted meat–rabbit, lamb mouth crostini,Tuscansoupsandahuge exuberant waiters andfeast onmelt-in-your- latini.com; ViadeiPalchetti 6r;meals€35; coming backforseconds. Itspricemoreoverdays aweek. you willsee sures theauthentictrattoriaexperienceseven (typical home-madeFlorentine cuisine)en- solely from andamenubuilt the ceiling,lacecurtains checked tablecloths, legsof hamstrung from Spada 27r;meals€20; Marione Trattoria &MIDRANGEBUDGET Around PiazzadiSantaMariaNovella cream sandwich). granita (sorbet)andbrioche (aSicilianice- the hotspotfortraditionalSicilian generations, thiswhollySiciliangelateria is intheice-creambeen makingbusinessfor by AntonioandLoredana, familyhas whose 138 favourite orputyourselfinthehandsof the notbeofferedmight one)atthisFlorentine courtyard. courtyard. Tue-Sun) Low-ceilingedandsnugwithplant-filledrear Via delPorcellana9r;meals€25-30; del Porcellana25r;meals€25-30; Il Latini Also recommended: „ „ twin setvenues: When thecityheatsmothers,dowhatFlorentines do–fleetoFiesole ( p154 ) oroneofthese A BREATH OFFRESHAIR

FLORENCE ••Eating meals €30-35; meals €25-35; Trattoria Bibe La Capponcina 3km south ofFlorence, di Firenze; astone’sthrow from theCertosa bus46. take poem aboutGrandfather ‘Bibe’in1927.Dineelegantlyinside oramidflowersoutside. Find it old-fashioned inn–solegendaryItalianpoet Eugenio Montalewrote aat thiswonderful legs, hare andguineafowlare amongthe manymeatsroasted (count on atleast40minutes) Tommaseo, fromwhere thebusterminates. Florence. Take bus10(bus67after 9pm)fromStazionediSanta MariaNovella toPiazza San –inagardenseveral onabedofrocket degreesfillets slicedandserved coolerthancentral Requestamenu(astourist,you Mp pp100-1; (Map cucina tipica casalinga fiorentina Mp pp100-1; (Map h h h (Map (Map p103 ; lunch &dinner) Mp pp96-7 ; (Map lunch &dinnerTue-Sun) lunch &dinnerSatSun,Mon,Tue, Dec-Jan Thu&Fri &Mar-Oct) (Map (Map p103 ; Mp pp96-7 ; (Map % h % % 055 210916;www.il h lunch &dinner 055 214756;Viadella % 055 212691;Via Red-and-white % lunch &dinner % h 055 213204; 055 20 40 085; www.trattoriabibe.com; Via Della Bagnese 11r, Galuzzo; ViaDellaBagnese11r,Galuzzo; 055 2040085;www.trattoriabibe.com; 055 69 70 37; www.capponcina.com; Via San Romano 17r, Settignano; 055 697037;www.capponcina.com; ViaSanRomano17r, Settignano; lunch &din- and This kitchen isrenowned This forits kitchen gelato, Vin Vin

Sat & Sun Jul & Aug, 2 weeks Mar &Aug) Sat &SunJulAug, 2weeksMar 38r;panini€2.10-2.60; Via deiCimatori Via delPalazzuolo 31r;meals€45; slice (around€2). anything fromafullrounddisctosimple touting acent-savingoption– takeaway theDuomoandArno,manybetween pizzerieare tuckedSeveral awayinthestreets BUDGET some fine,ifwhollytouristic,dining. The city’shistoriccafés( p145 ) likewise offer Between theDuomo&Arno interior. ple lemonandbutter –inawildlycolourful artichokesasparagus andmustard, or sim- veal kidneysoraveal escalopewithavocado, Garga offers imaginative, creative fare –think more than25successfulyears inbusiness, del Moro48r;meals€55; earth setting. on traditionalTuscancuisineinadown-to- creative variationsdining optionserving from beingasoupkitchen. It’satop-quality ‘hostel of thehundred poorpeople’isfar deiCentopoveri Osteria TOP END etc), freshly filledasyouorder,like you’ve spicywildboar withgoatcheese, nel sausage in thewallwhipsoutimaginative own timeandinbusinesssince1875,thishole minestrone. AnauthenticTuscanMon-Fri) eaterythatsimmersamean o Trattoria Garga Garga Trattoria I Fratellini I Fratellini Mp pp100-1; (Map tagliata dimanzo,beef Mp pp100-1; (Map h Mp p103 ; (Map 7.30-11pm Tue-Sun) h Pigeon, frogs

% lunch &dinner) h lonelyplanet.com Alegend inits % 055 2398898;Via % 8am-8pm, closed panini (fen- 055 2396096; 055 218846; With The dei Girolami28r;meals€30; night) Thu) osteria and vinegarinawoodenbox atthislaidback No credit cards,bizarrely nocoffee, justa rior andphotographs of famouscustomers. cheerful, homeyspotwithwhite tiledinte- shelf outside. requires youleave youremptyonawooden uncle –theperfect pavement lunch. Etiquette shot, glassorbeaker of wineandBob’s your itbefore. seen never Washitdownwitha lonelyplanet.com Gustavino TOP END arches astone’sthrowfromtheUffizi. tines. Finditcharmingly tucked beneaththe for manyyears, afavourite hauntforFloren- simple ing spotwhose caping touristsatthisquaintpocket-sized eat- speciality andFridayisfresh-fish day. 25cL of wineandmineralwater) isthehouse ‘Florence menu,€25including nostalgia’ Ribollita (includedintheexcellent-value tobemade.concessions simplydon’tneed kitchen-style trattoriawhere unnecessary handwritten menuandvery goodfoodatthis 78; ViaParioncino 26r;meals€25; is thetoilet. Andyes,thatmistyblueglassboxtastings. perfect winecompanionsandithostsdaily to lunch. andcoldmeatplatters Itscheese are flock locals cultured where (below) Gustavino 239 9806;ViadellaCondotta29r;meals€25; o MIDRANGE deal isasteal. is whollytraditionalTuscanandthe€6lunch fromthePonte Vecchioseconds crowds.Fare it mixed reports. primarilytopinchto eat pennies.Readers give 35r; meals€11; simple bistro,hiddenonadead-endstreet, here fasttoscore atthis astonishingly atable dotta 37r;meals €50; service restaurant, aspothardtobeatifwant service are cooked upalongsideburgers atthisself- misto, allaFiorentina trippa and Stracciatella 9r;meals€20; Trattoria CocoLezzone Trattoria Leonardo Buca dell’Orafo Bordino Trattoria Ricotta-stuffed artichokeRicotta-stuffed cloaked inpuff The bread comesinabucket andtheoil (restaurant focussingonwine)armof La Canova diGustavino La Canova Mp pp100-1; (Map

Mp pp100-1; (Map h Sun-Fri) h FLORENCE••Eating Mp pp100-1; (Map Mp pp100-1; (Map lunch & dinner Fri-Sun, dinnerMon- lunch &dinner Fri-Sun, h % Regionaldishes – h % cucina fiorentina was, cucina fiorentina lunch &dinnerMon-Sat) (Map pp100-1 ; pp100-1; (Map 055 2399806;Viadella Con- Tue-Sat) 055 284446;Viade’Pecori h % Mp pp100-1; (Map Mon-Sat) % There’s noes- 055 213619;Volta 055 213048;Via osso buco– h % Another noon-mid- 055 2871 % bolito Get 055 h ViadelProconsolo29-31r;meals€50;.ristoranteangels.it; melised ingrappaare givenmelised staples an Italian or lardsmothered inhotchestnuts andcara- pastry andsprinkledwithhoneyedpinenuts this student favourite, anolive-oil andsand- 92; www.oleum.it; ViaSant’Egidio22r) p140) make foracheap lunch. the move nextsection, atAnticoNoè(see panini The 18different typesof imaginatively stuffed BUDGET Santa Croce&EastoftheCentre sorbet. sorbet andginger ice-cream withgreen-tea mends marryingalmondice-cream withfig for top-notch iceinconesortubsrecom- Sun) .perche.firenze.it; ViadeiTavolini 19r; of children andtastes. cream themostdemanding parlourwillsatisfy Corso 75r) Festival delGelato GELATERIE dine here. for food–istheotherbigreason youshould dish’,hencehisownpassionone acceptable ( tana p68 made hismother‘never ), whosays passion of charismatic owner UmbertoMon- ence lurkinthecellar. Wine–aninsatiable behind glassandremnants of RomanFlor- Décor isstrictlymodern,chefs beaver away rant nestledbeneath14th-centuryfrescoes. kickatthisuniquerestau-southern Italian contemporary Tuscancuisinewithafeisty and Boccaccioincluded)raved-about art (theearliestknownportraitsof Dante €65; ViadelProconsolo16r;meals 06 18;www.artenotai.org; dash of Mediterranean. ( p143 ). Foodisunexpectedly Tuscanwitha and DJspacewithapopularSundaybrunch a stylish minimalistdiningspace,drinking frescoes atthisrestaurant andAmericanbar, ties clinkchampagne flutes beneathvaulted among thecity’smoststylish. stone- andsteel-diningspace. Gustavino is imaginative make-over atthisinventive glass-, with more than70flavours onoffer, thisice- o Perchè No? o Angels Inbusiness since1939, thisone-stopshop noon-2am) h (€2.50 to €4.50) served tomunch on (€2.50 to€4.50)served dinner Tue-Sat) Just offPiazzadellaRepubblicaand Mp pp100-1; (Map The Oil Shoppe The Alle Murate Alle Murate The city’sbest-dressed beau- Mp pp100-1; (Map Mp pp100-1; (Map Feast onextraordinary (Map pp100-1 ; pp100-1; (Map Mp pp100-1 ; (Map % % 055 2398762;www % h 055 2398969;www Stand inlineatStand 055 294386;Viadel noon-7.30pm Wed- % % 055 200 10 055 24

139 FLORENCE FLORENCE FLORENCE cellar and pizzeria:thisaddress – another Osteria, 11-13r; meals€35,menu €50; % it) ‘…SERVED BLOODY!’ the English-language menusobeautifully puts the ubiquitous steak) more –even tender andsucculentthan slabs of this friendlyplace. Oldfavourites like honest contribute totherelaxed, unpretentious airof menu thatmakes nobonesaboutwhatitcooks burgundy walls,avaulted brickceilinganda de’ Benci13r;meals€35; a real joy. der inthecompanyof slowjazzandbluesis less andthedown-to-the-earthTuscanfod- drunks loitering outsideare generally harm- meathooks)isfound.The and wrought-iron butcher’s shop withwhite marble-clad walls alley inwhich thislegendary place(anold be putoffbythedank,rough-and-ready Piero 6r;meals€30; Antico Noè MIDRANGE fish of theday. and moussaka tabouleh, salad, pie, potato gogue: thinkcouscous,humus,felafel, filo intheshade of thesyna- vegetarian, served dishes,atonce kosherandat Ruth’sfortasty h glass flasks. winesdisplayedin58Lstraw-cushioned house dish). Washitdownwithoneofracotta nine in ortaken away(payadepositfortheter- typical dishesfromthesouthcanbeeaten baked inawood-burning oven, andother Loads of includinglasagne home-madepasta, great –promises ode tosouthernItaly things. This latestproject UmbertoMontano –an della VignaVecchia; meals€20; Sun-Thu) ViadeiPilastri 7r; .koshermarket.it; shop forhotsubs;atthefrontcold. 10-filling wonder. Queueatthebackof the let chef AlbertoScorzontake theleadwitha yourfillingsorsandwiches intown.Choose wich shop,which builds thebestmeal-sized 140 .kosheruth.com; ViaLuigi CarloFarini 2a;meals€15-25; Ruth’s ItalianoSud Caffé o de’Benci Osteria Kosher Market Kosher Market 055 289368;www.caffeitaliano.it; ViaIsoladelleStinche lunch &dinnerSun-Thu, dinnerSat) lunchFri, FLORENCE ••Eating Kosher sandwiches totake away. Kosher sandwiches carbonata dichianina (grilledTuscan white-table clothrestaurant, wine Mp pp100-1; (Map Mp pp100-1; (Map Osteria del Caffé Italiano delCaffé Osteria bistecca allafiorentina h Mp pp100-1; (Map Mp pp100-1; (Map h Mp pp100-1; (Map noon-midnight Mon-Sat) 8am-midnight Mon-Sat) % % h h 055 2340838;VoltadiSan h 055 2480888;www 12.30pm-1am Tue-Sun) 12.30pm-1am Tue-Sun) % % 8.30am-1pm &3-8pm % 055 240508;www 055 2344923;Via 055 28 9368;Via 055 Mp pp100-1; (Map –are (as Don’t Dine Deep Deep Sat) di Mezzo 24r;mealsaround€35; di Mezzo www.oradariaristorante.com; ViaGhibellina3Cr;mealsfrom www.oradariaristorante.com; 7; Florentine gourmands,Florence’s old-style were letoutsidetoexercise, thisstylish gallery the cityprisonopposite (shutinthe1980s) hour inthedaywheninmates coopedupin €55; tings. wooden benchestables, and25placeset- street-level offshootwithmarble-topped Alessi. Dineatsub-street oratthe level modern tastes byculinaryartistGiuseppe dishesreinvented Renaissance sample for of mouthdrawstheculinarycurioushere to toadvertise. need WordGolden Potdoesn’t La Pentola dell’Oro TOP END cards’ policy. space. Itstickstoastrict‘nocoffee, nocredit Tue-Sun) woo simplicitylovers inthe will bethrilled.Achoice of three pizzas(€8) greens androastspuds,discerningpalates heads orabistecca Parma ham,andskewered meatthatturn ittagliatelle withchickpeas and all tastes. Be Florentine’severy mobile phone–caters to ventureUmberto Montano ( p68 ) listed in ginger, chilli orcream. chocolate inFlorence withadecadentdashof the thickest, creamiest, mostchocolately hot your heart’sdesire, topoffwhathastobe ice-creamsells too. Should hotchocolate be chocolatebe hadatthissweet maker, which Tue-Sat, 9.30am-9pmSun) Vestri GELATERIE pepper sauce? breast inawhite-corn crustwithcoffee and vanilla-scented oilfollowedbybaked pigeon spider-crab withartichoke salad puree and gras andapecorinocream orwarmhenand How about pigeon-stuffed tortelli withfoie or creative, oozesimagination. everything the companyof contemporary art.Traditional indulge inatradizione and steeldoor,pasttheemptydove cage and restaurant isdifferent. theglass Swingthrough €9) butthis pocket-sized ice-cream shop and h o Gelateria Vivoli Vivoli Gelateria Longajealouslyguardedsecret among h 9am-1am Tue-Sat) (Map (Map pp100-1 ; BorgodegliAlbizi11r; dinner Mon-Sat) ,

which isanartfullysimpledining Ora d’Aria Ora d’Aria (Map (Map pp100-1 ; ViaIsoladelleStinche (Map pp100-1 ; pp100-1; (Map Namedafter thatprecious Itonlyhas tubs(€1.60to Chocolate istheflavour to Mp pp100-1; (Map (per kg€50)withbeans, or h

creatività pizzeria pizzeria % lunch &dinnerMon- lonelyplanet.com % 055 241808;Via h 055 200 1699; 7.30am-9pm ( h feast in dinner lonelyplanet.com salads aresalads jumboandthepricier chef’s specials eatery. Avege-stuffed calzone isasteal at €7, queues form)at this packed-to-the-rafters glass ofcomplimentary sparklingwinewhen discriminately welcomed with agrin(and Prince topauper,localandtourist isin- 6r; Spirito Antico Borgo BUDGET Frediano hidesacoupleof gems too. students. Theneighbouring quarter of San ( Café p143 ) isperfect lunch foralight with eat anddrinkduringthewarmermonths; Pop Santo Spirito,awashwithoutdoorterraces to the river andmake forbusyPiazza abeeline To taste adifferent sideof Florence, cross Oltrarno with cinnamon,orange orpistachio. stroll) (evening families outonaSundayafternoon passegiata café ismuch-loved nonethelessbyFlorentine

one ofTuscany’s best-known chefs, Fabio Picchi. Foralookathisculinaryphilosophy,see p69 . Map market; pp100–1 ), eachdramaticallydifferent doseofpanacheby andrunwithastriking Memorable diningis guaranteed atthistrioofeatingspacesneartheMercatoSant’Ambrogio (food FABIO PICCHI „ „ „ Teatro delSale Ristorante Cibrèo Trattoria Cibrèo €5/15/25; Sat Sep-Jul) no credit cards,nocoffee andnopasta(tolearnwhy,see p69 ). Arrive before 7pmtosnagoneoftheeighttablesandbringcash–noadvancereservations, sausages,beansinaspicytomatosauceandbraisedcelery. lenta, followedbyhome-made rich meatsauce,puddleofolive oilandgrated parmesan(divine!)orasimpleplate ofpo- opens. Oncein,revel inold-fashionedTuscan cuisine:perhapsricottaandpotatoflanwitha here andyou’llinstantlyunderstandwhyaqueuegathersoutsideeachevening before it advance reservations essential. advance reservations seem tocare: thisextremely restaurant elegant,stylishandupmarket isalwaysfull,rendering that theextremely well-dressed punters whoflocktotheformalarmofPicchi empire restaurant door–butcostloadsmore. are atthetrattoria next identicaltothoseserved Not and wife ofFabio Picchi. music or comedy arranged by artistic director MariaCassi ( music orcomedyarrangedbyartistic p64 required): clearawayyourtable,lineupchair,andsitbackforanevening ofdrama, (advancereservationsLunch isalaid-backaffair,whiledinnerfollowedbyperformance through theglasshatch–ahelp-yourselffeast ofantipasti,a theatre space. yourself water andwine,thenwaitforthecheftoyelloutwhat’scooking Serve in thecosywood-panelledlibraryoradirector’s chairaroundfold-uptablesintheairy membership fee yourselfathomeinaleatherarmchairbetweenbookshelves €5)andmake thisoldFlorentinefabulous entertainment, theatre steals theshow.Joinclub(annual

pizza €7-10,meals€20-30; Mp p103; (Map h Incredulously, manyofthedishesonmenuatthisjustifiablyfamousFlorentine . FLORENCE••Eating 9-11am, 12.30-2.30pm&7.30-11pmTue-Sat Sep-Jul) Notable flavours:Notable chocolate ( % (Via dei Macci 122r;meals€30; deiMacci (Via % ( % 055 111r;breakfast/lunch/dinner 200 1492;www.teatrodelsale.com;ViadeiMacci 055 210437;Piazza Santo 055 234 11 00; Via dei Macci 118;meals€80; 055 2341100;ViadeiMacci h lunch &dinner) h

12.50am-2.30pm &6.50-11.15pmTue-Sat Sep-Jul) www.trattorianapoleone.it; Piazzawww.trattorianapoleone.it; delCarmine24;pizza by BigGino after WWII andrunby hisson 35r;meals €20; de’ Serragli motorini (scooters) outside. white telephone signflanked byaline-up of this unpretentious spot.Lookforthered-and- at abargain-basement pricecan’tgowrongat loved locally, punters hungry forafillingmeal 9r;meals€15; Michelozzi the carpark. ( DolceVita La p143 ), ontheothersideof Pre-empt at theexperiencewithanaperitivo super-sleek vibe–anditspizzasare excellent. Napoleonecooksupalaid-backsaid, but outside terrace plumpinaparkinglot.That thatscreamsoh-so-cool attitudeandan staff €7-12, meals€30; square outside. offer onthelively goodvalue. Summerseating are justmadabout thispizzeria, despite an Trattoria Casalinga Trattoria o Trattoria da Ginone Trattoria Extraordinary valueformoneyandExtraordinary Napoleone h primo, secondo,dolci ),famousFlorentine actress h 12.50am-2.30pm &7-11.15pmTue- 7pm-12.30am)

h Mp p103; (Map Mp p103; (Map Mp p103; (Map h Mon-Sat) Mon-Sat) % Hip Florentines % Family runand % 055 218624;Viade’ and coffee. Established 055 218758;Via 055 281015; Dine

141 FLORENCE FLORENCE FLORENCE vicodelcarmine.fol.it; ViaPisana 40r;meals€20-30; €30; 57 06;www.cinghialebianco.it; BorgoSanJacopo43r; meals Osteria delCinghiale Bianco Osteria MIDRANGE in-wine tart. missthegorgonzolacircumstances andpear- now embracesexcellentfood,too: under no winelistissuperbanditsrepertoireBarrique’s locally. Originallyanenoteca spot withadark-woodinterior ismuch loved the SanFrediano area, thischarming little 40r; meals€25; flesh before, comehere. Real McCoybistecca allaFiorentina inthe many kitchensa shut.Ifyou’ve seen never heatsees pecially inAugustwhenthesearing trattoria makes itagreat betonSunday,es- The open-all-hours policyatthismeat-driven 36r;meals€24; Santo Spirito on thestove. tripe variations,are alwaysbubblingaway daily butfeisty old-timers, includingseveral children runittoday. Themenuchanges is thelove child of SilvanoandBruno;their (b 1950inaformer16th-centuryconvent) of cornandwoven garlicgarlands,DiCambi strungwithhanginghams,cobsfamily affair meals €22; 1r; ViaSant’Onofrio 21 7134;www.anticoristorodicambi.it; Pesce (fish)istheotherspeciality. loved, itisFlorence’s bestaddress forpizza. pizzeriaintrendypolitan SanFrediano. Much behind theinterior designof Na- Carmine’s dinner Tue-Sun) aheadof timeyourbenchreserve space. popular, on theboard.Sinceit’ssodeservedly take yourpickfromtheday’sdishes chalked wine(€4per500mL)and locals, slurphouse regular lunch spot.Sitnudged upwiththe where oldmenarrive atnoontobagtheir known asTheTramanddesignedsuch, not besimpleratthisrusticTuscaneatery, Tasso 14r;meals€20; or goàlacarte. €9or€13.50menus, Optfortheset fruit tarts. marketed choice of vegetarian dishesandjuicy wholesome foodlike hare, wildboar,awell- today, thistrattoriadatingto1949serves 142 All’ Antico Ristoro di’ Cambi di’Cambi All’ AnticoRistoro Al Tranvai Le Barrique Le Barrique Angiolino Trattoria delCarmine Vico h FLORENCE ••Eating lunch &dinner Sat&Sun,dinnerMon, Tue, Thu &Fri) h

‘Vico’ means alley – the inspiration ‘Vico’ meansalley–theinspiration Mp p103; (Map lunch &dinnerMon-Sat) h Mp p103; (Map dinner Tue-Sun) h (Map p103 ; p103 (Map (Map (Map p103 Mon-Fri) % % h 055 225197;Piazza Torquato 055 224192;ViadelLeone Mp pp100-1; (Map lunch &dinnerMon-Sun) % Themenucould Hidden deep in Hiddendeep

% 055 233 6862;http:// Mp p103 ; (Map (wine bar), Le (wine bar),Le Very much a 055 2398976;Via h % % lunch & lunch & 055 21 055 enoteca withmore than50winestotaste by cold mixed platter, – wine,water anddessert sold initsshop; its €15 lunchtime menu–a products delicatessen and otherdelectable drool over truffles thelegsof hams,conserved 3pm &5.30-10.30pmTue-Sat) 4;meals€35; Via diSantoSpirito cypress trees. beneaththebeautifulas isitspatioseating dinnerstasting (€28)are particularlytasty, furnished rooms.ItsWednesdayevening and loungeof barinaseries modernstylishly ence institution–hybridrestaurant, café Arno intrendy SanNiccolòsitsthisFlor- Niccolò 55r;meals€30; a fresh fusioncuisine. soothing pinkwalls,artbylocalstudentsand is amellowalternative diningroomwith software designerAntonella,hercreation a member(€5).Love child of disillusioned ers definitelytobeintheknowand need secretive SantoSpiritoaddress, where din- and flowerpotsmarktheentrancetothis 5a) pone.org; ViaMazzetta meaty specialities. are orboarwithpolenta sauce amongthe families keen toeatearly.Pappadelle inboar making itapopularchoice withkid-laden The White Boaropensfordinnerat6.30pm, where thequality of isjust products used menu of thisstaunchly traditionaltrattoria gracingthe liqueur are highlights seasonal tichokes, veal’s brainandhome-made walnut orzucchini flowers,tomatoes lambwithar- shavings,truffle deep-fried battered green Crostini toppedwithaphrodisiacal white- San Jacopo57r;meals€45; Cammillo Trattoria TOP END kitchen. coberardinelli.com) isthehotnamein (www.frances chic. Francesco Berardinelli isdecidedlynouvellethe glass,Beccofino h www.beccofino.com; Piazza degliScarlatti1r;meals€35; and blackcabbage. rower typeof tagliatelle) withtiger prawns veal-stuffed fresh artichokes or is thebestlunch dealintown.Comedusk,try gastronomy agenda: notonlywilltastebuds Olio &Convivium Rifrullo Canapone Ristorante Beccofino Ristorante Tue-Sun) Innovative restaurant and stylish (Map pp100-1 ; pp100-1; (Map (Map p103 ; p103; (Map Mp pp100-1; (Map h Mp pp100-1; (Map 7am-1am) h % Mp p103 ; (Map Akey address onany – Apea-green door % h lunch &dinnerThu-Mon) 055 381729;www.cana 055 234 2621;ViaSan

% l0am-3pm Mon,10am- lonelyplanet.com East alongtheEast % taglierini 055 212427;Borgo % 055 2658198; 055 290076; (nar- lonelyplanet.com % Mercato Sant’Ambrogio, or % tle as€1.30perL at more intimate, localflavour. azza Sant’Ambrogio; Sant’Ambrogio Mercato dating to1874,istheoldestandlargest; while 7am-5pm Sat) copia of edible delights): ent faceof Florence (nottomentionacornu- A market adramaticallydiffer- strollexposes Self-Catering prime clientele. Trendyand cheese? moneyedcouplesare the cooked inred wine?Octopuswithpolenta honeyandapear crowned withgoat’scheese, Dishes ooze innovation: fancypearlbarley romantic, three-table courtyardouttheback. ing spacewithstreet terrace atthefrontand one makes areal change atthisstylish din- theatrical, rusticandmoderndécorrolledinto pepe.com; ViaSanNiccolò39r;menus€55&€75; Ferragamo fashionhouse. Gallery Hotel Art( p136 ) and,ultimately, the expect fromanoffshootof thedesign-driven to feel thepart.It’sjustasinnovative asyou’d steel.Dressgleaming glassandstainless well This Borgo SanJacopo62r;meals€50; and impeccable. isgentlemanly, bowtied top-notch. Service pp98-9 ; Piazza Centrale; delMercato Filipepe SanJacopo Borgo Fill yourwater bottlewith wine foraslit-

„ Our favourite spotson Sunday for… TOP FIVESUNDAY BRUNCHES „ „ „ „

055 2466503;[email protected]; BorgoLaCroce75r) 055 214121; ViaTaddea 8r) Those intheknow: An egg-and-pancake Americanbrunch– Anegg-and-pancake Ariver-side brunchwiththehipset– all Acheap€8studentbrunchserved (p136), Adesignerbrunch–Fusion Bar very stylishnumberstrutsthecatwalkin (p139) Angels Noir day –PopCafé (right) Gallery Hotel Art the minimalist,design-driven barof the ArnoatRifrullo ( p144) , Mp pp100-1; (Map

inside aniron-and-glass structure ; orabrunch(€9/20)across FLORENCE••Drinking h Mp pp100-1; (Map 7am-2pm Mon-Sat) Enoteca Vitae Vitae Enoteca (food market; Map Map (food market; pp100-1 ; Pi- % Canapone ( opposite ) , Mercato Centrale Centrale Mercato

055 2001397;www.fili near San Lorenzo h h Divino 7am-2pm Mon-Fri, 7am-2pm Mon-Fri, dinner Wed-Mon) % ( opposite ) Mp pp100-1; (Map 055 281661; h Mp pp98-9; (Map retains a dinner) , near (Map (Map A

instantly double or triple.instantly and prices ing upat the bar;sitdownat atable cheaperence: itissubstantially todrinkstand- cappuccino andcake. ticularly lovely forhangingouthours over San Lorenzo andPiazzaSantoSpiritoare par- della Signoria,PiazzaRepubblica, Piazza cafés withoutdoorpavement terraces: Piazza Practically every piazza hasatleastoneortwo Cafés some Englishtext canbepicked upforfree. In town,monthlymag onlineguidetoFlorencedispensable nightlife. help yourself. d’oeuvres –don’tbeshy; just grab aplate and being theoperative word)of sumptuous appetites feast (feast with acomplimentary 9pm, manyof themostfa essential tostopinitstracksforthatall- city seems thebewitching hourwhenthe than atsunset, terrace or not. spilling ontothestreet bethere anofficial autumn, thesceneshiftsoutside,drinkers tovour finewines.Fromspringthrough red brick,where sophisticates cometosa- variably darkandtoppedwithtraditional packed pubandold-fashioned cutting-edge lounge bar,grungystudent- the wholegambitof genres –historicalcafé, Florence’s dynamic drinkingsceneembraces DRINKING atthecentre.salt ganashandasinglegrainofrosemary sea his white chocolates, which are filledwith biscuits.Evensalt more extraordinaryare Bianchini, whoalsomakes chocolate andsea- are thespecialityof chocolate maker Andrea or balsamic-vinegar chocolates (€49perkg) 1pm &3-7.30pmMon-Fri) 09; www.bottegadelcioccolato.it;50; Viade’Macci biscuit maker. chocolate, figsor apricotsatthisartisan cini 1.30pm &3.30-7.30pmTue-Sat) www.biscottisanti.com; ViaNazionale121r; (€12.50 perL). market, Vin sweet which alsosells Santo Key factto neverforget Firenzenotte delCioccolato La Botega Antico FornoSanti There isnobetter timetosavour allthis (€14.50 perkg)studdedwithalmonds, . Fromaround6.30pmto aperitivo (www.firenzenotte.it inItalian) Designer olive oil, saffron Designerolive oil,saffron (Map pp98-9 ; pp98-9; (Map 2night (Map pp100-1; (Map shionable bars whet Gorge oncantuc- about cafésinFlor- (www.2night.it) % enoteca % 055 283566; h h is anin- 055 200 16 9.30am-

10am-

, in- with hors 143 FLORENCE FLORENCE FLORENCE Jul) pocket-sized space as their own: grab a seat pocket-sized spaceastheirown:grabaseat at Coquinarius. towineand dinebeneath redenough bricks of anequally headychoice of crostiniisreason a headychoice of Tuscan wineinthecompany reader, ‘itislike flyingtothemoon…’.Indeed, ‘Try theVermentino’ one LonelyPlanet says ViadelleOche15r; quinarius.com; eat. winecanbesavouredItalian withabite to where thecheapest tofinestof Tuscanand intimate meaning there are dozensand of dition haswonnewlife inthepastfew years – appears above days,thetra- doorwaysthese While thesignvinaio Enoteche brunch ( p143 ). breakfast, vegetarian lunch orall-daySunday andtuckintoasuperhealthy hanging metal) on thewoodenbench (mindyourheadonthe .net; Piazza 18r;meals€25; SantoSpirito into amusicbar. mian squares, isallabout.Comeduskitturns onFlorence’sseveral mosthappeningbohe- iswhatthisOltrarnocafé,oneofand night 4r; (p141). chef known foritsexcellentcoffee andfamous ing, panelledwallsandlacetablecloths iswell this darkoldcaféwithwood-coffered ceil- at theneighbouring Mercato Sant’Ambrogio, spot foramid-morningstopafter shopping drea delVerrochio 5r; small jam-packed rooftop café. the kitchen andhomeware tothis section department store Rinascente andcutthrough ride theescalators tothetopfloorof central eye viewof thesquare andDuomowaybelow, h pâté sandwiches)remain thethingtoorder. morsels. Bite-sized paninitartufati (truffle initsrepertoire truffles of tasty serving sen opposite theEnglishpharmacyasadelicates- Tornabuoni, thistinycaféwasbornin1885 ing bastionof genteel oldFlorence onViade’ bourni 64r; 144

h Cabiria La Terrazza Procacci Pop Café Pop Café Coquinarius Coquinarius Cibrèo Caffè Studentsintheknowhave adopted this 10am-9pm Mon-Sat,10.30am-8pmSun) FLORENCE •• Drinking FLORENCE ••Drinking 11am-1.30am Wed-Mon) h Mp p103; (Map enoteche Mp pp100-1; (Map Mp p103; (Map 10.30am-8pm Tue-Sat) (Map (Map pp100-1 ; Piazza 1; dellaRepubblica Mp pp100-1; (Map Mp pp100-1; (Map h % scattered acrossthecity, 8-1am Tue-Sat) % (winemerchant) seldom 055 215732;Piazza SantoSpirito % 055 213852;www.popcafe Buzzingbuzzingday h % 055 211656;ViadeTorna- % noon-10.30pm Mon-Sat) 055 2302153;www.co Thelastremain- 055 2345853;ViaAn- h Theperfect For abird’s 8am-2am Sep-

7; meals€45; and diningvery ina16th-cen- wellindeed of Florentine enoteche, dinner Thu-Sat,Wed) ViaGhibellina87r; www.enotecapinchiorri.com; meal. evening pleasant the limited listof (first courses) primi fora other liquors, too. Pickaplate ortwofrom an impressive rollcallof Scotch whiskies and the winelisthasmore than400varieties–and around €25; inItalian;ViaMontealleCroci10r;meals www.fuoriporta.it Croce. of sophisticated foodintheshadowof Santa awidechoice cum-trattoria, which serves add amoodytouch tothislarge Tue-Sun) .baldovino.com; ViadiSanGiuseppe18r; wine-producing estates. family’s Tuscan,UmbrianandCalifornian bage). Afterwards youcanviewmodelsof the nero accompanied byTuscanfettunata dicavolo illate tastebuds withaTignanello orSolaia palace builtin1502andstilllive here. Tit- ent name yes, but ex-Capocaccia luresent name yes,butex-Capocaccia the turned amoodyshadeelse of black.Differ- street terrace andpretty much everything until thepeppermint-green onthe tables –Once uponatime itwascalledCapocaccia Noir THEDUOMO&ARNOBETWEEN foreign-student set. many Irish pubspopularwiththeexpatand Maria Santa Stazione Novella, thisisoneof 11am-2.30am Sat&Sun) 2am Mon-Fri, Novella7; .thefiddlerselbow.com; Piazza SantaMaria across thewater inOltrarno. this bar-busy city.Themost hiptend tobe and traditionalpub,youwon’tgothirsty in designerspacetorustictavernaSharp savvy Bars come here. the billwillbeinhundreds. Dress wellto There are hundred several winestotaste and atthetopsince1972. tury palacehasstayed wine-making dynasty;theAntinorishad is a1960screation of thecity’smostfamous Enoteca Pinchiorri Pinchiorri Enoteca Porta Fuori Enoteca Baldovino Fiddler’s Elbow Cantinetta Antinori Antinori Cantinetta Mp p101; Lu pp100-1; (Map (toasted bread toppedwithblackcab- Thepatterned tilesbehindthebar h h (Map pp100-1 ; pp100-1; (Map Mon-Sat) lunch &dinnerMon-Fri) Mp pp100-1; (Map ngarno Corsini12-14r; Mp pp100-1; (Map Inthisfineold Mp pp100-1; (Map (Map (Map pp100-1 ; Viade’Tornabuoni The crèmedela this temple tofinewine %

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lonelyplanet.com design. neon and transparent Kartell chairs scream opposite Palazzo Strozzi.Inside,pea-green wooden-deckedon asleek, terrace located bar where sitscool afashion-conscious set dark oversized shadesare atthiship vital degli Strozzi5r; are frequent. artexhibitions andliveTheme nights, bands experience’ iswhatitsvirtualbumph says. andto tofamiliarise ‘to explore, observe, nishing defiesdescription…almost:aplace three-room drinkingspotwitheclecticfur- Tagging asclubandlounge itself café,this 16r; .maydayclub.it; ViaDanteAlighieri brunch. chandelier-clad (black)interior andSunday balmyriver-sidebuffet, theatrical setting, withitsgenerous beautifulset same Colle Bereto Colle Bereto Club Mayday

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Rivoire Caffè Gilli Caffè Giacosa Paszkowski Caffè Concerto Giubbe Rosse cake sittingdownis€13.cake Nouveau ceilingfrescoessweet toppedwithArt isn’tcheap.ApotofEarlGrey andasliceof andchocolatescakes todieforsince1733.Butbewarned:thiselegantodeallthings formidableteas,the historictrioaplombcity’soldRomanforum,Gillihasbeenserving suit-clad businessmenandwell-dressed oldladiessippingtea. Florentinea centuryon.Todayitpullsthewholegambitofpunters, youths, mobile-touting Florentine institutionwithheated terrace interior andelegant,piano-clad lured aliterary set use. agreat make placeforcoffeeand artwork over anewspaper–somehang upforcustomers’ used todrinkanddebate. Inside,longvaulted hallslinedwitholdphotographs,sketches in thisclassyspot. chocolate since1872.Black-jacketed (€55perkg) barmenwithnavy tiessettheformaltone terrace hasproducedsomeofthecity’smostexquisitewith unbeatablepeople-watching in whichtorefuel insideoroutafter aUffiziorPalazzo Vecchio visit,thispriceylittlenumber local hotshot designer Roberto Cavalli, whoseboutiqueadjoinsit).The bar counterlocal hotshotdesignerRoberto isoriginal. Anglo-Florentine sophisticationduring theinterwar years–thanwhatitisnow(thecaféof space) ismore famousforwhatitwas–an1815child,Negroniinventor ( p146 ) andhubof bic plastic-covered street terrace andjustahandfuloftablesinside(but loadsofbar-standing 2am) 31-35r; This is where die-hard members of the early-20th-century futurist artistic movement This membersoftheearly-20th-centuryfuturistartistic iswhere die-hard h h Mp pp100-1; (Map (Map pp100-1 ; pp100-1; (Map Mp pp100-1; (Map 7am-2am Tue-Sun) Mp pp100-1; (Map 9am-3am Mon-Sat,5pm-3amSun) FLORENCE••Drinking Mp pp100-1; (Map Mp pp100-1; (Map % % % % 055 214412;Piazza 4r; dellaSignoria h Bornasabrewery in1846,this overlooking thecity’sfishmarket 055 283156;Piazza 055 238 1290;www 055 213896;Piazza 3r; dellaRepubblica % % Mp pp100-1; (Map 8pm-2am Mon-Sat) 055 211656;ViadellaSpada10r) 055 212280;Piazza 13-14r;mainsaround€15; dellaRepubblica aperitivi aperitivi The %

055 21 02 36; www.paszkowski.com; Piazza dellaRepubblica 055 210236;www.paszkowski.com; wrought-iron balcony abovewrought-iron where everyone forthreeit isonthe lonetable perched ona shade of the baptistryisalwaysbuzzing.But Mon-Sun) Piazza.jjcathedral.com; SanGiovanni 4r; an hour. andhappy hourwellovermoody lighting withitsgenerous buffet,set early-evening lures bar thatotherwise amiddle-of-the-road forstudentsat this stylish cocktail party night 7pm-2.30am Mon-Sat,Sun) Rossa63r; .slowlycafe.com; ViaPorta is awi-fi hotspot. 6.30pm to9pmandthebarstool–cladplace spinning tunesafter dark. alwork, pretty-in-pink lampshades andDJs line of thischic sharp barwithindustrialmet- 54r; JJ Cathedral JJ Cathedral Slowly Café Naima h 8am-2am) h Thisbusypub’s street terrace inthe (Map pp100-1; (Map This smallcaféwithclaustropho- 8am-11pm Tue-Sun) h Mp pp100-1; (Map ‘Cocktails andmore’ ‘Cocktails isthetag Mp pp100-1; (Map 8am-1am Wed-Mon) % 055 26 54098;Viadell’Anguillara 055 Aperitivi % The goldenoldie % 055 265 6892;www h Wednesdayis 5 5 5; www 354; 055 45 The lastof h 12.30-2.30pm & 10am-2.30am are served are served h 8am-

145 FLORENCE FLORENCE FLORENCE .cafelatorre.it; Lungarno BenvenutoCellini65r; nissanti 42r; Aperitivo XL( above ) atthisriver-facing jazz drinking spacewhere sip cocktails thehipset &Sat) Thu &Sun,to2.30amFri tualplasma.it; Piazza Ferrucci 1r; andachefsets whocooksuntil3am. H.Freehot withacapital wi-fi, jazz-driven DJ bar, adropfromPiazzaleMichelangelo, spells sushi andsoon. Indian charm, Mexican passion,Tuscan, themed tions andwi-fi, no-fuss €7lunch dealand summer. ito becomingonevastdrinkingspacein and clubs,atmosphericPiazzaSantoSpir- South of theriver the streets buzzwithbars OLTRARNO &NEARBY QUARTERS fruitier ormore exotic. havelasts twodaysandcocktails been never dent-loved Mexican jointwhere happyhour Indulge indaysof beinghappyatthisstu- .ebysbar.com; 5r; Viadell’Oriuolo stopping. wants tosit–itscathedralviewsare heart- 146 3.30am Mon-Sun) bar andkitchen is a minimalistfiberoptic-lit great wine,great music,DJs,videoprojec- it’s notalounge bar;it’sanopenbarwith Plasma Caffè La Torre LaTorre Caffè Divino Sei Eby’s LatinBar

„ „ „ „ „ water, drinkandstare outataromanticstar-lit Ponte Vecchio. ofPonteeast-facing SantaTrinità( stonebridgesupports p117 ) –where you cansitabove the drink…orbuyabottleofwineandheadtothehottestsential early-evening seatsintown–the Our favourites forunusual TOP FIVEAPERITIVI Caffè LaTorre ( below ) –The trendy XLchoice;drinkwithjazz. Gilli( p143 ) –Nobuffet, buthow‘boutasunsetglassofchampagne(€15)atoneFlorence’s Angels( p144 ) –Stylishfinger-food buffet (€8includescocktail)andsupersleekbarman’sspe- Negroni( below ) –Acomparablefeast ofabuffet andriver-side à-la-traffic-fumeseatingon Noir( p144 ) –The hottest intown;vastbanquetofabuffet inside,seatingoutsideonthe FLORENCE •• Drinking FLORENCE ••Drinking cream chocolate andgarnishedwithGillichocolates). withsplashofwhite- most historicbarsorachocolate-inspired cocktail(€10.50;vanillavodka preferably.)(€9); dress right(tokill martini oradon’t-mess-with-mecials, includingabalsamic,mintorchocolate dirty martini the othersideofArno. street andacrossthetraffic-busyroadonriverside wall. aperitivi h Mp pp100-1; (Map Mp p103 ; (Map 8am-2am) Loudwallpaperandlegendary Mp pp100-1; (Map Mp pp100-1; (Map buffet (7pmto10pm)– buffet No,it’snotawinebar; % % Thiscutting-edge art 055 217791;ViaBorgoOg- h 055 0516926;www.vir h % % aperitivi (aperitifs) and/orahandsomefree fillalongsidethatall-es- 6.30pm-1.30am Wed, 11am-3am Mon-Sat) 055 680643;www 055 240027;www h 10.30am- Giasoca ( p145 ) toaddginhisAmericano. NegroniaskedCamillo thebarmanatCaffè when Florentineso thestorygoes, Count cluding itsnamesake invented inthe1920s, Sun) 1.DJsspin’tillate.on Level 42-inchon eight plasmascreens orawaterfall 0andget lostinvideo artprojectedon Level very stylish crowd, especiallyonweekends. attractsa DolceVita from Santo Spirito,La Carmine 6r; reading. bedtimeNB: thewallpaperishardlysweet andconcertskick inarounddusk.Cocktails munches aroundfruit-patterned salad tables. smoothiesand slurpsyoghurt set a right-on with kitchen) located inSanFrediano, where organic’ mottodrives this meals €20; from theriver. – younglocalsspilloutontothestreet across colò barheaves asitssquadronsof punters changing artexhibitions,thisbusySanNic- its innardsglowingred andbedecked with steal. Art exhibitions, DJsanddancing. Negroni aroundnoon,itslunchtime isa buffet andredCampari Martini. Should youdriftby To make itathome:shake equalpartsgin, bar.com; 17r; ViadeiRenai h Negroni La DolceVita O!O Zoe 3pm-2am Apr-Oct, 6pm-2amTue-Sun Nov-Mar) 3pm-2am Apr-Oct, Negronishakes galore, upcocktails in- Mp p103 ; (Map Mp pp100-1; (Map h

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055 284595;Piazza del lonelyplanet.com A‘100% With (bar Sat) Benvenuto Cellini1r; and DJs. or enjoytheboldretro interior. Live bands Sip anaperitivo lonelyplanet.com Piazza Santa Spirito insummerwherePiazza Santa halfof Open-air concerts are aregular feature onhip Live Music inItalian). .ticketone.it youcanalsotry Otherwise manni 39; % at centralticket outlet pubblica ( p398 ) are alsouseful. The citylistingsinthelocaledition of (www.informacittafirenze.it) –listwhat’son. Toscana 24oreand (www.florence-concierge.it), including aclutch ofmonthly. Otherwise, freebies – finitive entertainmentpublication,published .firenzespettacolo.it in thecity’sde- Italian), FirenzeBookshops sell Spettacolo (€1.60;www ENTERTAINMENT kick inlater. internet natives earlyon.DJsandcocktails free wi-fi) gets packed with laptop-wielding favourite withaminimalistinterior (and dent crowd,thiswi-fi–wired Croce Santa great esteembyFlorence’s party-madstu- .it; Viade’Benci23r; stilllove set but thecity’ssassy it. your-face andtheaircouldbefresher attimes, hip-hot drinkingcircuit.Décorisgaudyin- Rex interior linercalled of transatlantic anItalian ensuretails thisAmericanbar,styledafter the day), DJs,live bandsandwell-shaken cock- (oysters andchampagne FridayandSatur- 23r; ish-style bars andpubsspotViade’Benci. CrocearashofIn Santa American-andBrit- SANTA CROCEAREA central Florence. gardenin thingtoabeer but it’stheclosest onPiazzaFerruccisingle-pump petrolstation welloverlook Itmight leafy outsideseating. a outfromthecrowdisits this Irish pubstand James Joyce Moyo Café Rex Tickets are formanyculturalevents sold Another drinking establishment heldin Anotherdrinkingestablishment 055 210804;www.boxol.itinItalian;ViaLuigi Ala- h that sunk,remains firmlyonFlorence’s 6pm-3am Sep-May) 6pm-3am Sep-May) (Map pp100-1 ; pp100-1; (Map h Mp pp100-1; (Map Florence Concierge Information 10am-7.30pm Tue-Sat, 3.30-7.30pmMon) Mp pp100-1; (Map h h FLORENCE••Entertainment in the evening sunoutside intheevening 6pm-2am Thu-Mon) 8am-2am Sun-Thu, & until 3amFri % Florence Tuscany News % A vast 055 2479738;www.moyo % Box Office Office Box 055 2480331;ViaFiesolana 055 658 0856;Lungarno 055 buffet buffet aperitivi Ticket One Ticket Informacittà Whatmakes Mp pp98-9 ; (Map La Re- (www . 24b;admission free-€15; www.flog.it inItalian; ViaMMercati delle Cascine. until late aroundtheswimming poolinParco Tenax barwithmusic andcocktail –aperitivo this fabulousMiami-stylesummerproject by and live bandsbythepool isthethrustof 2; admissionfree; Maria diSanta Stazione Novella. download flyers online. Bus29or30from as aclubwhenthere are nobandsintown; since the1980s,northwestof town,doubles Oct-Apr) Via Pratese46;admissionvariable; funk –istheaimof thisfresh littleclub. swingjazz,souland1970s to vintage guitar, andtheBeatles Zeppelin fromLed everything h 76r;admissionfree-€10; www-bebopclub.com; ViadeiServi pheric vaulted basement. local andfromwiderafield,inanatmos- venue anditstages somequalityacts,both Jun) h Nuova de’Caccini3;compulsory12-monthmembership€6; evenings. live concertsmostThursday andFriday 15-16r;admissionfree .carusojazzcafe.com; ViaLambertesca great drinkdeals. andlookoutforsome bands playmostnights drinking holeasdance-’til-dawnvenue. Live club runbyaDanish-Englishduoisasmuch thissubterraneanand international dance set, Anglophone spot amongthecity’snotable 15; admissionfree; anticipated whenyouleave. moreon yourcardandpaysubstantially than pesky drinks-cardsystem –clockupdrinks line-up andisoccasionallycharged usinga and/or August.Admission dependsonthe the towncentre, withmanyclosinginJuly during RimeRampanti. throbswithdifferentand PiazzaPoggi sounds hoursthe wee duringtheJazz &Cofestival jivinguntil PiazzaSantissimaAnnunziata sets here InMay onhotsultryevenings. live jazz Florence hangsaroundthestage seemingly Jive tojazzastone’sthrowfromtheUffizi; Auditorium Flog Auditorium La Pavonière Club Be BopMusic Jazz Club JazzCafé Caruso Loonees Most venues forlive musicare welloutside Tenax 8pm-2am Mon-Sat) 9.30pm-1am Sun-Thu, &SatOct–mid- 9.30pm-2amFri ThisisFlorence’s tip-topstrictlyjazz Florence’s biggest venue forlive bands

Mp pp96-7; (Map Mp pp100-1; (Map (Map pp100-1 ; pp100-1; (Map h h ( % Mp pp100-1; (Map Live music to suit every taste – Live taste musictosuitevery – 8pm-late May-Sep) 8pm-3am Wed-Sat) 055 632333979;ViadellaCatena Mp pp96-7; (Map % Mp pp98-9; (Map % 055 308160;www.tenax.org; 055 21 22 49; Via Porta Rossa 21 2249;ViaPorta 055 % h % 055 2479700;Via 10pm-4am Tue-Sun % % 055 28 1940;www 055 DJ sessions DJsessions Definite hot 055 4904 37; 055 219799; 147

) FLORENCE FLORENCE FLORENCE Macinante 2-6; admission incl 1st drink €20; 2-6;admissionincl1stdrink Macinante mercial music toamainstream youthful set. funkandmainstreamspinning house, com- also inthecitypark, toutsthree dancespaces h degli Olmi1; outside beneaththestars. tunes here. FromMay thedance floormoves bass plays–manyatopIbizaDJ has spun anddrum’n topop,house thing fromLatin in cityparkParco where delle Cascine every- Tue-Sat) toSeptember). halt insummer(June both withoutdoordancefloors –grindstoa Parkscene which –barCentral andMeccano, Florence’s slowdance decidedlylametame city slickers couldwellbedisappointed by It’s afarcryfrom Infact, London or Berlin. Clubbing Mariadi Santa Novella. stage anddancearea. Bus14fromStazione nearly asbigTenax buthasareasonable the Rifredi area northof thecitycentre. Not h 148 Meccanò Park Central 02 50;www.azionegayelesbica.it inItalian;ViaPisana 32-34r; tends toberelatively low-key. All said,Florence isnoAmsterdam andthere are nospecifically‘gayareas’ –whatnightlife exists disco, cocktailbaranddarkroom. h Piccolo Café computer terminals to surf andvideogames. computer terminalstosurf thiswhollygaybarisarelaxedand aretro mixof1950sandindustrial, vibrantvenuewithbuzzingbar,livemusic, Y.A.G B@r Tabasco Silver Stud p103; (Map the well-attended barsandclubs,nottomention cinemaandvideofestival,its ownweek-long arts, tolerance. Itsgaycommunityis one ofItaly’smostvibrantandwellestablished,boastingseveral andcreativeFlorence, withitsunrivalledartistic history,hasalongtraditionofopennessand GAY &LESBIANFLORENCE 2/b) queer community,IREOS Via de’ Serragli 3). Via de’Serragli meeting spot in Santa Croce for the local gay and lesbian scene; hosts occasional art exhibitions. meeting spotinSantaCroceforthelocalgayandlesbianscene;hostsoccasionalart spinning tunes Friday andSaturday. spinning tunesFriday andDJLorenzo rooms,videobar,labyrinth, discoandclubformenwithstrip ontheblock: Mon-Sat) Latestgaykid 11pm-5am Tue-Sat) 9.30pm-4am) FLORENCE •• Entertainment FLORENCE ••Entertainment Key contact pointsforinformationonthesceneis contact Key Bars andclubs: isalsohelpful. 10pm-4am, discountil6amTue, &Sat)Florence’s onlyhardcore Fri gayclubaroundincredibly since1974,with Flit between five Flitbetween different dancefloors Florence QueerFestival

(Map (Map pp100-1 ; admission incl 1st drink men/women€16/13; admission incl1stdrink Club (Map (Map pp100-1 ; % Major venue forbands,thisisin Mp pp100-1; (Map Mp pp98-9; (Map Mp pp100-1; (Map Mp pp98-9; (Map 338 8874205;www.arcilesbicafirenze.it inItalian), Lesbian bookshopLibreria delleDonne Flo’sotherbig-crowd disco, % % % % 055 213000;www.tabascogay.itinItalian;Piazza diSantaCecilia3r;admissionfree; % % (Centro Servizi perlaCumunitàQueer; (Centro Servizi 055 2469022;www.yagbar.com; 8r; Viade’Macci 055 3505;ViaFosso 055 688466;www.silverstud.itinItalian;ViadellaFornace9; 055 3313371;Viale (www.florencequeerfestival.it inItalian), (www.florencequeerfestival.it 055 241704;BorgoSantaCroce23r; h 11pm-6am in Italian;CorsodeiTintori 4;admission€9-15; Wed-Sat) ber music tochurches across the city; Summer ushers inbeautiful concerts of cham- Classical Music& Opera withresidenthouse DJEmijay. cool andhiphop;Saturdayareturn tothe ing crowd:Wednesdayishappymusic; Friday small clubthatgets packed withahip-hoplov- h .com inItalian;ViadellaVignaVecchia 23-25;admission€15; dent night. intown;Wednesdayisstu- hip-hop night and Yabsmoove onMondayisthehottest you are beautiful’).Various soundsplayhere (despite line‘glamourclub– its cringingtag the 1970sbutitremains ahitwithstudents h €20;.it inItalian;ViadeiSassetti5r;admissionincl1stdrink vibe. Music ispredominantly house. ropean cities,givingitagreat cutting-edge Amsterdam andotherhot-soundEu- Berlin, ally, thishappeningclubattractstopDJsfrom h Full Up YAB Club Ex-Ex Ex-Ex 11pm-4am Mon-Sat) Azione GayAzione eLesbica 9pm-4am Wed-Mon) 6-8pm Mon-Thu) Mp pp100-1; (Map Underground inmoodandquite liter- Mp pp100-1; (Map % based inside service centre forthebased insideservice Mp pp100-1; (Map h (Map pp100-1 ; pp100-1; (Map 055 216907;www.ireos.org inItalian; held eachyearinlate September. 5pm-2am) Not strictly gaybutacasual 5pm-2am) Notstrictly h % Full Upaptlydescribesthis andArcilesbicaFirenze % It’s been aroundsince It’sbeen % 5pm-2am) Hip, trendy 5pm-2am) Hip, 055 240384;ViaFiesolana 055 263 85 83; www.ex-ex.it 055 2638583;www.ex-ex.it % 055 293006;www.fullupclub Mp p103; (Map 055 215160;www.yab

h lonelyplanet.com 9pm-4am % h Orchestra 055 22 9pm-4am municipality putsonoutdoorscreenings at % is anamenottobemissed. .orcafi.it inItalian) Fiorentina da Camera lonelyplanet.com variety, is frequently of thestar thisindustrial Theatre, predominantly of theavant-garde VialeFratelliRosselli 5) 32; www.stazione-leopolda.com; theatre anddance: stages forexperimental Exciting in Italian. www.firenzedeiteatri.it& Opera;onlinesee underClassical Music earlier inthissection takes tothestage inallthetheatres listed centre billinginstead. Mainstream theatre when summertimefestive enjoy artsevents runs fromOctober toApril/MayThe season Theatre &Dance pp98–9). (Map diMarte,Campo andPalazzo deiCongressi Palazzo delloSport(Map pp96–7 ), inthe 70 42;ViaMonteUliveto1) tures include Privatecinemas showfilmsinItalian. ven- online. English 6.30pmWednesdays;fullprogramme Films, often withaFlorence connection,in €5) tute.it; Lungarno Guicciardini9;membership€5,ticket Centre exceptions. p103; % nale Few cinemas inFlorence screen versione origi- Cinema sica.fi.it October toApril. inItalian), della Musica( hosts classical concertsorganised bytheAmici tiful citytheatre withstunningentrancethat www.pergola.firenze.it inItalian;ViadellaPergola 18) (www.orchestradellatoscana.it inItalian) to theprestigious Orchestra dellaToscana .teatroverdifirenze.it in Italian; ViaGhibellina99) festival inMay andJune. lovely theatre, hosttoaninternational concert on opera,classicalconcertsandballetatthis .maggiofiorentino.com pp96-7; Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Teatro Musicale delMaggio Mid-June to September, several outdoor several Mid-June toSeptember, Library&Cultural ofFlorence Institute British Teatro dellaPergola Teatro Verdi Ex-Stazione Leopolda Ex-Stazione 055 214068;Piazza Strozzi) information 055 27 793 50, tickets 055287222;www information 0552779350,tickets (subtitled films) % % Mp p103; (Map 055 238 18 81; Via Maso Finiguerra055 2381881;ViaMaso 22r) 055 48 12 85; Via M Mercati 24b) 055 481285;ViaMMercati performs March toOctober and % Mp pp100-1; (Map Chiardiluna FLORENCE••Shopping % ; 055 607440;www.amicimu Corso Italia16) (Florentine ChamberOrchestra;www 055 26778270;www.britishinsti andCinemaPoggetto , Mp pp100-1; (Map Odeon Cinehall

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tion at its home ground, 45,000-seater tion atitshomeground,45,000-seater thesideinac- premier footballdivision.See ( p152). and bags,asareshoes thestreet markets jackets,with leathershops selling trousers, Via de’Gondiand Borgo de’Greci are lined Leather store forhappypeople’. .open-mutabileassoluto.com; CorsoTintori 43r), ( entertainment withhappeningevening fused and thecutting-edge street fashion andart Farmaceutica Maria diSanta Novella ( p115 ); Profumo-potions at17th-centuryOfficina smelling unguents,balms,soaps,lotionsand Maraini. an annualglossyshopping guidebyDacia shops sell tors andartists. and shoemakers were as timeswhen goldsmiths, silversmithsmedieval synonymouswithcraftsmanship since been of qualitygoodsthattempts. Florence has city’s fineleatherandextraordinaryvariety shoppers,rampant. Butforserious itisthe and othermass-producedsouvenirs are with David’s packet where itmatters most Flimsy Italian-flag boxers (€6)emblazoned SHOPPING Soccer Town T-shirtsScarves, andallthegear issoldat ian), Box orTicket Office One(see p147 ). Anselmi) Chiosco degliSportivi 55 37;CampodiMarte). Franchi Comunale Artemio .it) A Local Serie Fiorentina side ACF Sport Mariaone Santa Novella. north of Florence. Bus28Aor28CfromStazi- One of leadingavant-garde Italy’s theatres, Fiorentino)www.teatrodellalimonaia.it; ViaGramsci426,Sesto held here. fairs, exhibitionsandfashionshows are also called Alcatraznextdoor. Concerts,trade defunctsince1861,andawarehousestation, anoldtrainperformance spacesplitbetween 7.30pm Tue- Sat). , DJsetc)at aperitivi clingsontenaciously toitsplaceinItaly’s In categories allof theirownare thesweet- Teatro dellaLimonaia For thetrulydedicated shoppers, book- , oronlineatwww.listicket.it (inItal- Firenze NonsoloShopping (Via Ricasoli 27; Ricasoli (Via Buy match tickets here, at Mp pp100-1; (Map Open Mp pp96-7; (Map h Mp pp96-7; (Map alta modaassculp- ( 3.30-7.30pm Mon,10am- % % 055 263 8258;www 055 (www.acffiorentina % 055 292363;Via a ‘concept 055 440852; % (€14), 055 262 Stadio 149

FLORENCE FLORENCE FLORENCE 25r) de’Guicciardini 1r) taurants, winesand taurants, notebooks toscribeyourfavourite hotels, res- old-fashioned includingdelightful stationery, five allmannerof branches selling paperand papirofirenze.it inItalian;Piazza delDuomo24r) isfloralindesign. fiorentina paper; carta Florence isfamousforitsexquisite marbled Paper Pusateri and colourof therainboware thespecialityof and thelike. items, leather-bound notebooks, briefcases 31r) 62r) Spirito shoebox. measure comeinabeautifulwooden shoes can buyforcontemporary men;made-to- San Frediano 143r) 150 women’s shoes. stone of thistinyfamilybusiness;men’sand Il Papiro Il Bisonte Francesco Bemer Stefano Soft-as-silk leathergloves length inevery

„ „ „ „ „ upheld inthesehighlyrefined workshops. of In trueFlorentine fashion,thefineart craftsmanship, fastdisappearingasitis,isstaunchly TOP FIVE:SEEITBEINGMADE Madova andMadova Accessories,such ashandbags,desktop Lorenzo Villoresi ScuoladelCuoio ( p121 fashioninggoodsandbuytheirfinished prod- ) Watchleatherworkers JamieMarieLazzara AnticoSetifico Fiorentino Alessandro Dari FLORENCE ••Shopping does it.The flamboyant jewelleralsoplaystheguitar. porary jewellerare inPalazzo Pitti; visithisOltrarnoshowroomandworkshoptoseehowhe of thefantastical,incredibly castellated piecescrafted byFlorence’s mostinnovative contem- ucts atthisatmosphericworkshop inthecloistersucts ofBasilicadiSantaCroce. .arteliutaria.it; Via Guelfa3) cupboard-sized workshop;Carlo Vettori Liutaria (Map atArte p103 ; %055219848; www Jamie Marielovingly craftsjustfourcustom-madeviolinsofprofessional soloistquality inher Florence have beenmadesince1786. at thisworld-famousfabrichousewhere opulent damasks,brocadesandsoonofRenaissance Precious silks,velvets andotherluxuriantfabricsare woven on18th-and19th-centurylooms den. Contact hisde’Bardiworkshopfordetails.den. Contact lessons, children’s ofaromaticraw materials visits,aunique collection andanaromaticgar- open nearPonte Vecchio soonafter thisbook’spublication;features willincludeworkshops, & 2-5pm Mon-Fri) & 2-5pmMon-Fri) Mp pp100-1; (Map Hand-stitched leatheristhecorner- Mp pp100-1; (Map Mp pp100-1; (Map Mp p103; (Map The finest shoes thatmoney Thefinestshoes Mp pp100-1; (Map Mp p103; (Map % Watch out for the new perfumery that Florence’s famous perfumer is likely to is likely thatFlorence’s famousperfumer Watch outforthenew perfumery (Map (Map pp100-1 viaggi Mp pp100-1; (Map % % 055 214192;Viade’Calzaiuoli % Mp pp100-1; (Map 055 212428;ViadiSanto 055 215722;ViadelParione % (travels). 055 281628;www.il % Mp p103; (Map 055 222558;Borgo

is anotherFlorentine 055 239 6526;Via ; % % 055 24 47 47; www.alessandrodari.com; ViaSanNiccolò115r) 055 244747;www.alessandrodari.com; % 055 2341187;www.lorenzovilloresi.it; Viade’Bardi14; Oneof % 055 28 05 73; www.masterviolinmaker.com; ViadeiLeoni055 280573;www.masterviolinmaker.com; 4r) 055 21 38 61; www.anticosetificiofiorentino.com; Via L Bartoini 4) 055 213861;www.anticosetificiofiorentino.com; ViaLBartoini with enchanting musicboxes andminiature the bridge. Gherardi atNo8isthebest-knownnameon packed jewellerystrip,sincethe16thcentury: tourist- infamous Florence’s pp100–1), (Map Gold, Silver,Marble&Bronze gallery –anodetothetorso. atthiscontemporaryart piecesforsale gated-cardboard mannequinsare amongthe Borgo SanJacopo66r) town topaintFlorence. in paint andotherfineartsuppliesforthose baldi 4-9r) Via dePucci). PalazzoLaboratorio Pucci( in Florentine paperstillhand-crafted atthe theatres,Renaissance allbeautifullybound one.it; ViadelParione 10r) less. once designedcallingcardsforNapoleonno exclusive openedhere stationer in1774and .pineider.com; Piazza 13r) dellaSignoria maestro liutaio. Goldsmiths have dominated Ponte Vecchio San JacoboShow Parione Pineider Lory Mp pp100-1; (Map Sketchpads, pencils,artistjournals,

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% 055 284655;www Florence’s most lonelyplanet.com h % 055 2776300; 9am-1pm A couple 055 2396912; 23 02401;Piazza delDuomo10r) ai poie) and (opposite ) Dari for Florentine knights. when Jacopus Torrinistartedforging armour lonelyplanet.com Mp pp100-1; (Map radically untraditionaldesigns;and 47r) paloni Jewellers todroolover includeAlessandro Florentines rate twoaddresses forsilver: around the city. – canbeboughtfor20%to70%less ataflurryofdesigner-outletcollection stores ( above ) BP Studio(No15).Aroundthecorner, how criticsrate hishosieryandotherseamlessgarments. Great women’swearistobeenviedat EmilioCavallini dazzleatNo52r;‘atriumphof technologyby anti-establishment anddesign’is city’s best-dressed street. Parione. Itwasnotuntil1967thattheFlorentine empire, publicsince1995,moved intothe selling leathergoodsonVia dellaVigna Nuova, followedbyanothertwoyearslater onVia del scandal asmenandwomen’sfashionsince1921whenGuccioGucciopenedasaddleryshop fashionable street today. 25), Versace (13-15r),Dior(No24r),Giorgio Armani(No48)andPrada53r)onthecity’smost his firstshopinFlorence in1947,where (No40),Tiffany hehob-knobswithCartier &Co(No (Map (Map p103 22r); ; ViaMazzetta de’Tornabuoni20-22r) (Via strugglehardnottoleapoutthewindow:Napolitanmarquis ence’s fashionking at No16rsince1927.Acrosstheroad,swirly-whirlypsychedelicprintsthatbelongtoFlor- footwear fortheworld’smostglamorouswomen,hasstrutted hisshoesintoPalazzo SpiniFeroni spree. -born,Florence-adopted designerSalvatore Ferragamo (1898–1960),fashionerof ashoppingit intotheglittering catwalkofdesignerboutiquesitistoday–thespottostart bookshop, several cafes andsoonuntilFlorence Fashion duginhermanicured clawsandturned born ( p60 ) andwhere aclutchofworld-renowned rag-tradegreats stillturnheads. ParisIt mightnotbeMilan, or London, butthis FLORENCE FASHION material. Customers at itbig,headfor shop design.Forclothinganddesignby Italiandesignersyettomake windowandinterior the bestofdesignerfashion,nottomention apioneerinstate-of-the-art another oldfamilynametodress aristocracyfor aeons. Laila weddingdress shouldvisit true romanticsmadaboutgettinghitched inarose-petal trends andarchitectureart withthelatest magsaswellshopforaffordablecasual wear;while hand-embroidered linensmeanwhileare thehandiworkof town, thedesignerlives intheFlorentine Universe hillswithhisex–Miss wife today.Exquisite laced Florentines) shinebrightasabuttonatVia de’Tornabuoni42.Ever faithfultohishome Cavalli (hisuse ofdenimatthePalazzo Pitti fashionshowin1972causedariotamongstraight- Living retro 1950sand1960scouture andItalianfurniture –alldesigner,ofcourse,darling. ,

founded in 1902 and known for its angular, founded in1902andknownforitsangular, Wanna know a secret? Rose-petal creationsWanna knowasecret? aside, mostofthebiglabels–albeitlastseason’s Rose-petal Zipping backtoVia dellaVigna Nuova (Florence’s otherfashion-hotstreet), leg-weardesigns Gucci (No73r)istheindisputableiconofFlorence fashion,creator asmuchofsensational Legendary Via de’Tornabuoni(Map pp100–1 ) –afashionablyquaintstreet withapharmacy, Elsewhere, Via Roma(Map pp100–1 ) sizes upwellwithLuisa shopfor (No19-21r),aone-stop The sensuality-driven, animal-print designsofanotherrebel-yell Florentine designerRoberto Mp pp100-1; (Map (Map (Map pp98-9 ; Via Cavour68), (Borgo Pinti 13r) % 055 2840;BorgoSanJacopo41r). FLORENCE••Shopping % 055 28 90 94; Borgo Santo Apostili 055 289094;BorgoSantoApostili Torrini Torrini and Ethic , – creator ofstylish,garish,look-at-me-or-else women’swear–opened

established in1369 established everything soldinthisboutiqueishandmade,fromnatural orrecyclable Ceri Vintage Mp pp100-1; (Map (Borgo degliAlbizi37) lovechild frockdesignerLailaPappalardo. ofextraordinary Paolo Pagliai Elio Ferraro % (Via de’ Serragli 26) de’Serragli (Via Pam- 055 is can listen tothelatest clubmixandgemupon the citywhere theItalianfashionindustrywas factory outlets. is theeasiestwaytoreach out-of-town these adaytour( Driving yourselfortaking p131 ) Designer OutletStores nude beyourheart’sdesire. marblecherubaissance orbronzeNeoclassical in 1822,thisistheplacetoshopshould aRen- ViadelParione49; www.galleriabazzanti.it; 37-39) (Via delParione 47r) (Via Pietro Bazzanti&Figlio are other vintage-clothing addresses.are othervintage-clothing Loretta Caponi woos vintagelovers withher Mp pp100-1; (Map (Piazza 4r) Antinori Emilio Pucci Le Sposedi Soqquadro Plus Minus % Founded 055 2156

151 , FLORENCE FLORENCE FLORENCE h day of themonth. Flea market, especially large onthelast Sun- Lorenzo. varying qualityonandaroundPiazza San markets, see p143 . Bargaining’s onforcashbuyers. Forfood Markets del Limbo2r) specialist elsewhere shopatTheOilShoppe ( p139 ); oil To taste andbuyolive oilfromTuscanyand For otherfoodandwinetobuy,see p143 . Olive Oils tino. 29 totheVolturnostopinSiestoFioren- Mon-Sat, until6pmSatsummer) allioutlet.it; ViaVolturno3,SiestoFiorentino; (€15). then ataxi toMontevarchi (30minutes),train station the trainfromFlorence’s diMarte Campo and JilSanderbargains aswellPrada. Get spaccio h follow signsforLeccio. exitoffthenorthboundthe Incisa A1and leave fromtheSITA bycar,take busstation; (€3.10,twoorthreeentino etal.Buses daily) ragamo, Yves Tod’s,Armani,Val- St-Laurent, the best,35kmfromFlorence; Gucci,Fer- h minutes). (€10,fiveRignano Sull’Arno(€4),thentaxi Maria Santa Train fromStazione Novella to ViaPianasull’Arno) Maddalena, dell’Isola49,Rignano Maria to Saturday)stop1kmshort of it. (€3.10,fiveto/from Barberino adayMonday diMugello.north inBarberino Regularbuses with the95boutiquesatthisoutlet,40km €9, three timesdaily)linktheSITA busstation &Dec) Mon Jan,Jun-Sep ; di exitBarberino A1Florence-Bologna, berino.mcarthurglen.it; 152 Sun) pp98-9; Map Prada Mall The Dolce &Gabbana DesignerOutlet Barberino Mercato deiPulci Mercato deSanLorenzo Mercato Mercato Nuovo Nuovo Mercato Cavalli Roberto 8am-7pm Tue-Sat) 10am-7pm Mon-Sat,3-7pmSun) 9.30am-7pm Mon-Sat,3-7pmSun) Leather, clothingandjewellery ofLeather, FLORENCE •• Getting There &Away FLORENCE ••Getting h (space), withMiuMiu,Helmut Lang ( % La Bottega dell’Olio La Bottega orOlio&Convivium( p142 ). 10am-8pm Tue-Fri, 10am-9pmSat&Sun,2-8pm 10am-8pm Tue-Fri, Piazza SanLorenzo; ( 055 9789481;LocalitàLevanella, Montevarchi; % 055 8657775;ViaEuropa8,Leccio; (Map (Map pp100-1 Nuovo; ; LoggiaMercato ( Tourist kitsch andleather. Outlet shuttle buses (returnOutlet shuttle buses % ( (Map (Map pp100-1 ; Piazza deiCiompi) % 055 317754;www.robertocav 055 8331300;LocalitàSanta Ride theATAF bus ( % ( (San Lorenzo Market; (San Lorenzo Market; h Thebiggest and % Knownasthe 055 2670468;Piazza 9am-7.30pm Tue- 055 842161;bar h 10am-7pm

60; www.sitabus.it in Italian; Via Santa Caterina daSiena17r; 60; www.sitabus.it inItalian;ViaSantaCaterina station. station. throughout Tuscany. throughout Greve,seto, Redda and othersmallercities Arezzo, in Chianti,Faenza, Castellina Gros- 1¼ hours, 12daily).Direct alsoserve buses forSanGimignano(€5.90, connecting buses fromwhere thereutes, are half-hourly), also and change (€4.30,50 min- inPoggibonsi hourly) oradd30minutes toyourjourney ices) to/fromSiena(€6.50,1¼hours, atleast thereStazione, are corserapide 8.30am-12.30pm Sat&Sun) h From theSITA busstation Bus public transport( opposite ). ( Pisa p191 ), butwelllinked withFlorence by to tional anddomesticairports.Itiscloser .com) Galilei Galileo port a handfulof Europeanflights. west of thecitycentre, caters fordomesticand % diFirenze Aeroporto Air GETTING THERE&AWAY h Siena. dual carriageway, theS2,links Florence with LI (asinFirenze–Pisa–Livorno). Another FI-PI- no tolls);lookfor bluesignssaying LI –asuperstrada the FI-PI- and thecoast,butmostlocalsuse (A11) linksFlorence withPrato,Lucca,Pisa Rome andNaples.TheAutostrada delMare to BolognaandMilan,southwards to Florence isconnected bytheA1northwards Car &Motorcycle pp98-9; (Map % other buscompanies,including (€6.20,twohours,and Pisa hourly).Several 10 daily),Lucca(€4.70,1½hours, frequent) 45 minutes, hourly),Pistoia(€3,50minutes, to/fromPrato(€2.40, Locally, itrunsbuses tickets tovariousEuropeancities. forbuses andsells network of international busservices Italian; Piazza Stazione) Lazzi delleCascine Mercato Substantially largerSubstantially is 055 3061300;www. aeroporto.firenze.it) 055 214637;www.capautolinee.it inItalian) Tue morning) information office 8.30am-12.30pm & 3-6pm Mon-Fri, information office8.30am-12.30pm&3-6pmMon-Fri, ,

one of maininterna- northernItaly’s Mp pp98-9; (Map % Bigmarket inthecitypark. 800 5705 formspartof theEurolines ( % % (dual carriageway, hence (Florence Airport; Map Map (Florence Airport; pp96-7 ; , justwestof Piazzadella

050 849300;www.pisa-airport (Map (Map pp96-7 ; Parco delleCascine; 30) 055 215155;www.lazzi.itin Mp pp98-9; (Map , share bus thesame Pisa International Air- Pisa International

lonelyplanet.com (express serv- CAP , 5kmnorth- % Mp pp98-9; (Map and 800 37 COPIT 10pm) one di Santa Mariaone diSanta Novella onViaAlamanni thebusstopoutside Florence’stween Stazi- Train totheeast. Ravenna tothewest,andForli the citywithPisa lonelyplanet.com the Terravision airport, the busstop; at Pisa 9r; and atthe station inside thetrain Office the Hotel Reservations Galileo Galilei.In Florence tickets are sold at (Map pp98–9 International) andPisa Airport 8.30am-midnight) 1¼ hours,fromFlorence hourly6am-7pm,fromPisa hourly costs€20. A taxi and 11pm)departfromtheSITA bus station. 20 minutes, 30 minutes6am every between to/from Buses Aeroporto diFirenze (€4.50, To/From theAirports GETTING AROUND hours, hourly). 1¼ hours, 40daily)andLucca(€4.80,1½ (€5.20, Pisa (€2.70, 45minutes, half-hourly), (€1.70, 25minutes, 10minutes), every Pistoia forTurin(€35),inMilan. in Pisa; three hours). Toget(€18),change toGenoa (€29.20, 2¾to3¼hours) andVenice (€26.60, two hours), Bologna(€14.20,onehour),Milan are regular trainsto/fromRome (€30,1½to cards. an Englishoptionandacceptcashcredit the traininformationcounter; machines have automatic ticket-vending machines nextto hall Nos 8,9and10intheticketing on platform16. The left-luggage department( p95 ) islocated fice During busyperiods,the airport( to/fromPisa shuttle buses below ). ticketsand sells forguidedtours ( p131 ) and p132 ), which (€3) makes hotel reservations posted InformazioniTuristiche Alberghiere; ConsorzioITAthe mainfoyer,asdoes (sign- formation counter Novella Santa Maria Florence’s is centraltrainstation and buyyourtickets fromthetouch-screen chairs. Fordomestictickets, skipthequeue The much more picturesque SS67connects Terravision Frequent regional trainsruntoPrato Florence isontheRome–Milanline. There International traintickets are soldatbooth h ( h ; No 19 has a ramp suitable forwheel- ; No19hasarampsuitable 6am-7pm) 7am-10pm) (www.terravision.eu; single/return €8/16; coaches shuttlepassengers be- inside Deanna Bar oppositeinside Deanna Bar FLORENCE •• Getting Around FLORENCE••Getting ( on platform5alsofunctions. h (Piazza dellaStazione). Terravision desk 7am-7pm) train informationof- facesthetracksin The (Via Alamanni (Via ( Stazione di h train in- 5.45am- one Santa Mariaone Santa Novella. 33r) 7pm Sun Apr-Sep, shorter hrOct-Mar) shorter 7pm SunApr-Sep, Stazione; per8hr/day€1.50; 53-57r) by and electricbussiniBuses Public Transport Hertz Europcar Avis 8am-6pm Thu) 13-14; 36 60;Piazza Artom Comunale ficio Depositeria for details. arrange priceyparkingforguests;see p399 manyhotels can 24-hour period.Otherwise, p103 ); bothcost€1.50perhouror€15fora (Map RomanaandPiazzadellaCalza Porta parks are intheOltrarnobeneathPiazzaledi as soonyoucan.Thecheapest publiccar only practicaladviceistodumpyourvehicle ity andensure nofineisimposed. window), sothehotel caninformtheauthor- they were inno-cars-land (there’s atwo-hour their carregistration numberandthetime to drive totheirhotel, butmusttell reception inhotelsstaying withinthiszoneare allowed berplate asyoudrive intothezone. Motorists points tothehistoriccentre snapyournum- savage. Cyclopeancameraspositionedatentry of Florence andthefinesfortransgressors are Nonresident isbannedfromtheheart traffic Car &Motorcycle outlet ( wheels p131 theopen-airrental), asdoes by Bike andTourBike Florence bothrent Bike-tour operators thetraffic. Florence Beat Bicycle to 5pm). (€5.20, 1½hours, atleasthourlyfrom6.30am Internationalwith Pisa AirportGalileoGalilei Florence’s Maria diSanta Stazione Novella last minute) are theregular trainsthatlink havetimetables knowntochange been atthe reliable intheearlymorningwhencoach hall. Terravision ticket deskdominates thearrival Major car-rental agencies: Should yourcarbetowedaway,calltheUf- Parking anywhere caninduceapoplexy;the cheaperEqually comfortable, (andmore ATAF (Map (Map p103 ; (Map (Map p103 ; Biciclette a Noleggio aNoleggio Biciclette (Map (Map p103 ; (Azienda Trasporti Area Fi pp98-9; Trasporti orentina; Map (Azienda , 2kmwestof thecitycentre. % % 199 10 01 33; Borgo Ognissanti 128r) 199 100133;BorgoOgnissanti % 199 11 22 11; Via Maso Finiguerra199 112211;ViaMaso h h 055 29 04 38; Borgo Ognissanti 055 290438;BorgoOgnissanti

8am-12.45pm Mon-Wed & Fri, 8am-12.45pm Mon-Wed&Fri, (Car Pound Office; (Car PoundOffice; 7.30am-7pm Mon-Sat,9am- Mp p9- Paz della Piazza pp98-9; (Map , (minibuses) run (minibuses)

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153 FLORENCE FLORENCE FLORENCE Tourist Office Office Tourist Just offcentral PiazzaMine daFiesole,the Information from here rivalFiesole’s. to country lanewending6kmeastfrom Fiesole ists cantake theattimesnail-bitingly narrow ful forayof afew hours fromFlorence. Motor- city innorthernEtruriaandmakes adelight- Etruscans, Fiesolewasthemostimportant –andstilldoes. Wright) Stein andFrankLloyd cel Proust,Gertrude for centuries(victimsincludeBoccaccio,Mar- viewsof tacular the plain belowhasseduced tering of villasandspec- Renaissance-styled Itscooler air,olive groves,revitalises. scat- perched inhills9kmnortheastof Florence, After oldFlorence muggy thisbijouvillage, FIESOLE shortage of placestogo,pleasures tosavour. inSanMiniato,thereearthy white truffles isno region of IlChiantiortitillatingtastebuds with west, trackingdownperfect wineinthehilly around less-visited townstothenorthand itlunching inFiesole,meandering behind. Be One of thebeautiesof Florence isleaving it AROUND FLORENCE 43 90. youcancall For ataxi Taxi are fined€40. ticketa time-stamped (punch itonboard) fare) andpassengers travelling caught without free peradult(additionalchildren payfull child shortercantravel than1m inheight for and aone-/three-day passis€5/12.Onlyone biglietto multiplo (four-journey ticket) is€4.50 A carnetof 10/21tickets costs€10/20,ahandy 8pm) & informationoffice sold atkiosks,tobacconists andthe % 154 Maria Novella. site thesoutheastern exitof diSanta Stazione start/terminate attheATAF busstopsoppo- Fiesole andbus13toPiazzaMichelangelo – and itsperiphery.Most–includingbus7to Founded in the 7th century BC by the Founded inthe7thcenturyBC Tickets cost€1.20(onboard €2)andare Settignano Settignano 800 424500;www.ataf.net inItalian) , nexttothebusstopsopposite thestation. AROUND FLORENCE••Fiesole ( % 18) te iw o Florence of views the ( p138): 055 597 8373;www.comune.fiesole.it; (Map (Map pp98-9 ; Piazza Adua; % 055 42or serve the city thecity serve ATAF h %

ticket ticket 7am- 055 front of theArea Archeologica. Via Portigiani 3; Via Portigiani to visit without an advance reservation. For to visitwithoutanadvancereservation. www.bardinipeyron.it; ViadiVincigliata2; styled gardensof a guidedtourof thefabulousRenaissance- Gaddi’s Annunciazione(Annunciation). works,includingTaddeoTuscan Renaissance Jan &Feb) 10am-5pmWed-MonNov-Dec, & Mar, 11am-5pm Thu-Mon 77; ViaDupré; toAugust). (June Fiesolanatakes tothestage duringtheEstate theatre where of afiesta musicandtheatre Roman Roman period,anda1st-century-BC with exhibitsfromtheBronzeAge tothe Roman baths, anarchaeological museum cal area ensnares asmallEtruscantemple, Pretty spottostrollaside,thearchaeologi- covering are allthemainFiesolesights sold. €13/10/20) season sion/family €10/8/18,high adult/conces- combined tickets (lowseason 5pm Thu-MonJan&Feb) 10am-5pmWed-MonNov-Dec,11am- &Mar, 9.30am-6pm Oct Archeologica Area the Make Sights logical site. is acoupleof doors downfromthearchaeo- 9am-5pmMon-Sat,10am-4pmSunNov-Feb)Sun Mar-Oct, occasional hosttoartexhibitions. Florence ers upto the Via SanFrancesco ushers five-star viewseek- guards theentrance. (St Romulus;1521)byGiovanni dellaRobbia ofside, aglazedterracottastatue SanRomolo century butheavily renovated inthe19th. In- h diSanRomolo Cattedrale of hispaintings.Ringtoenter. lived andworked. Insidehang more than 60 eponymous avant-garde 20th-centuryartist about 300mnorthof thepiazza,where the conti.org; ViaDupré18;admission€3; Conti Primo such splendours Renaissance istheMuseo 1pm &5-7pmMonThu-SunMar-Oct) ticket holders, minibuses by appointmentonlyMon-Fri) .fiesolemusei.it; Via Portigiani 1; .fiesolemusei.it; ViaPortigiani Rising upbehind thecentralsquare, the A lavish villafarintimeandstylefrom In season acombinedticket alsogetsIn season you Bandini Opposite, thetinyMuseo At thefarendof thesquare, steepwalled 7.30am-noon &3-5pm) hasanimpressive collectionof early h ( h % Basilica di Sant’Alessandro(1399), 9.30am-7pm Apr-Sep, 9.30am-6pm Oct 9.30am-6pmOct 9.30am-7pm Apr-Sep, 9am-6pm Mon-Sat,10am-1pm&2-6pm 055 597095;www.fondazioneprimo your first portof callwhere Villa Peyron Villa was beguninthe11th ,

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lonelyplanet.com (83km); To Lucca (100km) To Livorno(38km); Pisa (40km) AROUND FLORENCE San Marcello Pistoiese Montecatini Terme Volterra Sestola Volterra Saline di Lamporecchio SS67 di Momigno Margine La Serra Fucecchio SS66 Monsummano SS436 SS439 Villamagna Montaione Belvedere San Miniato Il Castagno La Piastre Lizzano Castelnuovo d'Elsa SP13 SS64 AROUNDFLORENCE••AroundFlorence Empoli Pistoia Vinci SS68 SS632 E MILA–ROGN Fontanella Carmignano SS66 Nuovo Ponte To Bologna(40km); Badia a Castelfiorentino Taona Parma (130km)

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(26km) San di Alpe SS70 155 FLORENCE FLORENCE FLORENCE labonelli.com; ViaPoeti1;s€60-75,d€90-124; Piazza Mino daFiesolePiazza Mino 39;s€135-185,d€120-245,meals pizzas €6-8) moment of your life. Florence couldwellbethe mostromantic overlookingcandlelit dinner on theloggia a fairfew royals.Lunch, afternoon tea ora JuliaRoberts and NaomiCampbell, Bardot, have signeditsGoldenBook includeBrigitte ence’s mostluxurioushaunts.Guests who by Michelangelo isranked amongFlor- hill-side monastery withafaçadedesigned ofstuff millionaire dreams. The15th-century h ViaDoccia4;d€840-1030; sanmichele.orient-express.com; clude breakfast andparking. in- followed byroastrabbitorpigeon? Rates inlettucesauce, clams andmulletfish eggs How aboutblackandwhite the Florentine plainspread outgrandlybelow. covered terrace forlunch inthecompanyof the bestview,orduckdowntopagoda- panoramaofsweeping Florence. No31has cently renovated Royalroomsoffer asuperb façadesuggests. Re- than itspaint-peeling 1865, itsfour-star interior ismore impressive €50; totheday. isawelcome start table breakfast roomwithdriedflowers oneach rooms ensure dreams, sweet whilethequaint and oyster-coloured shutters. Inside,five fine façade withsalmon-pink B&B –atownhouse bythesideofstation theroad,toreach this past theold-fashioned single-pumppetrol breakfast; Via Gramsci54-56;d€80-114,tr€120-140,q€180,allincl parking is€10anight. includebreakfast;out thefrontisnice. Rates hotel andthesun-flooded terrace tolounge on choice. Furnishings are typicalof a1964-built sci) where real peoplelive isasolidmidrange family-run hotel upalittlelane(offViaGram- excitement, maybe,butthisfriendly, Lacking Bonelli Villa Hotel Sleeping &Eating to carryonwalking. keen easy strolls–1kmto3.5kmforthose fice hasacoupleof brochures outliningshort plenty of green spotstopicnic.Thetouristof- views fromhere are andthere staggering are 156 Etrusca SanMichele Villa Aurora Villa Le Cannelle Le Cannelle mid-Mar–mid-Nov; mid-Mar–mid-Nov; pa AROUND FLORENCE••Prato h Oneof aline-up of tree-shaded ( ) % Built right onthemainsquare Builtright in Mar-Jan) ( 055 59 94 84; Piazza Mino daFiesole055 599484; Piazza Mino 2; % ( % 055 5978336;www.lecannelle.com; Stroll alongViaGramsci, 055 59363;www.villaurora.net; ( pais % ( % 055 59513;www.hotelvil 055 5678 200; www.villa tagliollini ) Thisisthe pa with )

11pm) centres. Tuscany’ssecond-largest townafter Prato isoneof maintextile Italy’s production sprawl andamere 17kmtoitsnorthwest, Virtually inFlorence’s urbanandindustrial pop 174,600 PRATO thedral. ence’s PiazzadellaLibertà,northof theca- If youare driving,FiesoleissignedfromFlor- Maria diSanta Stazione Novella inFlorence. Take ATAF bus7(€1.20,30minutes) from Getting There&Away climb canaskforalift. whocan’t inanoldstonewall.Those up high ning viewatthisfive-table restaurant tucked fiddletoastun- –playssecond tomato sauce) agliane telle or withguinea-hensauce home-madetaglia- codwithtomatoes, salt reggia.org; ViaSanFrancesco;meals€35; on Thursday. outside. theplaceisclosed Outof season, a coffee atthebarorrevel lunch inalight tree outside(it’satypeof ivy)!Hang with athingortwo–whatfabulous has seen main square, thisage-old bar-café-pizzeria lunch spotsonthenorthernsideof the (Piazza delComune) One day the impressive bulk of Sights 9am-1.30pm&2-6pm Sat) 1pm &2-6.30pmMon-Fri, 15; delleCarceri .toscana.it inItalian;Piazza SMaria Office Tourist Post Office Information from Florence. trip or asahalf-day Pistoia, LuccaandPisa your waytothemore picturesque citiesof citywalls,isworthdroppinginonintact compact historicalheart,girdledbynear- continue tobePrato’smainindustries.Its tion, textiles, together withleatherworking, for woolproduction.Continuingatradi- centrethe 11thcenturyitwasanimportant the Etruscans,thenRomans.As earlyas Founded bytheLigurians,cityfell to third-generation oreven second- Pratese. tration of immigrants, manynow Chinese Florence, ithasthecountry’sbiggest concen- La Reggia degliEtruschi La Reggia Thecuisine–brandy-flavoured braised (Umbrian spaghetti inagarlicand (Umbrian spaghetti

(Via Arcivescovo Martini 8) ArcivescovoMartini (Via Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com ( % , underrenovation foryears, 0574 24112;www.prato.turismo ( % 055 59385;www.la h Palazzo Pretorio pici umbri’ all pici umbri’ 10am-3pm &6- h 9am-

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o R R Mannori (200m) Contemporanea (2km) (17km) FLORENCE FLORENCE FLORENCE hang. andSantidiTito Bellini Lippi, Caravaggio, Piazza SanDomenico; adult/concession €4/2; The MURALE MUSEO DIPITTURA the Americas. rope, andasfarafieldIndia,China and andEu- early asthe3rdcentury)fromItaly also findexamplesof textiles (somefromas ments of thelocalclothindustry,butyou’ll theachieve- theages.through Ithighlights 10am-2pmSat,4-7pm Sun) Fri, Chiara 24;adult/concession€4/2; Prato’s MUSEO DELTESSUTO 9.30am-12.30pm Sun) €4/2; ( dell’OperadelDuomo in the1430s,Museo ubs) designedbyDonatello andMichelozzo adorned withplayful the tale. the northwestcornerof thenave, illustrates cycle, Inside thecathedral,Agnolo Gaddi’sfresco Crusade.dier centurieslater after theSecond toPratofromJerusalembrought byasol- was given bytheVirgin toStThomas,and 25 December).Thegirdle,sothestorygoes, 1May,(Easter, and 15August,8September sacra cintola the cathedraltodisplayVirgin Mary’s rior pulpitwasgrafted ontotheoutsideof unusualexte-pops intovision.Thishighly ofCintola totheright thewestern entrance pears atypicalTuscanaffair. ap- altar, frescoes behindthecathedral’shigh della RobbiaandmagnificentFilippoLippi terracottalunettebands, solitary byAndrea exteriorits stark of white-and-green marble (Piazza delDuomo; At first glancePrato’s12th-century DUOMO dell’Imperatore.and Castello dell’OperadelDuomo Pittura Murale,Museo the three sites, gives di entrytotheMuseo found inthefollowingmuseums. of itscollectioncanbe then, thehighlights againthecity’s will house 158 % View theoriginalpanelsof thepulpit, But look closer andthePulpitodellaSacraBut lookcloser A combinedticket atanyof (€6),bought 0574 29339;Piazza delDuomo49;adult/concession h Museum AROUND FLORENCE••Prato Legend of the HolyGirdle, inachapel in Textile Museum 9.30am-12.30pm &3-6.30pmMonWed-Sat, (sacred girdle)five timesayear of Mural Painting of Mural h , where paintingsbyFilippo 7.30am-noon &3.30-7pm) devotes devotes totextiles itself ( putti % h 0574 611503;ViaSanta Museo Civico.Until Museo 10am-6pm Mon&Wed- (winsomecher- ( % 0574 4405 01; h 9am-1pm Duomo , with

largely Tuscanpaintings.Artistsrepresented acollectionofChiesa diSanDomenico,houses dell’Imperatore dell’Imperatore nally allowedaccessfromthecastleto covereda medieval passageway thatorigi- Piave; admissionfree; worth avisitusingcombinedticket. architecture but,bare inside,isonly really an interesting exampleof enough military the HolyRomanEmperorFrederick II.It’s to’s castle, admission€2; delle Carceri; his team. Evangelists are by Andrea dellaRobbia and friezeand,aboveracotta it,medallionsof the church.Tuscan Renaissance Theglazedter- h interior of this end of graceful the15thcentury,high, Built byGiulianodaSangallotowardsthe & AROUND CHIESA DISANTA MARIA DELLE CARCERI frescoes andgraffiti. p105 ). Enjoy,too,the14th-to17th-century tych of themiracleof theVirgin’s girdle(see nardo Daddiwithhistouchingly naive polyp- include FilippoLippi,Paolo UccelloandBer- &Sat) Mon &Wed-Sat,9am-1pm3-6pmFri decorated Another Medici getaway, thissumptuously VILLA DIPOGGIA ACAIANO stateofspace inaconstant flux. two wallsrotaterendering theexhibition thebuildingaloneisaworkofBacchi, art– Opie. Designedbyarchitects Sarteanesi and Janartists such asSolLeWitt, Fabre andJulien creationsstars monumental byinternational complement itspermanentcollection, which art. Temporary exhibitions andperformances able Tue-Sat orSun) 277;admissionfree-€7; pecci.it; VialedellaRepubblica Contemporanea San Marco. monolith smackbanginthemiddleof Piazza Taglio (CleftSquare), aneye-catching white Henry Moore’s sculpture Prato’s moststrikingpieceof modernartis CONTEMPORARY ART city walls. South of theoldcity, Down theroad,sneakalong piazza, Also foundonthesame 7am-noon &4-7pm)

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0574 5317;www.centro lonelyplanet.com Centro per l’Arte perl’Arte Centro , withinthe Cassero Castello Castello h , Pra- (Viale (Viale vari- , Life Museum) still lifes inits a finecollectionof 16th-to18th-century showcases south of aCaiano, PratoinPoggia Poggio aCaiano;admissionfree; Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com overlooks abusyroad. your euro. Ask foroneatthe back;thehotel spruce roomsthatoffer excellentvaluefor placewith12modestRoma isaone-star totheheartsince1974, close Sabini affair 1;s€41-68,d€60-72; .it; ViaGCarradori Albergo Roma. familyrun come oozeswarmth.Thesame help Papa runtheshowandTuscanwel- family affair. SiblingsStefania andStefano cosy could-be-home guestsittingroomisa Sabini since1969,thisold-stylehotel with and runwithpassionpridebyAlvaro h it; Piazza 14;d€55-58,withbathroom€65-70; SanMarco IlGiglio Albergo Sleeping boards andsoon. including textile technology, marketing, trend focusing onallaspectsof thefashionindustry, ViaGuizzelmi6) ionart.it; course atFashion Art a fashionworkshop or10-daytotwo-month Aspiring designers wanttosignupfor might Courses Festival delleColline Festivals &Events .accademiaresidence.it; Viadell’Accademia45;s€52-60, d around Pratoand10kmsouthinPoggioaCaiano. locations world music,lateJunetoJuly,invarious gardens outside. Accademia Residence Accademia Residence Albergo Roma Albergo of the seven veils) will make the hardest of hearts swoon.of theseven veils) thehardest ofhearts willmake Lazzarini 2) Lazzarini 20-22). Via Ricasoli bag, tiedwithstringandembossed themarkofitsmaker: biscuitsstuddedwithalmondswerehard, seriouslycrunchyrusklike up. cooked worldwide andhave becomesynonymouswithTuscany atlarge. Yet itisinPratothattheserock- everyPractically touristshopinFlorence sellsthem;theyare inVin dunked Santoassweet THE REALMCCOY are alsoknown)are up onthevery stillbaked spot where they were born. closed 10daysmid-August; Known aroundtheworld,sure, buttheRealMcCoyonlycomesinathickpaper,cobalt-blue Prato’s othersweet nametoknowis inside andmagnificentsprawling , aworld-renowned pastry,confectionery andchocolate chefwhose ( % ( % Museo della Natura Morta dellaNaturaMorta Museo Created in 1858, biscuitmaker bytheartisan (Hills Festival) Concert series of series Festival) (Hills Concert 0574 37049;www.albergoilgiglio. , 0574 31777;www.albergoilgiglio

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SS66, which headnortheastforBolognaand the trainstation. h Piazza dellaSala,westof thecathedral. delights atthisUS-styledfusionbar-café. browniesandotherAmerican devilish hattan cheesecake, awayMan- 15)Eatinortake in Italian;ViadellaMadonna BANG Fusion Bar lonelyplanet.com ,with the exception of hand), all of which functionMay toOctober hot springs(which generally gohandin of information onbothaccommodationand Mon-Sat year-round,9am-noon SunEaster-Oct) catiniturismo.it; Viale Verdi 66-68; Come here torelax. wide range of healthandbeautytreatments. and aroundalovely centralpark.Itoffers a lounging ingrand handful of terme(hot-springcentres), some One of foremost Italy’s spa resorts, ithasa Woody Allen,have droppedintounwind. Hollywood stars, fromAudrey Hepburn to ful littleMontecatini Terme, whilemany Verdi andPuccini found inspirationingrace- Montecatini Terme AROUND PISTOIA residents. of thePistoiainBicischeme are onlyfor locked aspart upoutsidethetrainstation Battisti 21) at on cyclingitinerariesinandaroundPistoia aroundcanhirewheel abicycleandgem up keen tofree Those ing costs€6pernight. private garage9pm and9am;otherwise park- a passensuringfree street parkingbetween one hour,hourly). more than20perday)andViareggio (€4.30, Lucca(€3.30,45minutes, utes, half-hourly), Prato(€1.70,20min- minutes, half-hourly), cathedral. withthe 10 and12connectthetrainstation northwest forParma respectively. Localbuses the buy tickets, get schedules andhopaboard at minutes, hourly)andlocaltownsinTuscany; connectPistoiawithFlorenceBuses (€2.70,50 Getting There&Around The cityisontheA11andSS64 Produce market The Most hotels provide motoringguestswith Trains linkPistoiawithFlorence (€2.70,45 Panconi Cicli 6.15am-8.15pm Mon-Sat,7am-8.10pmSun) COPIT office tourist office tourist ; unfortunately thecommunalbikes ( ( % % ( AROUNDFLORENCE••AroundPistoia % ( h 0573 22395;www.panconi.it;Via 0573 363 243; ViaXX 71; Settembre 0573 994295;www.fusionbar.it belle époquebuildingsin ( % Mon-Sat) Terme Excelsior 0573 772244;www.monte h Thismarket fills 9am-12.30pm &3-6pm hasplenty ( % opposite 0572 77 Villa Pedori Giraldi) Mura Grocco11;dinclbuffetMura breakfast €120) Parco di Villa Demidoff Parco diVilla Vaglia, about 5kmnorth of Pratolino,isthe tion about thearea. the panoramafromterrace. revelrooms comewithaview.Otherwise, in 10am-6pm Sun Mar &Oct) 10am-6pm Sun Mar 176; adult/concession €3/2; and Ambiente Turismo Mugello wine areas. isoneofwinds through Tuscany’spremier tines here, whilethevalleythatRiver Sieve homesforfortunate Floren-elegant second it. TraditionalTuscanvillages sitbetween tothepublic)provepalaces (mostclosed with asmattering of familycastles,villas and Il Mugello, birthplacetotheMedici noless, with Emilia– Romagna isthearea knownas Northeast of Florence leadinguptotheborder IL MUGELLO (€3.60) stopatboth. Lucca(€3)andFlorencerunning between Montsummano, barely 1kmapart.Trains and Montecatini tions, Montecatini Centro Gaia Villa outside. look forthebizarre, trophy-ladencrucifix aRipa Chiesa diSantaMaria ing countrysidefanoutandits12th-century Middle Ages. Great viewsof thesurround- over, besieged andbattered the throughout Montecatini’s pretty oldtownmuch fought to half-hour uphillevery self &Oct) 10am-7.30pmlate-Mar–mid-Apr Apr–Sep, funicular the last. three different cave zones,each hotter than purgatory paradise, andhell– ing through Jan) Mar-8 spa.com; ViaGrottaGiusti; Grotta GiustiTerme detox inacave withunderground lake atthe head 4kmsoutheasttoMonsummanoTerme to open year-round. 85 18;VialeVerdi 61; Take theSS65northfromFlorence. Near In Montecatini hasacoupleof trainsta- Should you want to stay up high, try Should uphigh, youwanttostay From Montecatini Terme, a19th-century whopreferThose themore primalcould

Borga Informa Borga Borgo San Lorenzo Borgo ( . You’llfeel purer thanpure after wad- % (one way/return €3/5; ( % 055 8495346;ViaTogliatti45) 0572 78637;www.villagaia.it inItalian;Via are sourcesof useful informa- h ( ( % ( % 8am-8pm Mon-Sat,10am-8pmSun) % h h , ahopelessly romantic ( 055 8458793;Piazza Dante29) , theComunitàMontanadel 055 8456230;[email protected]; % 0572 90771;www.grottagiusti 9am-1pm &3-7pmMon-Sat21 10am-8pm Thu-Sun Apr-Sep, 10am-8pm Thu-Sun Apr-Sep, 055 409427;ViaFiorentina h isworthapeek; 10am-midnight mid- Montecatini Alto, Montecatini where some ,

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FLORENCE FLORENCE FLORENCE 1451. tress converted intoavillabyMichelozzo in estates have shopswhere youcantaste and characteristics. Thebiggest wine-producing andRùfina,allwiththeirdistincttalbano ColliAretini, CollinePisane, Mon- Senesi, wine-growing regions: ColliFiorentini, Colli rest of IlChiantiembracessixmore classified the region’s oldest,mostfamouswine. The the GalloNero(BlackCockerel) symbol,is a minimumof 75%Sangiovese, soldunder in Tuscany. of adaptation in hisTV ‘Chiantishire’ John byplaywright Mortimer dubbed manently towhat,by1989,hadbeen snapped upholidayhomesormoved inper- wedged Florence between andSiena. They covering beautifulvalleysenviably these waves of sun-hungryforeigners starteddis- hardship anddepopulation.Butinthe1960s, WWII, theregion suffered severe economic best-marketedItaly’s winesare made. Post and vines,lotsof them, fromwhich someof groves, gentle hills,sun-baked red farmhouses This IL CHIANTI passing byTrebbio). and fromthevillaatCafaggiolo walk, starting (its trailNo8isaneasy3½-hourround-trip SELCA, isadecentmapforhikers at1:70,000 ello, AltoMugello,Val diSieve, producedby trailscrisscrossing thearea. or half-day Springs Trekking) isanetworkof signedday Sorgenti Firenze Trekking (SOFT;Florence , road,Cafaggiolo further alongthesame tothepublic): villas (bothclosed of forglimpses anotherpairofright Medici demolished. garden builtaroundaMedici villa,longsince 164 Il Mugello meanswonderfulwalking: Follow theSS65foranother13kmandturn Chianti Classico,ablendof red grapeswith you don’t wanttogetlost. at Greve inChiantitouristoffice…even if and every lastbackroad.Buyitfor €2.50 upwithwineriesCock; 1:80,000),marked RoadoftheBlack Strade delGalloNero(The detailedroadmap of thelife-savingly the hoof. Youronlycompanion:acopy Ditch thisguideanddiscover IlChiantion LOSTGET AROUND FLORENCE••IlChianti is classic Tuscan countryside–olive – set Summer Lease –set and, Trebbio

a for- Mug- Le Le tica Macelleria Falorni, knownforitsmean They are local hour, half-hourly), has twoclaimstofame. accessible fromFlorence bySITA bus(one the SS222andonlyoneinChiantieasily This smalltown,20kmsouthof Florence on GREVE INCHIANTI town. 9am-1pmSat) Fri, scooterperday€20/30; bike/50cc ( or scooter power,rent from wheels province of Florence. Toget aroundbypedal This isthenorthernhalfof IlChiantiinthe Chianti Fiorentino superimposed. d’Elsa, a copyof Chianti Classico: Val diPesa-Val cover theregion. Keen walkers canpickup two orfour–are theonlyreal waytodis- –hopping isfeasible, butyourownwheels (SS222) snakes fromFlorence toSiena. Bus boundary andthescenicStradaChiantigiana the Apenninesmarkarea’s eastern groups. tion; mostonlyopentheirdoors totour rants tolunch at. Romanesque church andacouple of restau- fortified hill-topvillage witha10th-century diMontefioralle suggests toCastello the 3km-longwalk west(1½totwohours) it trails tocycleorstroll.Particularly popularis of electronicinfoonvineyardstovisitand butstocksamine tobrowse documentation & 2.30-6.30pmMon-Sat) fice celebrates itsannualwinefair. The of whenthetown week September or second and ariotof wine-fuelled funduringthefirst triangular PiazzaMatteotti, withitsporticoes who’s donetheNewYorkmarathon. indelibly printed onthesolesof runner every lantic), linkingStatenIslandtoBrooklynand from hisnamesomewhere inthemid-At- Narrows bridge losta‘z’ (thegoodcaptain was commemorated there bytheVerrazano coverer of New York harbour,Verrazzano (1485–1528). Local-boy-made-good anddis- cuts since1729;andGiovanni daVerrazzano can bevisited withoutanadvancereserva- buy wine,butfew vineyards–bigorsmall % Find bothintheheartof Greve: atunusual The lovely MontidelChiantirisinginto ( 055 853037;www. ramuzzi.com; ViaItaloStecchi23; % 055 8546287;Piazza 11; Matteotti a mapat1:25,000withhikingtrails in Greve inChianti, itsmain macelleria macelleria on thesquare haslittle h (butcher shop) An-

9am-1pm &3-7pmMon- lonelyplanet.com , a medieval , amedieval h tourist of- tourist Ramuzzi Ramuzzi 9am-1pm commercial the birthplaceof (thedaughter of MonaLisa .lecantine.it; Piazza delleCantine; .com; Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com in Kenneth film Branagh’s DaVinci’smodel) andalocation supposedly the Gherardinifamily whoownedthevillawas .it; ViaPetriolo 5;d€150-200; Vignamaggio Villa Sleeping five different wines(three hours, €42). five estate-producedcourses inthecompanyof hour, €16)orgothewholehogand lunch on then taste fourdifferent Verrazzano wines(one ries. Touritshistoricwinecellarandgardens crafted vinegar–hasbeen forcentu- balsamic Classico, Vin grappa,honey,olive Santo, oiland diVerrazzano Castello cestral homeof Greve’s NewYorkpioneer, your tipple. into oneof andouttrickles themanytaps ing €10to€25fromthecentralbar,stickit and grappa),buyaprepaid winecardcost- (including SuperTuscans,sweet To taste someof the140different wines varieties of Chiantiandotherwinestobuy. Vino inChianti diGreve Cantine Il Chianti,there isnobetter placethan an estatewhere thebestof Tuscany–Chianti Alternatively head3kmnorthtothean- For aone-stopwine-tasteandshop in Diacetto Pelago; dinclbreakfast €58-78perperson; www.frescobaldi.it; Nipozzano,Pelago) big sister forcenturies. of Florence. Dryandred withhintsofviolets,thiswinehasbeenovershadowed byitsClassico land, thesmallestofChiantiappellationscovering of12,482hectares aprivilegedpocket east Forget ChiantiClassico. Blaze aninvisible trailinsteadgreen throughChiantiRùfina wine-tasting LA STRADADEIVINICHIANTIRÙFINA best wine-making spotsinTuscany.best wine-making di Pomino,Castello DOCinfamouslybeingrecognised byCosimoIIIin1716asoneofthefour up there withtheAntinoriclan)–amongTuscany’s best.The Frescobaldis alsotend ( Castellare andacomplete review, see p313 . riving bycar,drive pasttheeastern endofDiacettovillage,thenturnleft;forimagesPodere from Pontassieve trainstation,fromwhere there are frequent trainstoFlorence (20mins).Ar- cultivation. AlsoidealforthosewantingtofleeFlorence attheendofday,itisabout7km buffs withitsfunkydesign-driven spacefashionedinanoldfarmhouse,olive groves andsaffron accommodation) tostaywithinthislittleexplored winezone,thisisanessentialstopfordesign % h (Wine Museum) andmore(Wine Museum) than1200 o Yet international winecriticsconstantlyrankitsbest-known estates – 055 836 98 48; www.selvapiana.it; Via Selvapiana, Rùfina) 055 8369848;www.selvapiana.it; ViaSelvapiana, guided tours 10am & 11am Mon-Fri), guided tours10am&11amMon-Fri), Podere Castellare enoteca

( % ( % 055 854661;www.vignamaggio pais with asmall 055 854243;www.verrazzano ( % h Much AdoAbout 055 8546404;www 10am-7pm) ( % tended byFlorence’s famousFrescobaldi family(yep,they’re

) Reputedly Reputedly Vin Santo 055 8326082,3204079592;www.poderecastellare.it; ViaCasaSpasse, a castleof Museo del Museo , avast Le psi Eating school. cooking by thesamefamilyforthree generations;restaurant and incl breakfast €93/118/155/190; www.albergoverrazzano.it; Piazza 28;s/d/tr/q Matteotti minimum three-nights stayJunetoSeptember.minimum three-nights h delchianti.it; Piazza 86;dinclbreakfast €93-120; Matteotti lected, qualitymeats (noticethegleaming 80;meals €35; Matteotti ofgaggle different salami. breed of pig native toTuscany)pork anda meat, includingtraditionalcinta senese (a Tuscanyfor itsprime-qualitythroughout centuries-old give acluetowhatishappening insidethis don’tsitonthem) outside(please porticoes The twohuge chopping underthe tables .it; Piazza 71; Matteotti Falorni Antica Macelleria daVerrazzano Giovanni Albergo delChianti Albergo central square: for 2km,thenturnlefttowardsLamole. nis courts.FromGreve, followtheS222south of garden,andatwinset poolsandten-Italian apartments andcottages torent; andsportsan It makes wineandgrappa;hasself-catering isavastcomplex5kmsouthofhouse Greve. Nothing, thisexquisite 15th-centurymanor andCastello diNipozzano Mangiando Mangiando Mangiando Mangiando Greve hasacoupleof goodhotels onits mid-Mar–mid-Nov; mid-Mar–mid-Nov; ) An outstandingagriturismo AROUND FLORENCE••IlChianti macelleria ( h % as h closed Wedpm&daily1-4pm) 055 853763;www.albergo ( % Fattoria Selvapiana Mon-Sat) ( h % ) Pretty gardenandpool; thatisrenowned 055 853029;www.falorni Mar-Jan; 055 8546372;Piazza ( ( % % Lovingly se- (farm-stay 055 27141; 055 853189; Castello i ) Run 165

FLORENCE FLORENCE FLORENCE .it; Santa Maria a Macerata; aMacerata; .it; SantaMaria sought refreshmentsought from its naturalspring, pilgrims en route fromFlorence toSiena this15th-century buffs, de’Medici Fonte Sleeping &Eating as musttheshortcookingcourses itoffers. inadvance,you taste) mustalsobereserved (€15,€25 and€40dependingwhatsessions is situated belowtheabbey.Wine-tasting the Antinoriwineshop andrestaurant that Via Passignano 31; nano diPassig- booked inadvanceattheOsteria ofby atasting fourAntinoriwinesmustbe hr visit€25; wine-making families.Guided est (think600years) andmostprestigious the Antinorifamily,oneof Tuscany’sold- cellars theviticulture todaycontain of stash abbeycan.Usedmighty first bymonks,the can bevisited. 1476). Given monksstilllive here, neither ide Ghirlandaio’s here) anditsrefectory, DomenicoandDav- Passignano hewasborn (socalledbecause church safeguards 17th-centuryfrescoes by and vineyardsabout 8kmwestof Greve. Its ofsits inamagnificentsetting olive groves ered castle-abbeyencircled bycypresses the Vallombrosan order,thismassive, tow- monksof Founded in1049byBenedictine BADIA DIPASSIGNANO reserve. on themainsquare. islimited, so Capacity heavy beneaththeporticoes woodentables permanent crowdatthisintimate bistrowith scales andsliceronthecounter) ensure a 166 But thecenturies-old

in Rignana. See p311 forafullreview. noble villa,8kmwestofGreve inChianti, you’re inparadiseatthisfarmstead and with sweepingTuscan viewsandpretend to forget. Dipintheinfinityswimmingpool o FRESCOES RECYCLED FLOORS&RENAISSANCE €3500; €95-105 inclbreakfast, 8-personnoblevillaperweek d Val65; www.rignana.it; 15,Rignana; diRignana AROUND FLORENCE••IlChianti ( % psi 055 8071278;www.osteriadipassignano.com; h Fattoria diRignana 3.30pm Mon-Wed, Fri &Sat) 3.30pm Mon-Wed,Fri ( h % (; Ultima Cena(Last ) wine shop10am-11pmMon-Sat) 055 8244700;www.fontedemedici This istrulyaplacenever ps borgo wine cellarsof this ) A mustforwine (hamlet), where ( % cellar visits 055 8520 followed (2- , do in this sleepy do inthissleepy village, 7kmsouth medieval or There wellappeartobelittlesee might PANZANO anti’s mostexpensive andexquisite. stunningly creative cuisinehere isamongChi- h a Rignanaspeciality.Wow. cypress- orjuniperberry–flavoured grappa– on thecake hastobethegrandfinaleshot of fire are buttheicing gastronomichighlights, of meatgrilledtoperfection above anopen locally gathered mushrooms orasimpleslab oven-baked ravioli, warmgooey carpaccio, truffle-stuffed ( p309 theoldpress) –see inside. Wildboar tled intheoldoilmillonRignanaestate terracefrom itsspectacular isidyllicallynes- Tuscanviewsing spotwithquintessential h meals€25-35; Rignana; 01; www.lacantinettadirignana.it; als only. Antinori estateare available rent- forweekly onthe Apartments intwootherfarmhouses Mariaand outbuildingsinSanta aMacerata. onetosixinthemainfarmhouse sleeping apartments are self-catering thecomfortable yards ownedbytheAntinorifamily.So,too, is wedged SolaiaandTignanello between vine- or his pasta dressedor hispasta ina and orange peel, near Carrara) Colonnata, with per course. Don’tmisshis crostini choicestraightforward of aroundsixdishes ( p235 ). Swiss-born chef Angelo cooksupa inn makes agreat lunch stopenroute toSiena lunchfor alight beneath trees, thisroad-side .it; Lucarelli; meals€20; LePazanelle Osteria Eating with wine,meatplatters…and Dante. wooscustomers asCecchini a goodhalf-hour performer of recitals. Countonstaying poetry once-fated asguardianofniche forhimself theinfamous outa vert has carved butcher DarioCecchini much aTuscany celebrity,exuberantextro- you’ll get more thanyoubargained for. Very &Sat) 9am-6pm Fri 85 2020;ViaXX Luglio; Cecchini nip intotheAnticaMacelleria ChiantigianafromGreve,along theSanta but Osteria diPassignano Osteria o lunch &dinnerMon-Sat) lunch &dinnerWed-Mon) lardo dicolonnata (marinated lardfrom

La Cantinetta di Rignana diRignana La Cantinetta Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com bistecca tomino , thelocal h ( h % 6 ad knife-wielding and ( p67) lunch &dinnerTue-Sun) (a typeof with cheese) 9am-2pm Mon,Tue, Thu&Sun, 055 733511;www.lepanzanelle Back attheabbey, Back

This marvellous eat- This marvellous (fixed menus€50&€90; cheese and cheese pecorino macelleria, ( % 055 8526 topped Perfect ( % and 055 the SP2 to Radda inChianti. the SP2toRadda anti wines.Findit5kmsouthof Panzano on wantingtotastesuited different tothose Chi- burger, andthewinelistisparticularlywell pear sauce.He ameanTuscan-style alsodoes Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com 30 minutes €2.50), sells booksand guides30 minutes €2.50), sells (per day €15),hasaninternet (per station be Tuscany’smost dynamic.Itrents bikes accessible alsofrom ViadelVolte, must 10am-1pm & 2-4pmMon-SatDecFeb)daily Mar-Nov, ViaFerrucciooftuscany.it; 26; Nov-Mar). h logicochianti.it; Piazza delComune18;adult/child €3/2; Chianti Sienese del Archeologico focus of themodernMuseo Antica Fattoria laCastellina plenty of placestotaste andbuy,amongthem mer. Wineshops are rife here andthere are shady tunnel,particularlywelcomeinsum- isnowalong,vaulted, by shopsandhouses, open totheelements,thenencroached upon Via delVolte. street, originally Thismedieval to walkintotownbeneaththetunnel-like almostimmediatelyruccio, thenturnright Florence. warringSienaand a frontiertownbetween wealth tothissmallcommunity,longago that,togethersic nectar withtourism,brings town brimwithChiantiClassico,theclas- The huge cylindrical silos attheentrytothis CASTELLINA to.need to pickupinformationandhire acarifyou province of Siena. is a greatCastellina place South of Panzano, IlChiantidipsintothe Chianti Sienese office. feast inhisapartmentrestaurant nearthepost and aspotof English) cooksupafive-course prowess, Dario(whospeaksfluentFrench 7pm &9pmThu-Sat,1pmSunMar-Jan) fixed menuinclwine€30; and showoffhismeat-cutting-cooking ily recipesgenerations downbetween passed aka ‘OnlyMeat’. Achance toshare hisfam- Chianti’s charismatic butcher atChezDario shareexperience isnotenough, amealwith ruccio 26) The Nearby, thearea’s Etruscanrootsformthe o From thesoutherncarpark,take ViaFer- 10am-6.30pm Tue-Mon Apr-Oct, 11am-6pmMon-Sat 10am-6.30pm Tue-Mon Apr-Oct, . tourist office tourist Solociccia ( % 055 742090;www.museoarcheo ( ( % % h 055 852727;ViaXX Luglio 11r; 0577 741392;www.essence by advance reservation only by advancereservation ( h % 10am-1pm &2-6pm 0577 740454;ViaFer- If theshopping

, souvenir-shop sits11kmeastof laden Radda The tourist hot-spotinIl Chianti, surprisingly RADDA INCHIANTI h only €80;advance reservations .it inItalian; www.stelleincantina tina (Stars intheCellar; innovative cultural programmeStelle inCan- nearby wine-producingestateaspart of the after wine-tasting ners itserves asaresummer delight, theatmospheric din- onstone-toppedViadelVoltetables are a guests totinkleonislovely Its inanyseason. appealing stonecellarwithpianofor(able) cool choice quite literally in summer,this Tuscan tastingmenu€65; lopapa.com; ViadelVolte14-16;lunch€20,dinner€40-60, to Pietrafitta. andturnleft along theSS222fromCastellina ners (around€25).Toget there, headnorth morning foroneof Daniela’svery specialdin- inthe couldn’t bemore welcoming.Reserve with antiquesandhostsMario andDaniela Tuscan getaway. Itsfive roomsare furnished the endof a1.5kmdirtroad,thisistrue h pannuccia.it; BorgodiPietrafitta; dinclbreakfast €90-140; Locanda LaCapannuccia Sleeping &Eating tour(€45). wine-tasting full-day guidedtours, includingaone-day andsports anaction-packed agenda of half- on IlChianti,arranges cookery and classes o netana perTavarnuzza 19), 231 1311;www.relaisfarmholiday.com; ViaImpru- love childofFattoria Villa l’ contemporary Tuscan wineistheluxurious ence’s mostfamousjeweller. This strikingly white goldonsilver byTorrini( p150 ), Flor- of40diamondsembeddedin carats worth of DiademaDiamente labelledwithfour crystals,oramagnumded withSwarovski bottlestud- red DiademaIGTSupertuscan, solutely have toimpress, popopenafruity Yes way.Ifyoureally dearlydesperately ab- NO WAY family since1735. of Florence inImpruneta,bytheGiannotti modation) runwithapassion,10kmsouth estate andagriturismi 7.30pm ThuMay-Aug) itruns. Mar-Oct; Mar-Oct; AROUND FLORENCE••IlChianti Al Gallopapa Al Gallopapa ps ) Tucked downavalleyat h ( ( % % lunch &dinnerTue-Sun) (farm-stay accom- a wine-producing 0577 741183;www.laca 0577 742939;www.gal Olmo ata aperitivi ( % 055

167

A FLORENCE FLORENCE FLORENCE tello 6; tured vinessincethe12th century. Walking where thefamousRicasoli familyhave nur- of inthestun- the Ricasolifamily andtaking intotheburial chapelits battlements, peeping winter) noon &3-6pmor7pmsummer,9am-noon2.30-5pm Sat-Thu ( 6.30pm Sat&Sun) the road-sidecantine €10; www.castellomeleto.it; guidedtoursinclbottle ofwine Meleto; in oldcellars at some of IlChianti’sbest-knownwinesaged eatandsip spottosleep, Chianti isasweet A beautifulvillage withlittletodo,Gaiolein GAIOLE INCHIANTITOSIENA Palazzo Leopoldo Palazzo SanNiccolò estrian street: itswebsite fordetails. see estate, aswellaninnwithtop-enddoubles; of andapartmentstorent farmhouses onits above) di Volpaia(see Castello hasahandful Sleeping &Eating walks. half-day walking inthearea, pretty includingseveral Sat mid-Oct–mid-Apr) 10.30am-12.30pm&3.30-6.30pmMon- mid-Apr–mid-Oct, around Volpaia. 25-minuteshop detailing tothree-hour walks to yourtaste, pickupthebookletinwine lunch initsosteria. main towerof thecastle,orenjoyaglassover aeons. Buysomeinits olive oilsandvinegars have madefor been 1, Volpaia) ( stone hill-tophamletof wine andolive oil. 45; ViaRoma29) del Podestà of dramatothefaçadeof 16th-century Castellina. Shields and escutcheons addadash terrace. pais leopoldo.it; ViaRoma33;dinclbreakfast €160-230; h sanniccolo.com; ViaRoma16;dinclbreakfast €120-180; the mainsquare. 168 % % Noble Radda Radda Or head6kmnorthtothegorgeous old- Feb-Dec; h 0577 73 01; www.ricasoli.net; admission€5; 0577 7301;www.ricasoli.net; 055 738066;www.volpaia.it; Piazza dellaCisterna AROUND FLORENCE••IlChianti , h

Il Chianti’s most quintessential castle Il Chianti’smost quintessential 2 or3timesdaily) , where particularlylovely wines, 10am-1pm &3-7pmMon-Sat,10.30am-1pmSun palazzo tourist office tourist pais (Piazza Ferrucci) is theplacetotaste andbuylocal ) Great viewfromitsrestaurant of magnificent Castello diMeleto Castello ( % hotels on Radda’s mainped- hotels onRadda’s has ampleinformationon Enoteca Toscana Enoteca ( % ,

3km south of Gaiole, orat 0577 735605;www.palazzo Should walkingbemore ( h ( 0577 735666;www.hotel % , ) Four-starhotel.

facing thechurch on 9am-6.30pm Mon-Fri, 11am- 9am-6.30pm Mon-Fri, enoteca, 0577 738494;Piazza Cas- Castello diVolpaia Castello Castello diBrolio Castello

( % ( % inside the 0577 749217; 0577 7388 h Palazzo 9am- .it; wine-tasting €13; .it; wine-tasting available. apartmentsare also functional. Self-catering farm workers oncelived, are marginally more where (Priest’sHouse), Canonica the Casa canopied bedsandthelike), in whilethose press. roomsooze romance(think Castle announced byanalleyof juniperandcy- part-15th-century castle,partnoble villa Pretend you’re aprincessatthisfanciful farmhouse s/d/tr€113/125/185,allinclbreakfast; lodimeleto.it; castles/d/tr/q€136/148/185/222, Meleto; over Giaole’smainsquare. bination atthisage-old village innperched azaleaandsoon)makerose, acharming com- rooms namedafter Tuscanflowers (mimosa, Stone walls,beamedceilingsandninepretty inChianti;s€62-82,d€100-154) 18,Gaiole .it; ViaRicasoli delCieco La Fonte Sleeping north of Siena. 20kmsouthof Gaioleand13km Pievasciata, temporary sculptures in andartinstallations a vastgreen woodedarea studdedwithcon- €7.50/5; ( spersed with the odd farmhouse or,inthe spersed with theoddfarmhouse vineyards andolivethrough groves inter- that takes ridge youwindingup onto ahigh for nage of WWII. arecrosses apowerfulreminder of thecar- Oct–mid-Apr) US warcemetery reachingBefore youpassthe SanCasciano, fensive wall,parts of which remain intact. century andwaslater equippedwithade- came underFlorentine controlinthe13th Pesa winecentre,. Animportant thistown inVal di Chiantigiana (SS222)toSanCasciano diOliveto Castello telfiorentino southalongtheprettycan wiggle SP4toCas- di Firenze ( the Certosa p128 ), fromwhere you Another route southfromFlorence from starts Florence totheVald’Elsa the wildartsideat andprincesses. for aspiringknights arrowslitsisarealning viewsthrough treat % Otherwise windalongthewiderStradaOtherwise diMeleto Castello Just before Continuing southtoSiena,take awalkon 0577 35 71 51; www.chiantisculpturepark.it; adult/child 0577 357151;www.chiantisculpturepark.it; , acharming littledetour Montefiridolfi h

10am-sunset Apr-Oct, byappointmentNov-Mar) 10am-sunset Apr-Oct, , where thecleanrowsof white Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com for wine-tasting insplendourat for wine-tasting , take theside roadeast Bargino ( ( h h ( % % 3.45pm Mon-Fri). 3.45pm Mon-Fri). 8am-6pm mid-Apr–Sep, 8am-5pm 8am-6pm mid-Apr–Sep, 055 744028;www.lafontedelcieco ( 0571 61508;www.castellooliveto % Parco delChianti Sculture 0577 749129;www.castel ps ) ,

manor houses. avelli onceuponatime,picturesque stone night from€120/700) aptper castellodibibbione.com; 2-/12-personself-catering diBibbione case of Castello Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com from 1909 onwardswhen eccentricBritish kitted outwithsome wonderfulworks of art from theashesin the13thcentury.Itwas in 1135,thisbeauty of castle rose afairytale Florentinesyour man.Ruined byattacking If itishistoryyou’re after, Montegufoni is aptperweekfrom€620/690/1180) /4-/8- personself-catering 31; www.montegufoni.it;ViaMontegufoni18,Montagnan; 2- is €1.60. mation (askhimabout foodiefests). Breakfast co-manages the hostel is amineof localinfor- the ultracharmingDeclanwho Italian-Irish €12); ithasagreat gardenfor bike hire canbearranged (perday€10to havethe originalwingeven twobathrooms); in modern dormsmaxoutatsixbeds(those Ostello delChiantioozesdynamism.Spotless oldest hostels goingstrongsincethe1950s, 4pm-midnight mid-Mar–Oct; bathroom€40/54; with private delchianti.it; ViaRoma137,Tavernelle; dm€14.50,d€31,d/tr cleancheap sleep. seeking for those ontheSS222isperfectCasciano solution Siena 32,Calzaiolo;d€60) to mid-March. are November essential advance reservations Dormsmaxatfourbedsand train station. terpart, a600mwalkfromCastelfiorentino gleaming modernred-brick andglasscoun- Declan atOstello del Chiantiisfull,tryhis 7.30-10am &4pm-midnightmid-Mar–Oct; bathroom€39/55.50,allinclbreakfast; private 26,Castelfiorentino; dm€15.50,d/trwith cast.it; ViaRoosevelt commodation. This valleyshelters someexcellent-value ac- SLEEPING &EATING stroll. of ily reach thecharming littlemedieval Tavarnelle Val diPesa can tomb.Atthecrossroads turnwestfor in a road-side farmhouse 2kmsouthofin aroad-sidefarmhouse San hotelroomsthis smalltwo-star witheight short ondecorativeand atad features, but o delChianti Ostello Calzaiolo Hotel Castelfiorentino Ostello Another 1.5kmbringsyoutoalarge Etrus- Barberino Val d’Elsa,which isworthabrief Barberino Castello di Montegufoni diMontegufoni Castello , ownedbyNiccolòMachi- ( %

, fromwhere youcaneas- ( It might bedeadsimpleIt might % 055 824 90 09;ViaCassiaper pi ( 055 8050265;www.ostello h % ( % 0571 64002;www.ostel reception 8.30-11am& 0545 8249231;www. ) Oneof Italy’s ; and aperitivi ( %

pi h 0571 6711 reception borgo ) If

& 2-7.30pm May-Sep, 10.30am-4.30pmOct-Apr) & 2-7.30pmMay-Sep, sweeping panoramaofsweeping classicTuscanland- Guesthouse Boccaccio is absolutely outstanding. dinner Mondayto Saturday),inthecloister, the restaurant (meals€50-70; tury monastery. There’s atranquilterrace and what were cellsof oncethespartan a13th-cen- be andrich inantiquefurnishings, occupy fast) 3;s€55-70,d€85-100,allinclbreak- delvicario.it; ViaRivellino 10km south,followsignstoFiano. bar andsoft grassypitches. FromCertaldo, perched on ahillinMarcialla withpool,small scape atthisimmaculate campingground, tent &car€8/8.50; adult/ 349,Marcialla; .panoramadelchianti.it; ViaMarcialla o SLEEPING &EATING work tooscandalous. scattered bytownspeople whoconsidered his 1783 thewriter’s remains were disinterred and diSSJacopoin nearbyChiesa eFilippo. In a bustandmarbleslab onthenave floor of Giovanni Boccaccio( p61 ), honoured with From here, ViaBoccaccioleadspastthehome 12 19;Piazzetta admission€3; delVicariato; Florentine republic. absorbedintothe By thattimebothhadbeen sprang upinthevalley13thcentury. has Etruscanorigins,whilethelowertown funicular (return 15minutes), €1.20,every Alto),accessibleby Its uppertown(Certaldo 15km westof Barberino , isworththedetour. This pretty red-brick hill-toptown,about Certaldo favourite nextdoortoHotel Calzaiolo. h marosa.it; ViaCassiaperSiena32,Calzaiolo;meals€30; on theSP4. it located about700msouthof Montagnana it isanamazing home totheliterary familyuntilthe1970s, and promptlydecidedtobuyit.Tuscan one day,stoppedinfrontof Montegufoni aristocrat SirGeorge Sitwell,outmotoring .guesthouseboccaccio.com; Via Boccaccio32;d€65-75) façade, commandstheupper,walledborgo. of powerwithrichly decorated 14th-century Osteria del Vicario delVicario Osteria The stoutfigure of Upper town self-catering guesthouses: Upper townself-catering Mammarosa lunch &dinnerThu-Mon) Fourof roomshere, theeight cosyascan Panorama delChianti AROUND FLORENCE••IlChianti h ( %

Mar-Oct; Mar-Oct; place to stay. Youcanfindplace tostay. 055 8249 454; www.trattoriamam ( ( % % Palazzo Pretorio 0571 668228;www.osteria This isaSlow-Food 0571 6524 35; www ps

( % 0571 669334;www ) Wake uptoa h h lunch and

9.30am-1pm ( , the seat , theseat % 0571 66

169 FLORENCE FLORENCE FLORENCE 170 for aprimi paper inanair-tight container–byDHLtotheRiver Café inLondon where punters pay£69.50 has pocketed the30gtruffle–itcanbesmelledamileoff. of10andfortherestindescribable scent.Weare ofthehunt there aparty isnoguessingwho vital. ‘Garlicabit,honeyandpepper’,remarks Guido, enthusiasticallyinhalingtheexcruciatingly out agrubbytruffle. (trufflescanbeupto50cmdeep)until–aargh –hetriumphantlypriseshe digsdownfurther chase whileImperiosinkshisbladeintothedampsoil.Feeling delicately withhisforefinger, aged master throwsadustingofsoilintheair,promptingTobytorushoffhelter-skelter in finds theanswer. Hesniffs ahelicopter furiouslyattheground,twirlinghistaillike blade. His ‘Dove? Dove?’ urges hisownerImperiorepeatedly inanticipation,towhichTobyeventually dog. Ten-year-old Toby,abrownpatchhidingoneeye,istrainedtoTandhighlyexperienced: LagottoRomagnolodogbreed, isthehigh-energy Italy’s primetruffle-hunter similartoawater inneighbouringFrancewhereUnlike pigsare often usedtosnoutouttheprecious truffles, asmuch€10,000. adding thatawell-traineddogwhohasgoodnosecaneasilybeworth towolfbackeveryexuberant doghighlylikely trufflehefinds. withcaninemate Bobby,ayoungermore stickinhand.Tobysprintsahead doubling aswalking ofus,headtotoeincamouflage-green, perio marchespacesahead dogs, peopleandwildboar’,sayslandownerGuidoManfredi aswewalktowardsthewoods. Im- seasonal record is24kg. official seasonruns15September totheendofDecember),pairhashunted 17kg. Their was, butpairhimwithTobyandthere’s stilladefinite springinhisstep. This seasonalone(the on80andnotquite for37years. asnimbleheof SanMiniato, Hemightwellbeknocking (washing withwater issacrilege). ceptively andbrushedcleanwithatoothbrush uglyknobhadbeendugupfresh fromtheearth (think fresh mintwithoutitssmell)asmytastebuds gleefullydiscovered justhoursafter thede- tartufo It’s thesmelloftartufo bianco (white truffle) THE TRUFFLEHUNT €430/790/1035; 04; www.barbiallanuova.it; ViaCasastada49,Montaione; d/q/6personroom€70/132/186,2-/4-/6-personapt nearby, Icanhonestly saywhite truffleisataste noother. like hasshared inthelocal villagetrattoriawith pasta-warmed truffleshavingsourhuntingparty ( p314 ), forimages andafullreview. ofSanGimignano. villageand20kmnorth SeetheAgriturismisouth ofSanMiniato chapter runs at Barbialla with partners GianlucaandMarco.runs atBarbiallawithpartners life astheelegantChianinacattlehebreeds andthe farmer inhis30swhoinherited theorganically ofhisdaily runestate, foodisasmuchapart pasta, pheasantandsteak, or asliceofbread andbutter’. new-generation ForthisFlorence-born, me, eggsare thebest,scrambledorfried,withtruffles ontop.Buttheyare alsovery goodwith always eaten fresh, blacktruffles,never bestmarriedwith plain foodsand,unlike for cooked: colour withagrungy-coloured veined interior theinsideofatree They thatlooks like are trunk. pasta youneedminimum10g. andfourtimesmoreis €1000perkg in London’,saysGuido,addingthatforadecentplate of cionados canorderanadditional10gfor£60.‘White trufflesare very expensive. The pricehere AROUND FLORENCE In seasonBarbiallaNuova despatches500g ofwhite trufflesaweek–wrappedinabsorbent Instantly itgoestoevery nose. Size, shapeandcolourdon’tmatter; itisthe aromathatisso fromwhentheyare very twoyearstotrainadog,starting ‘It takes small’,Guidoinformsme, forgoldordiamonds,somethingprecious. looking ‘Hunting trufflesislike Itexcites people– Imperio hasbeenhuntingwhite trufflesatBarbiallaNuova, a500-hectare estate 20kmsouth Two hourslater, tagliatelle reflecting coated onthehome-made inmelted butter andtopped ‘White trufflesare white notactually atall,butratheracreamy yellow,beigeorreddish of taglierini ps ) standson500hectares ofagriculturallandandislocated about 20km topped with10mouth-meltinggramsofshaved white truffle. Trueafi- that seduces. Orrather,thesmell agriturismi Barbialla Nuova Fattoria (farm-stay accommodation)he vanghino (an L-shaped blade)

( lonelyplanet.com % isthetaste 0571 6770 Fondaccio 6;2-/4-personaptfrom€80/120) garden buildingexplores Etruscanceramics West of Florence andsouthof Pistoialie WEST OFFLORENCE Giulia Casa lonelyplanet.com Collegiata Collegiata artinits view fine Renaissance . aRipa century ChiesadiSantaMaria of town–look forthewornprofile of 12th- the 8thcentury,stoodonwestern edge manesque sleepy From Montelupo theroadwindswestto Empoli &Around ence (€2.30,25minutes). in1888. pital for Ferdinando I,becameapsychiatric hos- Medici villaknownastheAmbrogiana telupo’s contemporary ceramicsschool. and contemporary workbystudentsof Mon- h 89 93;[email protected]; ViaSinibaldi43; del Podestà,where the h lupo.it inItalian;ViaSinibaldi43;adult/concession€3/1.50; e dellaCeramica fills thefirst Archeologico twofloors of the Museo oftown thelastweek June. and aninternational pottery fairrollsinto streets onthethirdSundayof month every (flowers, ceramicsetc)fillstheold-quarter ready toacceptyourmoney:athemedmarket Today ithasnoshortage of shopsandmarkets ceramics production times. since medieval ers, awell-knowncentre hasbeen of Tuscan at theconfluenceof theArnoandPesa Riv- This market town,25kmwestof Florence Montelupo Fiorentino ing loopof sceniccountryside. touralongthisunexpectedlytasting tempt- way), thenfashionyourselfalongandlazy down theFirenze–Pistoia autopista 1396, from wines,first documented in1st-class DOCG from SanMiniato. Here youwillalsofind ofand anextraordinarystash white truffles smalltownsof interestseveral secondary degli Uberti) Across thePesa stream, theimposing Local potsfromprehistoric timesonwards The onlyreal reason tovisitEmpoli isto Frequent trainslinkMontelupo andFlor- 10am-6pm Tue-Sun) 10am-6pm Tue-Sun) Empoli, anindustrialtownwithaRo- . Theoriginaltown,documented in ( ( % diSant’Andrea Collegiata % Carmignano 0571 76284; Piazzata SanGiovanni 3; 0571 664346;www.casa.giulia.it; Via ( AROUNDFLORENCE••WestofFlorence % isalsolocated. Outside,a ,

0571 51352;www.museomonte in 14th-centuryPalazzo . Dashthefrenzied belt tourist office tourist (Piazza Farinata Museo della Museo ( % (high- , built 0571 51 ing Sun) 1; ( three weekends of November. The Market),ato NationalWhite Truffle thelast BiancodiSanMiniato ale delTartufo during SanMiniato’s of tradethan thiscloak-and-dagger truffle European capitals. and fourtimesasmuch inLondonandother for€1000inTuscany fortune after all,selling outare theirdogssniff worthasmall truffles generations.ily secret, between The passed The paths andtrailstheyfolloware afam- toDecember.colour, frommid-September snout outtheprecious fungus,paleochre in the trioof smallvalleysaroundSanMiniato Middle Ages, hunters some400truffle in shopsinseason. London’s River Café villages,rope’s mosttruffle-rich thisiswhere , San Miniato 10km westof Empoli.Oneof Eu- derground woodsaround indanksandy-soil todieforslumberelusivelyWhite un- truffles San MiniatoHills Nov-Feb) 10am-6pmSat&Sun 10am-3pmMon-Fri, 7pm Mar-Oct, office ( north of Vinciatthe was born3km lawyers, then),Leonardo even of Florentine solicitorPiero(couldn’ttrust sighted architect child and artist.Thebastard breathing apparatusetc)designedbythefar- (a mirror-polishing machine, anunderwater 13th century,displaysvariousniftygadgets ing area untilFlorence tookcontrolinthe family thatruledthetownandsurround- h commanding insidethe daVinci.Amuseum in Leonardo north alongthewindingSP13to are regular. Trains to/fromFlorence (€5.20,40minutes) SanGiovanni.onardo daVincitoPiazzata Viale SanMartino alongVia Le- thenright turnleftalongFrom Empolitrainstation, 60 55;www.museoleonardiano.it inItalian;adult/child€5/2; in theborgo of Anchiano. adult/concession €3/2; % % h There isnotimetosavour themystique meander From Empoli,motoristsmight An integral partof localculture sincethe For more information,visitVinci’s 9.30am-6pm or7pm) has alist of dealers and earlymorn- truffle 0571 42 745; www.cittadisanminato.it; Piazza0571 42 delPopolo truffle hunts 0571 56519;admissionfree; 9am-1pm &3-6.30pmMon-Sat, 10am-1pm&3-7.30pm ( % . 0571 568012;ViadellaTorre 11; Castello deiContiGuidi Castello (2hr, 1 to 6 people incl aperitif €200; late (2hr, 1to6people inclaperitif h , named after thefeudal , 9am-noon &4-7pmTue-Sun) Casa NatalediLeonardo Casa Mostra Mercato Nazion- Mostra Mercato h 9.30am-6pm or7pm) (San Mini- tourist office tourist

( Vinci % h tourist tourist 0571 5 10am- …as 171

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FLORENCE FLORENCE FLORENCE 172 terrace overlooking thegreener-than-green €85 daMontópoli;dinclbreakfast.quattrogigli.it; Piazza Michele QuattroGigli Albergo SLEEPING &EATING Fattoria boxed (see text p170). Sep-Dec)

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