Visits Off the Beaten Path in Florence

Looking for a place to enjoy a lovely picnic outside of the city, then head up to the fort on the hill overlooking Florence. On the San Giorgio hill in the Oltrarno neighborhood of this historic city sits a lovely area that is free to visitors. Forte di Belvedere (also known as Forte di San Giorgio) was recently reopened for visits, and is a wonderful spot that a lot of tourists miss.

Built in the 16th century, this fort was commissioned by the duke Ferdinando I, and served as an actual fortification against attacks. Having degraded in appearance for centuries, the fort went through a big renovation in the 1950s and is quite a unique place to see. Because of it's position on a hill, but still relatively close distance from the city center, the view here is spectacular and gives one a sense of being almost on top of the action.

Besides the stone-walled fort, there's also a "Palazzina" (small palace) which was designed by the architect Buontalenti, and housed the duke's fine possessions. today it serves as a center for various art exhibitions. The palace sits inside the star-shaped fort walls and can be visited as well. There is a small information stand with employees on duty during opening hours.

During the warmer months, there are periodic cultural events that take place on the grounds here, which can be found by checking our multiple event calendars from the city. You can enter the Forte on the hill side overlooking the Arno through almost a back way from the Giardino di Boboli (this garden is a great visit, and requires an entrance fee).

This is definitely a wonderful off-the-beaten-path excursion for a visit to Florence, and a great place to bring a blanket, a packed lunch from one of the many markets in the city, and enjoy a picnic on historical grounds overlooking the Tuscan hillside and one of the best views of the Renaissance city.

• Via St Leonardo
• Bus 3, 11, 15, 31, 32, 36, 37
• Open daily 9am - 8pm (summer), 9am - 6pm (winter)
• Free Admission

Just a block away from the main train station in Florence, Italy is a wonderful gem of a place that reeks of history, magic, and a sense of timelessness. I use the words "reek" and "sense" very specifically, because to me it's one of the olfactory pleasures of the city. The "Officina Profumo Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella" is more of a museum today than what we think of as a modern "pharmacy", but it's named from the adjoining church of Santa Maria Novella, and offers one of the most unique looks into the medicine and luxuries of centuries gone by.

One of the oldest pharmacies in the world, the SMN Profumo was begun by the Dominican monks who began mixing herbal remedies here in 1381. By the 16th century, a full-fledged apothecary and pharmacy was opened and the original machinery and recipes are preserved in the entry hall. The old concoctions from the monks are still used and the products, from herbal liqueurs, soaps, incense, teas, lotions, and perfumes still contain the flowers and herbs from the hills surrounding the city.

Located on Via della Scala, it's easy for one to overlook the entrance without a second glance. But if you happen to pass when the door is open, you'll invariably get a whiff of aromatic wonder. Step into the lobby and entrance hall and you'll know you've entered someplace special. Velvet ropes lie along the outer walls and specific cases, definitely giving you the sense of a museum, but visitors can still shop here and purchase the perfumes and herbal mixes made from the ancient recipes.

Whenever I've taken the time to walk inside and mill around, I never want to leave because the aroma is so overwhelming and relaxing. If you have some time and want to bring back some extraordinary souvenirs, check out this amazing "pharmacy".

• http://www.smnovella.it/
• Via della Scala 16
• (39) 055 21 62 76
• Bus: 11, 36, 37, A
• Free admission

During our year of living in Florence, Italy, there was a lovely palace in the heart of town that I'd always make a point to walk through to see what was going on. The Palazzo Strozzi is a historical landmark in the city, and now serves as home to many unique art exhibitions throughout the year. There's also a wonderful cafe inside to enjoy a coffee or small lunch. Or as the front and back entrance link two of Florence's main streets in the center, it's a great place just to pass through on a stroll through town.

Commissioned by Filippo Strozzi in 1489, this stunning palace was never completely finished although it served as a residence for some time. The exterior of the building immediately stands out as you pass the small Piazza Strozzi with its highly exaggerated rustic stone facade and steel embellishments. Notice the old torch holders as well as the large steel loops which were used to tie up horses. Also, there's a stone platform around the outside which many passerbys use as a bench now, but once served the purpose of a stool for those climbing up to their horses.


Located just one block behind the famous Piazza della Repubblica and just off Via Tournabuoni, during opening hours a stroll through the open courtyard is always free and worth seeing the interior architecture and stunning, peaceful space inside. Most art exhibitions are held within the rooms and require an entrance fee, but most shows also house a mini "sample" exhibition in the courtyard as well to entice visitors inside.

The cafe is a wonderful stop where I made regular dates with friends for a morning or afternoon coffee break. It's a branch site of the main Caffe' Giacosa which sits only a block away. This is a venture of the famed Florentine fashion designer, Roberto Cavalli, and offers high quality pastries and espresso in a nice atmosphere.

Many times I'd be walking by and see banners outside hailing the current exhibitions so I'd take a quick peek inside, or other times I'd see fun displays through the open doors from the sidewalk and stop to look. If you're passing through Florence, this is a great place to check out and learn about, especially for history and art lovers!

• http://www.palazzostrozzi.org/
• Piazza Strozzi, 1
• Bus stops: Piazza del Duomo, Via Tornabuoni
• Open Mon - Fri 9am - 1pm, 2pm - 6pm
• Free admission to palace (exhibition fees vary)

For a very unique experience during a visit to Florence, there is a somewhat strange place to go to see the city from below...from the center of the Arno River. Several times while we lived in Florence, I'd noticed this dam-type thing in the western end of the river. You don't really notice it as easily walking west towards the Cascine Park at the edge of the city, but once after visiting the park and walking back east along Lungarno Amerigo Vespucci (the large avenue running along with the Arno River), this dam was very noticeable and quite interesting.

Come to find out, it's really a "spillway" called Pescaia di Santa Rosa, and is one of many along the River Arno (the other nearest is up river in the San Niccolo area). This one crosses the river at the San Frediano neighborhood in the Oltrarno district and the far side of the bridge "Ponte Vespucci". These spillways were used to keep a continuous supply of water to the mills along the river in times of drought. During the low tides, this area changes to be somewhat a "secret" place for locals and some tourists who know about it...

On one Sunday afternoon we took a long walk around town and ended up in the northwest part of the center along the Arno. We stopped in the Ognissanti church to see the beautiful ceiling painting, and after milling around for about 5 minutes inside, we headed back into the beautiful evening of super clear skies. The bridge directly in front of this church is the Ponte Vespucci which crosses over the spillway. It was surprising to see that during the evening, the water level was lower and a handful of people were walking along the edge of the dam. From down the sidewalk on the high side of the river, it looked like people were walking on water, but when we walked to the north side, it was easy to see how everyone made it down. Even a couple of motorini (scooters) were on the dry embankment. We had brought our text books on our walk in case we found a nice place to study - so we figured that the middle of the river was just as a good place as any - and probably much quieter than the bustling streets.

We crossed to the other side of the river on the bridge and then hopped over a wall and climbed down. Where we climbed down was the old remnants of the city walls and the Santa Rosa Tower. It was strange being able to look straight up the river from the center of it (at water level) and not be on a boat. We studied for about 30 minutes and then left as the sun went down. We walked back up the more gradual ascent of a small path that the scooters take which leads back to the street a little further up river. When we reached the street level again and looked down, we saw the water just begin to spill over the middle section.

So, if you'd like a very off-the-beaten-path...check out this spillway during low tide and maybe bring a picnic, good book, and definitely your camera!

Looking for a place to spend a somewhat "regular" date-night while you're in Florence? Maybe like dinner + a movie? Well, of course to the traveler, nothing is really "regular" in this stunning Renaissance town, but everything has a special Italian flair. First pick out one of the mouthwatering restaurants, enjoy a Tuscan meal over candlelight, and then head over to the beautiful Odeon Cinema.

Just behind the famous Piazza della Repubblica in the heart of the city center, is Piazza Strozzi where this lovely movie house resides. The first time I'd heard of it was through some fellow American expats, who said they love it because it plays not only the latest Italian movies, but also a handful of the new released American films as well...in original language. Because Florence is so full of American students, and English-speaking visitors and expats, it only makes sense that a cinema started to cater to this audience. Every Monday (and sometimes on Tuesdays and Thursdays as well), the theater shows brand new original language releases. At first I thought they'd be showing older films, but mostly they showed films which had just been released in the US!

Besides it being great to have a place to enjoy films, the building itself is a remarkable setting. The old theatre, which was built in 1462 as a smaller palace of the Palazzo Strozzi next door, this building was renovated in the early 20th century and opened as a cinema in 1922. When you walk inside, you feel as if you've stepped back into a glamourous time in the past...with heavy red velvet curtains, marble sculptures, and original tapestries in the lobby, and then a huge stained glass dome in the ceiling of the theatre with padded velvet seats.

There is a full snack bar in the lobby and even an intermission time in each film as is customary in Italy...so you can stock up again on some chocolate and soda. Most films show around four times throughout the evening (usually start times run between 4pm and 10pm), and the price is comparable around 6-8 euros. There are a few hip bars just outside the theatre to enjoy a late night out afterwards, including Yab and Colle Bereto.

• http://www.cinehall.it/
• Piazza Strozzi
• Bus stop: Vecchietti (6B)
• +39 055 21 40 68