When I think of Florence, images of beautiful, curvy women rush in: Venus rising from the sea in Botticelli’s painting. Infinite Madonnas. The giant breast-shaped Duomo. With all that female adoration as an inspiring base, I feel buoyed in Florence as I indulge in her pleasures: admiring the handsome men (including Michelangelo’s David), tasting wine, gelato, and bisteca.
Even in these weak-dollar, budget-crunching times, Florence offers great bargains. It’s time to start planning my next trip.
Free Sights
The Duomo is free, and lovely to visit early in the morning before tour groups traipse through. Of the many free churches, my favorites include Santo Spirito—a masterpiece designed by Brunelleschi, Santa Felicita—with its amazing Annunciation by Pontormo, and the Badia Fiorentina, featuring an emotion-filled Vision of St. Bernard, by Filippino Lippi. There’s also the recently renovated Palazzo Davanzati, right off the Piazza della Repubblica. Here you can stroll through the courtyard and splendidly painted rooms to get a free feel for early Renaissance life.
Tops for outdoor beauty is a sunset walk to the Piazzale Michelangelo, for stunning panoramic views of red rooftops, church domes, and bridges. While you’re up there, don’t miss the San Miniato church, rich with multi-colored marble and frescoes.
Where to Stay?
More and more B&Bs are popping up all over Florence, offering stylish rooms with private baths, with average starting prices around eighty euros for a double. So the question is … which neighborhood?
Take note that Florence is the only big city in Italy where staying near the train station is an absolutely fine choice. You’re steps from the awesome Santa Maria Novella church and fun outdoor shopping at the San Lorenzo Market, plus the major sights are a short walk away.
Bargain digs abound in the stazione area, including the recently opened Relais Grand Tour. It’s an eighteenth century palazzo-turned B&B, with chic guest rooms and suites, with the Mirror Suite getting raves from honeymooners.
My favorite Florence neighborhood is the Oltrarno, on the other side of the Arno River from the historic core. (That’s not to say the Oltrarno has any relation to the Brooklyn/Manhattan model.) From the Oltrarno, you walk one minute over the fantastic Ponte Vecchio (old bridge) and you’re back with the tourists. On the Oltrarno-side you get artisan workshops, family-run restaurants, the Pitti Palace, and an atmosphere of authentic Florentine life. Among its many budget options is the fab Hotel La Scaletta, which has a terrace opening to views of the Boboli Gardens.
Florence also has many apartment rental choices for low prices. A few months ago, I scored an incredible deal at Bepi Olga Accommodations, also in the Oltrarno. Check it out: two bedrooms, two bathrooms (one with a tub!), fully equipped kitchen, living room with TV, and washing machine for only 620 euros a week. Splitting it with my girlfriend turned out to be less than what I’ve paid staying in a plain ol’ convent room in Rome.
Eating on the Cheap
For me, one sit-down-with-a-menu meal a day is perfect, especially since the snack food in Florence—pizza, gelato, and panini—is so delizioso and costs just a few euros.
There are places aplenty for bargain prices for that one meal a day, especially if you stick to the house wine, which is consistently good and inexpensive. One of my favorite casual spots for lunch is Mario (Via Rosina 2/r). Get there early (12:30) to avoid a wait in line and then indulge in the best of Florentine specialties. Near Mario is the Mercato Centrale, a two-story food market that’ll put you into sensory paradiso. Downstairs are several bargain lunch spots, with my favorite being Pork’s, run by a Sicilian family that serves specialties of the island, such as arancine (fried rice balls).
