Your guide to travel and experience Florence, Italy
One of the requests I get most often is to create a one week itinerary in Tuscany and Florence. Many travelers rent a car and go on a road trip, while others prefer not to drive in a foreign country, and get around on public transport. So I created this itinerary so that it can be done both with and
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It’s one of the most beautiful gardens in Florence (especially in the spring when it is filled with flowers), it has a beautiful view over the city and it is linked to one of the most interesting Florentine figures of the 20th century: I am talking about the Bardini Gardens. It is not one of the oldest gardens in the
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During these last few days of April I’ve been escaping to the Iris Garden in Florence, a unique place in my city that in recent years I have gotten to know very well. I thought I had posted about it before, but I realized that I never went into detail on my blog (though I do mention it in my
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There’s more to Michelangelo’s David than being one of the most famous sculptures in the world, made by one of the greatest artists in history. To Florence, that carved marble block symbolizes much more than artistic mastery, and it would be a mistake to consider it just another tourist attraction. Yes, David is a symbol of the Renaissance, but above
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If you are looking for a luxury hotel that is much more than a place to sleep, the Brunelleschi Hotel in Florence is for you. Situated in the historic Pagliazza Tower, this truly unique building has witnessed centuries of Florentine history, from its Roman origins to the present day. My review is totally positive, I love this property! The hotel is in the
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Tuscan Kale is a vegetable commonly used in Tuscan and Florentine cuisine, but is practically unknown to the rest of Italy. It is the main ingredient in ribollita (a classic Tuscan soup), and is also used in many other traditional recipes that I will discuss later in this article. But first I want to teach you a little about this
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Today I’ll suggest an itinerary for a journey through the towns and villages of Val d’Orcia. The area’s undulating hills and contrasting colors, bordered by cypresses and dotted with quaint farmhouses, has given it standing in the collective imagination as the archetype of the Tuscan landscape. This privileged status is entirely deserved – the valley on the Tuscany-Umbria border is
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Of the many ancient settlements in Florentine Chianti, San Casciano Val di Pesa is certainly among my favorites. Though its name was somewhat tarnished by reports of The Monster of Florence (shadowy perpetrator/s of a series of gruesome double murders between 1968-1985) this village has a wealth of far more desirable features for which it deserves recognition: its historic origins,
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Summer is most people’s preferred time to travel. I am of the opposite persuasion. During summer I work in the city as licensed Florence tour guide and await the eventual subsiding of the Death Valley temperatures. To me, summer means escaping to the Tuscan countryside. So, here are my favorite 10 Tuscan villages to visit! I have been to all of
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Peposo dell’Impruneta is one of the oldest Florentine dishes that you can still find on menus since centuries, and one of my personal favorites. Not only is it supremely scrumptious, it also has strong connections one of Florence’s most iconic monuments: Filippo Brunelleschi’s magnificent dome. What links this masterpiece of renaissance architecture to the traditional Tuscan dish? I will sketch
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