Piazza San Firenze

Whilst it may not be the largest or grandest Piazza in Florence, with the law courts and the Hotel Bernini, Piazza san Firenze is a focal point for many of the city’s visitors (voluntarily or otherwise).

The great facade of the Law Courts, designed in 1667 by Pier Francesco Silvani was (in the fine tradition of Italian construction) only finished five years later in 1772. Opposite is the Palazzo Gondi, a fine example of the Florentine architect Giuliano da San Gallo and expanded in the nineteenth century. On the southwest corner is the rear of the Palazzo Vecchio, in front of which is the Columbia Parliament building. This was a hotel when Florence was the capital of Italy and it hosted the Italian members of Parliament who met in the Palazzo Vecchio.

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Boboli Gardens or Giardino di Boboli

The Boboli Gardens or locally, Giardino di Boboli (ooh, he speaks Italian) are behind the Pitti Palace and are home to a collection of sculptures dating from the sixteenth through the eighteenth centuries, with some Roman antiquities. Plus there are some, ah, more recent additions scattered about the place. There’s a sculpture of what looks like dung beetles fighting; that’s my favourite.

The Boboli Gardens really are huge and it is possible to get (deliberately) lost in them for hours. Unfortunately, it is a constant work in progress so there will be barriers and “No Entry” signs here and there but with so many of the major works completed, the place really is a marvel in the centre of a city such as Florence.

A 10 Euro ticket from Giardino Bardini gives you access to the Giardino di Boboli which is easily enough walking and garden viewing for a whole day but if you want to go to see other museums on your trip to Florence, Alexandra at ArtTrav.com has some really useful information on how you can see everything on on ticket and skip the queues!

Las Palmas Bar – Piazza Ghiberti

Las Palmas Bar is open in the summer and has been running in Piazza Ghiberti in the east of Florence since 2001. There’s music most evenings and unlike a lot of more touristy places the aperitivo is free if you buy a drink; hold on to your receipt though because they’ll ask for it before you get a plate!

On Tuesday night there was Jazz, which was an ideal soundtrack as the place started to fill up with locals. Like the other places in my “Undiscovered Florence” category, I only heard Italian spoken and that’s a good sign! You can find a full listing of what’s happening at the official site (in Italian)

Shopping Around Piazza Della Repubblica in Florence

The shopping in Florence is superb and all the major domestic and International designers have a presence in the city. From the top end of Gucci, Prada and Louis Vuitton to the more affordable Zara and H&M, Florence has plenty of choice! The majority of fashion houses have small outlets  around Piazza Della Repubblica in the centre of the city. There’s plenty to occupy you for a half day (depending on your wallet!) but the serious shoppers head out of town to the outlets.

Major fashion houses such as Gucci and Prada have outlets out of town where bargains can be had all year, The problem for most travelers to Florence is that they are difficult to get to without a car and even with one, it’s stressful which is not what you come on holiday for is it? Luckily, there are organised trips that leave from the centre and take you out to the outlets, hassle free. The best thing is that the modest cost is more than made up for by the savings you can make; plus it’s a great day out!

Piazza Della Repubblica – the lounge of Florence

It has been said that Piazza Della Repubblica is the lounge of Florence but that could probably be said of most of the piazze here. Being in the centre, it is certainly one of the most densely populated with tourists who come to see the buildings and often, the shops (everything from Gucci and Belstaff to Zara and H&M) that are nearby. For more, check out the Shopping in Florence post

The main highlights are Cafe Gigli (have your coffee standing it’s about a third of the price you pay if you sit) and the Giubbe Rosse Cafe that has long been a meeting place for famous artists and writers. There is a merry-go round for the kids and the standard of busking, if it can even be called that, is very high.

The piazza was built on land that was reclaimed after many important buildings were demolished. The Wikipedia entry on Piazza Delle Repubblica (Florence) goes into this in more depth.
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Sant Ambrogio Market – Piazza Ghiberti

As featured on Anthony’s site How to Tour Italy, Sant Ambrogio market is in Piazza Ghiberti in the west of Florence selling fruit and vegetables as well as clothing, shoes and even plants! As an area, Sant Ambrogio is still mostly Italian and that means local prices and a higher standard of produce.

The market has both an outdoor and an indoor area though at the time of writing the interior is having a refit and so it was difficult to film much inside. Outside, about half of the market is dedicated to Fruit and Veg. See some basic Italian food vocabulary

As with most markets, you will need to get there early, though today the market was still going at 11am so it depends on the day.

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Piazzale Michelangelo At Sunset Or Sunrise?

Although I have put this post in the Piazze category, it’s not actually a piazza but a “Piazzale” (it isn’t surrounded by buildings). Whatever the specifics, Piazzale Michelangelo should definitely be the place you spend your first Florentine sunset. Or, for the brave, your first Florentine dawn. There are various organised tours to suit all budgets from hop-on hop-off bus tours to a personal guided visit:

In the evenings groups gather on the west-facing steps to see the sunset. The light in summer is very orange and makes everything (and everyone!) glow. You can watch the sun setting over the hills of Tuscany and perhaps join in with the spontaneous round of applause when it finally disappears. It is truly a unique moment in any trip to Florence or indeed, Italy.

Dawn visits are strictly for the keen photographers or masochistic tourists. The thousands of vistas that populate Flickr are often taken from Piazzale Michelangelo and the Duomo is illuminated in the early morning but shadowed later in the day. Getting up there is quite a walk for those disinclined towards exercise (see the video) but most people can get up there without resorting to the chair lift.

Only joking; there is no chair lift, sorry.

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