Florence, Italy: see a weekend itinerary – 10/27/2023 – Tourism

As tourism returns to pre-pandemic levels across Italy, travelers eager to visit Florence face a delicate decision: How to experience the Tuscan capital’s Renaissance grandeur without further contributing to the damage caused by mass tourism?

One solution is to travel outside of high season. But come autumn, visitors will still face crowds at the Galleria dell’Accademia and the Uffizi — especially if the latter reopens the long-closed Corridoio Vasariano.

Another way is to see Florence not as a historical theme park, but as a living city, looking for lesser-known places and new projects — from an ambitious cultural complex to a small trattoria run by passionate young Florentines — that will help sustain this city in the coming years. years.

ITINERARY – 36 hours in Florence

Friday

3pm | Admire a masterpiece

In the shadow of Filippo Brunelleschi’s magnificent dome at the eastern end of Piazza del Duomo, the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo is easy to miss, but it shouldn’t. Discreet, it displays arts created for the cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, and underwent a complete renovation a few years ago. Today, its beautiful and rarely crowded galleries display a remarkable collection of medieval and Renaissance masterpieces. Admire the golden doors of the Baptistery by Lorenzo Ghiberti, the haunting “Penitent Mary Magdalene” carved in wood by Donatello, and a full-scale reproduction of the cathedral’s original, unfinished facade. The most captivating is the luminous “Pietà Bandini”, one of Michelangelo’s last sculptures, whose white marble shines again after a two-year restoration completed in 2021. Tickets start at 15 euros (R$79).

6pm | Enjoy Italian drinks

Stroll through narrow streets in the historic center to Piazza di San Pancrazio, where the aperitivo has just started at Manifattura. At this elegant cocktail bar, the shelves are stocked exclusively with Italian drinks, and the jovial waiters in their crisp white jackets are ready to advise on the menu of inventive creations, all inspired by Italian personalities. A suitable option to try is the Conte Camillo (12 euros, or R$63), a variation on the classic Negroni named after the Florentine count who supposedly invented the drink, replacing the Campari with lesser-known Italian bitters —Bitter Fusetti and Operarossa— and served with taralli crackers and olives.

8:30 pm | Experience the future

Expect something much more interesting than typical Tuscan dishes at Dalla Lola, a small trattoria in Oltrarno opened in 2021 by Matilde Pettini, a fourth-generation chef whose family runs the traditional Trattoria Cammillo a few streets away. Here, the constantly changing handwritten menu is inspired by tradition — but never limited to it. The restaurant embraces foreign flavors — zátar, curry, Sriracha — and reimagines local ingredients, such as the use of lampredotto (a Florentine specialty made from cow’s stomach) accompanied by pasta instead of a panino. The highlights of a meal in this welcoming and cheerful space were the tender beef heart meatballs and a creamy, umami-rich gnocchi with miso. Dessert is a must, and mine was a cup of delicious homemade tiramisu, made with cream seasoned with cardamom. A dinner for two, with wine, costs around 60 euros (R$315).

11pm | Follow the music…

…at Manifattura Tabacchi, an innovative cultural center that flourished on the premises of a former tobacco factory built in the 1930s. After years of neglect, the sprawling industrial complex northwest of the city center is now a prime destination for tobacco festivals. music, art exhibitions, open-air films, evening concerts and parties. Are there no events on the calendar that catch your attention? Your alternative is Vineria Sonora, a cool enoteca that opened a few years ago in Sant’Ambrogio, specializing not only in natural and biodynamic Italian wines —still a rarity in Florence— but also in vinyl records, with DJs playing eclectic sets in a old record player.

---

Saturday

8:30 am | See a different David

Michelangelo’s “David” gets all the attention (and the crowds to match). But those who arrive early at the Museo Nazionale del Bargello, in the historic center, will probably have time almost alone with another mesmerizing “David”: the famous bronze statue of the biblical hero, created by Donatello. It is housed in a large hall filled with Renaissance sculptures on the second floor of the museum, located in a monumental 13th-century fortress with a beautiful stone courtyard and galleries adorned with works of art. Don’t miss the low-relief bronze panels by Brunelleschi and Ghiberti, which sit side by side. They were created in a competition to choose who would design a set of baptistry doors (Ghiberti won), as well as a second David —this one in marble— also by Donatello. Tickets cost 14 euros (R$73) and require advance reservation.

11am | Buy handcrafted products

Florence has long been known for its traditional arts and luxury goods, from silks and silver to leather and perfumes. But to see what modern-era guilds are producing, visit the Florence Factory, an inviting shop dedicated to contemporary Florentine artisans and designers. Located at the eastern end of Via dei Neri, this is the place to find artisanal jewelry, woven bags and handmade leather sandals, as well as clothing made in Tuscany from hand-dyed fabrics and colorful prints from its local landmarks. favourites.

1pm | Choose a panino

Regardless of the filling — prosciutto, burrata, truffles, tripe, lardo or lampredotto — panino is Florentines’ main choice for a quick lunch. Tucked away in a small square in Oltrarno, Schiaccia Passera is a shop that opened last year, with made-to-order sandwiches on fresh, house-baked schiacciata, the thinner, chewier version of Tuscan focaccia. Try La Passera, with Tuscan salami, pecorino and porcini mushroom cream, or the vegetarian La Chiavi, with sun-dried tomatoes, baby artichokes, mushrooms and arugula, accompanied by a house citrus spritz. All for 6 or 7 euros (around R$35) each. It’s just not worth eating on the street, which is prohibited by local laws.

4pm | Recharge with modern art

Sometimes you may need a break — as Stendhal famously did — from all the splendor of the Renaissance era. It’s time to visit the Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi, in the historic center. Yes, it’s a museum in yet another absurdly beautiful Renaissance palazzo, but the contemporary art inside will bring you back to modern times. Past exhibitions have included major retrospectives of international art stars such as Olafur Eliasson and Marina Abramovic. Now on display: Anish Kapoor, a sculptor known for his large-scale abstract installations, which will include a site-specific work in the palazzo’s central courtyard (until February 4, tickets at 15 euros).

8pm | Choose a pizza

Unlike Naples or Rome, Florence has never been known for its pizza. But don’t tell that to the crowds flocking to Pizzeria Giovanni Santarpia, a lively restaurant opened by the pizzaiolo of the same name in 2020. A 10-minute bus ride south of the city center takes you to this lauded spot serving Neapolitan pizzas baked in Wood-fired oven with the highest quality ingredients. Start with the montanarine, soft pillows of fried dough covered with tomato sauce and ricotta salata (7 euros, or R$37). Then choose a pizza, perhaps the Margherita Gialla with yellow Piennolo tomatoes, smoked provola cheese, salted sheep’s milk ricotta and basil (11 euros, R$58) or the spicy carbonara with fior di latte, crispy guanciale, cream of egg and pecorino fonduta (14 euros, R$74).

10pm | Take a night stroll

After dinner, return to the historic center, where the daytime crowds will have thinned, for an evening ‘passeggiata’. Start at La Gelatiera, an artisanal ice cream shop that opened in 2020, serving handcrafted flavors with natural ingredients: almonds from Noto, lemons from Sorrento, hazelnuts from Piedmont, Candonga strawberries. Order a small glass (2.80 euros, around R$15) with two flavors — peach and fig were my favorites at the end of summer — to sip while walking a few blocks to the Duomo. Admire the neo-Gothic marble facade, now illuminated at night, and continue to Piazza della Signoria to stand in awe beneath the imposing illuminated tower of the spectacular Palazzo Vecchio.

---

Sunday

10am | Have something sweet

A coffee and a cornetto at the nearest bar are typical for an Italian breakfast, but on Sundays you need something special. Walk to Pasticceria Buonamici, a family-run artisan bakery and café in the San Frediano neighborhood, to join locals enjoying a creamy cappuccino and cream-filled sfoglia, chocolate-filled brioche, or a traditional budino di riso ( rice pie with pudding). Afterwards, head to the nearby market in Piazza Santo Spirito to explore the stalls selling vintage Italian sunglasses, marbled Florentine stationery, farm-fresh produce, Tuscan pecorino cheese, and fresh taralli.

12pm | Take a walk

Florence is surrounded by hills, so there’s no need to join the crowds climbing the steps to Piazzale Michelangelo to take another photo like everyone else’s. For a different perspective, start at Piazza Torquato Tasso, west of Piazza Santo Spirito. From there, it’s an easy 20-minute walk along Via Villani and Via di Bellosguardo to a beautiful natural viewpoint, where lush vegetation frames a view of terracotta rooftops, bell towers, and ornate cathedrals. Those with energy to burn can continue through the narrow streets that wind through the serene hills to arrive, an hour later, at San Miniato al Monte, a stunning Romanesque basilica with panoramic views of the Tuscan capital.