Just round the corner
Piazza Santo Spirito is the fashionable place to meet up of a summer's evening in one of the many bars and restaurants. Every day there is a small market and often in the summer months there are open air concerts. On the second Sunday of each month (except August) the square hosts a 'mercato dell'antiquariato' while on the third Sunday you can enjoy a special food market with wonderful local produce.
There are restaurants a-plenty. My favourite is La Casalinga, (literally round the corner from the flat) which is the closest to the traditional Florentine trattoria you can find and at very reasonable prices. A little further is a quieter but very friendly place, Da Ginone, where you are sure to eat well. For lovers of Neapolitan pizza, in via Maffia you will find the extravagant O'Munaciello, but for a quick take-away there is no better than Gusta Pizza, again yards from the flat. Lots more recommendations can be find in the information pack at the flat when you get there.
Shopping for food is a joy. There si an excelelnt supermarket just by the Ponte Vecchio and lots of smaller shops, not to mention stalls in the square.
There are restaurants a-plenty. My favourite is La Casalinga, (literally round the corner from the flat) which is the closest to the traditional Florentine trattoria you can find and at very reasonable prices. A little further is a quieter but very friendly place, Da Ginone, where you are sure to eat well. For lovers of Neapolitan pizza, in via Maffia you will find the extravagant O'Munaciello, but for a quick take-away there is no better than Gusta Pizza, again yards from the flat. Lots more recommendations can be find in the information pack at the flat when you get there.
Shopping for food is a joy. There si an excelelnt supermarket just by the Ponte Vecchio and lots of smaller shops, not to mention stalls in the square.
To see within 3 minutes' walk a) Palazzo Pitti – Apart from the historic collection of Medici paintings not in the Uffizi (Galeria Palatina) there is the museum of modern art and much more.
b) Boboli Gardens (the entrance ticket also covers the costume and porcelain museums) - renaissance gardens. Great statuary in terrible condition – have a look for the icehouses. From the top (and on the same ticket) you can go on to Giardino Bardini, recently restored with fantastic spring flowers. You can get in either via Palazzo Pitti or by the Annalena Gate which is a little way south along Via Romana on the left. 7.00 Euros entrance but 10 Euros per adult when exhibitions are on, so choose your day carefully! EU citizens under 18 and over 65 go free, however. c) Brancacci Chapel at the Carmine – Frescoes by Masaccio and Filippino Lippi – 5 stars! d) The church of Santo Spirito itself – designed by Brunelleschi, the architect of the dome of the Duomo. Very good example of Renaissance church. Contains some interesting paintings too. The sacristy has a crucifix by the young Michelangelo. e) The Palazzi of Via Maggio. As you walk down Via Maggio to the river there is a fine collection of old Palazzi, mostly of the 16th century. My favourite is the painted front of the Palazzo di Bianca Cappello, mistress of one of the Medici Grand Dukes. Via Maggio (or ‘maggiore’) used to be the main artery going south from the river. f) La ‘Specola’ in Via Romana – houses the zoological museum which contains anatomical wax models – very fashionable in the 19th century but maybe a little neglected since! |