Must-Sees of Florence Part #2
by Local Host
Continuing our post from Thursday, here are 5 more insights and suggestions to make your Florence, Italy vacation unique and memorable.
Madova
In Italy, even hands deserve la dolce vida. This family-owned boutique offers an array of handmade leather gloves in every shape, color and size. Lined in cashmere, silk, wool or fur, the friendly staff makes sure your selection will “fit like a glove.”
San Gimienano
The ultimate status symbol in this quarrelsome medieval town was a tall family tower. While only 14 of the original 72 towers remain, this captivating Tuscan city is a study of what can happen when egos run wild.
Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella
A tucked-away Florentine jewel, this charming pharmacy displays the results of more than 800 years of work by the Dominican monks who call it home. Following centuries-old formulas, the shop sells ancient remedies and tonics alongside hand-molded soaps and perfumed powders.
Dante’s House
If any place could be called the birthplace of the Renaissance, this is it. Buried deep within Florence’s historic center, is the home of the poet Dante, whose unbridled love of language spurred future Florentines to follow their artistic and intellectual passions.
Villa Gameraia
Head to the hills of Settignano and this picturesque estate to understand what Edith Wharton meant when she described its beautiful formal gardens as “the most perfect example even in Italy of great effect on a small scale.”
