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Florence

GETTING THERE

AIRPORT

Amerigo Vespucci Airport (FLR) connects with all major Italian airports and 13 European destinations: Amsterdam, Barcelona, Brussels, Bucharest, Frankfurt, Geneva, London Gatwick, Madrid, Monaco, Paris, Timisoara, Tirana and Vienna.
Amerigo Vespucci Airport
Via del Termine, 1 Peretola Florence

Telephone and fax +39  055 315874
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LOW COST FLIGHT
www.meridiana.com
www.flybaboo.com
www.swissair.com
www.airfrance.com

MOTORWAYS

Italy has a good network of motorways. The Autostrada del Sole (A1) is the central road artery, connecting North to South Italy, and crossing Florence: it represents the main link to Rome (274 Km) and Naples (472 Km) in the South, and Bologna (110 Km), Venice and Milan (305 Km) on the North.  Speed limits on motorways are 130kph for cars.

BY RAIL

The Italian state railway, Ferrovie dello Stato (tel: 89 20 21 or 06 6847 5475; www.trenitalia.com), operates from the central rail station, Santa Maria Novella, and allows people to easily reach the most important Italian towns.

CAR RENTAL

www.alamo.com (+39 055 294578)
www.avis.com (+39 055 3437034)
www.drivingguidetours.com (+39 055 632930)
www.europcar.com (+39 055 290438)
www.hertz.com (+39 055 4362560)
www.nationalcar.com (+39 055 4362560)
www.tuscansunshinetours.it (+39 380 3641218)

ATTRACTIONS

Ponte Vecchio
It is the oldest bridge in Florence, dating back to the 11th century. Its charming banks are still full of goldsmiths’, silversmiths’ and jewelers’ laboratories whose art has been passed down from generation to generation.

Piazza della Signoria
It is a really magnificent square and an open-air exhibition of artistic and architectural masterpieces. Palazzo Vecchio, the Fountain of Neptun and the copy of Michelangelo's David are all concentrated in the same small area.

Palazzo Pitti
The Pitti Palace  contains other important museums: the Gallery of Modern Art, the Silver Museum and the Costume Gallery.
Address: Piazza Pitti

CHURCHES

Duomo - Santa Maria del Fiore
The Gothic cathedral of Santa Maria del Duomo, best known as the Duomo, was completed by the famous architect Brunelleschi in 1436, after more than 150 years of work. The interior, particularly the dome, have beautiful paintings by Vasari and Zuccari. The bell tower was designed by Giotto. The Baptistery of San Giovanni is situated opposite the cathedral and represents an example of Florentine Romanesque style.
Address: Piazza del Duomo

Santa Croce
This Florentine Gothic style church was built in the 12th century and the interiors have masterpieces like paintings by Giotto and Cimabue and the Cappella dei Pazzi, work of Brunelleschi.
Address: Piazza Santa Croce.

Santa Maria Novella
This Gothic-Romanesque church was built in the early 13th century, with green and white marble.It contains important works of famous painters, including Giotto, Masaccio and Brunelleschi.
Address: Piazza Santa Maria Novella

San Lorenzo
The Basilica of San Lorenzo  was completed by Brunelleschi and Michelangelo; the façade is not finished. The two pulpits inside are a work of Donatello.
Address: Piazza San Lorenzo

MUSEUMS

Uffizi Gallery
The Uffizi Gallery is one of the most popular and largest museums in the world. It was built on a project of the famous architect Vasari and houses a lot of beautiful paintings by Tiziano, Cimabue, Masaccio, Giotto, Tintoretto, Leonardo, Botticelli, Michelangelo, Piero della Francesca, Raffaello, Caravaggio, Rubens, Rembrandt, Goya and Durer.
Address: Loggiato degli Uffizi

Galleria Dell'Accademia
This Gallery dates back to 1784 and represents one of the most important museums in Florence. It contains some masterpieces by Michelangelo, including the famous David.
Address: Via Ricasoli, 58-60

Bargello Museum
The National Museum contains several masterpieces, like the David by Donatello, Mercury by Gianbologna, and the Brutus by Michelangelo.
The museum is housed in an ancient beautiful building built in the 13th century.
Address: Via del Proconsolo, 4

Archeological Museum
This museum contains a lot of objects belonging to the Etruscan period: terracotta ornaments and sculptures in marble and bronze, including the Chimera di Arezzo and l'Arringatore. It has also an Egyptian section to be seen.
Address: Via della Colonna, 38.

SHOPPING

The area around Santa Croce represents an important shopping point for skin and leather, bags, belts, shoes and boots. Florence has an ancient tradition of craftsmanship, from the sculpting workshops to the skin and leather shops, from the blacksmiths to the master goldsmiths.
Designer boutiques are in the area around Via de' Tornabuoni and Via Calzaiuoli, where Versace, Ferragamo, Gucci, Max Mara and Prada all have stores.
Do not miss the open-air San Lorenzo Market, located inside the splendid liberty-style building in Piazza San Lorenzo, northwest of the Duomo, which takes place every day, except for Mondays in winter.

NIGHTLIFE

To find out where to go at night, buy Firenze Spettacolo (www.firenzespettacolo.it) - the city's definitive entertainment publication. Information for clubs and live music events can be found at www.vivifirenze.it
Verdi Theatre
This is one of two chief venues for drama in Florence.
Address: Via Ghibellina, 99
www.teatroverdifirenze.it

Puccini Theatre
It performs a variety of things, from opera to contemporary plays.
Address: Via delle Cascine
www.teatropuccini.it

Florence has a plenty of bars, including Le Volpi e l'Uve (www.levolpieluve.com), Noir, Negroni (www.negronibar.it), La Dolce Vita (www.dolcevitaflorence.com).
Among the most popular Clubs we remember: Casa del Vino (www.casadelvino.it), Central Park, Tenax (www.tenax.it), Tabasco Disco Gay (www.tobascogay.it).

RESTAURANTS

Tuscan food is simple and abundant with local produce, mellow cheeses and grilled meats. Tuscans are also known for their appreciation of beans as seen in the staple of the Tuscan table: white beans cooked with sage and olive oil. Beef Steak Florentine, many versions of roasted or wine-braised game such as boar, deer and rabbit and thick and hearty soups cover the table of a typical Tuscan meal. Plus this is the home of Chianti wine.
Simple food, such as cannellini beans and other vaguely repulsive ingredients such as tripe and livers are transformed into pleasant, tasty dishes, served on both stalls and in local inns and also in luxury restaurants. Other typical Tuscan dishes are: "fagioli all'uccelletto" (beans), boiled and then fried in oil and tomato sauce; "trippa alla fiorentina", (tripe) covered in tomato and grated parmesan cheese; "lampredotto", the darkest part of tripe, used for soups and risottos, but also liked by many locals as a filling for a sandwich; crostini toscani with liver paté. And the unforgettable "fiorentina" a cut of meat from the Chianina cow.

Cantinetta Antinori
Owned by Tuscany's most famous winemakers, and housed in the family's elegant palazzo near Santa Maria Novella, this elegant restaurant pitches Tuscan wines and great Chiantis from the extensive Antinori estates. Delicious food flavours predominate on the menu and accompany diners in their vinous deliberations, with dishes such as involtini (rolls) of glazed veal and artichokes cooked in white wine with spring onions.
Palazzo Antinori, Piazza Antinori 3, Florence, Italy
Telephone: (055) 23 595
http://www.antinori.it

Enoteca Pinchiorri
Perfect linen and crystal glassware top the tables at Florence's most famous restaurant, which boasts three Michelin stars. Located in the very heart of the historic city, it is frequented by finely dressed diners and offers hate cuisine by French chef Annie Feolde matched with owner Giorgio Pinchiorri's collection of magnificent wines.
Via Ghibellina 87, Florence, Italy
Telephone: (055) 242 777
http://www.enotecapinchiorri.it

Ristorante Rossini
Situated on the ground floor of an ancient beautiful building, this restaurant near the Ponte Vecchio offers creative Tuscan and Italian dishes made with fresh seasonal ingredients. The set tasting menu includes dishes such as trippetta di seppie su salsa di cavolo nero, piadina di ceci al pepe di sarawack (cuttlefish tripe on black cabbage sauce, chick peas flat bread and sarawack pepper) and Tonno al sesamo con trilogia di verdurine in agrodolce (sesame tuna with bittersweet vegetables trilogy(red onion, fennel and aubergines). Desserts are equally imaginative.
Lungarno Corsini 4, Florence, Italy
Telephone: (055) 239 9224
http://www.ristoranterossini.it

Osteria Caffé Italiano
This Santa Croce trattoria is very trendy at the moment, drawing Hollywood stars and ambassadors with its old-world rustic charm. Osteria Caffè Italiano serves simple Tuscan cuisine extremely well. Dark wooden cabinets groan with salamis and bottles of wine in the front room, while waiters bustle about under the chandeliers in the large, vaulted dining room behind.
Via Isola delle Stinche 11/13r, Florence, Italy
Telephone: (055) 289 080, 289 368