The bronze equestrian monument to Ferdinando I of Medici, brother of Francesco, and likewise Grand-Duke of Tuscany, which rises up in the centre of Piazza Santissima Annunziata, was started by Giambologna and later finished by[…]
If you have a few days to spend in Tuscany and these days coinside wit the first Sunday of the month and every preceding Saturday, we suggest you to visit Antques Fair in Arezzo! Arezzo[…]
Labor Day is celebrated on May 1st – not only in Italy but also in many other countries. It is a day that has a great significance and roots far back in the past. May[…]
This neighborhood begins at the Santa Maria Novella train station. From the station you can arrive at Piazza (square) of Santa Maria Novella taking Via degli Avelli. Santa Maria Novella is a large church at[…]
April 25th is a national holiday in Italy that commemorates the end of the fascist regime and of the occupation by Nazi Germany during World War II and the victory of the the Resistance in Italy. It is a fundamental day in the history of Italy and[…]
The year 1401 was a watershed date. In the winter of that year the wool importers’ guild announced a competition to select a designer for the remaining doors, with the result that some of the[…]
The Medici Villas are a series of rural building complexes near Florence which were owned by members of the Medici family between the XV and the XVII centuries. The villas served several functions. They were[…]
Eating is definitely one of life’s pleasures in Florence, as it is all over Italy. The food is fresh, seasonal and, above all, local. You’ll eat the best of Tuscan produce cooked to Tuscan[…]
We’re waiting for the Easter coming on April, 4th this year and, meanwhile, would like to tell you about an interesting Easter tradition in Florence: Scpoppio del Carro Scoppio del Carro, or the explosion[…]
After visiting the Duomo, the next port of call is the battistero (baptistery). In exile, Dante fondly referred to this building as his “bel San Giovanni” and described it as “ancient” – a word[…]
Till 1750 in Florence we were celebrating New Year on day March, 25th and not January, 1st. Nowadays we call it traditional Florentine New Year (Capodanno Fiorentino). It coincided with feast of the Annunciation,[…]
Starting from 2020, in Italy we have a new national commemorable day, March 25th – Dantedì. Which means in Italian “Day of Dante”. Dante Alighieri, a revered poet whose Divine Comedy is widely regarded as the[…]
In Italy we celebrate the start of spring together with the vernal equinox, so around the middle of March. In 2021 it occurs on March, 20. So, this event marks also the first day of[…]
Strolling central streets of Florence, you can find a small square close to the Cathedral, named Pallottole square – Piazza delle Pallottole. In fourteenth-century Florence the term “pallottole” (bullets) obviously did not have its[…]
Founded in 1250, Santissima Annunziata (The Most Holy Annunciation) is located in the homonymous and very harmonious square. This church is still a living one and has not become a tourist haunt. It is[…]
Florence is probably the best city in Tuscany for shopping. The Florentines have been producing exquisite goods for centuries, from gilded furniture and gorgeous leather goods to silver jewellery and marbled paper. Despite tourism,[…]
Brunelleschi’s aesthetic achievement is known to the whole world through countless travel posters. The dome has come to symbolise the city of Florence, an instantly recognisable landmark, rising above a sea of red terracotta[…]
The Palazzo Masetti overlooks the Ponte Santa Trinità bridge, the most graceful of all Arno bridges. Some of the original masonry was recovered from the river after 1944, and the quarries of the Boboli[…]
What to see and what to do in Florence if you have just one day! Morning: Make an early start and head to the Duomo to gaze on its mightyproportions; alongside are the superb[…]
In front of the Baptistery is the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore built by Arnolfo di Cambio in 1296 to replace the old Santa Reparata Cathedral. The archaeological remains of this cathedral are[…]
