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Florence district guide
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Florence is famous amongst
tourists and scholars for her glorious artwork, her cultural heritage,
and the major role she played in the Renaissance and Humanist
movements. All these facets combine to make this one of the most
glorious cities in the world. Florence may be a small city, but she is
extremely beautiful and a favourite meeting place for visitors and
ex-pats of all ages and nationalities.
The historic city centre (centro storico) is most
representative of Florence. The layout of the district follows a road
system created by the Romans (known as the 'cardo' and 'decumano'
system). In the centro storico, you will see the enormous, imposing
structure of the Duomo, with its Brunelleschian cupola, a beautiful
dome that adds splendour to the city skyline. The city has also
preserved its medieval network of streets, lined with regular,
geometric Renaissance palaces such as Palazzo Strozzi and Palazzo
Medici-Riccardi, which once belonged to Florence's powerful,
oligarchic families. Florence is divided into five districts and the
centre is divided into four sections (San Giovanni, Santa Croce, Santa
Maria Novella and Santo Spirito Oltrarno). Here is a brief guide to
the city and its districts:
San Giovanni takes its name from St John the Baptist, Patron of
Florence, in whose honour the Baptistery was built. This area covers
most of the historic city centre and is now full of exclusive
boutiques that are concentrated in a few of the most well known
streets, such as Via Calzaiuoli. The university and the Tribunale di
Firenze (which is housed in the Complesso di San Filippo Neri) are
also in this district.
San Giovanni takes its name from St John the Baptist, Patron of
Florence, in whose honour the Baptistery was built. This area covers
most of the historic city centre and is now full of exclusive
boutiques that are concentrated in a few of the most well known
streets, such as Via Calzaiuoli. The university and the Tribunale di
Firenze (which is housed in the Complesso di San Filippo Neri) are
also in this district.
Santa Maria Novella is named after the Santa Maria Novella
church - a Dominican basilica and important cultural centre during the
Middle Ages. The train station of the same name (designed in the 1930s
by the young architect Michelucci) is also situated nearby. Not far
from the station is the Basso Fortress, which is now used as an
important centre for conferences, conventions and exhibitions. The
zone is also home to the Parco delle Cascine, one of the city's green
oases. In this area lies Via Tornabuoni, a street which is famous for
being home to some of Italy's most prestigious designer boutiques e.g.
Versace and the Florentine Ferragamo.
Santa Croce is named after Santa Croce church, a medieval
Franciscan basilica. The National Central Library (built in the tenth
century) is also located here.
Santo Spirito Oltrarno stretches from San Frediano to San
Niccol?Oltrarno, but its heart is probably the Piazza Santo Spirito,
which has retained much of its historic charm and is filled with
artist's workshops. This piazza is the place for parties on summer
evenings, bringing together young Florentines and foreigners, many of
whom live in this area. The Pitti Palace with its old Medicean garden
and the Boboli Garden, are both in Oltrarno. The famous Piazzale
Michelangelo (with its incredible view) is also in this district. From
here, it is possible to see one of the few remaining stretches of
medieval wall around the Belvedere Fort that was spared from
demolition in the nineteenth century.
Campo di Marte is home to many historical buildings dating back
to the turn of the century, as well as to many modern stone and cement
apartment blocks which were built from the fifties onwards. There are
also numerous sports venues, several swimming pools and the Franchi
Stadium. Fiesole, and the Bellariva zone are close by; these are
swathes of Piagentina countryside that always induced feelings of
nostalgia in Tuscan painters.
Gavinana is south of the Arno and leads to the well-known
Chianti wine region. On the southwestern side lies Galluzo, famous for
its Carthusian monastery.
Isolotto e Legnaia combines areas of the city that were
developed during the sixties and seventies and are still expanding.
The 'Isolotto' district was once the scene of various clashes and
social unrest during the sixties.
Rifredi is in the northwestern part of the city and is a place
of contrasts; home to many beautiful country villas as well as
industrialized residential areas and host to many Chinese and African
immigrants. The influx of immigrants means that even a city like
Florence cannot live forever in the past but must create a new
multi-ethnic history.
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