The history of commerce is often hidden in plain sight, tucked away within the salt shakers on our dining tables. A fascinating English parchment dated November 16, 1564, reveals a unique privilege granted to a Florentine gentleman named Tommaso Baroncelli.
History
Ex St. Paul Hospital in Florence
On the other side of the Basilica of S.M.Novella, we may view the vast edifice with the loggia of the former S. Paolo hospital, which is now a twentieth-century museum. The name of this huge edifice, built in the early twelfth century, comes from the settlement that sprang up around the Porta S.Paolo and the …
Palio of Cocchi in Florence
Since the Middle Ages, the square has been the site of festivals, rides, and other races. In 1563, Grand Duke Cosimo I de’Medici designated it as the headquarters of the Palio dei Cocchi, which took place on June 23, the eve of the feast of San Giovanni Battista, Florence’s patron. This wagon race, which continued …
Orsanmichele best church in Florence
Talking about Orsanmichele is usually reductive… The stories that pervade this structure, and the symbols that are sprinkled throughout it, are so many that an entire volume may not be sufficient to describe them. In the seventh century, a tiny church dedicated to San Michele Arcangelo was built on the site of the former female monastery dedicated to San Michele, which had huge plots of land cultivated with vegetable gardens.
Andrea del Castagno was a killer?
We can be sure of one thing: at Vasari Andrea del Castagno was not nice, just at all. In his “lives of the most excellent architects, painters and Italian sculptors”, in the chapter dedicated to Andrea del Castagno, Vasari indulges himself: he speaks of the bad character of the painter, calling him “…
Florence’s Hogwarts Express
We are not at the 9 ¾ track and this is not the Hogwarts Express. We are in Florence in the Santa Maria Novella station and this is the Befana train. A real steam train like the one on which Harry Potter on to reach the most famous magic school in the world. It is a tradition that has lasted for 31 years! The historical convoy with steam traction is directed to San Piero a Sieve in Mugello.
Berta’s Santa Maria Maggiore Church
The Church of Santa Maria Maggiore in Florence, Italy, is a historically important religious site. It is one of the city’s oldest churches, with a long history extending back to the eighth century. The church is a combination of Romanesque and Gothic architectural styles that has been renovated multiple times throughout the years. Here its the place of Berta. The Florentines refer to her as ‘La Berta’, and it is a woman’s visage around which legends have grown over the centuries.
Coffee shop opened for 300 years in Florence
It’s difficult not to notice them, next to one other in the middle of Florence, defining the edge of Piazza della Repubblica. I’m referring to coffee Gilli and coffee Paszkowski concert, which dominate the entire area with their windows and outdoor space. Two desks with desk buddies, rivals and allies at the same time, mirror and flag of an increasingly heated Florence who lives at the counter from morning to late evening.
Alchermes Medici’s Liqueur
The Alchermes came to Italy thanks to the Spaniards, who had inherited the recipe from the Arabs. Many derive, erroneously, that its origins are Italian, more precisely that it had been born in Florence; It was here instead that Alchermes began to spread, during the regency of the doctors, who were great admirers. At the time, he was defined as “elixir of the long life” and was produced by the Florentine nuns of the Order of Santa Maria dei Servi, founded in 1233.
Florence Free Tours
Every Day from Santa Maria Novella square next to the Obelisk in front of Church facade…
At 6:30 pm Renaissance Tour










