Archive for 'Florence'

One of the best things about Florence is how every corner, piazza and street seems beautiful and steeped in history. Without even going inside any of the buildings, there is a wealth of culture and history and art all around you. Once you've found a luxury villa in Florence and have arrived for a holiday, it's key to find time to wander her streets and take in the atmosphere of the city. Traipsing all over a city is bound to make your energy dwindle and finding a market to grab some food and sit for a moment, maybe find some unique souvenirs, is key. It's also another part of the city's charms. We've already outlined a couple markets that you should swing by in a previous article but here are a few more.

Imagine, if you will, a holiday in Florence. Not one filled with stuffy queues and running around endlessly from tourist sight to tourist sight but one in which you utterly take your time. Of course, you'll still probably find time to catch a glimpse of Michelangelo's “David” or visit a Medici palace but calmly, leisurely. In the morning, you might forego breakfast at home in the luxury villa in Florence that you've found and, instead, wander to one of the many markets the city has to offer. You can grab some food at a stall, people-watch and then check out the other wares available. Maybe you'll spend the day doing so, in fact. Here are the best of them.

The Costume Gallery of Florence is housed in the seventeenth-century wing of Palazzo Pitti, known as the Palazzina della Meridiana. It was founded in 1983 and through both major acquisitions and public and private donations, its collection now boasts over 6,000 objects, making it one of the best, and most important, fashion museums in the whole world. For any serious history or fashion buffs, as well as well-read fashionistas, it's a must-see in one of Italy's most historic fashion centres.

The Bargello is one of the best and most important art museums in Florence and is set inside one of the oldest buildings in the city. Dating back to 1255, it was originally the headquarters of the Capitano del Popolo and later of the Podestà. In the sixteenth century, it became the residence of the Bargello (head of the police) and was used as prison during the whole 18th century. The building became a National Museum as of the mid-19th century. If you have a particular fondness for sculpture, especially early works by great masters such as Donatello and Michelangelo, this is just the museum for you.

Lago di Bilancino, or Bilancino Lake, is an artificial fresh-water lake, and the largest, in Tuscany. Not only does it ensure water reserves for the citizens, it is also somewhere to go and enjoy the scenery and water-sports and activities. Just off the motorway exit for Barberino di Mugello, it is a little oasis of beauty and calm just a stone's throw from many of the major towns of Tuscany, a mere hour's drive from Florence and close to Pisa. There are beaches, a nature reserve, water-sports, fishing, great places to eat and much more to do, all in beautiful surrounds.

Find a luxury villa in Florence and spend a lovely day with your family or friends by the lakeside.