Appartamento Galliano

If you are an art lover that has found a vacation rental in Florence, you may be headed directly to the Uffizi Gallery and it is certainly a highlight of the city for any aficionado. However, don't forget the Palazzo Pitti, which is home to several excellent museums, including the Palatine Gallery. A well-preserved historic private collection that was opened to the public, it reflects older collecting practices, tastes and methods of display, all within the beautiful palace. As a result, it is a unique, must-see art experience in the city and we have picked some of the best bits to make sure and track down when you visit. Here are more of our picks of highlights of the Palatine Gallery.

All this week we have been talking about foodie trips to Tuscany and introducing you to some incredible food bloggers that live in or know lots about the region. If you are a food lover who has found a vacation rental in Tuscany and are beginning planning your trip, you'll want to know where and what you're going to eat! We have plenty of articles on typical products, foodie experiences, wineries, tours, classes and restaurants but it is always best to hear these things directly from the locals. To help you out, we have rounded up a list of some of the best and most informative food bloggers in Tuscany.

Here are more of our favourite food bloggers in Tuscany but be sure to read our previous posts for more of our picks as well.

The beautiful city of Florence is the birth place of renaissance, and is often referred to as the Athens of the Middle Ages. This capital of the Tuscany region of Italy attracts millions of tourists each year, and was ranked as the world’s 72^nd most visited place in the year 2009. The city is also known as the fashion capital of Italy. Apart from the beautiful locales, grand history and friendly people, the city of Florence is also famous for the Firenze Gelato festival each year.

The Firenze Gelato festival will be held from May 23^rd to May 27^th, 2012 as part of the Florence International Handicrafts Trade Fair. The visitors can experience the process of ice cream making, and taste amazing craft gelato, made with authentic Italian ingredients.

You can also try fantastic cocktails with gelato. Bartenders can provide alcoholic and non-alcoholic versions of the drinks to provide a refreshing and delightful break to people of all ages. Ice cream lovers can taste and buy hundreds of varieties of 100 percent Italian products.

While there is no concrete evidence to prove it, most historians believe that the ice cream originated in Florence during the Renaissance period. Ruggeri, an amateur cook and poultry seller, won the food competition organized by the Lords of Florence in the early sixteenth century. The fame and taste of the recipe spread across the Tuscany area, and the modern ice cream desserts were born. Painter and sculptor Bernardo Buontalenti surprised his guests at the inaugural banquet of the Fortress of Belvedere with his own ice cream recipe in1559.

Foodies flock to Tuscany year in, year out to enjoy her hearty and tasty cuisine. With roots in peasant cooking, it is a cuisine that makes the most of local ingredients to create something filling and comforting. It is mostly pasta, pizza and other savoury delights, however, that people are most familiar with and are most keen to enjoy. Tuscany's desserts are less well-loved and well-known internationally but, despite this, there are plenty of delicious treats that you should try while holidaying in the region. We have rounded up some of the best cakes that can be found in Tuscany so you can track them down after you've finished with the main courses.

1. Schiacciata alla Fiorentina

One particularly tasty example is Schiacciata alla Fiorentina. This is a very traditional Florentine cake which can be found in local pasticceria (pastry shops) all over the city.