Category Archives: Florence

The other day I went for a walk in centro while I was waiting to meet a friend and was struck by how many things had changed. This is Florence, Italy and stores do not typically come and go with nearly the speed or regularity as they do in most major American cities. In fact, most places in Italy are famous for remaining miraculously unchanged and wonderfully familiar each time you return. Perhaps this is why it struck me even more walking around a city I once believed I knew inside and out. This also got me thinking about some of our most popular blogs and if perhaps they were in need of an aggiornamento (update). Turns out, they were. So we’ve gone back and redone two of our followers’ favorites with updated addresses, phone numbers, and information while also adding some new tips and tricks to help you conquer the vintage and leather shoe world of Florence, Italy. Enjoy!
 
Tips for Shoe Shopping in Florence

Best Vintage Shopping in Florence

Technorati Tags: Florence, Shoe Shopping, shopping, vintage, Vintage shopping

All things new.They may not be new to Florence, but they’re news to me.
This past month we made a big decision and a big move out of the city center. We’re really only a 15-minute bike ride from Arno so it is hardly “far,” but it feels like a whole new city. While leaving the overcrowded centro has had a slew of advantages, it has also taken some adjusting. We’re so used to the luxury of having a place close-by to go when tired of wondering the city or after a three hour Uffizi tour. My latest goal, therefore, has been to find new and wonderful places closer to the city center to spend my free hours studying, reading or just relaxing. This post is dedicated to my favorite of these recent discoveries, Caffè Letterario. As with most items in this blog series, it has been around for ages and has just taken me ages to find. And as per usual, I wish I had found it so much sooner!

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Technorati Tags: Best of Florence, Cafe, Caffe, Florence, study abroad, Study Spots, Study Spots in Florence

As adamant fans of the art in Florence, it often breaks our hearts to hear that travelers to this fair city miss out on some of Florence’s renowned works. Of course there are many reasons to visit this multi-faceted town, but one of the main motivations has always been to see Florence’s breathtaking painting, sculpture, and architecture. According to UNESCO (although it may be a somewhat Western centric view), 60% of the world’s most important works of art are located in Italy and approximately half of these are in Florence.
 
Everyday we see tourists herded into the Uffizi and Accademia as if they are the only two museums in Florence and countless more make the mistake of thinking that because there is no line outside the many other museums and churches, that there is nothing to see inside. On the contrary, there are many places in Florence that are full of masterpieces and (relatively speaking) empty of tourists. In response to this trend, we’ve made this list of the art in Florence that (we believe) everyone should see before they leave (in truth, the list is WAY longer than this. We had to narrow it down. And then narrow again); some works will be familiar, while others, I guarantee, will be completely new.
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Technorati Tags: Art History, Art in Florence, Art of Florence, Best of Florence, Cellini, Florence, Florence museums, Florence tips, Fra Angelico, Giotto, Michelangelo, What to see