Business Traveler

Description:

The dark and haphazard museum in the church's old refectory (entrance to the left of Santo Spirito's facade) has a gathering of Romanesque and paleo-Christian stone sculptures and reliefs. The main reason to drop by is the end wall frescoed by Andrea Orcagna and his brother Nardo di Cione in 1360 with a Last Supper (of which only 1 1/2 apostles and a halo are left) and above it a beautiful Crucifixion, one of 14th-century Florence's masterpieces.

Our Local Expert Says:

Respect the rules of not taking flash photography inside.

Description:

This tall structure halfway down Via dei Calzaiuoli looks more like a Gothic warehouse than a church -- which is exactly what it was, built as a granary/grain market in 1337. After a miraculous image of the Madonna appeared on a column inside, however, the lower level was turned into a chapel. The city's merchant guilds each undertook the task of decorating one of the outside nichelike Gothic tabernacles around the lower level with a statue of their guild's patron saint. Masters such as Ghiberti, Donatello, Verrocchio, and Giambologna all cast or carved masterpieces to set here. Since 1984, these have been removed and are being replaced by casts as the originals are slowly cleaned and exhibited up on the second story.

Unfortunately, the church now keeps erratic hours due to a lack of personnel, so there are no set opening hours; however, you may get lucky and find the doors thrown open when you pass by (or, though this may take even more luck, someone might actually answer the phone number below and give you details on when it will next open). Since it's pretty nifty, and there's a chance you'll be able to pop in, I'll go ahead and describe it all.

In the chapel's dark interior (emerged...

Our Local Expert Says:

"You can see the hill town Fiesole and end of the Appennine Mountains from the Piazzale."

Description:

The vista which one can see the whole valley of Florence and of the surrounding hills is a must see. The climb up is rewarding, the view is breathtaking. There are buses available to take you to Piazzale Michelangelo. Tourists, tourist groups and tour buses all congregate at this panoramic view. Vendors set up early in the morning with cool beverages for the parched tourists and souvenirs for the eager shoppers. A sunset visit is for the romantics, bringing a wine bottle and gazing at the Florentine sky as it ends another day. There is never a bad time to visit Piazzale Michelangelo, there is always something to see from this height

Description:

Centrally located between the Arno and Santa Maria Novella railway station, this late 19th century building's bedrooms contain an impressive array of period furniture and nearly all come with private sauna. Refurbished throughout in the early 1990s, the hotel's high standard of comfort and conference facilities makes it a popular choice with business travellers.

Description:

On the roof garden of the Hotel Baglioni we find this restaurant and piano bar which in summer becomes a real open air nightclub with its musical appointments.

Description:

Identical in every way to its sister establishment in Monte Carlo, this upscale, cosmopolitan bistro offers a variety of food, drinks and snacks throughout the day. Hot and cold dishes range from a light salad to smoked salmon, to something a little more filling. Or just stop by for a couple of drinks with friends. On Sundays, American-style brunch, the perfect start to a long lazy Sunday, is served in this popular cocktail rendezvous.

Description:

This Club has indoor swimming pools, gyms and a Finnish sauna. Body building, cardiofitness and aerobics are all on offer. There are also swimming lessons for children, young people and adults, an aquagym and free swimming time for people who cannot attend regularly or who simply want to spend some time in the water.

Our Local Expert Says:

The gardens are expansive and hide many different areas to explore and enjoy.

Description:

Inside this garden lies the Buontalenti grotto (1583-1593). Decorated with mannerist-style scenes from Greek and Roman mythology, the grotto includes copies of Michelangelo's famous "Slave" series, the originals of which were transferred to the Galleria dell'Accademia. In the 17th century, the garden was extended as far as the Porta Romana, adding the Vasca d'Isola (pond) at the centre with a fountain and a statue of Neptune. In the late 18th century, Zanobi del Rosso built the Kaffehaus pavilion.

Description:

There are no lines at this former convent and no crowds. Few people even know to ring the bell at the nondescript door. What they're missing is an entire wall covered with the vibrant colors of Andrea del Castagno's masterful Last Supper (ca. 1450). Castagno used his paint to create the rich marble panels that checkerboard the trompe l'oeil walls and broke up the long white tablecloth with the dark figure of Judas the Betrayer, whose face is painted to resemble a satyr, an ancient symbol of evil.

Description:

This piazza was formed in the Mattonaia quarter of the city, inside the city walls, at the end of the 19th century as a result of the development plan devised by the architect Poggi in the 1870s. Once established, the bourgeoisie then considered the area both residential and desirable! The area then saw the creation of Prince Umberto's theatre - sadly destroyed two decades later. Another building appeared on the piazza at the beginning of the 20th century but today, this remains one of the few green spaces in the city centre. There are amusements for young children including a merry-go-round, slides and a wooden castle in a cordoned-off area; and there are also areas for older children such as a basketball pitch.

Our Local Expert Says:

Try their famous hamburgers! Delicious!

Description:

A typical American-styled pub/restaurant that serves all the dishes one would find in the States or in England. After 30 years of being in business, Danny Rock still offers its patrons the service and food that people crave in a city full of pasta and pizza. From the traditional hamburgers to many different cuisines; British, Greek, Indian and Creperie. When it opened in the 80s, it was the only pub in Florence that served crepes, burgers and super salads. An Art Decor ambiance that makes your experience at Danny Rock a special one. Managed by one of the leading chefs in Tuscany, Mr. Libero Cresci, Danny Rock keeps people coming back for more. The prices range from $10 to 30. There is outside seating as well as the possibility of reserving a room for parties. Take away food is popular as well. You can reach Danny Rock by bus numbers: 14, 23, C1, C2. You can easily walk to Via Pandolfini without a problem.

Description:

In harmony with the theme of the Gallery Hotel Art, the Fusion bar doubles as an exhibition space. Ask for the variety fare, and the cuisine lives up to the theme as well. It's a fantastic fusion of Italian, Japanese and Mediterranean cuisine. The fois gras nigiri sushi topped with chutney or the ma-cha tiramisu and wine to go with it is an excellent combination for the palate. Cocktails featured on the menu are quite a favorite with the Florentine elite who frequent the Shozan-Gallery.

Description:

Centrally located between the Arno and Santa Maria Novella railway station, this late 19th century building's bedrooms contain an impressive array of period furniture and nearly all come with private sauna. Refurbished throughout in the early 1990s, the hotel's high standard of comfort and conference facilities makes it a popular choice with business travellers.

Description:

Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana (Laurentian Library) could be considered the Medici's family's library. Located to the left of San Lorenzo church (entrance on second floor through San Lorenzo cloister), the library was founded by Cosimo the Elder but it was Lorenzo the Magnificent who consistently enlarged the book collections. The monumental vestibule was designed by Michelangelo, with a large staircase, gray sandstone framework of columns, pilasters, and corbels standing out against whitewashed walls. He also designed the beautiful wooden ceiling and carved benches/reading desks of the Reading Room. The library contains thousands of manuscripts, especially relating to Florentine Renaissance including autographs of Petrarch and Boccaccio, illuminated codices, and an uncommon collection of about 2500 papyri. - Maria Frullini

Description:

As indicated by the name, you can enjoy an intimate evening in this small restaurant which is popular with the people of Florence. First courses might include spaghetti with crabmeat, taglierini with porcini mushrooms with sage, sheets of freshly-made puff-pastry with tails of mazzancolle with red pepper. For the second courses, side of veal white truffle, rabbit with prunes, large scampi with tarragon. The desserts are all home-made and are particularly good. The menu of regional wines is also very good. Warm and elegantly decorated surroundings provide the perfect context for the unobtrusive service.

Description:

Although the Baptistery's precise origins remain unclear, its foundations are known to date back to Roman times. The central doors are stunning works of art, depicting scenes from the Old and New Testament and they have been called "The Gates of Paradise." Lorenzo Ghiberti who worked on them from 1403 to 1424 designed these ornate doors. Inside, the octagonal structure is richly decorated with Roman columns and gilded column heads. The floor's marble inlay features Islamic-style patterns and the apse is decorated with 13th-century mosaics. Coppo di Marcovaldo and Cimabue were among those involved in the cupola's decorative mosaic work.

Our Local Expert Says:

A great masterpiece is located to the right as you walk in the door.

Description:

This church is one of the city's oldest churches after San Lorenzo and dates back to the 4th century. It was the archaeological site of the first Christian community in Florence. The first church built at this spot was named after Roman martyr St Felicita, the church gradually took shape during the Romanesque period. A new church was desginged by Ferdinando Ruggieri in the 11th century. It does however contain two sixteenth-century masterpieces - the Deposition and the Annunciation - by Jacopo Carrucci (also known as Pontormo) that were commissioned by Ludovico Capponi. The Vasari Corridor passes through the facade of the church this was where the Medici family would listen to mass without being noticed the other people at ground level.

Our Local Expert Says:

Don't miss Giotto's chapels: Peruzzi and Bardi!

Description:

The center of the Florentine Franciscan universe was begun in 1294 by Gothic master Arnolfo di Cambio in order to rival the huge church of Santa Maria Novella being raised by the Dominicans across the city. The church wasn't completed and consecrated until 1442, and even then it remained faceless until the neo-Gothic facade was added in 1857 (and cleaned in 1998-99). The cloisters are home to Brunelleschi's Cappella de' Pazzi, the convent partially given over to a famous leather school, and the church itself a shrine of 14th-century frescoes and a monument to notable Florentines, whose tombs and memorials litter the place like an Italian Westminster. The best artworks, such as the Giotto frescoes, are guarded by euro-gobbling lightboxes; bring plenty of change.

The Gothic interior -- for which they now charge a premium admission (it was free until recently) -- is wide and gaping, with huge pointed stone arches creating the aisles and an echoing nave trussed with wood beams, in all feeling vaguely barnlike (an analogy the occasional fluttering pigeon only reinforces). The floor is paved with worn tombstones -- because being buried in this hallowed sanctuary got you one step closer to...

Description:

Santa Trinita located near the Ponte Santa Trinita was founded in 1092. Santa Trinita has 20 chapels and most notably Sassetti Chapel. Domenico Ghirlandaio created frescoes dedicated to the life of St. Francis in the Sassetti Chapel. Many of the noble people of Florence were buried among the stones in Santa Trinita being on the richest street of Florence, Via Tornabuoni. Santa Trinita meaning "Holy Trinity" is spelled without the accent in the Florentine dialect. The stress is on the first vowel of 'trinita' instead of the last which is the common way. This church has a way of inspiring the creative side of a person. Having the most gorgeous frescoes all around the church and chapels, it is hard not to be impressed with the works of the greats.

Our Local Expert Says:

A great place to spend an afternoon away from the busy tourist attractions of the historical center, this working monastery is an absolute jewel. Tours may or may not be in English but the monastery speaks for itself.

Description:

Both architecturally and artistically unique, this monastery commissioned in 1342 by Niccolò Acciaioli, viceroy of the Kingdom of Naples, was originally home to Carthusian monks. Today Cistercian monks (who have lived here since 1958) give visitors a guided tour of the complex's treasures. The tour winds its way through the monastery, taking in the Chiostrino dei Monaci e il Capitolo, a cloister featuring Albertinelli's 1506 work, "The Crucifixion." Other architectural works, completed in different periods, make up the Certosa complex. Free admission.

Description:

Since 1912, this typical Florence restaurant has maintained a high profile as well as a faithful following, due to its good food and low prices.