Archive for 'Florence'

The Giardino Bardini, or Bardini Garden, is a Renaissance garden in Florence which has only been opened to the public in the past few years. Less well-known than other Renaissance gardens in the city such as the Giardini di Boboli, it is still a bit of a well-kept secret devoid of crazy crowds of tourists. Though relatively small it is a rich gem with beautiful canals, fountains, flowers and sculptures dotting the whole garden. It also has exceptional views over the city. If you're looking to spend a few pleasant hours strolling the gardens with a loved one or lost in your thoughts and the peace and quiet, this is just the place for you. Find a luxury villa in Florence and you could grab lunch and then lazily walk off the meal in one of the prettiest parts of the city.

You can, of course, get ice-cream – or should we say “gelato” - all over Florence and Italy rather easily. However, now that you're visiting Florence, you don't want just any old ice-cream, you want to be surprised, delighted, you want to have your socks knocked right off! Basically, you want gelato so good that you're ruined for the ice-cream back home.

Or is that just us? If you're on the same page when it comes to gelato, though, read on and take note.

Why not find a luxury villa in Florence and visit all of our suggestions? Your taste-buds will thank you later.

There are certain things in Florence, as in every great city in the world, that are on almost all visitors' itineraries. When in Florence, most will want to see the Uffizi, David, the Palazzo Vecchio, the Piazza della Signoria and, perhaps, the Duomo, but if you are an art, architecture or history lover visiting the city, there's a hidden gem that you need to know about. Stretching from the Palazzo Pitti to the Uffizi is a long passageway, measuring almost a kilometre. Named the Vasari Corridor after the man who designed it, it is a lesser-known and less accessible attraction in the city. If you want the chance to be one of the few who gets to see it for yourself, find a luxury villa in Florence and drop by!

Following on from the last post which discussed Florentine fashion designers that you should know about and visit while in Florence, this will continue with two more historic and important designers. As noted previously, many of the city's important designers are still based in Florence and even when they don't have museums like as Salvatore Ferragamo does, they have large boutiques located nearby. With a history that is intrinsically connected to fashion and design, Florence's fashion heritage cannot be overlooked.

Find a villa with internet in Florence and explore, shop and learn all about the wealth of design culture that she has to offer.

Now that you know where to go for bargains in Florence, it seems only fitting to discuss some of the greatest and most important designers to come from the city. Most are still headquartered there and Florence's history is intimately connected to clothing and design. It is, of course, well-known that Florence was a great art centre in the Renaissance but its wealth, which allowed for the production of all that art, came, in part, from the roaring wool and silk trade of the Middle Ages. The rise of the Medici from merchants to almost-kings led to their becoming taste-makers and influencers, the first fashionistas, if you will.