Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
For a quick bite, try
Olio & Convivium
(Via Santo Spirito, 4;
%
055-
2658198; www.conviviumfirenze.it; Tues-Sat, Mon lunch only),
a combination
shop, bakery, classroom, and restaurant—spawned by a catering company—
which has a huge selection of wines, olive oils, and sandwiches to match. In fact,
you can assemble a gourmet picnic here out of such ingredients as
prosciutto di
cinta senese
(made from pork bred on chestnuts);
pecorino Toscana,
a tangy cheese
created from the milk of the sheep in Italy's Maremna region; and
schiacciate con
l'uva,
a scrumptious flatbread in which juicy sangiovese grapes are embedded.
Sandwiches average about
€€
6.50. In
addition to serving meals, the restaurant hosts cooking classes, wine seminars,
and, of course, olive-oil tastings (the coat of arms in the awning comes from a
14th-c. guild of oil sellers).
€
7, the ultratasty ravioli with meat sauce
€
The folks at
Le Volpi e L' Uve
(Piazza de'Rossi, 1;
%
055-2398132; www.
levolpieluva.com)
boast that no shop in town carries their selection of wines from
small Tuscan vineyards--and they may just be right. This is an excellent place for
wine lovers. Waiters will recommend cheese and meat platters to match any type
of wine, which you can enjoy on a small outdoor patio or in a room with win-
dows overlooking the Arno. Have a hot ham-and-cheese focaccia and then you
can sample some more wines! Owners found the right name to capture the
essence of this wine bar, being clever like a fox
(volpi)
to find the right grapes
(uve)
to make the best wines.
€€
€€
There used to be statues of four lions at each corner of Piazza della Passera, but
now only the restaurant, founded in 1550, bears that motif:
Trattoria 4 Leoni
55
(Via dei Vellutini, 1R;
%
055-218562; www.4leoni.com; closed Wed for lunch,
otherwise noon-2:30pm and 7-11pm).
The menu is in Italian, of course, but the
waiters all speak English and are generous with recommendations for the authen-
tic Tuscan cuisine featured here. Try the
pappa al pomodoro,
a Florentine specialty
for a
primo
(only
€
4), the
€
9 veal
vitello tonnato,
or any of the other juicy grilled
meats. For dessert, the freshly made cheesecake is excellent, and
4 well spent.
Patio seating enables you to enjoy the neighborhood feel of Oltrarno.
WHY YOU'RE HERE: THE TOP
SIGHTS & ATTRACTIONS
The best method for planning your time here is to scan all the possibilities below
and then confine yourself to a limited number of sights that interest you. You may,
of course, want to organize your itinerary geographically, as I've done in the fol-
lowing pages; each sight is listed according to the nearest piazza. But do know that
in this open-air museum of a city, you'll find delights around most every corner, so
a day of aimless wandering is also highly recommended (after you've already hit the
Duomo, the Uffizi, and the other top attractions).
THE SIGHTS ON & NEAR THE PIAZZA DELLA SIGNORIA
A logical starting point is the giant
Piazza della Signoria
€
55
, filled with mas-
sive sculptures and surrounded by cafes, palaces, and museums. This has been
Florence's political center since the 1400s, when the Signoria group of noblemen
