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The Ferrari Guide: Florence, capital of the Renaissance, is a vibrant city, which more than any other place will surpass your expectations. Explore the extraordinary museums, the churches and palaces, the streets full of workshops, antiques shops and art galleries, the restaurants with their unique cuisine and the exclusive shopping that is hard-to-resist, just like the magic hills surrounding this special city

Words Laura Antonini Photography Gabriela Noris

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HISTORIC stay CENTRE In 2008 the prestigious Four Seasons within walking distance of the main monuments Via dei Banchi (fourseasons.com) arrived in the city, opening up a of the city and the nearby streets of antique shops. Concentrated into a small area, the historic centre luxurious complex in the Palazzo della The only luxury five-star hotel on the banks of of Florence now boasts a large pedestrianised Florence Catheral Gherardesca, which for five centuries was the the Arno, the Florence St Regis (stregis.com/ area (introduced in 2011) that also encompasses Via delle Belle Donne home of Florentine nobility, overlooking the florence), reopened just under a year ago. Piazza del Duomo. largest private garden in Florence. Frequented by princes and other members of the This can feed many different passions: a love of The restaurant has been remodelled to enhance Saudi royal family, it has a ballroom with a history and art, of flavours and traditional cooking, and the venue. Here the slow food chef Vito Mollica spectacular ceiling that’s nine metres high, a spa San

of handicrafts; areas of interest that can be interchanged Pancrazio (one Michelin star) prepares each dish according and a suite designed by Bottega Veneta. é Tomabuoni é to make even a stay of only a few days continuously fresh d Via to the seasonality of the produce. Almost impossible to find because of its

Via dé Pescioni

Via dé Vecchietti and interesting. In good weather the centre is assailed by Via dei Calzaioli From the large to the small: just around the entrance hidden among the buildings, and look- groups of tourists, but there’s no shortage of alternative Via Roma corner from Florence’s central station, in the ing out onto Brunelleschi’s dome and the Piazza itineraries to get away from them. With a little organisa- Via degli Strozzi Via degli Speziali beautiful Piazza , you’ll find del Duomo, there’s the charming Granduomo

tion and forward planning of one’s activities (it’s always Calzaioli dei Via the recently renovated Jk Place Florence apartment complex (granduomo.com), which Via della Vigna Huova advisable to book museum visits ahead of time), the Casa di (jkplace.com), a boutique hotel with only 20 offers luxury rooms and apartments with a Via degli Anselmi Dante more exclusive visitors can carve out for themselves a rooms, each one different from the other, that is doorman and bespoke services. quality stay, and leave the crowds behind. Those who like shopping can choose between designer labels and streets famous for their craftsmen’s shops. Via Porta Rossa Via Della Condotta These are workshops where today, as in the 16th Via Porta Rossa century, expert hands can still braid leather, mould precious materials, like gold and silver, into original jewellery, create paintings and sew natural textiles, see and do such as silk, linen and Casentino’s boiled wools. Via dé Tomabuoni Get a taste for art in museums, including the Galleria degli (uffizi.firenze.it) with shop masterpieces from Giotto to Michelangelo, You’re really spoilt for choice when it comes to Leonardo to Raffaello, Botticelli to Tiziano, palaces, shopping in the historical centre. Following the like the (palazzostrozzi.org) or streets leading out of Via Tornabuoni and its churches, from Santa Maria del Fiore various offshoots and side roads (from Via Strozzi (duomofirenze.it) to Santa Maria Novella to Via de’ Rondinelli), trendsetters have on (Piazza Santa Maria Novella). hand the best of high-fashion boutiques. Alternatively, embark on a tour of the local Ferragamo (ferragamo.com) has its head office fashion museums. Among them, The Salvatore in Palazzo Spini Feroni in Via Tornabuoni This page – left, inside the Ferragamo Museum (museoferragamo.it) itself and a shop that stocks the Ferragamo’s Uffizi Gallery; above, the Sala displays more than 13,000 models of shoes created Creations shoe line, featuring some of the brand’s Vendita at the Santa Maria over the 80 years of the brand’s history. The new Novella pharmacy; below, the historic models. Gucci and Pucci, to name but a 458 Spider parked in Via Gucci Museum (gucci.com) is set in the historic few labels born in Florence are also in this area. Tornabuoni, one of the city’s Palazzo della Mercatanzia, overlooking Piazza For men there is the luxurious tailoring collec- famous shopping streets. della Signoria, and gathers the best of the brand’s Opposite page – the 458 tion at Stefano Ricci (stefanoricci.it), which is a Spider in front of the Chiesa di production, along with a bookshop café and shop worth visiting just for its spectacular boutique Santa Maria del Fiore that sells a line designed ad hoc by Frida Giannini, fitted out inside Palazzo Tornabuoni: a 900 sq m of the present creative director of the fashion house. travertine, crocodile and walnut. Part of the Florentine fashion rectangle is the eat and drink multi-brand Eredi Chiarini shop, which sells an original line of ties and John Malkovich’s Florentines meet for aperitifs at the FUSION BAR Technobohemian line, while in via Tornabuoni (Vicolo dell’Oro 3). Sitting in a space that is also an you must visit Loretta Caponi (lorettacaponi. art gallery, you can sip cocktails created by the com), whose workshop created the layette for barman-DJ Karim. Madonna’s son Rocco and the sheets for the For a cheap chic lunch, there’s RISTORANTE wedding of Charles and Diana embroidered with BORGO SAN JACOPO (Borgo San Iacopo 62/R), the royal coat of arms. looking out over the Arno, and for three-star To personalise your table dressing, visit dining, try Ristorante Enoteca Pinchiorri. Richard Ginori 1735 (richardginori1735.com) Its owners Giorgio Pinchiorri and Annie Féolde the 100-year-old white gold works, which is still have also opened Etichetta Pinchiorri in production in the Sesto Fiorentino area and (enotecapinchiorri.com) in the conservatory of for which Giò Ponti was one of the creative the St Regis hotel on Piazza Ognissanti. Etichetta directors. For Florentines it’s the place to go to offers an impressive wine list and gastronomic create your wedding list: inside there’s an unbe- creations by Italo Bassi and Riccardo Monco. lievable range of products. There’s the terrace with a 360-degree view of the To make sure you don’t get lost in the boundless city’s major monuments at SESTO on Arno variety of workshops, the Osservatorio (sestoonarno.com), where chef Entiana Osmen- dei Mestieri d’Arte (info@osservatorio zeza prepares Mediterranean traditional dishes. mestieridarte.it) has created a new professional Grab a sandwich at ’Ino (ino-firenze.com), near figure, the Quality Handicraft Assistant (QHA), a the Galleria degli Uffizi, where Alessandro Frassica personal shopper more than a traditional tourist offers specials with five-star ingredients. Above – the Ferrari guide, who can help visitors to discover the best of Follow the Florentines to Procacci 458 Spider parked in the city’s main the many art shops located in the city. The Ferrari (procacci1885.it) to drink a glass of wine and shopping district Store is located at via degli Strozzi 4r. nibble on tiny truffled sandwiches.

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This page – Piazza SANT’AMBROGIO della Signoria, This page – Along with Oltrarno, this is one of the few central hen’s eggs, bread with natural rising agents, and fruit. Dummy Stewart and the Uffizi districts where you can breathe in that authentic There’s no problem if you haven’t espoused the Officer of the Gallery. Opposite page – above, a Florentine atmosphere you find in the prose of writers vegetarian philosophy, as you can find excellent Order of the British Empire, market stall on like Vasco Pratolini. butchers in the covered part of the market and, if you wearing his Piazza dei Ciompi; In the day it’s an exhilarating experience to go to the want a snack between meals, you can have a made-to- Officer of the below, classic Tuscan flavours at open-air food market. Every morning the growers arrive order sandwich from one of the traditional tripe stands. Order of the British Empire, Il Cibrèo from the countryside ready to show off the best seasonal In the evening the district is still lively and always wearing his produce from their land. Vegetables, but also goose and busy thanks to the many bars in the area. Officer of the Order of the British Empire, wearing his

see and do

The life of the district revolves around the open-air markets. As well as the food market in Piazza dei Ciompi (home of the famous goldsmith and architect Lorenzo Ghiberti), you can visit the flea market in the pedestrian zone every day. Browse among the stalls behind the atmospheric (designed by Vasari) and buy antiques and Florentine handicrafts, as well as modern and designer pieces, all at very agreeable prices. Not far from the piazza is the synagogue and Jewish Museum (moked.it/firenzebraica). eat and drink Those looking to experience the true flavours of Tuscan cuisine should head to Cibrèo (cibreo.it), just round the corner from Piazza di Sant’Ambrogio, where chef Fabio Picchi has created an original vino-gastro centre. Named after Catherine de’ Medici’s favourite dish (based on egg, meat stock, onions, sage, chicken livers, cocks’ combs, wattles and hearts), it offers a café, a restaurant and a trat- toria, where, depending on the time of day, you can sit and eat a typical local dish. For members only, there’s the Salt Theatre (teatrodelsale.it). Its entrance looks like a shop, which sells anchovies, tomatoes in jars, cheeses and good quality tuna, but it opens up into a theatre, complete with small stage. At lunchtime you can sit and read the newspapers, while in the evening members can enjoy a buffet dinner created by Picchi’s Cibrèo restaurant before the curtains go up and the show begins. Those with a sweet tooth will find it pretty much impossible to resist the offerings from chocolate maker and pastry chef Andrea Bianchini who, in shop his hugely popular workshop La Bottega del Elephants, stripes and flowers on cushions, Berlin and Brooklyn. It’s much loved by the many Cioccolato (andreabianchini.net), creates by bedspreads and tablecloths are the clear signature young people who come to Sant’Ambrogio to hand pralines and original chocolates, including of Lisa Corti’s products (lisacorti.com). She has study at the Faculty of Architecture, too. ones with saffron, olive oil and vanilla, and the also designed an original line of jackets with The Mazzanti brothers’ paint shop (double marshmallow chocolates. Mandarin collars for women and children. doors in Borgo la Croce, 65 Piazza Sant’Ambrogio) Lovers of kosher cooking should make a quick The artistic literary spirit of the district is high- is also worth a visit. It’s a shop that sells everything beeline for the Jewish restaurant Ruth’s lighted by Société Anonyme (societeanonyme. for the home, from nails to saucepans in all sizes (kosheruth.com), where Mr Tomàs guides his it), an independent shop with a northern and materials, including aluminium, steel and customers through cheese bourekas, vegetarian European concept, inspired by the underground earthenware, ideal for cooking the famous bread couscous, falafel and cheesecake. vibe of the most happening districts of London, soups that characterise Tuscan cuisine.

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Hills stay Florence’s charms can also be experienced in the before descending towards Porta Romana. Anyone staying in the Florentine hills will have an hills surrounding the city. As Florence sits in a hollow, To the north you can travel up above the Rifredi and array of unique locations available. Most are just like an amphitheatre, you can experience the Tuscan Careggi quarters to Cercina to enjoy some fresh summer located in panoramic spots, offering the dual countryside by simply taking a car or bus trip along the air, or stop at Fiesole and Settignano (to the north east) advantage of overlooking the city, while still Viali dei Colli, which rises to the beautiful church of San to stay in five-star apartment complexes, or simply sit remaining close to the centre. Miniato al Monte to Arcetri and Poggio Imperiale, and watch romantic sunsets over the city. Renaissance villas have become five-star hotels, with Italian-style gardens and swimming pools. Opened in 2009, the Salviatino (salviatino.com) is nestled amid the greenery on the slopes of Fie- sole and boasts the Vranjes spa. The Hotel Villa San Michele (villasanmichele.com) at Fiesole has, on the other hand, long been regarded as one of the most romantic spots in the world. What makes it unique is the enviable position overlooking Florence and the actual building, which is a former monastery with a 15th-century façade attributed to Michelangelo. shop On the opposite bank of the city’s hills there is On the slopes of Viale dei Colli, new design shop, the Hotel Villa Cora (villacora.it), another hot 4nero (4nero.it), opened in the premises of an spot recently returned to its former splendour old factory two years ago. The shop sells after a renovation. Created from a 19th-century objects created by Florentine craftsmen and made- residence set among groves of plane trees and to-measure products. gardens on the Viale dei Colli, it’s also known as la Among the fine textiles and designer jewellery grande dama of the hills south of Florence. found at 4Nero you can also find jugs and glasses in acrylic, melamine and polycarbonate designed These pages – clockwise from eat and drink by Mario Luca Giusti (mariolucagiusti.com), a above; the Florentine skyline; truly versatile entrepreneur from Florence, who looking out across the Arno Ristorante La Loggia (ristorantelaloggia.it) has adorned the tables of Philippe Starck and and the historic centre; the Salvatino hotel in Fiesole; was built in 1865 by the engineer Giuseppe Poggi Steven Spielberg with his pop creations, which the 458 Spider on Piazzale to be a museum for the work of Michelangelo, but draw inspiration from Renaissance shapes. Michelangelo; the city became a café restaurant in 1876. provides a dramatic backdrop La Loggia offers a natural terrace ovelooking Florence (there’s an incredible panorama of the entire city to enjoy while you eat) where you can eat traditional dishes, from ribollita to pappa al pomodoro, and, with prior booking, taste alternative versions. You can find the tenderest Florentine steak cooked on the chef’s lava stone and artisan ice creams flavoured with parmesan and Chianti. It’s also an opportunity to brush up on the history of the Risorgimento by browsing at its small and well-stocked library. In summer, the right place to taste one of ’s typical dishes, fritto misto, is also on the Cercina hill. The Trattoria Piccolo Trianon (Via Dante da Castiglione 20, Sesto Fiorentino) succeeds in bringing it to your table crisp and dry, not at all greasy, and full of flavour. A feat made possible thanks to the considerable skills of the see and do person running this typical, home-style kitchen. Those who enjoy a stroll can walk along the whole of the hill road by setting off from Piazza Ferrucci and climbing up to Piazza Michelangelo, with Florence laid out in front of you (an ideal spot for souvenir photographs). Pay a visit to the basilica of (san-miniato-al-monte.com), one of the best Tuscan examples of Romanesque style, and other places of historical interest, including the basilica of San Salvatore al Monte or the small church of San Leonardo in Arcetri. Going back down towards the San Niccolò quarter, visit Villa Bardini and its spectacular park with its temporary exhibitions, and the museum of the Roberto Capucci Foundation, (fondazionerobertocapucci.com/museo) a well- known designer famous for his sculptural dresses. On the Fiesole hills, visit the Roman amphitheatre in the Settignano area, and catch a breath and relax in a typical enoteca wine shop.

000 >> city guide city guide OLTRARNO In Paris it’s called the Rive Gauche, in , Trastevere, and in Florence? What is marked on the street maps as Oltrarno is known by Florentines as Diladdarno (beyond the Arno). In this web of little streets and narrow alleys between the Arno and the hills south of the city, the true heart of Florence’s artisans and small trattorias still beats. A magical place for those who like to meander in search of handmade products and appetising titbits. Don’t miss the , home to the Galleria Palatina, with paintings by Raffaello and Tiziano, and the Museo d’Arte Moderno, with its Macchiaioli works, or the spectacular . The Specola is truly unique, Europe’s oldest scientific museum in Europe, with a collection of 18th-century anatomic models. shop A guide book just wouldn’t be enough to highlight all the excellent shops in this area of the city. The most curious visitors should, with their map in hand, walk every street to get a picture of the range of products on offer. There are shoes made to measure by the Stefano Bemer (stefanobemer.it) and luxurious textiles of the Old Florentine Silk Factory (Via L Bartolini 4) in the historic quarter of San Frediano. You can admire incredible pieces of eat and drink machinery, such as one from the 1700s, built from Among the quarters of San Niccolò, Santo Spirito a design by Leonardo da Vinci, and buy textiles like and San Frediano, there are still small traditional Ermisino (a special Renaissance-style taffeta in pure eating places where you can try typical food. silk with an iridescent effect), Florentine twill or The wine shop Fuori Porta (fuoriporta.it) floss silk, (typical Tuscan cloth of silk and linen or beneath the city walls sells a typical crostone (a slice pure silk, used in country houses). of bread flavoured to your order and served hot For those who like alternative jewellery, in the and crisp) accompanied by a glass of good red heart of the Santo Spirito quarter, artisan Angela wine. You can even eat outside in summer. Caputi (angelacaputi.com) offers pieces created Zeb delicatessen (zebgastronomia.com) This page – from top, a in synthetic materials and all in original shapes. reinvents the old food shop with a modern twist. contemporary work of art by Meanwhile, dandies can order glass or crystal Here you can sample wines and artisan beers, but Mario Ceroli at the ; towards Palazzo Strozzi; pearl cuff-links from the Aprosio workshop also eat homemade pasta, cheese and cold meats the 458 Spider in front of the (aprosio.it), housed inside the Palazzo Frescobaldi. from the area. Among the hot spots, which you . Opposite page – Finally, not to be missed in Oltrarno is should always book, there’s Lungarno 23, above, shopping in Oltrano; below left, lunchtime in Santo Spirito; the Riccardo Barthel’s establishment (lungarno23.it). The signature dish of this venue, below right; the Ponte Vecchio, (riccardobarthel.it), which offers original handles which lets you eat off paper mats with a view of the famous for its jewellery shops and knobs, mirrors, and textiles, plus advice on Uffizi, is a hamburger made of Tuscan Chianina your own personal home décor. steak. Or try a tasty selection of cold meats.

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