The Other Side of Florence

The apartment, which we booked through the InterHome, is in historic old town, in a wonderful position to explore Florence on foot. Ponte Vecchio, Piazza Pitti and the Boboli Gardens are approx. 100 m away. It takes 5 to 7 minutes’ walk to reach Piazza della Signoria or Galleria degli Uffizi. Access to the apartment from Via Guicciardini is through a courtyard which has one of the best ceramic shops in Florence. Here also you will find a memorial plate informing that Niccolo Machiavelli lived here.

In the building there is a miniscule lift. The one-bedroom apartment has been renovated and furnished in Tuscany country style. The large windows of the living rooms overlook the characteristic courtyard making this quiet apartment very luminous. You will find a double bed in the master bedroom, another reclining bed in the living room, kitchen with small fridge, four hotplates, and microwave. Shower is rather small, there is also bidet and WC. From the bedroom and hall there is access to a narrow balcony overlooking the internal courtyard.

A typical Florentine restaurant - small and friendly. Lunch euro 12 – 15. Dinner from euro 19. It offers good beef with tomato and buffalo mozzarella; also serves great soups and pastas. The food is delicious. Everything here is extremely fresh.

Eating in an osteria, you don't have to eat a full meal, and there is plenty of choice between snacks and more substantial dishes.

The Osteria also offers specials (first course + second course + side dish + fruit and drinks) from euro 19.

Next to Ponte Vecchio, across the Borgo San Jacopo is a fountain of Bacchus and a Roman sarcophagus. Via Guiccardini where we stayed for a week, starts here. The Guicciardini street (ex-Volterana because it leads to the town called Voltera) runs from the Ponte Vecchio towards Piazza Pitti. This narrow picturesque street is one of the busiest in Florence but the shops provide interesting possibilities for the Florence visitors. At the end of the road at No.15 is Palazzo Guicciardini, residence of Luidgi di Piero Guicciardini, Godfalonier of Justice. Famous historian and writer Francesco Guicciardini was born here in 1483. Francesco wrote here History of Italy in 1530. The courtyard and garden (1620) can be seen through the grille. Casa Campiglio in our courtyard was the house where Machiavelli lived and died in 1527. Dostoewski wrote "The Idiot" while living at No. 21, Piazza Pitti. In the beginning of the street, on the left opens Piazza Santa Felicita with a granite column (1381) which marks the site of the first Christian cemetery in Florence. The Greek merchants settled here in 2nd century and introduced Christianity to the city. Here is Santa Felìcita (Mon–Sat 9am–noon & 3–6pm, Sun 10–11am & noon–1pm), probably the oldest church in Florence (or second oldest after San Lorenzo). The 1st church was built here in the 4th century, and restructured in the 11th and the 14th centuries. The interior has a single nave with pilasters that frame the side chapels. Between 1736 and 1739 Ferdinando Ruggieri restructured it yet again, though he preserved the portico done by Vasari. Brunelleschi designed the Cappella Capponi for the Barbadori family (inside, 1st on the right). In the 16th century it became the Medici chapel. The church worth a visit for the famous Pontormo’s paintings (The Deposition and The Annunciation).

The direct route from the city center to the heart of Oltrarno crosses the river on the Ponte Vecchio, the most famous bridge over the Arno River. The Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge) is to Florence what the Tower Bridge is to London. Original bridge was built near the site of the Roman crossing, which was farther upstream. It was built in 1345 to replace an earlier bridge that was swept away by flood, and its shops housed first butchers, then grocers, blacksmiths, butchers, fishmongers and tanners. Ponte Vecchio was the only bridge until 1218. When Cosimo moved to the Pitti palace, Vasari was commissioned to link the Uffizi with the palace. In 1565 he built the Corridoio Vasariano constructed as a private passageway over the arcades. In 1593 Grand Duke Ferdinando I ejected the butchers and installed goldsmiths and jewelers instead. The bridge is crammed with sightseers and shoppers during the day; in the evening the local guys and tourists alike hang around the bust of Cellini in the middle of the bridge.

To the right of the charming Piazza Demidoff is a public garden called the Demidoff Gardini, with a statue covered by a Victorian glass canopy - monument to Nicolo Demidoff, Russian Ambassador in Tuscany. This square was dedicated to the Russian noble Nikolaj Demidoff (1773 – 1828). The Italians converted his Russian first name to the familiar Nicolo. Count Demidoff had been ambassador in Florence in the years 1820 - 1828 and lived in the palazzo Serristori (16th C) at the side of the square; during these years Demidoff was a great benefactor for the city and financed several school and assistance institutes. In 1870 the heirs of Demidoff donated to the City of Florence the marble monument (a work by Lorenzo Bartolini) portraying Nicolo as benefactor, with children and allegorical figures of the virtues around. In origin the cast iron and glass covering was not present: it was added in 1911,when the sculpture proved to have been damaged by weather inclemency. Several generations of the Demidoff family lived in Tuscany, an independent state at the time. Anatoli Demidoff (1813 – 1870), the Count’s son, lived nearby, at 54, Via San Niccolo. He married Princess Mathilde Bonaparte and became first Prince of the Principality of San Donato. This small Principality was located in what is now greater Florence and included the Villa Pratolino, originally a Medici Palatial Estate. Though the original villa had been lost, what was left of the estate and grounds were preserved today thanks to Prince Paul (1839 – 1885), second Prince of San Donato. But let’s go back to the Piazza Demidoff. At the rear corners of the Demidoff garden are still to be seen two perfectly maintained small shelters which were used by the gardeners as the tool stores. Many of them were built in the gardens and squares of Florence at the beginning of 20th century, but they were all demolished in later periods: those in Piazza Demidoff are the only two survived until now.

From the back of Piazza San Felìcita, the narrow lane Costa San Giorgio winds up the hill towards Forte di Belvedere. At the fork with Costa Ascarpuccia (a beautiful road which leads downhill to Via de Bardi) is the church of San Giorgio Sulla Costa. The Baroque interior is one of the best in Florence. The altarpieces are by Redi, Vignali and Passignano, on the ceiling the Glory of Saint George. Further up the Costa San Giorgio at #19 is the villa purchased by Gallileo for his son. Here Ferdinando II visited the great scientist in 1620. Gallileo himself lived from 1610 – 31 farther along the road. Alternatively, from the foot of Ponte Vecchio you can pass beneath the Corridoio Vasariano and follow up Via dei’ Bardi. On the left of the street at No.36 is Capponi delle Rovinate with remarkable courtyard. At No 24 is the little church of Santa Lucia dei Magnoli. Via dei’ Bardi ends at Piazza dei Mozzi. At Piazza Mozzi No.1 stands the large Palazzo Bardini (1883) which houses Museo Bardini now. The Mozzi, like the Bardi, were one of the richest Florence families in the 13th century; they lost their wealth in the 14th century.

From the bronze fountain on the corner of Via Guiccardini walk westwards along Borgo San Jacopo, an ancient road 1st mentioned in 1182. On the corner of pretty Via Toscanella, Torre Marsili di Borgo is a fine tower-house. Nearby is second tower, Torre dei Rossi Cerchi. Piazza Angiolieri next to the hotel offers fantastic view if the Ponte Vecchio. On the right is the church of Santo Jacopo Sopr’ Arno. Its 11th century portico was transported here from the demolished church of San Donato a Scorpeto. Inside the Baroque interior and Romanesque columns. The church is used for concerts and exhibitions. Borgo San Jacopo brings you to the Piazza Frescobaldi with a pretty fountain on the corner designed by Buontalenti (16th C). The Palazzo Frescobaldi (13th C) was reconstructed in the 17th century. You can visit the palace’s court yard at No.17 (view of Santo Spirito, statue of Pan, lawn with azaleas and a cozy bench). French Prince Charles Valois stayed in the Palazzo Frescobaldi in 1301.

Via Maggio is the principal street of Olrtarno (it actually means the Main St). It was open after Ponte Santa Trinita was built (1253) and became fashionable street after grand-dukes moved to Palazzo Pitti (16th century). Palazzo Riscardi at No.7 is the largest palace (15C). It has fine courtyard. On the right is Palazzo Bianca Cappello at No.26, built by Francesco I for the Venetian girl. She was first his mistress and afterwards his wife. Continuing a stroll east on Via Mazzetta, one arrives shortly at Piazza San Felice, just off a corner of the vast Pitti Palace. Between 3pm and 5pm, a visit can be made to the apartment of poets Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning, Florence’s one of the most famous exiles (or two?). Ring the bell at Casa Guidi (8, Piazza San Felice), and once inside, enjoy the romantic atmosphere of the couple’s home, furnished with the mid-1800s furniture.

Porta San Feridano (1324) and the adjoining stretch of the wall are one of the best preserved parts of the fortifications. The gate protected the road to Pisa. It preserves interesting ironwork and huge wooden doors. High up on the tower is the emblem of the city. Via Romana, one of the most important streets of the Oltrrarno, leads to the Porta Romana, a well-preserved gate (1237). Porta San Giorgio (St George Gate) is at the end of the Costa di San Giorgio. The gate was built in 1260 and is the oldest gate to survive. The fresco within the arch is the Virgin and St George. On the other side is a carving of St George fighting the dragon. Pretty Porta San Miniato (14th century), a small arch in the wall, is at the end of Via San Miniato. Massive Porta San Niccolo (1324) is at the end of Via San Niccolo. Its high tower remains intact. The staircase leads to the top.

Five centuries BC, during Etruscan times, fortified hilltown Fesole was the only settlement in the area (8km from the present day Florence). First settlement on the banks of the Arno River was founded as a colony of the Etruscan city of Fiesole in about 200 BC when the Romans spanned the Arno River with a bridge. It was built on the foot of the hill of San Giorgio but destroyed in 82 BC during the Roman civil wars. The Roman colony was established here again in 59 BC. A new town arose on the north bank, peopled not only by natives from the area but also by retired veterans from the Cesar’s legions. Piazza del Republica was the old Forum and Via degli Strozzi its main street called then the Decumamus Maximus. Around 3rd century AD the city’s population had reached about 10,000. The inhabitants surrounded the town by first circle of walls and called it Florentia. Speculations connected the city's name to the Latin for the Flowery meadow on which the town was built, or from the word florens , meaning to flourish. Or it may have derived from the Ludi Floreales, the spring games held to honor the goddess Flora. Later in the Middle ages it became Fiorenza (after Latin fiorente) and then Firenze. In 1001, the Margrave Ugo transferred the region’s capital from Lucca to Florence. In 1078 Countess Mathilda of Tuscia supervised the construction of new fortifications, and in the year of her death (1115) granted Florence the status of an independent city. The city became a free comune and by 1138 twelve consuls, assisted by the Council of One Hundred, ruled it. Around 1200, the first Arti (Guilds) were formed to promote the interests of traders and bankers in the face of conflict between the pro-imperial Ghibelline faction and the pro-papal Guelphs. The florin, 1st minted in silver in 1325, and soon after in gold, was used as common currency across Europe. The political rise of Cosimo de' Medici, later dubbed Cosimo il Vecchio ("the Old"), was to some extent due to his family's sympathies with the smaller guilds. Legend claims that the Medici family were descended from Averado, a Carolingian knight. He killed a giant in a battle near Florence. During the fight his shield received 6 blows from the giant’s mace. Charlemagne allowed Averado to represent the dents as red balls on his coat of arms. Others say the balls has been exalted origins – they were cupping glasses recalling the family’s origins as doctors (medici). The Medici fortune had been made by the banking prowess of Cosimo's father, Giovanni Bicci de' Medici who became banker to the Pope, and Cosimo used the power conferred by wealth very well. Through his patronage of such figures as Brunelleschi and Donatello, Florence became the center of artistic activity in Italy. You know the rest of the story.