Thanks to two important road axes such as Via de' Tornabuoni and Via della Vigna Nuova, this route unwinds through the more known and touristic Florence, as well as the most popular one, which is the Florence of the “suburbs“, or boroughs. Because of the development of the population, these districts were created outside the walls in the year 1000 and they were settlements near the main communication roads. During the time, the boroughs were included inside the walls and they still keep not only the medieval style, due to the presence of the case-torri (houses-towers) and narrow and winding streets, but they are the only areas where the real Florentine handicraft still survives. Between the luxury Florence and the popular one, another area is certainly characterized for the great beauty and sweetness of the landscape, the “new” Florence of the Lungarni and the numerous bridges that connect the two banks of the River Arno.

Via de' Tornabuoni, the most elegant street of Florence, was dedicated around the 1400s, to the Tornabuoni family and took over the centuries different names including “Belli Sporti”. Today, this street is well known as the “Salotto of Florence”for the presence of many high fashion shops (Gucci, Prada, Trussardi, Coveri, Ferragamo), jewelleries (Tiffany, Cartier), specialized food stores (Procacci), herbalist's shops (English Herbalist). Going out from your hotel, turn right and go to the crossroad with Via Strozzi, you will be overwhelmed by the impressiveness of Palazzo Strozzi , the most beautiful palace of the Renaissance, in bugnato (raw stone) degrading to the high, which style is inspired by Palazzo Medici-Riccardi. Its construction was strongly desired by Filippo Strozzi, said Il Vecchio (the old), a rich merchant belonging to the wealthiest family of Florence, who bought and broke down most of the surrounding houses, to make room for his palace.

While outside the palace appears as a small fortress in the heart of the city, inside there is an elegant yard with rooms where are placed different cultural institutions including the Gabinetto Viesseux, chosting an important international library and the Cultura Contemporanea Strozzina centre, that is part of Palazzo Strozzi Foundation. Palace Strozzi is today a famous seats for many exhibitions. Your itinerary now will go on Via della Vigna Nuova, that is another way of fashion designers. The vineyard of S.Pancrazio monks gives its name to this street, to differentiate it from the old one belonging to the monks of the Florentine Abbey. In this area were located many properties belonging to the powerful Ruccellai family including their own family Palace completed on Leon Battista Alberti plan.

In the final side of Via della Vigna Nuova, degrading to the Arno, there are palazzi dei Temperani and Berardi e and the street ends in Piazza Goldoni, dominated by the statue of the famous Venetian playwright . The square was drawn in 1278, following the construction of the new walls and the opening of a door. In this area that also included Borgo and Piazza Ognissanti, were settled the Umiliati Friars who planted a growing manufacturing activity, taking advantage of the nearness of the river. In order to increase the commerce with the southern area of the Arno, in 1218 it was necessary to build a bridge, called Ponte alla Carraia because it was crossed by wagons full of goods. The Ricasoli family built in the square, in the recent decades of the 1400s, its palace enriched, in 1500, by a beautiful garden reaching the Arno. But when Florence became the capital of Italy and were built the Lungarni, the garden was sacrificed, and palazzo Ricasoli became the seat of the Grand Hotel New York, while in 1873, in the centre of the square was placed the statue of Carlo Goldoni.

Going on Borgo Ognissanti, a street near the homonymous square, full of elegant stores of household goods, modern and antiques furniture, it’s possible to admire the only building in decó style in the City Centre .

Realized in 1911 by the architect Giovanni Michelazzi, it was decorated on the ground floor, destined to commercial use, with sculptures and plastic relieves, while the three upper floors, destined to housing, are less decorated, with pilasters around the central windows and two dragons that crowned the façade. In Piazza D'Ognissanti there is the homonymous Church , rrare example of Baroque in Florence, which was restored several times and entirely rebuilt in ‘6000s by the architect Nigetti who kept above the portal the beautiful Incoronazione della Vergine e Santi (Coronation of Virgin and Saints), perhaps of Giovanni della Robbia. Inside one can visit the Cenacolo of Domenico Ghirlandaio (Cenacle), n addition to the graves of eminent people such as Amerigo Vespucci and Donatello. Then go on Lungarno Vespucci and cross the homonymous bridge .

A pleasurable stop on the bridge gives an impressive view of the Chiesa di San Frediano in Cestello , started by the Cistercian monks in the 300s and completed in the 600s, as the overlap of the different styles shows. Crossed the bridge, go to Via Sant’Onofrio, go on Piazza de' Nerli, turn right into Via dell'Orto and you’ll arrive in Piazza del Carmine. The Carmelites built, in 1268, this monastic complex that includes the Chiesa di Santa Maria del Carmine.. The fire occurred in 1771, miracoluosly saved the two lateral chapels, the Cappella Corsini a masterpiece in Florentine Baroque marble and the Cappella Brancacci where Masaccio and Masolino, between 1425 and 1427, realized a series of frescos that changed the history of the European painting, through the new principles of perspective and naturalistic. From Piazza del Carmine crossing Via Santa Monaca and Via Sant'Agostino, you will arrive in Piazza Santo Spirito where around the half of the XIII century the followers of Sant’Agostino built a small Church dedicated to the Holy Spirit, then enlarged until the last construction designed by Brunelleschi and completed at the end of the 400s.

The Chiesa di Santo Spirito (Church of the Holy Spirit),which inside repeats the basic style of the Basilica di San Lorenzo, was embellished during the years with priceless art works, that made it a real museum. On the left of the church, at the No.29 there is the Cenacolo di Santo Spirito, entrance, frescoed by Orcagna. Contribute to embellish the square numerous buildings of great architectural value, including Palazzo Guadagni with the beautiful Loggia, the two cups fountain with the octogonal tub and the statue of Cosimo Ridolfi.

From Piazza di Santo Spirito, go to Via Coverelli and at the junction with Borgo Santo Spirito, turned right to Borgo San Jacopo. This district corresponds to Via Pisana, the ancient way of communication between Florence and Pisa; it is rich of high towers, maybe they were a possible defence of this arteria, when in the XII century the Communality began to encircle with fortifications this area of the town. On the corner with Via dello Sprone you see the Fontana del Buontalenti (Fountain of Buontalenti) of the second half of the 200s. Going then into Borgo San Jacopo, you will arrive to the little Chiesa di San Jacopo sopr'Arno characterized by a splendid cloister in white and green marble, dating back to the XII century. Now it starts a number of houses-towers that denotes the medieval imprinting of the district. At the No. 17 the Torre dei Marsili that has on the façade the copy of the Annunciazione in cotto, typical of the robbiana.

Going on, at junction with Via de' Ramaglianti, there are Casa torre dei Belfedrelli , covered by ivy and one of the Case torri dei Barbadori. But approaching Ponte Vecchio you can see this side of Borgo San Jacopo that has completely been rebuilt in the 1950s, following the damages caused in 1944 by the German mines. In fact, the last tower that one can meet before crossing Ponte Vecchio, the, la Torre dei Rossi Cerchi, originally of 1200s, is almost entirely restored.

On the base, there is the valuable Statua del Bacco (Statue of Bacchus), attributed to Giambologna . Now go along Ponte Vecchio whose name reminds that this is the first Florentine bridge. In 1333 a flood destroyed this bridge on the river Arno that was rebuilt in 1345 with three arches. Here there were workshops of butchers, fishmongers, legnaiuoli (persons who sells wood) and pizzicagnoli (person who sells cold meat) so this area was smelly and degraded and for this reason the Grand Duke Ferdinado I replaced the goldsmiths workshops to those one. Still today the presence of these craftsmen attracts tourists from all parts of the world.

Above the bridge was built by Cosimo I the famous Corridor Vasariano , a “safe passageway” between Pitti Palace and the offices (the Uffizi) for the Medici Grand Duke, that today hosts, a rich collection of pictures of famous painters. Passing over the bridge and turning left you’ll arrive in Lungarno Acciaiuoli, before called Lungarno dei Cappellai for the several shops selling hats, being a sunny place, but the favourite one by Florentines people for their walks. Afterwards, the Acciaiuoli, a powerful family from Lombardy became rich with the steel trade, bought here many plots, especially around the Torre dei Consorti, giving its name to this side of Lungarno. The Torre dei Consorti that you can see on your left, sometimes called Torre dei Leoni, belonged to many families (plus Acciaioli), which were the associations from which the Florentines factions were subsequently formed, such as those of Guelphs and Ghibellines. Coasting this side of the river you get to what is considered the “more aristocratic bridge” of Florence: il ponte S. Trinita used for many years for corteges and events; its first construction in wood, on the initiative of Frescobaldi family, dates back to 1365. At the beginning and at the end of the bridge have been placed four statues representing the four seasons. It was destroyed many times by the floods of the Arno and rebuilt, until, after it was bombed by the Germans during the last war, was rebuilt in 1957 with the same elegant arch that had previously characterized it . Lungarno of Acciaioli ends at the junction with Via de' Tornabuoni here you turn on to retrace this prestigious road.

You will see on the right Palazzo Spini- Feroni , which construction dates back to XIII century. In 1300 the building arrived till the riversides and was built for defensive purposes as you can see from its form, like a fortress. Following the construction of the Lungarni, part of the building was destroyed, then it was purchased in 1700 by the Feroni family and after the 19th century it became the Hotel del l’Europe seat, the famous hotel for the European travellers that in the 19th century aspired to stay in the historic capital of Tuscany. Acquired by the municipality of Florence to be used as municipal seat, after the city functions transfer to Palazzo Vecchio, became property of the Ferragamo group. Today the building is the prestigious stylistic ateliers and Museo della moda di Salvatore Ferragamo (fashion Museum of Salvatore Ferragamo). In front of Palazzo Spini-Feroni there is the Torre Gianfigliazzi, built for the Ruggerini Guelf family and totally destroyed after the Guelphs chase away of 1260, after the Montaperti battle. Subsequently, it was rebuilt and in 1300 became a Gianfigliazzi’s property and, after the extinction of the noble family, the Tower was used by the Accademia dei Nobili (Nobles Academy). Here were hosted famous personages like Alessandro Manzoni, Vittorio Alfieri and others, as you can read in the plates affixed on the façade of the palace on Lungarno Corsini. After you’ve admired the shop windows of the famous designer Ferragamo, along the beautiful Piazza Santa Trinita in whose centre was built, in 1508 by Cosimo de’ Medici, the Colonna della Giustizia , to celebrate the victory of Montemurlo.

Made of precious oriental granite and gift of Pope Pius IV, it came from the Terme of Caracalla, using five years to be transported from Rome by the sea and then through the Arno riversides. In the square it’s placed the Chiesa di Santa Trinita, one of the first examples of Florentine Gothic, once outside the Florence walls. Subsequently it was restored and expanded, today it presents a baroque façade, while inside there are the considerable frescoes of the Cappella Sassetti, by Ghirlandaio, representing theAdorazione dei Magi. You are at the end of your route and before going back to your hotel, stop and admire the several boutiques that occupy the lower side of the many historical buildings of Via de' Tornabuoni. You could then understand how this street represents still today the “salotto buono” of Florence.


Historic buildings, monuments::

• Chiesa di Santo Spirito: (Monday, Tuesday, Saturday 9,00 / 12,00 closed the other days, Christmas, New Year Eve and 1st May)
• Cenacolo di Santo Spirito (Saturday 9.00 / 17.00)
• Cappella Corsini
• Cappella Brancacci (from Monday to Saturday 10,00/17,00, Sunday 13.00 / 17.00. Closed on Tuesday, Christmas, New Year Eve, Easter, 1st May, 15th and 16th August)
• Chiesa d’Ognissanti
• Cenacolo di Domenico Ghirlandaio (from Monday to Saturday, opening time of Florence churches 9,30 / 12, 30 p.m. and 16.00 / 17.30 closed on Wednesday. Sunday and holidays 15,00 / 17.30)
• Chiesa di Santa Trinita (from Monday to Sunday 7.00 / 12.00 and 16.00 / 19.00)
• Museo Ferragamo (from Monday to Sunday 10.00 – 18.00 closed on Tuesday)
• Palazzo Strozzi: opening hours connected to the exhibitions plan.