Holiday home in Florence: Oltrarno is better!

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5 things you absolutely need to know when choosing your holiday home in Florence and experience a trouble-free weekend in the real Florence: the Oltrarno..!

Holiday Home in Florence: the Oltrarno

Visiting a city that you do not know can be quite complicated, especially if you book a hotel or a holiday home in the wrong neighborhood or in an inconvenient position.

For all these reasons we recommend those who decide to come to Florence to find their holiday home there in the neighborhoods of San Frediano and Santo Spirito. This area is called the Oltrarno, and compared to others it has a peculiarity: it is still inhabited mostly by real Florentines, families that have lived in the city for generations and that embody the spirit of playfulness, hospitality, and loyalty to tradition..

It is a very well known area because it is full of life, both by day and by night. Here during the day you can visit a large number of typical shops, old workshops, and art galleries, while if you are wondering what to do in the evening you’ll be spoiled for choice thanks to the many pubs, pizzerias, and restaurants offering dishes from the local cuisine, one the most famous in Italy.

The real “Made in Tuscany” still lives in San Frediano and Santo Spirito: it is almost like stepping back in time… !!

Holiday Home in Florence: saving money and enjoying peace of mind

Renting a holiday home in Florence is the best solution to visit the city and it is certainly cheaper than going to a hotel. A holiday home can, of course, offer more freedom and it allows guests to experience the city as a true Florentine would, closely in tune with the habits of the neighborhood.

Holiday Home in Florence: “Perfect Oltrarno”

For those who are looking to rent a holiday home in Florence, we can recommend you book a comfortable and beautiful apartment called “Perfect Oltrarno”, located right in the heart of the area by the same name.

Furnished with taste and refinement, this apartment offers all the comforts of your home: air conditioning, Wi-Fi, and LED TV are just some of the services you can find in the apartment, along with a large and fully equipped kitchen and a lovely terrace overlooking the characteristic courtyard Oltrarno, where in the summer you will be able to dine peacefully, away from everything and everyone.

Decorated in shades of white and ocher, the house has a beautiful and cozy living room with exposed wooden beams on the ceiling. Furnished with both antique and modern furniture, cleverly combined, this apartment has two bedrooms, for a total of four beds. Good taste, quiet, cleanliness, and privacy are the watchwords for those who decide to stay at “Perfect Oltrarno “. The holiday home, situated in Florence, is ideal to spend a few days in the city known worldwide as the “cradle of the Renaissance“.

Restaurants in Oltrarno

In regards, however, to the restaurants serving the excellent cuisine of Florence you’ll be spoiled for choice. In the district of Oltrarno are the best restaurants in Florence and the most glamorous pubs of the city. Following is a selection that tries to mix both tradition with innovation.

Highly recommended is the restaurant “Il Guscio“, in the San Frediano area, which serves both meat and fish courses, made with quality ingredients often sourced locally. Everything is cooked at the moment, from “pappardelle” with white rabbit sauce to homemade ravioli with ricotta and “scamorza” cheese served with cherry tomatoes and spinach pesto, from tender beef fillet to the classic T-bone steaks.

The “Fiorentina” (the typical T-bone steak) is the protagonist of the menu at the “Antico Ristoro di Cambi“, an impressive and traditional restaurant of the city that welcomes its guests recreating the atmosphere of old Tuscany, as well as that of the menu at the “Trattoria Da Carmine“, located in the square by the same name, where friendliness and informality are a must.

Those who, on the other hand, love Oriental cuisine can dine at the Japanese restaurant “Momoyama“, where you can enjoy some of the best sushi in the city in a quiet and minimalist atmosphere.

If it’s pizza you want, definitely try the restaurant “Neromo“, which offers a variety of pizzas, including one with truffle. For brunch or cocktails, instead, the “Pop Café” or the “Volume” in Piazza Santo Spirito are the places to go to.

Art in Oltrarno

The main artistic attractions of the Oltrarno area, which continually attracts visitors from all over the world, are Piazza Santo Spirito with its Basilica, and Piazza del Carmine with the famous Brancacci Chapel.

Built in the thirteenth century, Piazza Santo Spirito was born to accommodate the crowd of people gathered to listen to the sermons of the Augustinians who ran the basilica. This, today, is the heart of the neighborhood, surrounded by markets, shops, and diners. The architect of the Basilica di Santo Spirito is Brunelleschi, who just a few years before his death devoted himself to this masterpiece of Renaissance art. The Basilica leads to the “Museum of the Foundation“, which is located in the Cenacolo di Santo Spirito.

Piazza del Carmine, on the other hand, is home to the Church of Santa Maria del Carmine, inside of which is the famous Brancacci Chapel considered unanimously one of the greatest expressions of Renaissance painting. Vital to its creation was the contribution of Masaccio who collaborated with Masolino, also among the artists of the time. A few decades later it was Filippo Lippi who finished this masterpiece of shapes, colors, balance of the scenes depicted, and religious symbolism.

Shopping in Oltrarno

As for shopping, in the Oltrarno area you are spoiled for choice. Those who, for example, love antiques, design pieces, and furniture and decor, must visit the “Domus Aurea,”: a delightful store that offers its customers a wide selection of home accessories and gifts for all tastes and all types of interior decor. Then there is the woman’s clothing store “Il Cortile“, a refined concept store featuring elegant clothes and accessories, while “Dalle Nostre Mani” is an organic fresh pasta shop for those who are health-conscious but do not want to give up the pleasures of food.

Photo Credits by: David Glauso Photographer

Versione in italiano: casa-vacanze-a-firenze

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Silvia Baldassini

Blogger & Ambassador of Tuscany