A visual feast in Florence
With iconic art, authentic cuisine and magnificent architecture, the Renaissance city is a calming, restorative delight
THEY say we live increasingly in the visual age, yet nothing can prepare you for the edifying stimulation of historic Florence. Venice may be more visceral and mercantile, Rome more rich and ostentatious, but Florence is more optimistic and restorative.
Especially in springtime, without selfie sticks, queues, traffic or inattentive waiters. The secret is to surrender, to be transported in time, to sharpen your eyes by looking again and again at all the detail and refinery.
How life-affirming to admire the artistic skill of our forebears and understand the greatness of European culture that started with this Tuscan journey of human confidence, this cradle of the Renaissance that spawned so many artists — as well as Macchiavelli, Dante, Galileo — with her guilds, palazzos, tabernacles, libraries, villas, forts, cloisters and frescoes.
It is not a living museum. The city still breathes but her history is respected.
The Renaissance journey, as with life, starts with the stunning Baptistery. Just imagine baptising your child beneath the echoing hollow, gilded splendour and centuries-old holy breath. From the cupola’s vastness, images expand like unfurling petals with the symmetry broken only for Christ to welcome you into his Church with outstretched arms.
Christians call the area between a baptistry and its church a Paradiso (Paradise), evoking the joy of the baptised crossing to participate in the Eucharist for the first time. The morning Mass in the vast, empty Duomo opposite echoed with its Gregorian chants to joyful and sublime effect beneath Brunelleschi’s towering dome: still the largest brick dome ever constructed.
This magnificent cathedral still dominates the cityscape and is offset by a backdrop of unimpeded skyline before the surrounding hills.
Istayed first at Hotel Savoy, which couldn’t be better located. This iconic 1893 Rocco Forte hotel is super-central, set impressively, with two charming statues bestriding her five fluttering flags in Piazza della Repubblica, right by all the major sights and top shops.
Recently refurbished, the hotel has fabulous finishing on its white paintwork, pale marble and herringbone floors. Of the 80 bedrooms, the best are on the fourth floor, chic yet homely in tranquil colours with exquisite bed linen, furnishings, art and the latest gadgetry. The bathrooms are lined in Carrara marble and stocked with Forte Organics toiletries.
The hotel has art vernissages for local creators with Artist Suites for major artists in residence to sell guests their work.
The ground-floor Irene restaurant, furnished with green felt cushions, has a smart-casual vibe, and uses local and seasonal ingredients. After my fresh insalata Irene, my ribollita was served with sage ravioli and caramelised celery while my organic beef fillet, with sprouts and mash potatoes, came from nearby Mugello and was paired with Verruzzo di Monteverro 2020 Merlot.
My spa treatment, involving an aromatic massage using the chic Officina Profumo Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella products, was held in the hotel’s only twofloor suite. Impressive in every sense, as was every detail of Hotel Savoy.
It’s near the Bargello, a former prison, which houses the iconic androgynous sculpture of Donatello’s David. It’s such a contrast to the resolute version by Michelangelo whose right hand, you must agree, is out of proportion and is housed in the Accademia which, overpriced and overrated, lures unsuspecting tourists. At the Uffizi Gallery, both Botticelli’s Birth of Venus and his Spring froze me in their hold.
When I sat lapping up the holy energy of the monastic cells in San Marco I imagined myself as a medieval monk cocooned and ascetic looking out at the still cypress trees. When the chorus of church bells chimed on the hour I could almost smell the frankincense in the air.
Likewise, moving towards the altar through the columns within Santo Spirito was truly uplifting and gave me a sense of moving closer to heaven.
For an evening meal with the locals and centrally, I have two recommendations. Boccanegra is packed to the rafters with 180 seats divided into three: an osteria, a pizzeria and a fully-fledged restaurant. There are modern art derivations of Matisse and Pissarro and upstairs there’s a romantic loggia and below an impressive ‘cantina’ (wine cellar).
Tuscan meals always begin with a soup or a pasta dish and that Florentine favourite ‘ribollita’ made an appearance again. A thick soup, meaning ‘reboiled’ to benefit the flavour, it’s made of bread and vegetables and white beans and black cabbage and lots of olive oil. An authentic experience and such wholesome, nourishing fayre.
Nearby, by Sant’Ambrogio market and equally popular is Cibrèo, one of Florence’s successful brands comprising a café, trattoria, restaurant, private dining and theatre club. It’s a creation of the legendary Fabio Picchi, who stated ‘to know how to stir-fry, how to make tomato sauce, is like pulling a lever that will slowly but steadily lift you to a better world’. The restaurant’s interior is elegant with old maps beside red seats, yellow walls and dark wood, and felt homely and snug. The menu was truly a sophisticated
melting pot of Tuscan aromas and flavours.
All cities have their golden suburbs and nowhere more than Florence. Indeed they amount to a proper excursion such are the delights of Bellosguardo, perched in the south, where Galileo contemplated the stars and Florence Nightingale was born — hence her Christian name. I got a fabulous view of the city as I walked down through its orchards and past cypresses to reach the city gates.
Fiesole is another suburb reached by a short bus ride north and a healthy walk back down the ancient road past San Domenico Convent.
Here in Piazza Mino, I sat in the sun with much to look out at over lunch at Bistrot Al 5. It’s part of Vetrina Toscana, a regional project promoting restaurants and food producers, and all was homemade from the local farm of co-owners Valerio and Sara who, like many an Italian restaurant, have kept it in the family for several generations. The atmosphere was so relaxing that even the American consul’s bodyguard found himself at ease, off his mobile and with his hands out of his pockets.
After numerous visits it’s my own discoveries that I cherish most. If I find a church door open then I go in as all the museums and most churches offer, behind typically unadorned facades, some masterpiece of craftmanship. I love the pure and harmonious proportions of The Pazzi Chapel — so serene, so empty, so simple in blue, white and grey colours and beside the so magically silent second cloister of Santa Croce.
In the Palazzo Vecchio’s arcaded courtyard, I love the small figure topping the porphyry fountain which governs the whole central area surrounded by robust columns. Within the Opera del Duomo Museum, I adore the accompanying choral music and bells tolling outside: so spiritual and calming.
I can offer one or two unusual suggestions. When you’re at the Uffizi, go backwards — ie to the top floor and work your way down — to ease the flow and reduce the impact of the early rooms. Spot the boats emanating from the rowing club underneath too.
When on the Ponte Vecchio, try and spot the secret passage that crosses the river above the shops: it was designed for Cosimo I to move unnoticed between his two palaces, Vecchio and Pitti. And when in the Piazza della Signoria look up at the extraordinary outdoor spiral staircase right at the top of the Palazzo Vecchio.
Now 18 months old and tucked away down a narrow side street in the city centre is Ristorante San Paolino. German-owned and belonging to the 25hours Hotels — because they claim ‘24 hours is not enough — it’s housed beneath a vast glass cupola with aluminium pipes reminiscent of Paris’s Centre Pompidou. Here the vibe is open-minded, informal and convivial with the stated aim of ‘come as you are’.
The young, hip clientele hide among the magical, tall, potted plants. With only fresh, local produce on offer I loved my grilled chicken, grilled food being a vital component of Tuscan cooking. The portions are generous and fairly-priced.
The other young and trendy restaurant I strongly recommend is a minute’s walk from San Lorenzo. Called La Ménagère, it’s a restaurant within a concept store. Sit in the library area among books on design and gardens, on the chef’s table near the grand piano.
Those being served in the outside ‘loggiata’ with its floral-patterned wall are the envy of those still waiting to be seated. A top spot for brunch as I felt inspired by my marinated tuna ceviche, and my broccoli, avocado, ginger sauce and tenkasu. What a fabulous, light and breezy menu to accompany the vibe.
Then it was time to go on a shopping spree. For unusual shopping, I recommend Ricceri Giuliano in Via dei Conti for ceramics and Fabio Innocenti in the Piazza dei Ciompi for antiques. Try Occasioni Musicali on Via dell’Oriuolo for pop memorabilia and vintage rarities. If you’re there for the last Sunday of the month, go to Piazza Sant’ Ambrogio and hunt a bric-a-brac bargain.
Try Galleria d’Arte Pietro Bazzanti e Figlio on Lungarno Corsini for your very own sculpture: it’s on a stretch along the Lungarno now mercifully free of traffic and by Harry’s Bar, the perfect spot for lunch among a stylish crowd, doubtless reliving this former favourite of Paul Newman and Elizabeth Taylor.
The liveried staff were super-attentive, serving with dignified aplomb. The traditional interior had dark wood offset by pink tablecloths and here, after the signature Bellini cocktail, I enjoyed my onion soup ‘French-style’ with gruyere crouton followed by slowlycooked codfish with artichokes. Truly restorative.
Like the Pitti Palace, but proudly overlooking the Arno, with another glorious ‘enfilade’ adorned with rich paintings is Palazzo Corsini, a golden yellow baroque edifice kept up to her former glory. Another to vie for river prowess is the Ferragamo family, whose Lungarno Collection has four hotels around the Ponte Vecchio. One is called Hotel Lungarno.
Behind it, on the south side, is the Oltrarno area with its pizzettas, cobbled lanes and bottegas (workshops) alive with artisans at work. But the frontage is literally positioned over and above the river and has inspired, in true chic and exquisite taste, the most fantastic of concepts: life both ashore and aboard. The smart cream and navyblue décor is convincingly nautical: so Italian is this acutely sensitive aesthetic to its setting.
Most of the 65 rooms have river views and from my balcony I rose from my refined linen and matelot-style pillows to open the sail-like curtains and watch the earlymorning scudders exercise along the Arno. The hotel is pet-friendly and can house cars. I eagerly await the renovated Borgo San Jacopo restaurant, which quietly boasts an original early Picasso drawing. A quintessentially boutique hotel with an acutely aquatic twist.
What a view through the wide windows of Caffè dell’Oro, a restaurant of the Lungarno Collection named after the goldsmiths who once worked on the Ponte Vecchio literally 50 yards away. Very much upgraded from a café, this modern restaurant has a clean, contemporary interior with olivegreen seats, purple chairs, soft lighting and golden tableware. On the terrace, the long banquettes are snapped up by a strongly east coast clientele. My Asian fusion dinner comprised avocado tartar then vegan madras curry with cauliflower steak, raisins, cashews, carrot and port sauce.
Time for the most serene of strolls along the river Arno reflecting vividly from the moonlight the rows of buildings. I passed both weirs which were a continuation of the defensive city wall in the riverbed once preventing enemy ships. What a divine way to end an evening: safe, devoid of cars, and at a lovely pace.
So eminently comfortable after my walk to settle upstairs from the Caffè dell’Oro at Portrait Firenze. Another in the Lungarno Collection, it’s a stunning set of suites overlooking the Ponte Vecchio on the north bank. This hotel felt somewhat more grounded and modern with framed prints of film stars, contemporary artefacts and vases of lilies.
Discreet and private, beautifully styled and unashamedly luxurious, the finishing is exquisite with chrome fittings and lacquered cupboards. Most of the 37 suites have a river — indeed, a Ponte Vecchio — view.
I strongly recommend Destination Florence as the official marketplace of the City of Florence. I got into an impressive and progressive performance art at Theatro della Pergola with its surrounding boxes on many levels — resembling Milan’s la Scala — and a fascinating Escher exhibition nearby. It’s vital to do your research before you go for opening times of the churches and museums. Go to a Gregorian chant in Latin at San Miniato at 5.30pm.
More in keeping with Florence’s spirit is to walk everywhere, rather than take taxis, which are extravagant at €40 for 15 minutes.
I must go back whenever — but soon.