Piazza Santa Maria Novella

The areas around stations in Italy are often not the tidiest (or safest) parts of town and whilst you should keep your wits – and your wallet – about you in Florence’s Santa Maria Novella, the newly renovated piazza is a complete contrast to what many people expect. Exit from the station and go south and you enter the piazza along the side of the church. Here you can plant yourself in one of these cafes that have yet to display the ridiculous prices of their counterparts in piazze such as Signoria – where €20 for 2 cappuccini is not unheard of – and do some people watching.

The church can be entered from the north side of the Piazza and frequently there is a tiny queue here when the queue for the Duomo is very long indeed. Since the grass was added in 2010, the piazza is a much nicer place to sit out, especially in the evening. It now feels a more complete part of the city and demonstrates that although Florence was the central light of the Renaissance, the city continues to develop and adapt to the modern visitor.

Arezzo in Summer

A short video of the lovely Tuscan town of Arezzo to accompany the slightly longer Arezzo Market video.

With the luxury of living in Tuscany comes the benefit of being able to see places through the seasons. As it is an hour or an hour and a half away (depending on the train you take), Arezzo is a great choice for a day trip from Florence and this video was taken in the height of summer. Generally, Arezzo is less of a tourist trap than some other towns in Tuscany though it has – in my opinion – more to offer than somewhere like Cortona: made famous of course by cinema. So, until they shoot a film in Arezzo, take advantage and make it one of your stops in Tuscany.

The town is arranged around main pedestrianised street running up to the church on top of the hill. With these roads and the narrower alleys that connect them, Arezzo is perfect for wandering or, if you are there at around 6pm una passeggiata – the traditional evening stroll taken in the more traditional Italian towns and cities.

Arezzo – Market Day in Winter

Once a month, there is an antiques market in the Tuscan Town of Arezzo. Some friends of mine visited on a Sunday and commented how quiet the town was. But this is definitely not the case on market day when the streets are packed with locals and tourists. It has to be said that most are browsing and the event is mostly an excuse to go out and people watch. Oh, they love that here and Arezzo’s Antiques Market guarantees that there will be plenty of people to see!

As we went in winter, it is quite romantic as the sun goes down and the town gets dark. Like many towns in Tuscany, they have gone to some effort to light the place well. Although the Flip doesn’t do well on low light so you’ll just have to believe me! And, if you like the idea of visiting here, have a look at Arezzo in the Summer.

Corniglia

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Piazza Santo Spirito Artisans’ Market

Piazza Santa Croce

In the East of the old town, Piazza Santa Croce is one the nicest and least touristy Piazze in Florence. There are artists and the shops are not aimed at locals in the main but sitting on the steps outside the church and having a drink is highly recommended!

Public drinking of alcohol is perfectly acceptable here and so a bottle of wine or beer from one of the local shops can be a great way to save money for doing something more exciting like the 500 Touring Club’s wine tasting tour!

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