Greetings,

Giotto found the kindling. Fra Angelico, Brunelleschi and Donatello built the fire. Masaccio and Verrocchio struck the match, while Leonardo, Michelangelo, Botticelli and Raphael threw on gasoline – the result was the greatest blaze of art the world has ever seen. Dour and medieval from the outside, Florence is so steeped in the fabulous Renaissance that it’s easy to forget she’s actually rather a stylish little kitten. So go on then, get art and about...

Overview

Exquisitely walkable, Florence is divided nicely down the middle by the Arno River, the north side of which is home to most of the main monuments and museums: the Uffizi, tourist-swamped Ponte Vecchio and Centro Storico at dead centre; Santa Maria Novella (SMN) and label-land Via Tornabuoni to the west; the Duomo and San Marco to the north; and Santa Croce east. South of the Arno, Oltrarno is Flo’s rive gauche, packed with artisan shops and atmos.

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The best times to visit are early spring and late fall; July roasts and the city heaves; August most of the city shuts and the coachload legions arrive en masse; mid-Jan / mid-Jun marks Pitti Uomo, Flo’s bi-annual men’s fash fest – fab for peep watching, drab for res securing Peretola airport to Centro : 25 mins / € 20 Stilettos + cobbled streets = broken ankles Taxis are a yawny off-white and CANNOT be hailed on the street. Try designated ranks or simply call for one (see Very Useful for both). Note: locals rarely tip drivers Address numbers are defined by colour; red (rosso) + ‘r’ for shops and restaurants eg. 29r; and black (nero) for residential; thus 28r and 30 will confusingly not necessarily be located next to each other Currency = the euro Restaurants and services tend to close on Sunday, and almost all museums are closed on Monday Book well ahead for the city’s best tables, service is usually included, but it’s sweet to add 5% anyway All indoor restaurants and bars are non-smoking Coffee etiquette : caffe/espresso is a single shot, doppio is a double shot, Americano is a long black Artisans and most small shops close from 1-3.30pm, all day Sunday and on Monday mornings too Purchasing rip-off handbags from the masses of street hawkers can land you with a € 10,000 fine The int’l dialling code for Italy is +39, all local calls are prefixed 055, Italian mobiles all start with 3 Police dial 112, Ambulance dial 118

You will only need the following Italian phrases...

Ciao belloccia (f) / belloccio (m): Hello, gorgeous Buon giorno / Buona sera : Good morn / afternoon/eve Buona notte : Good night / goodbye Per favore / Grazie / Prego : Please / Ta / You’re welcome Non dire bischerate! : Yeah? And I’m Sophia Loren...

...Vien via, andiamo