Catching the Tuscan spirit
Florence is the capital of Tuscany and is located in the northern centre of Italy. It is visited by millions of people every year who patiently stand in line in front of the main museums and stroll through its streets to see the main attractions of this unique Renaissance city. It is important to know that Florence’s historic centre has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1982; it is relatively small so that it is easy to move around on foot. You will be surrounded by numerous monuments, squares, churches and museums which represent the great culture and history of this amazing city.
Your tour can continue by walking through via dei Calzaiuoli (old name for “cobblers”, one of the Florentines’ traditional old professions) and you will soon reach the magnificent Piazza della Signoria with Palazzo Vecchio, which has been the centre of political life for centuries and the symbol of the Medici domination. The sculptures in the square exactly represent the contradictory political life of the town and among them it is worth mentioning the David (the original is in the Galleria dell’Accademia) by Michelangelo, placed outside the Palazzo Vecchio as a symbol of the Republic’s defiance of the tyrannical Medici.
Crossing the bridge, while admiring the renowned goldsmiths’ shops, you reach the Oltrarno area where you will easily come face to face with Palazzo Pitti. Designed by Filippo Brunelleschi, it has been the primary residence of the Medici family and it today hosts different beautiful museums such as the Palatine Gallery and the Modern Art Gallery. Its Boboli Gardens are definitely worth a visit; in summer you can also enjoy a magnificent opera show performed in this evocative scenario and held every year by Opera Festival (for further information, visit www.festivalopera.it/).
At the same Arno’s riverbank, I strongly recommend a visit to Piazzale Michelangelo, designed by the Florentine architect Giuseppe Poggi, from which you can admire a heartbreaking view of the city. Poggi’s sumptuous terrace with the restaurant is always full of tourists and Florentines who come here to enjoy the view; in some summer nights it is not uncommon to catch an improvised milonga performed by tango dancers who gather to dance in public places. Piazzale Michelangelo can be reached by taking either bus 12 or 13 from the centre or the red two-level sightseeing tour bus. You can also go there just walking from Piazza Poggi up to the hill. I also highly recommend you to visit the beautiful basilica of San Miniato al Monte, standing at the top of a flight of steps where you can enjoy an impressive view of the whole town, from the Duomo and Palazzo Vecchio, to the old parts of the medieval walls that once surrounded Florence. It is considered one of the finest examples of Romanesque architecture in Tuscany and one of the most beautiful churches in Italy. The façade is decorated with green and white marble in geometric patterns similar to those of other churches in Florence, such as Santa Croce or Santa Maria Novella; a magnetic mosaic of Christ between the Virgin and St Minias adorns the apse.
Another stop on our Renaissance tour around Florence should be the San Lorenzo Church, a short-walk distance from Santa Maria Novella, with its rough-hewn façade, whose design was commissioned to Michelangelo but remained unbuilt.
From Piazza San Lorenzo to via dell’Ariento, all around the Basilica di San Lorenzo, you can find what may be the most important market of the city; you can walk around looking for clothes, articles in leather, souvenirs, etc. (it is closed on Sundays and Mondays). In the same area, in via dell’Ariento, stands another interesting market (Mercato Centrale) which is held in an iron glass-windowed building. At the fist floor you can buy cheese, fish, meat and typical products, while at the second floor you’ll find a vast choice of fruit, vegetables, plants and flowers (it opens every morning from 7am to 2pm, Saturday from 7am to 5pm, closed on Sunday and public holidays).
Ristorante la Giostra, at 12 Borgo Pinti, is easy to pass by without be seen; the restaurant is a short walk from the Duomo, but has no outside sign. Even though it’s a quite exclusive place, La Giostra has a convivial, even boisterous atmosphere. The food and the wine are great, authentic and classic, but at the same time creative and innovative. The word “Giostra” means “carousel” in Italian and, believe me, if you dine there, you’ll certainly enjoy the ride!
Ristorante Enoteca Pinchiorri,at 87 via Ghibellina, won the Restaurant Magazine's Editor's Choice for Best Restaurant in the World in 2005 and was also ranked in the top 50 best restaurants, overall. This Michelin 3-star restaurant is very renown among the luxury travel set and unique for its extraordinary French-Italian fusion menu that perfectly balances tradition to cooking experimentation. We therefore suggest to book a reservation in advance.
Il Teatro del Sale – Ristorante Cibreo will be a great experience of having a delicious dinner and enjoying a show in an old Florentine theatre. For both value for money and fine entertainment, this old Florentine theatre steals the show. Join the club (annual membership €5) and make yourself at home in a leather armchair between bookshelves in the cosy wood-panelled library or in a director’s chair around fold-up tables in the airy theatre space. Wait for the chef to yell out what’s cooking through the glass hatch – a buffet of antipasti, starters, mains, dessert and coffee. Lunch is a laid back affair while dinner is followed by an evening of drama, music or comedy (advance reservations are required) arranged by artistic director Maria Cassi, a famous Florentine actress.
As a starter, I may recommend you to taste the crostini di fegato (chicken liver crostini), lightly toasted slices of bread spread with liver paste, which is made from chicken livers, capers, anchovy fillets, chopped sage leaves and butter. For olive oil-lovers there is nothing more fulfilling than a fettunta (toasted slice of bread with fresh olive oil), the best way to taste the “olio novo”, as Tuscan people name the new oil produced in November, which has the characteristic pungent flavor. As a first course you can taste the famous pappa al pomodoro, a delicious and very simple bread and tomato soup, or maybe the ribollita (literally translated as “reboiled”), a dish that more than anyone else represents the spirit of the Florentine cuisine; it is a classic cabbage-and-bean soup that gains body and substance from a healthy infusion of day-old Tuscan bread.
Finally, the bistecca, whose English translation as beef steak, which means a fillet without a bone, is not exact. A bistecca is, instead, a T-bone steak, a large entrecote which must not be well cooked; the inside must be tender and succulent, while the outside must be crisp and have a well-grilled appearance. To perfectly end this autumnal meal, what could be better than a schiacciata con l’uva, a delicious sweet grape bread, accompanied by a typical Vinsanto?
