Walking in Firenze

If you go, be prepared to share this fabulous city with many, many, many others. It seems the whole world loves and wants to see Florence. If your dream is to visit Florence when there are not a lot of tourists, I hate to disappoint you, but your dream will not be coming true.

A multitude of tourists revel each year in the architectural splendour of the Santa Maria dei Fiori (or, as it is better known, the Duomo), a multicoloured marble cathedral resembling an elaborate layer cake which, along with the Baptistery and the Campanile, will have you turning circles in the Piazza del Duomo staring in awe.

Cross the Ponte Vecchio, whose shops were once occupied by fish mongers and now sell gold, diamonds, precious jewels and some of the finest watches in the world. It’s hard to imagine that you are stepping across one of the oldest bridges in the world, dating back to 1357. If you manage to look past the glittering display windows and further up, you will notice that the room above is connected and forms the Vasari Corridor (which you can read about here: Part One, Part Two and Part Three – it is currently closed to visitors).

Florence is also home to some of the finest artisanal shops in Italy, featuring luxurious leather goods and Italian delicacies. How can you pass up a gorgeous pair of leather gloves, or a beautiful leather briefcase, purse or belt, or the scarves of many colours, all of which beckon from the stores and the leather market? Foodies rejoice! A short few steps from the leather market is the Mercato Centrale, a food lover’s paradise.

Firenze is well known for its fine Tuscan cuisine, both within the centro storico and slightly out of town.  Plan your gourmet Tuscan indulgences in advance to avoid the crowds.

I would never tell you that you can see Florence in one day. It is truly an amazing city with so much art, architecture, history and many fabulous sights that one day does not do it justice. (I haven’t even mentioned half the museums here!)

One of the first posts I ever wrote was a one-day walking tour of Rome. By popular request, I have planned a one-day walking tour to get a starter’s view of Florence. This walking tour starts and ends at Stazione Santa Maria Novella (SMN, the main train station), so it’s very handy if you are coming to Florence for the day by train.

[ELIN’s TIP: if you are planning on going to any of the museums, pre-book your tickets. In many cases, you will not get in if you haven’t purchased tickets in advance. The official website is here.] “Pin” this page if you are going in the future – this link alone will save you time and money. Looking for what to buy at an Italian grocery store? Click here to read one of our most “Pinned” posts!

What you will need:

• Good walking shoes (this tour is over one hour of walking without stops)
• Camera/Phone – for photos
• Hat (especially in the summer)
• Water bottle (you can fill up for free with potable water at the many water stations)
• Sunblock (especially in the summer)
• Map of Florence [ELIN’S TIP: download the maps.me app on your phone, you can use the maps offline – thanks to TravelFoodCool friend and reader Andrew for this tip!]
• Time – depending on how long you spend at each sight, this can take you 7-10 hours

Here we go!

• From Santa Maria Novella train station (Stazione Santa Maria Novella)
• Mercato Centrale: Food lovers rejoiced in the spring of 2014 when, on its 140th anniversary (1874), the Mercato Centrale re-opened to the public. The iron and glass building is the work of architect Giuseppe Mengoni, whom you may know from such hits as the San Ambrogio market and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuel in Milan. It only makes sense that it is near the Basilica di San Lorenzo as he is, after all the patron saint of cooks! Open from 8am to midnight every day, you can stop in and grab a bite, a wheel of cheese, or just gawk at all the fabulous food and wine for sale.

• San Lorenzo (Florence Leather Market): Looking for a scarf? Leather gloves? Leather purse? Leather belt? Leather briefcase? You get the picture. All sorts of leather goods for sale. Some people love this place, some people hate it. Me? I love the leather gloves. Find the pig and rub its snout for good luck!

• Want to spend some extra time in this area? Behind the Basilica di San Lorenzo is the Medici Chapel, resting place of Florence’s royal (well, as close as you can get to royalty) family. Warning: Italy has many beautiful churches, this chapel is not one of them. They went a little crazy with the dark marble. This is a spot you can put on your “next time” list.

• Michaelangelo’s David at the Accademia [ELIN’s TIP: pre-book your tickets. The official website is here]. Is there anything that symbolizes Florence more than David? While you can buy his image on everything from fridge magnets to boxers (well, at least part of his image), the 18-foot tall statue carved from a single block of Carrera marble still gives me chills when I see it. Also of note in the museum are Michelangelo’s “slaves” or “prisoners” (carved for the tomb of Pope Julius II). Keep your eyes open for the plaster cast of Giambologna’s “Rape of the Sabine”, you will see the original at the Loggia dei Lanzi in Piazza della Signoria. There is an exhibit on art restoration, many plaster casts and an extremely interesting musical instruments collection (great for kids, big and small, there are also hearing stations where you can listen to what sounds the instruments made). OPEN 8:15 – 18:50, Tuesday – Sunday. NOTE: CLOSED MONDAYS

• The Convent of San Marco: If you have already seen David, one of the nearby options is to spend time with the beauty of Fra Angelico. Ironically enough, the other famous Friar who lived here was Girolamo Savonarola, he of the “bonfire of the vanities” and destroyer of art. Read this post to get more information.

• Santa Maria dei Fiori (the Duomo), Giotto‘s Campanile & Brunelleschi’s Dome: If you can get past all the people taking selfies, you can stare in awe at this architectural marvel! Climb to the top of the bell tower (shorter lines) or dome (be prepared to wait) for a great view!

Don’t forget to check out the “Gates of Paradise”, Lorenzo Ghiberti’s competition-winning doors for the Baptistery!

• Piazza della Repubblica: the original forum for the city and later a ghetto. The piazza today is home to street artists, restaurants and fabulous shopping. Enjoy a coffee at Caffè Gilli which has been serving Florentines (the people of Florence) coffee and pastries since 1733!

• Piazza della Signoria: This is the square in front of the Palazzo Vecchio. It is also home to the Loggia dei Lanzi, where the original statue of the “Rape of the Sabine” lives. There is a marker on the spot where Girolamo Savonarola was burned, divine justice as this was the same spot he used to burn priceless art.

• Palazzo Vecchio: in front of the Palazzo Vecchio, you can see a copy of David (after all, this is where he lived for years). Look for Da Vinci’s portrait sketch, where, if rumours are correct, he drew without looking with his hand behind his back.

Inside, you can (by the purchase of a ticket, the website is here) see various rooms and try to find the “cerca trova” flag in Vasari’s grand painting, “The Battle of Marciano”, in the Salone dei Cinquecento (Hall of the 500). Walk up the stairs to the top of the tower for a breath-taking view of Florence. Take tours of other areas of the building as well (I liked the “Secret Passages” tour) . You may come face to face with Dante.

• Uffizi and the Statues [You will not have time in one day to go through the Uffizi, unless you cut out a lot of other sights. If you want to go, ELIN’s TIP: pre-book your tickets – the official Uffizi website is here.] As you walk past the massive line-up outside the Uffizi (people who have not purchased their tickets in advance), you will see many statues, both marble and live street artists. Personally, I like the marble ones and love to say hi to Giotto (he of Campanile fame), Cosimo, Lorenzo and Galileo to name but a few. CLOSED MONDAYS

• Ponte Vecchio: As you walk over one of the oldest bridges in the world, built in 1357, to cross the Arno, you can thank Cosimo I de’ Medici that the stores are filled with gold and not fish or meat.

In the middle of the bridge, you can see several large arches. Mussolini put them in to give Hitler a better view. (Some people say that Hitler was so impressed with the view that he did not blow up the Ponte Vecchio when the Nazis destroyed other bridges over the Arno, including the Ponte San Niccolo, Ponte Alle Grazie, Ponte Santa Trinita and Ponte alla Carraia.)

Keep your eyes out for a small plaque to Gerhard Wolf, the German consul in Florence during World War II. It was his letter-writing campaign that saved Florence from destruction by making it an open city that could not be used militarily. He also forged documents that allowed persecuted Jews to escape and used his influence to have innocent people released from the Italian fascists. (When he was arrested by the Allies at the end of the war, 29 Florentines signed affidavits calling for his release. Wolf was presented with honorary citizenship of Florence in 1955 and was called “a living symbol of human courage and fraternity” by Giorgio La Pira, the former mayor of Florence.

• Pitti Palace: This palace became the family home when the Palazzo Vecchio grew too small to house the de Medici clan (thank you, Eleanor of Toledo!). It is divided now into several museums: the Treasury of the Grand Dukes, the Palatine Gallery, the Royal Apartments, the Modern Art Gallery and the Museum of Costume and Fashion.  [ELIN’s TIP: prebook your tickets – the official Pitti Palace website is here.]

• Boboli Gardens: Take a walk in the park on the grounds of the Pitti Palace and view sculptures from the 16th to 18th century! Don’t forget to check out the statue of Pietro Barbino, court jester to Cosimo I de’Medici, as Bacchus, and the Buontalenti Grotto.  [ELIN’s TIP: pre-book your tickets – the official Boboli Gardens website is here.]

• Basilico di Santo Spirito: an off-the-beaten path church, it is home to the newly discovered Michelangelo crucifix.

• Officina Profumo – Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella: A big thank you to our friend (and TravelFoodCool reader – THANK YOU) Beth for alerting us to this gem the last time we were in town. This is the oldest pharmacy in the world, founded around 1221 by Dominican Friars. Not only is it stunning inside, it is also a high-end perfume and skin care store. There is a beautiful little tea room inside if you want to stop and have a cup of tea, chocolate, a liqueur or an “ancient preparation”.

• Santa Maria Novella Station: return to the train station (Extra time? Check out the Basilica di Santa Maria Novella, it’s where Gallileo was denounced! – Or, just have an Aperol Spritz and enjoy the view!)