| | Overview (Source: Frommers) |
Mary McCarthy famously described Florence (Firenze) as a "City of Stone." This assessment digs deeper than merely the fact that the buildings, streets, doorjambs, sidewalks, windowsills, towers, and bridges are all cobbled together in shades of gray, stern rock hewn by generations of the stonecutters Michelangelo grew up with. Florence's stoniness is evident in both its countenance and its character. Florentines often seem more serious and slower to warm to strangers than other Italians. The city's fundamental rhythms are medieval, and it's fiendishly difficult to get beyond the touristy surface and see what really makes Florence tick. Although the historic center is compact, it takes time and effort to get to know it, get the hang of its alleys, and understand the deep history of its palace-lined streets. This guide will equip you with the basic tools (the hammer and chisel, so to speak) you'll need to get under the stony skin of Florence. It breaks down the city layout and neighborhoods and provides useful facts and service information. It also reviews the best hotels and restaurants the city has to offer; you're sure to find something to fit your tastes and your budget. Back to Top Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question befo
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| History (Source: WCities) | Top | The history of Florence stretches back as far as the 8th Century BCE when a primitive settlement lived in the valley, close to the Arno. "Florentia" is recorded as an official Roman colony in 59 BCE and was designed according to the typical Roman road system, which can be seen in many Italian cities today. There are two principal roads: the cardus descends from the Baptistery to Via Roma and continues on to Via Calimala, while the decumanus stretches from via del Corso to via degli Speziali until it reaches via degli Strozzi. The Forum (public meeting place and market) was built at the point where the roads meet, on what is now the Piazza della Repubblica. During Roman rule, Florence was the most important city in Roman Tuscany. Florentia was invaded by numerous tribes in the following centuries: Goths, "Silicone", Ostrogoths and Longobards. Many inhabitants adopted Christianity at the time of the Silicone, and the first churches appeared outside the Roman walls of Florentia: San Lorenzo and Santa Felicita were built during the 4th Century CE and can be visited today. Charlemagne's arrival put an end to the colony's expansion. Buildings were still constructed however, and the Baptistery dates back to this time. The city flourished in the 9th and 10th Centuries, a great deal of money was spent on the construction of many religious buildings, e.g. the Badia Fiorentina . Many public works were undertaken, including the building of the city walls in 1078.
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| How To Get There (Source: Frommers) | Top | Several European airlines are now servicing Florence's expanded Amerigo Vespucci Airport (tel. 055-30-615 for the switchboard, or 055-373-498 for flight updates; 055-306-1700 for national flight info, 055-306-1702 for international flight info; www.aeroporto.firenze.it), also called Peretola, just 5km (3 miles) northwest of town. There are no direct flights to or from the United States, but you can make easy connections through London, Paris, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, and other major European cities. The regularly scheduled city bus no. 62 connects the airport with Piazza della Stazione downtown, taking about 30 minutes and costing 1€ ($1.30). Rather more expensive (4€/$5.20), but without the local stops, is the half-hourly SITA bus to and from downtown's bus station at Via Santa Caterina 15r (tel. 055-214-721, 800-424-500, or 800-373-760), behind the train station. Metered taxis line up outside the airport's arrival terminal and charge a flat, official rate of 15€ ($20) to the city center. The closest major international airport is Pisa's Galileo Galilei Airport (tel. 050/500-707; www.pisa-airport.com), 97km (60 miles) west of Florence. Two to three trains per hour leave the airport for Florence (70-100 min.; 5.40€/$7). If your flight leaves from this airport and you'll be going there by train from Florence, you can check in your baggage and receive your boarding pass at the Air Terminal on Track 5 in Florence's Stazione Santa Maria Novella; show up 30
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| What To Do (Source: WCities) | Top | Although Florence is quite a small city, it is inundated with visitors, ex-pats and students; this is great news if want to have an evening of raucous fun, or if you prefer to follow more cultural pursuits. Visitors and Florentines alike are impressed by the wealth of entertainment that they find on offer here. Cinema Going to the cinema has become an increasingly popular pastime since the mid-1990s, and the number of cinemas has increased to meet the needs of the people in Florence; many of the city's multiplexes have been renovated and reopened. This change in the amount of cinemas that exist has created a climate of “non-stop cinematography" and fewer cinemas close down during the summer months. Florentine cinemas are very varied; there are modern one-screen halls, massive multiplexes and small independent cinemas. The Cecchi Gori Group owns the most cinemas in the city and the majority show general releases and (dubbed) American blockbusters, although the Atelier group makes sure that Art house theatre is kept alive. Atelier have six cinemas that show good quality independent films and directors and actors will often attend previews and answer audience questions. On Wednesdays, prices are reduced and many Florentines go to the movies. However, one of the best times to go to the cinema is during the summer; between the months of June and September: you can watch a new release or one of the previous winter’s "smashes" in the open air, as you sit beneath the star
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| Getting Around (Source: Frommers) | Top | You'll rarely need to use Florence's efficient ATAF bus system (tel. 055-565-0222; www.ataf.net) since the city is so wonderfully compact. Many visitors accustomed to such big cities as Rome step off their arriving train and onto a city bus out of habit, thinking to reach the center; within 5 minutes they find themselves in the suburbs. The cathedral is a mere 5- to 7-minute walk from the train station. Bus tickets cost 1€ ($1.30) and are good for an hour. A four-pack (biglietto multiplo) is 3.90€ ($5.10), a 24-hour pass 4.50€ ($5.85), a 2-day pass 7.60€ ($9.90), a 3-day pass 9.60€ ($12), and a 7-day pass 16€ ($21). Tickets are sold at tabacchi (tobacconists), bars, and most newsstands. Once on board, validate your ticket in the box near the rear door to avoid a steep fine. If you intend to use the bus system, you should pick up a bus map at a tourist office. Since traffic is limited in most of the historic center, buses make runs on principal streets only, save four tiny electric buses that trundle about the centro storico. By Taxi Taxis aren't cheap, and with the city so small and the one-way system forcing drivers to take convoluted routes, they aren't an economical way to get about town. Taxis are most useful to get you and your bags between the train station and your hotel in the virtually busless centro storico. The standard rate is .80€ ($1.05) per kilometer (slightly more than a half-mile), with a whopping minimum fare of 2.40€ ($3.10) to st
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