Casa Nuestra : V i a l e d e i M i l l e , 8 Lunch Trattoria da Mario - Via Rosina, 2. Only Lunch. A legendary, family run place in Florence.

Better go around 12.00 , probably have to share the table with other people! Excellent quality food! Huge portions ! More than reasonable prices! Bus 17. Closed on Sundays. Banco Perini Tuscany Specialities - Inside Mercato Centrale (open until 13.30) Famous for it's ''salumeria'' . 3,50 euro for a Panino ( it's enough even for Francesco ) and 1.50euro for a glass of wine to accompany it. ( open until 13.30, closed on Sundays ). Bus 17. Trattoria il Contadino - Via Palazzuolo, 71/r Tel:055/2382673 055/2382673. A simple , cosy place, not known to tourists. Fixed menu at 9.50 including a complete meal. Near by the church of Smn, Bus 17. Lunch and Dinner. Closed on Sundays Trattoria la Casalinga - Via dei Michelozzi, 9/r Tel: 055/218624 055/218624. Next to the church of Santo Spirito, homey atmosphere, typical Tuscany kitchen, huge portions! Bus 11. Lunch and Dinner. Closed on Sundays! Dinner CLOSER to us (100mt): Restaurant da Gaetano - Via Manfredo Fanti, 5. Homely atmosphere and friendly service. Good and cheap menu! Near by the church of Smn. Bus 17. Closed on Mondays! Strapizzami - Via dei 7 Santi, 29/r. In front of the bus stop coming back from the center, a delicious pizza with natural ingredients. In the CENTER: I' Latini - Via dei Palchetti, 6/r Tel: 055/210916 055/210916.Famous for their meat quality! Better reserve! Near by the church of Smn. Bus 17. Closed on Mondays! Perseus - Viale Giovanni Don Minzoni, 10/r Tel: 055/588226 055/588226.The absolute bistecca fiorentina (T-bone steck). Not cheap but worth it! Next to the square of Libert. Bus 17. Closed on Sundays. Trattoria la Casalinga - Via dei Michelozzi, 9/r Tel: 055/218624 055/218624. Next to the church of Santo Spirito, homey atmosphere, typical Tuscany kitchen, huge portions! Bus 11. Lunch and Dinner. Closed on Sundays! FIESOLE: Vinandro - Piazza Mino, 33 - Fiesole - Tel: 055/59121 055/59121.In the main square of Fiesole. Traditional Florentine atmosphere and kitchen! Bus 7. Closed on Sundays. Gelato An Ice-Cream (Gelato)...an Italian History: Ice cream probably evolved from chilled wines and other iced beverages. In the fourth century before Christ, Alexander the Great was reputed to be fond of iced beverages. From ancient records, it is learned that in 62 A.D., the Roman Emperor, Nero, sent fleets of slaves to the mountains of the Apennines to fetch snow and ice which were then flavored with nectar, fruit pulp and honey. Water ices are said to

have been eaten throughout Asia for thousands of years. In addition, iced dairy products have been cited in ancient Chinese literature as early as the 12th century. Traders and adventurers such as the 13th century bard and adventurer, Marco Polo, brought recipes for water ices to Europe from the Far East. When Catherine de Medici...(continue) Where you can taste it near to us: Gelateria Badiani - Viale dei Mille 20/r (Ice-cream) Gelateria Conti - Viale dei Mille 1A/r. Just in front of us! Try wheat flavor! In the CENTER: Gelateria de' Neri - Via de' Neri. Few meters on the right side of the street from the Santa Croce Square. Delicious! Aperitif Aperitive ( from 18.30 to 20.30 ) or for a later drink: CLOSER to us : Pinar - Via Pier Fortunato Calvi, 5/r. Very close to us, an authentic place, with a Cuban atmosphere. Fresh fish meals for dinner Chiosco di P.zza Savonarola - P.zza Savonarola. Very close to us (3min with 17 bus that stop there), in an authentic florentine aerea, a real kiosk with southamerican music, in the middle of the square. Light aperitive and goodest florence "mojitos"!!! In the CENTER: Sei Divino - Via Borgo Ognissanti , 42r. Nice environment, excellent quality dishes, that you could taste , sipping a drink ( 6euro ). You only have to pay for your drink! Pop Caf - Piazza S. Spirito, 18/r.Young and multiethnic enviroment in one of the most ancient square! La Cit - Borgo San Frdiano, 20/r. A library, a coffe bar, a music place, free wireless, a meeting place for cultural or alternative days. Capocaccia - Lungarno Corsini, 12. On-street posing is the name of the game, various beauties in black Versace out to attract stares from men in Armani sipping Camparis and sodas nearby. Everyone wears designer shades and the whole scene looks like something out of La Dolce Vita. Bevovino - Via San Niccol, 59/r. Sounds great and it's perfect to have a dinner in a hide corner of old Florence, good food and a big choise of red and white wine complete the offer! Markets: San Lorenzo Market - San Lorenzo Church In the heart of the city centre, where you can buy souvenirs, clothing items and bags. In the two-floor covered market, a beautiful Liberty-style iron and glass structure, visitors can find a wide range of foods and groceries. Sant'Ambrogio Market - Piazza Sant'Ambrogio Sant'Ambrogio, also housed in a masonry structure dating to the second half of the 19th century and covered with an iron and cast-iron pavilion. Grocers and butchers are in the covered area, while fruit, vegetables, clothing and household products are sold under the canopy outside. For More Information : Info Tourists - Check on Florence Tourist Office Website. Parking Facilities : Free Parking in front of the Stadium - Viale Paoli Bus Ticket : Newspaper Kiosk - Viale dei Mille, next to the 17 Bus Stop

http://www.firenzeturismo.it/ Visit Florence in 24 hours : 24 hours in Florence: the city is worth rather more, but you can at least get some idea of it. With a single day at your disposal you will want to see the chief monuments and walk around the heart of the city centre. You start with Piazza del Duomo, facing the cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, begun by Arnolfo di Cambio in 1296 but only in 1436 crowned with the masterpiece of Filippo Brunelleschi. His Cupola (dome) is the symbol of Florence, a daring and majestic structure from the top of which you will get a wonderful panoramic view of the city, and also of the interior of the cathedral. Beside the faade stands another giant, Giottos campanile (bell tower), slender and many-coloured, also affording a fine view if the city. Opposite the faade of the Duomo is the more ancient Baptistery of St John, with its famous bronze doors by Ghiberti and Andrea Pisano. If you follow the animated Via dei Calzaiuoli you soon reach Piazza della Signoria, the political heart of Florence. Here rises the late 13th-century Palazzo della Signoria or Palazzo Vecchio, which is the seat of the Commune of Florence as well as being a museum. Entering the inner courtyard you will notice the fountain of the putto by Verrochio and frescoes by Vasari. Flanking the piazza is the 14th-century Loggia dei Lanzi, in which there are such world-renowned statues as Benvenuto Cellinis Perseus and the Rape of the Sabines by Giambologna. Adjoining Palazzo Vecchio is the imposing pile of the Uffizi, designed by Vasari in the 16th century as the seat of the Chancellery of the ruling Medici family, and now one of the most important museums in the world. The Gallery houses paintings ranging from the primitives (Cimabue, Giotto) to the Mannerist period, and is a complete compendium of Renaissance painting including works by Botticelli, Filippo Lippi, Paolo Uccello, Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. A visit to the Gallery requires several hours, so if you do not have the time continue on foot towards the nearby Ponte Vecchio. One of the symbols of the city, the bridge has survived the ravages of war and the flooding of the Arno, and ever since 1500 has been home to famous

goldsmiths shops. After crossing the bridge you are in Oltrarno, beyond the Arno, a very important matter in Florence. Of the four historical quarters of Florence, three (San Giovanni, Santa Maria Novella and Santa Croce, are on this side of the Arno, and only one, Santo Spirito, on the other. The road straight ahead from the Ponte Vecchio brings you to Piazza Pitti, dominated by the majestic faade of Palazzo Pitti. Of 15thcentury origin, it was bought by Eleonora, wife of Cosimo I, and became the new archducal palace of the Medici, who had previously resided in Palazzo della Signoria. It was enlarged and enhanced with a marvellous park, the Boboli Gardens. Palazzo Pitti is the seat of numerous museums, and the garden itself is one of them. If you still have time you should make for Piazza Santa Spirito: you will enjoy the lively atmosphere of this part of the city. It is home to numerous crafts, and has a genuine

spirit of its own. Piazza Santo Spirito itself, one of the few city squares with trees in it, is surrounded by fine palaces in addition to the church, designed by Filippo Brunelleschi in 1444. Besides the linear purity of its architecture, the building contains important works of art. Visit Florence in 48 hours If you have two days to visit Florence you can take in a larger area. You can follow this route even in one day if you want to see something different, or if you have already spent a little time in the city. Not far from the train station of Santa Maria Novella, a masterpiece of 20th-century rationalist architecture, stands the basilica after which it is named. Santa Maria Novella is the 13th-century church of the Dominican Order, with a fine faade in green and white marble. The Gothic interior is very beautiful, with numerous frescoes and masterpieces of Renaissance art. Attached to it is the museum of the same name. Through narrow, picturesque alleys you reach Via Tornabuoni, the most fashionable shopping street in Florence, onto which backs the great Palazzo Strozzi. Commissioned from Benedetto da Maiano by Filippo Strozzi, it is one of the outstanding Renaissance buildings in the city. Its many fine rooms play host to a succession of art exhibitions, while the ample courtyard of the Palace is always open. Going on our way to Piazza della Repubblica we find ourselves in what was the heart of Florence in Roman times, though the present piazza is the result of 19th-century town planning. Returning to Piazza del Duomo and crossing it, straight ahead in Via Martelli you will soon find on your left another great Renaissance building, Palazzo Medici Riccardi. Cosimo il Vecchio de Medici commissioned it from Michelozzo in the mid-15th century. In fact the Medici left their mark on this whole area of the city. This Palazzo, which is the seat of the Province of Florence, is also a museum with splendidly decorated rooms and the wonderful Chapel frescoed by Benozzo Gozzoli. If you have no time for a visit you should at least take a look at the courtyard.

Two places with close ties to this Palace are the nearby church of San Lorenzo and the Monastery of San Marco. San Lorenzo was the family church of the Medici family. In its present form it was designed by Filippo Brunelleschi, and is a superlatively pure example of Renaissance architecture. The faade has remained unfinished, while the interior contains numerous masterpieces of the art of painting. The church is surrounded by other notable places, such as the Biblioteca Mediceo Laurenziana and the Medici Chapels, including the Old Sacristy, another masterpiece by Michelangelo. The whole area is enlivened by day with a colourful market of clothing and accessories, which is very popular with tourists. Returning to Palazzo Medici and continuing along Via Cavour you reach Piazza San Marco, one side of which is occupied by the church and monastery of San Marco. The monastery (of the Dominicans of Fiesole) was an active intellectual centre in the city, with Cosimo il Vecchio investing generously in its enlargement and embellishment. The Museum housed in the monastery is remarkable for the Renaissance frescoes of Beato Angelico, while the Library is a masterwork of Michelozzo.

Just off Piazza San Marco is the Galleria dellAccademia, one of the most frequented of Florentine museums because it contains Michelangelos celebrated David. Yet the museum also houses other interesting sculptures by the same artist and a fine range of Tuscan paintings from the 13th to the 16th century. Continuing on our way we come to the Piazza Santissima Annuziata, surrounded by building with porticos, the most important being the Spedale degli Innocenti, the work of Filippo Brunelleschi. Originally intended for the acceptance and care of abandoned children, as early as 1440 it contained a museum and has many rooms of great artistic interest. The church of the Santissima Annunziata was built in the mid 13th century for the Servite Order; the interior has frescoes by Andrea del Sarto, Franciabigio, Pontormo and Rosso Fiorentino.

To the left of the church, at the corner of Via Capponi, is the entrance to the Museo Archeologico, with a vastly important collection of Etruscan, Roman and above all Egyptian findings. Your visit to the museum takes you also into the beautiful garden, in which Etruscan tombs have been reconstructed. Visit Florence in 72 hours If you are in Florence for several days, or have been here before, we offer some suggestions for learning even more, At the back end of Piazza del Duomo you will find the Museo dellOpera del Duomo. This contains all the works brought from the cathedral itself, such as parts of the original faade, or the sculptures done for it, including Donatellos wooden Magdalene and Michelangelos Piet. Following Via del Proconsolo you come to Palazzo Nonfinito, which as its name implies is an unfinished work, designed by Buontalenti. It houses the interesting Anthropology section of the Museo di Storia Naturale. A little further on is the 13th-century Palazzo del Bargello, seat of the Capitano del Popolo (commander of the militia), a building of stern aspect now a National Museum containing some of the most important sculpture of the Italian Renaissance. Here you find Donatello and Ghiberti, Michelangelo, Cellini and Giambologna. Nearby is Piazza San Firenze, with the Baroque building at present (though not for long) the seat of the Law-courts, after which through narrow alleys that follow the perimeter of a Roman amphitheatre you emerge into the grandiose space of Piazza Santa Croce.

You really should find time to visit this Franciscan basilica, built in the 13th and 14th centuries. The faade is 19th century, but the Gothic interior is memorable for Giottos frescoes and for the tombs of some of the chief glories of Italy, including Ugo Foscolo, Galileo, Michelangelo and Rossini. In addition to the church you might visit the Museo dellOpera, with Brunelleschis lovely Pazzi Chapel. Heading straight for the Arno by way of Via de Benci, on your left you will find the Renaissance Palazzo Horne, seat of the museum of this name, in which paintings and furniture recreate the atmosphere of a renaissance home. Crossing the river by Ponte delle Grazie you find the Museo Bardini, the workshop home of an antiquarian who collected numerous works of art. A climb up the steep, picturesque Costa Scarpuccia and Costa San Giorgio brings you to one of the most spectacular places in Florence, the Forte Belvedere. Built to designs by Buontalenti in the last decade of the 16th century, it is a fortified villa which dominates the city, affording one of the finest views over Florence. The fort houses the Della Ragione collection of 20th-century paintings.

A pleasant walk in the shade of the trees of the Viale dei Colli takes you to the Romanesque basilica of San Miniato al Monte. The green and white marble faade is typically Florentine, and the geometric patterns are repeated in the light and airy interior. The forecourt of the church also provides a fine view, as does the nearby Piazzale Michelangelo, a favourite spot with tourists. You are now overlooking the quarter known as Oltrarno, and your experience of this part of the city should be completed by a visit to Santa Maria del Carmine, where the Cappella Brancacci contains the famous frescoes by Masaccio, Masolino and Filippino Lippi. Siena To visit Siena you can go directly with Sita buses that start in Piazza Stazione (Via Santa Caterina da Siena 15/r Tel. 055-211487 055-211487), Opening hours The opening hours for: Museums: 08.00am until 19.00pm Shops: Summer Time 09.00am - 13.00pm / 16.00pm - 19.30pm Pubs: From 16.00 until 01.30 am Restaurants: 12.00pm - 14.00pm / 18.00pm - 23.00pm That are conventional opening time, some place, sometimes, have different Uffici Informazioni Turistiche /

Presso gli uffici turistici a vostra disposizione materiale turistico informativo e personale qualificato che si esprime nelle principali lingue straniere. Inoltre potrete ricevere informazioni relative ad eventi, manifestazioni artistiche e culturali ed alla realt museale cittadina. Piazza Stazione, 4 - Firenze - Comune di Firenze tel. 055 212245 - 055 2728208 fax. 055 2381226 turismo3@comune.fi.it 08.30/19.00 da luned a sabato 08.30/14.00 domenica e festivi Borgo S.Croce, 29 r - Firenze - Comune di Firenze

tel.

turismo2@comune.fi.it Dal 1 Marzo alla prima settimana di Novembre

055 2340444

055 2340444 fax. 055 2264524

09.00/19.00 da luned a sabato 09.00/14.00 domenica e festivi 09.00/17.00 da luned a sabato 09.00/14.00 domenica e festivi

Dalla seconda settimana di Novembre alla fine di Febbraio

Via Cavour, 1 r - Firenze - APT Firenze tel. 055 290832 - 055 290833 fax. 055 2760383 infoturismo@provincia.fi.it 08.30/18.30 da luned a sabato 08.30/13.30 domenica e festivi Via Manzoni, 16 - Firenze - APT Firenze tel. 055 23320 055 23320 fax. 055 2346285 info@firenzeturismo.it 09.00/13.00 da luned a venerd

To call from abroad, digit 0039 (Italy) + city dialing code (055 Florence) + telephone number (0510587 Casa Nuestra) If you call a mobile phone, digit : 0039 (Italy) + phone number ( 339 5244274 339 5244274 my number! ) To call from Italy, dialing code of the city (055 Florence) + telephone number Attention ! Even when you call from Florence, it's necessary to digit the dialing code of the city (055)

What's the meaning of "r"next to the number in the street address: "R" stands for Rosso (Red). Only in Florence (hard to tell why) we have Red Street Number that corrispond to Shops and Black Street Numbers that corrispond to houses and hotels. So be sure to search for the correct colored number!

Normally in Florence the numeration of all roads proceeds perpendicular to Arno. When the street is parallel to Arno, numeration proceeds to the direction of the river (East-West) Police 112 Carabinieri (Police) 113 Fire Brigade 115 Ambulance 118