Lantern Festival of Florence – Festa della Rificolona

The Lantern Festival (or Festa della Rificolona) of Florence is a true family event in the Florentine calendar. The colourful lanterns, lit by candles are carried from Piazza Santa Croce, past the Duomo to Piazza Santissima Annunziata. The centuries-old tradition to celebrate the Festa della Madonna which is tomorrow is continued with modern enthusiasm and the addition of vans selling sweets for young and old alike. Many of the lanterns are traditional with the purple colour of Florence, other less so. Unless “Hello Kitty” has a Florentine history I’m unaware of. Not only do the kids get to carry real fire, they also use blowpipes to try to puncture the lanterns, or take out their mother’s eye depending on how much candy floss/cotton candy they’ve eaten.

Eskimo Bar – Florence’s Second Beach!

Eskimo Bar is new this year and it is definitely one for the Undiscovered Florence category. This cool bar is set beside a small man-made beach in the very centre of Florence, just down from the Ponte Vecchio. We got there by bicycle which is a cool way to see the city, especially when the weather is good!

It is a great place to hang out or tan; you usually have to pay for the sun longers (approx 3 Euros) but as it was late in the afternoon, the lady let us have them for free. OK, so we bought two Cokes for 6 Euros but still, this little beach in the center of Florence gets my vote! Some of you will notice that I have put this video in the nightlife category. That’s because, although the video wasn’t taken at night, Eskimo Bar also plays live music in the evenings. At other times there are DJs. The musical focus is South American/Latino mostly.

View Larger Map

Giotto’s Campanile (or Bell Tower), Florence

At 414 steps, the climb to the top of Giotto’s famous Bell Tower (Campanile in Italian) probably shouldn’t have been undertaken at 12:30 in the afternoon, in August. But the queue for Santa Maria Del Fiore and the famous cupola was massive (take note; early morning, it opens at 10, or late afternoon are better unless you book a tour which lets you skip the queue) and I wanted to make a Flip Florence Video with a panoramic view of the centre of Florence. I needn’t have worried as there are 3 stops on the way up which offer gradually more spectacular views. Be aware that although it doesn’t appear in most of the video, there are wire grids covering the apertures which can make photos less impressive.

There’s an interesting trick of perspective going on with the Campanile which is almost as good as David’s wonky eyes. The three top levels of the Campanile (which were designed by Francesco Talenti not Giotto) are not the same size so that they appear to be the same size. Follow? Each of the three is larger to give the illusion from ground level that they are in fact the same size. Plus, you can thank Francesco for not following orders not building the spire that Giotto had planned. With it, the tower would have been higher (by 120m) but would have been lacking the flat observation deck from which some of this video is taken.

The history of Giotto’s Campanile, like most Italian monuments is a long one. The Campanile was not even planned until 30 years after the death of the first Master of the Works of the Cathedral, Arnolfo di Cambio. At this time Giotto was a not-too-spritely 67 (this was 1334, remember) but he set about planning a great tower to accompany the main cathedral. Unfortunately (not for Francesco), Giotto died three years later having only finished the lower floor – just be grateful he wasn’t fitting your bathroom. In Giotto’s place, Andrea Pisano (he did the bronze door on the south side of the Baptistry; it took him 6 years) was appointed and he followed Giotto’s design exactly until the Black Death arrived in 1348. This was Francesco’s chance and he completed the campanile to his own specifications in 1358. 24 years after Giotto first put pen to paper, or quill to parchment.

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.

View Larger Map

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!

Giardino Bardini – Florence’s Newest Renaissance Garden

The Giardino Bardini was only recently opened to the public and the gardens and statues have been beautifully restored. The main entrance is on Via de’ Bardi, just over the road from the Museo Bardini (see Google StreetView below) although the shop and another exit can be found on Costa di San Giorgio. From there, you can walk to Forte di Belevedere* and the Giardino di Boboli for which your ticket is valid. Entrance at the time of writing (August 2009) is 10 Euros.

The Garden is marvellous, especially in the early morning. If you are lucky, you can have the place to yourself (as I did) by going when it opens at 8:15. Be aware that the shop opens at 9 and the cafe doesn’t open until 10. The early morning start is worth it though as the sun hits the terraces and it’s also not too hot for the climb to the top. Once you are up there, if you exit on Costa di San Giorgio (turn left and follow the signs)  you can walk a short distance to the Giardino di Boboli and you enter at the top; it’s all downhill after that!

This video was made after a suggestion from RobertaK on Twitter. Send me a suggestion and if I can, I’ll shoot the video! Aren’t I good to you?

View Larger Map

*Unfortunately, a young woman lost her life at the Fort and it is now closed until it the investigation has completed

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)