Villa Demidoff and The Parco Mediceo di Pratolino

Piazza Santo Spirito Artisans’ Market

links for 2010-02-04

• Flip Florence's other site
  (tags: Florence Italy Tuscany travel travelblogs)

Deserted Florence At Dawn

Christmas Shopping in Florence

Bardini Gardens – Boboli’s Little Sister

Bardini Gardens reopened in 2005 after being allowed to fall into disrepair over 50 years. It sits on a 10-acre  site which houses the Gardens and also the Villa Bardini. There is a sweeping baroque stairway, hidden statues, fountains, grottoes, a small amphitheatre though most tourists will be here for the breathtaking views over the city of Florence.

Giardino Bardini was originally two gardens, one belonging to the Mozzi family. They owned a stretch of Florence between Costa San Giorgio, Piazza de’Mozzi and Via San Niccolò. The the other half of the gardens was attached to the 17th  century Villa Manadora.

Christmas Market in Santa Croce

It’s not well known that the Christmas Markets in Florence are a very popular attraction. At this time of year many of the visitors are from Italy, preferring to visit the city at a time when there are less tourists from abroad.

As a Christmas Market, Santa Croce has all you could want with an International group of vendors selling food, clothing and gifts. There’s the obligatory mulled wine and strudel from Austria, biscuits from Switzerland and, my favourite, a German trailer selling the type of hot dogs and burgers that dietitians warn you about.