Florence Things to Do

One of the distinct pleasures of a visit to Italy is the shopping – and even if your budget doesn’t include coming home with a new Versace handbag or pair of Prada shoes, you can still bring something home from the spoils of outdoor markets like the ones in Florence. What’s more: depending on which market you visit, you can pick up goodies for the kitchen, your closet, or a any other room in the house.

For the past 10 years, Elisa Acciai has been working in the tourism industry, both as a Concierge at 4-5 star hotels and now as a private Florence guide – her dream job. As a native Florentine, Elisa knows the ins and outs of this Tuscan favorite, splicing in bits of a local’s valuable insight in with the knowledge of the city’s biggest and best attractions, such as the Uffizi Gallery and the Vasari Corridor. Elisa covers a wide range of tour options, with one in particular focusing on the secrets of Oltrarno, the region on the left bank of the Arno River.

Florence is a haven for shopping, from leather goods in the markets, to big name designers, to outlet stores and some of the best food and wine in Italy. Here are some tips for finding just what you’re looking for, getting the right price and bringing it home.

Florence is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Its bridges, palaces, and churches can all inspire the feeling of being inside a post card. Here are five places where you can find the typical, and not so typical post-card views when you visit this magnificent city in Italy.

1. Piazzale Michelangelo. The best known and most obvious place to get a wonderful panoramic view across Florence and to the hills beyond.

The historic center of Florence is densely urban. Everything is built of stone, and it can be exhausting. You’ll be gasping for a breath of fresh air.

I hope that winter is treating you well, like here in Florence where it is cold but sunny.

I’m sure you’re preparing your trip for next spring or summer, and maybe you are searching the best restaurants where you might try one of our famous traditional dishes…the “Bistecca alla Fiorentina”!

Probably the three most recognizable images of Florence are the Duomo, the Ponte Vecchio, and Michelangelo’s David. David was a favorite subject for Renaissance sculptors. The boy warrior who defeated the giant Goliath, and then became the second King of Israel was also known for being a musician and poet and is credited with writing many of the Psalms. And he was an ancestor of Jesus. He was the ideal of the Renaissance man.

Don’t be blinded by that fashion capital Milan, remember that Florence has also birthed many a fashion icon including shoe designer Salvatore Ferragamo, Gucci, Pucci, Roberto Cavalli and Patrizia Pepe. To pay homage to these leaders of design there are two excellent museums to visit.

Milan may be the fashion capital, but Florence is known for its shopping, too. Leather goods and jewelery are particular specialties. The markets and their charming, haggling stallholders are world famous, and you must never accept the first price offered: bargaining is a game here and they expect you to play: it’s half the fun.

Here’s the thing about trips to Pisa: if you want to go to the top of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, you have to get there early. Of course, there is more to do in Pisa than see the famous leaning tower and take salacious photographs.