Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
CITY CENTRE WEST
At one end of this part of
Nearby is Piazza della Repub-
blica, originally laid out as
part of the grandiose plans
to remodel Florence when it
was briefly the nation's capi-
tal. Most locals may consider
it an eyesore, but the cafés
here have always been
very popular. This is also
the part of Florence in
which to shop, from the leather
goods, silks and woollens of the
Mercato Nuovo to the elegant show-
rooms of the top couturiers in Via
della Vigna Nuova and Via de' Torna-
buoni. In the smaller streets off these,
local artisans continue Florence's
proud tradition of craftsmanship,
from stonecutting to restoration work.
Florence is the main
railway station - a rare
example of modern archi-
tecture in the city centre. At
the other end, a magnet
for visitors and Floren-
tines alike, is the Ponte
Vecchio, the city's oldest
bridge. It is lined with
jewellers' shops, here since 1593, and
presents a scene little changed since.
Between these two focal points
there is something to interest most
people, from the frescoes of Santa
Maria Novella and Santa Trinità
to the luxurious 14th-century interiors
of the Palazzo Davanzati and the
awe-inspiring scale of Palazzo Strozzi.
Detail from Strozzi Chapel in
Santa Maria Novella
SIGHTS AT A GLANCE
Museums and Galleries
Museo Marino Marini
(San Pancrazio)
1
Museo Nazionale Alinari della
Fotografia
y
Palazzo Davanzati
0
Bridges
Ponte Vecchio pp106 -7
9
Markets
Mercato Nuovo
w
Churches
Ognissanti
u
Santa Maria Novella
pp110-11
i
Santa Trinità
7
Santi Apostoli
8
PIAZZA
DELLA
STAZIONE
Stazione
Centrale di
Santa Maria
Novella
PIAZZA DI SANTA
MARIA NOVELLA
PIAZZA DI
SAN PAOLINO
VIA DEGLI AGLI
VIA DE' PECORI
PIAZZA DEGLI
OTTAVIANI
PIAZZA D'
OGNISSANTI
PI
PIAZZA DELLA
REPUBBLICA
VIA DEGLI STROZZI
PIAZZA
CARLO
GOLDONI
V. D. ANSELMI
Historic Buildings
Palazzo Antinori
r
Palazzo di Parte Guelfa
q
Palazzo Rucellai
2
Palazzo Strozzi
5
Stazione di Santa
Maria Novella
o
PIAZZA DE'
DAVANZAT
I
KEY
Historic Streets and Piazzas
Piazza della Repubblica
e
Piazza di Santa Trinità
6
Via dei Fossi
t
Via de' Tornabuoni
4
Via della Vigna Nuova
3
Street-by-Street map
See pp102-3
Tourist information
0 metres
400
Railway station
0 yards
400
Tram station
