Florence

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Florence is the capital of the Italian region of Tuscany. Florence is known in Italian as Firenze and Tuscany as Toscana.

The historical center of Florence was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982 and is known around the world for its high concentration of medieval and especially Renaissance masterpieces- painting, sculpture and architecture.

Several of the most important art museums in Italy are located in Florence, including the Uffizi Gallery, the Accademia Gallery and the Bargello Museum. Science enthusiasts will enjoy the History of Science Museum (with Galileo's original telescopes) and the Specola Museum.

Contents

CouchSurfing in Florence (last update: N/A)

Florence boasts a growing CouchSurfing community. At present, there are close to 250 registered CouchSurfers in the city, and well over 300 listed for the region of Tuscany. The current CouchSurfing Community is growing and getting more and more involved and active. A small group af active local surfers has formed the Firenze Working Group. The group is hard at work on planning upcoming events, writing this wiki, and a number of other ideas for CouchSurfing in Florence. All local members are welcome to join the group. Members in other nearby Tuscan towns and cities ar also welcome to join, and particularly encouraged to organize events and build community on their own neighborhoods!

Also take a llok to this useful map of good stuff in Florence: Florence good stuff

Upcoming Couch Surfing Events and Meetings (last update: N/A)

1st Firenze Working Group Meeting
If you have an idea for an event or a Theme for the Monthly Meeting (on the 2nd Friday of Every Month) You can contact, or even better, join the Firenze Working Group!. Please check the Florence group and Events in Forence to know about events.

Past Florence Couch Surfing Events and Meetings (last update: N/A)

  • August 10 at 7pm - Regular Firenze Couch Surfing Meeting. In Florence at the Bar "Elliot Braun" - Via Ponte alle Mosse, 117r from 8pm till late night!
  • July 13 8 at 7pm - Dario and Karla will be sharing their "Nowhere" pictures. Regular Firenze Couch Surfing Meeting. In Florence at the Bar "Elliot Braun" - Via Ponte alle Mosse, 117r from 8pm till late night!
  • June 8 at 7pm - Regular Firenze Couch Surfing Meeting. Art Bar, via del Moro 4/r Firenze.

Come out for the best tropical Cocktails in town- no better way to start the summer!!!

  • May 11 at 8pm - Regular Firenze Couch Surfing Meeting. Souvenir Night- wear the best (or worst) souvenirs from your travels- tacky t-shirts, hats, jewelery and more. In Florence at the Bar "Elliot Braun" - Via Ponte alle Mosse, 117r from 8pm till late night!
  • April 13 at 8pm - Regular Firenze Couch Surfing Meeting. Bar Elliot Braun - Via Ponte alle Mosse, 117r
    "Cappellaio Matto" (Mad Hatter) Night Wear your craziest hat tonight and get a 10% discount on food and drinks. The best hats will win silly prizes!
  • March 8 - STRIZZI GARDEN with DJ SET BY Couch Surfer MATTEO LP- We had a great time listening to Matteo's music and chatting outside in the chilly March weather!!!
  • March 9 at 8pm - Regular Firenze Couch Surfing Meeting. Bar Elliot Braun - Via Ponte alle Mosse, 117r
    CS Card Night Be sure to print out your CS Firenze card for a 10% discount on food and drinks!
tan gram
  • March 16' - Special Event TAN GRAM
    FRUIT SALAD mixed by Couch Surfing DJ MATTEO LP funky elettro break music dub starts at 10pm.     FRUIT SALAD is a selection of juicy musical "fruit" with a funky, soul, break, elettro,jazz beat for a fresh evening. Relax and have fun with the refined and persistent flavor of music for all seasons, to be tasted with a glass of wine or a cocktail in this laid-back atmosphere. Matteo Lp dates his musical birth to 1994 when, after a year of radio experience, he brought electronic music to clubs. Nowadays he loves listening to hundreds of records on his quest to find sounds for his DJ set.

Useful Information for Visiting Florence

Tourist Offices and Information (last update: April 4th 2009)

Free maps of Florence available here.

  • Tourism agency of Florence (APT) - Via A. Manzoni, 16, 50121 Firenze Tel: 055.23320, Fax: 055.234.6286
  • There's another one in Via Cavour, near the Duomo (cathedral), and another one near Santa Croce church.

Getting there and getting around (last update: April 4th 2009)

Florence is small, and you can pretty easily walk to everywhere in the old part of the town.

  • ATAF - Bus company in Florence - Timetables and routes
    The cheapest bus ticket is the electronic card "Carta Agile" 10 euros for 10 for 70 minute rides or 20 euros for 21 for 70 minute rides. More than one person can share the card at the same time, pass the card in front of the scanner once for each person. Single bus tickets cost 1,20 euro for 70 minutes. A 4-ride ticket costs 4,50 euros.

Special Sights of Interest (last update: May 3rd 2009)

Florence is one of the main tourist destinations of Italy. Any guide will list you the main sightseeing items like Duomo, Santa Croce, Uffizi, Galleria dell'Accademia, Palazzo Pitti, Piazza della Signoria, etc.

If you like gardens, on the hills of Oltrarno (on the other side of the river) there are a several amazingly beautiful gardens. Giardino di Boboli (behind Palazzo Pitti) and Giardino Bardini unfortunately require a 10.- euro entrance fee (valid for both parks). Boboli is the huge park behind Palazzo Pitti: it has typical Italian garden installations and a terrace on top of the hill with a beautiful view on Florence. You'll also be able to visit a few small museums inside the park. Bardini is a very well kept garden of a former aristocratic villa, next to Boboli. It has several plants collections (iris, hortensia, etc.) and a baroque stairway with three terraces arranged for the three seasons of spring, summer and fall. From the cafe inside the garden, you'll probably get the best view of Florence (similar as what you get from Boboli and Piazzale Michelangelo, but even nicer). From beginning of May and until the fall, there is also a beautiful garden you can visit for free: the Giardino delle Rose, underneath Piazzale Michelangelo. It has a huge collection of roses, a japanese garden and surprising vegetables (artichokes and more) growing in between the flowers. The view is also beautiful as it is just underneath Piazzale Michelangelo.

Alternatives to Expensive Tours (last update: May 3rd 2009)

Before signing up for an expensive walking tour, consider planning one on your own! The center of Florence is very easy to walk. You can actually get closer to a number of monuments on foot than you will even with the (expensive) red double-decker tourist bus.

Museum lines in Florence can be extremely long. For about €3 extra, you can book museum tickets in advance and enter at a special door for people holding reservations. Be sure to get there a bit before your scheduled time so you don't miss your tour. To book tickets, call Firenze Musei Tel: +39 055 294883. This is the official ticket window for the Uffizi and Accademia Galleries. You can also book tickets through a number of internet sites, but be aware that they will add an additional service charge, since basically you will be paying them to call that number for you.

The Duomo has free entrance, but if you go, you'll quickly see why: it's pretty much a big empty church. All the art work is in the museum behind the Duomo, which is of course not for free... Going up the "cupola" or the "campanile" is not for free either, so if you need to save a few euros don't go. It can be nice to go up, but if you do it exclusively for the view, you can go for free on the terrace cafe on the last floor of the La Rinascente department store (Piazza della Repubblica) and have a similar view. From Piazzale Michelangelo or from San Miniato al Monte church (which is one of the oldest and very beautiful) you can have an amazing view of the whole city for free.

As any guidebook will tell you, other important monuments are Santa Maria Novella church (typical albertian Renaissance architecture), Santa Croce church (beautiful and containing the tombs of several famous people; on the outside, on the square there's the monument to Dante), San Lorenzo church (with the lively market), Santo Spirito church, Ponte Vecchio, Palazzo Pitti, ecc.

Also take a look at the Curiosities in Florence page- these might be fun to print out to use for your own walking tour. And remember to contact some of the local CouchSurfers- the local group gets together quite often for coffee, drinks or a pizza and many of them would be happy to meet you during your stay in Florence! Don't forget to sign up on the Florence Group to see what the most recent events are- many events get posted at the very last minute!

Remember that once a year there is the Settimana della Cultura (week of culture), during which all State owned cultural sites (Museums, parks, etc) are for free. In 2009 it was during the last week of April. Check on the internet: it's a good way to see plenty of expensive sites for free, and due to the amount of sites in Florence, the queues are not much longer than on usual days.

Good restaurants at a good price (last update: January 2009)

  • Il Vegetariano - via delle Ruote, 30r Tel: 055.475.030 (Traditional vegetarian Restaurant.)
  • La Bisboccia - via F. Corridoni, 21r Tel: 055.422.1341 (Good Pizza and really really cheap, not in the center.)
  • Trattoria Baldovino - Via San Giuseppe, 22 red (Good pizza and Tuscan food in a nice restaurant for fair prices). Tel: 055 241 773
  • Chiaroscuro - Via del Corso, 36r. Tel: 055.214.247 (Really good coffee and pastries.)
  • I Fratellini - Via dei Cimatori, 38 (Traditional sandwich stand in the center, inexpensive wine. Standing in the street.)
  • Palle d'Oro - via S.Antonino, 43-45/r, Tel: 055.288.383 (Traditional Tuscan Trattoria, also serve sandwiches at lunch.)
  • La Casalinga - via Michelozzi 9/r (just off Piazza S. Spirito) Tel: 055.218.624 (Traditional Tuscan Trattoria, family style.)
  • La Luna - via Gioberti 93r (nearby Piazza Beccaria) Tel: 055 663810 (good pizzeria just out of downtown but minutes walks)
  • Trattoria Mario - in the square behind San Lorenzo Market - open only for lunch - Tel: 055218550 - Traditional menu - favorite of local workers for a cheap lunch
  • Giubbe Rosse - Piazza della Repubblica 13/R - Tel: 055212280 - Lunch as much food as you want for 5 Euros
  • Il Pirata - Via de' Ginori 56 r - Dinner for 7 Euros
  • Cardillac - Via degli Alfani 57/R - Lunch 1 pizza + 1 drink for 7 Euros

Aperitivo (last update: May 4th 2009)

Especially among young people, it is very common to have an aperitivo in the evening around 8pm. It is a way to have food outside without spending as much money as for a dinner in a restaurant. The way it works is that, during aperitivo time, the bar sells all drinks for a fixed, higher than normal price (that means that you'll pay the same price for a glass of water or a cocktail, thus be smart). With that drink you can have as much food as you like from a more or less rich (depending on the bar) buffet. A cheap aperitivo may cost 4.- euros per drink, an expensive one 8.- euros (but then you might just as well have a pizza...). A few names of different bars that have aperitivo: Pop cafe, Moyo, Oibò, Rex, Kitsch, Be Cafe, ...

Ice cream (last update: May 2009)

  • Grom - Via del Campanile angolo via delle Och Tel. 055.216158 - One of the best ice cream in the city, made with organic ingredients - http://www.grom.it/eng/index.htm
  • La Carraia - On the left side (Oltrarno) of the Ponte della Carraia bridge - Another excellent ice cream place with huge portions for one of the cheapest prices.
  • Gelateria de' Neri - Via de' Neri 26r, near Santa Croce square - Another delicious ice cream place. One of the best in town.

Nice cafes to spend some time in the afternoon (last update: May 2009)

  • La Cité - Borgo San Frediano 20r, www.lacitelibreria.info - Popular cozy cafe and library with an 'indie' atmosphere. They have special teas and hot chocolate and free wireless. In the evening live music and cultural activities. It opens at 4pm. As all cafes in Florence it's a little pricey though.
  • Hemingway - Piazza Pratellina 9 red. Tel: 055 284781. Another cozy cafe in San Frediano historical neighborhood with hot chocolate and ice cream. Opens at 4.30pm.
  • Libreria Martelli - Via dei Martelli 22, www.libreriamartelli.it. This library has a cafe on the last floor. The nice, calm terrace can be enjoyed even during the winter if it's sunny. The indoor part is less charming.
  • Parco dell'Albereta - near Ponte G. da Verrazzano, on Lungarno del Tempio and lungarno C. Colombo. This small parc, just outside of the historical center of Florence (a few minutes walk) has a little cafe with tables on a sunny and green terrace on the Arno river. It's a very relaxing terrace to be enjoyed even on sunny winter days.

Tips for Florence from Locals (last update: May 2009)

  • Watch out for pickpockets on the busses and in the downtown streets! (But don't panic either: it's not more frequent than in most cities in the world)
  • Prices: ask first before sitting in bars - the same food costs double if you sit... same for icecream (gelato) ask the price of the cup or cone BEFORE ordering!
  • Don't buy tickets for the red double-decker tourist bus. The center of Florence is closed to cars and the bus does not go near the monuments. The ticket is 20 euros. There are free walking tours organized (but not inside the buildings): check out the guides at the Duomo.
  • The historical center is small and you can easily walk around it. No need for buses as long as you stay in this area.
  • Free toilets without having to beg at a bar or restaurant if you are not a client: Biblioteca delle Oblate (Via dell'Oriuolo 26, near the Duomo: you have to ask for the key at one of the library desks, yet they'll give it to you if you look close enough to someone who is studying or reading there; open on Sat morning too); University buildings (Piazza Brunelleschi, near Piazza Santissima Annunziata; Via Micheli 3, not far from Piazza Santissima Annunziata; Via San Gallo 10, near San Lorenzo market; Via Santa Reparata 12 (cafeteria), near San Lorenzo market: the cafeteria is open 12-2.30pm and 7-9pm every day except Sun, the other buildings are open all day until 7pm, but not on weekends).

Local Festivals and Special Events (last update: June 2009)

  • Fiorentina football team official website www.acffiorentina.it to buy on line tickets for the 1st division match (Serie A) and european competition (UEFA Cup). To be uptated about Fiorentina football team join Garrisca al Vento il labaro Viola group http://www2.couchsurfing.com/group.html?gid=4980 managed by Drive67. THIS INFORMATION NEED AN UPDATE!
  • Calcio storico (historical football) is a century long tradition in Florence. Every year, at the end of June in Piazza Santa Croce you can admire or be disgusted by this extremely rough historical sport event, which reminds more of a gladiators fight then a soccer game. There is also a more cultural part, consisting of the calcio storico parade.

Historical and Artistic Curiosities (last update: N/A)

Firenze CouchSurfer Giampaolo loves the history and offbeat stories of his city, and has composed a list of Curiosities in Florence that every CouchSurfer should see in Florence.

Whoever has been to Firenze carries a deep sense of admiration for the exceptional artistic patrimony of this town, bright testimony to its secular creative ferment. But Firenze isn’t just an open air museum, a unique example of the way art and culture, history and tradition can mix together to generate beauty. Firenze is first of all it’s people, their stories and the every day life of who lived it up by working, joking, drinking wine and simply loving it for its veracity, not for its fame. Such people and their stories are still among us. You just have to be a bit curious and willing to know them. You just have to walk through the city, smell it, touch it and feel it.

Be sure: Firenze has many stories to tell, many more than your guide book will ever report. Here are a few of the Curiosities in Florence. We hope you enjoy them.

Alternatives to Couch Surfing (last update: N/A)

Hostels

  • Hostel Archi Rossi - Via Faenza, 94r Tel: 055.290804 5 min. walking from central railway station

Inexpensive Hotels

Campings

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