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[…]
Autore: omalberti
MEDICI VILLAS
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 OUT
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[…]
HAPPY EASTER 2021 FROM FLORENCE!
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[…]
BAPTISTERY
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[…]
NEW YEAR… IN MARCH
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,[…]
DANTEDì – NATIONAL DAY OF DANTE ALIGHIERI
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[…]
SPRING IN FLORENCE
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[…]
PALLOTTOLE SQUARE
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[…]
SANTISSIMA ANNUNZIATA CHURCH
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[…]
WHAT TO BUY AND WHERE
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 DOME
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[…]
SANTA TRINITA DISTRICT
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[…]
A DAY IN FLORENCE
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[…]
CATHEDRAL OF SANTA MARIA DEL FIORE (THE DUOMO)
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[…]
Palazzo Pitti
Palazzo Pitti It is the most imposing of the city palaces, and dates from 1457 on a probable design by Brunelleschi; in the 16th century the Medici commissioned Ammannati to enlarge it. The facade, 205[…]
CHURCH OF SANTA CROCE
CHURCH OF SANTA CROCE The church is one of city’s largest and has a neo-Gothic facade added in the 19th century heavily decorated. The building, attributed to Arnolfo di Cambio, has a majestic interior with[…]
PITTI IMMAGINE BIMBO 2020
Pitti Immagine Bimbo Pitti Immagine Bimbo is the fair focused on children’s fashion. This also takes place every six months. Creative outfits, special events, new brands and international collaborations. This is Pitti Bimbo, celebrating its[…]
PITTI UOMO 2020: Fashion event in Florence
Pitti Uomo 2020 Pitti Uomo “heats” Florence 7 to 10 January 2020, with 1200 exhibitors, fashion shows, parties, cocktail parties, and a whirlwind of events to present the news of the next autumn-winter, in the[…]
CHRISTMAS IN FLORENCE: six things to do on the holidays
Christmas in Florence 1) Lighting the Christmas tree A date loved by adults and children. On December 8th, the day of the Immaculate Conception, the big tree will be lit in piazza del Duomo. An[…]