Florence

Within its historic centre - declared a “UNESCO world heritage site” en bloc - Florence contains a unique concentration of historical and artistic attractions. Florence’s labyrinthine plan, made up of alleyways and sidestreets, derives from its medieval origins. Yet the city’s period of maximum splendour was undoubtedly the Renaissance, of which countless masterpieces remain.

With less than four hundred thousand inhabitants and covering an area of little more than a hundred square kilometres, Florence is practically impossible to tour by car, and in fact, the centre is to a large extent prohibited to vehicle traffic. We suggest, if possible, that you tour it on foot, to best enjoy its beauties, but you can also count on quite an efficient public transport network. Taxis and bikes can reach all the strategic points, whereas private cars are usually only allowed into the centre to load and unload your luggage. To find your way around the city, it is a good idea to keep well in mind that Florence is developed along the two banks of the River Arno. All the roads that run alongside the river, on both sides, are called “Lungarno” and it is only the second part of the name that changes. Lungarno degli Archibugieri, for example, is right in the centre: it is there that the Vasari Corridor passes and the Uffizi looks out over it.

The whole area on the other side of the river, to the south, is called “Oltrarno” by the Florentines. It was originally outside the historic centre, but today it contains important attractions, such as Pitti Palace, the Boboli Gardens and Borgo Santo Spirito, the city’s most bohemian neighbourhood. For decades the Florentine naming system has had a peculiarity that is gradually disappearing, but some traces of it can still be found: the civic numbers, in fact, were divided between “black”, which denoted the residences, and “red”, for businesses. The Tuscan regional capital is one of the cities with the highest tourist density on the entire planet: wherever you wish to visit, book in advance. You should also bear in mind that the serious overcrowding takes place around mid-morning, so if you are an early bird then that could give you a significant advantage.