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[…]
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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[…]
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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[…]
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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,[…]
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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[…]
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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[…]
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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[…]
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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[…]
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SECRET PASSAGES
SECRET PASSAGES There are several locations in Florence which are not normally open to the public but which can be visited making special arrangements. One of these is in Palazzo Vecchio, which is still the[…]
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THE TOWERS AND TOWER-HOUSES
THE TOWERS AND TOWER-HOUSES In the XII and XIII centuries, on account of the restricted space inside of the city walls, people began adding on to their houses by making them taller, and in this[…]
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MEDICI FLORENCE
MEDICI FLORENCE The Medicis originally came from the Mungello Valley north of Florence. At first the family resided in the area of the Old Market, in what is now Piazza della Repubica. After the rapid[…]
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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[…]
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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[…]
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FESTA DELLA MAMMA
The first Italian’s Mother’s Day was celebrated in 1957, 50 years after the tradition began in the United States. However, Italians say that it was a parish priest in the hillside town of Assisi, in[…]
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FLORENCE REOPENING
Italy has been on lockdown for over a month and although many are tired of having to stay inside their homes, there is widespread awareness this is the best solution to avoid the spread of[…]
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LABOR DAY – 1 MAY
May in Italy begins with a public holiday based on an important anniversary: the Festa dei Lavoratori. Celebrated in more than eighty countries, in Italy, as in the rest of the world, International Workers’ Day is an important day created[…]
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ITALY’S LIBERATION DAY
Every year 25th April is celebrated as the Liberation Day in Italy. In Italian Giorno della Liberazione or Festa della Resistenza celebrates the end of the Nazi occupation during World War II and the end of the Italian Civil[…]
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EASTER HOLIDAYS
Easter Traditions and Celebrations in Italy In 2020, Easter Sunday is on April 12 Easter in Italy is not a short celebration but rather, celebrated over five days starting the Thursday before Easter Sunday and finishing the[…]
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HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY!
International Women’s Day is a time to reflect on progress made, to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women, who have played an extraordinary role in the history[…]
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CASA BUONARROTI
A museum and a monument, a place of memory and of celebration of the genius Michelangelo. The Casa Buonarroti offers one one of the most unique visitor experiences among the many museums of Florence. […]
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