I hadn’t visited Firenze in the springtime since my second trip to Italy, molti anni fa. So after creating a less than great itinerary to Sicily, (see Firenze old and new and Firenze and Fiesole posts) I decided to finish my trip in Firenze (Florence). I had several must sees or must do’s: to see the wisteria (glicine) in the Bardini gardens, to do a wine window walk, to have an affogato, and see the sunset from Piazzale Michelangelo. It was also my birthday week and I hoped to celebrate in Firenze, then do a wine tour of Chianti.
The first two and a half days were great and I (along with my sister) saw the wisteria, the sunset (sort of) and had a delicious affogato. But the high point of my birthday was walking cautiously to a little bar near our apartment, arm encased in a heavy cast, face covered in ugly bruises due to a bad fall the day before. While I didn’t get to do several things I wanted to do, I soldiered on and saw some lovely sights, all of them discussed below.
I plan to do a separate post on dealing with an accident in Firenze, including the police and hospital, but do want to emphasize here the importance of good travel insurance that includes medical coverage. I have a AAA life insurance policy that is supposed to cover medical costs and pay benefits if you are injured or killed while traveling and it only paid about a third of my medical costs. Buyer beware.
One of the things that made this difficult situation easier to bear was that by chance I had booked an apartment through AirBnB that turned out to be one of the nicest stays ever with one of the bests hosts ever. (See Where to Stay below)
Before I get to various activities and walkabouts, I have a couple of general comments about Firenze in April. It wasn’t until after I had made my trip plans and reservations, that I realized I would be arriving in Firenze on Easter Sunday which was later than usual in 2025. I was really excited at first thinking there would be some cool activities and celebrations in the afternoon following mass. And there were activities just not when I expected them.
But unfortunately, the major event, the Explosion of the Cart, takes place around 11:00 am just following mass in the Duomo. By the time I read about it on this site, https://www.visitflorence.com/florence-events/easter-sunday-and-monday-in-florence.html, I had already made plans to spend a couple of days in Naples on my way from Salerno to Florence and it was too late to change my plans. But if I ever get a chance to be in Firenze again for Easter, I will definitely arrive at least the day before.
That said, I was totally unprepared for how crowded Firenze was, absolutely wall to wall people, which made our apartment even more appealing since it was in a quiet neighborhood outside of the centro.
Things to do and Places to Go
The Gardens in Springtime
Boboli Gardens
I don’t think I’ve missed visiting the Boboli Gardens since my first trip to Italy more than 30 years ago but this trip was only the second time I’d seen it in the springtime. It was a bit crowded since it was Easter Monday but the gardens are huge and it wasn’t difficult to walk up from Palazzo Pitti to the fountains in the center of the gardens and then sit and enjoy the beauty of the spring gardens.
From there we walked to the top going up the steps to the small rose garden next to the small building that houses a porcelain exhibit. The roses were beautiful but I mostly enjoyed the spectacular views of the hills surrounding Firenze.
Boboli Gardens 2025
I bought the combined Boboli-Bardini ticket (which may be standard) and after visiting the rose garden, took the path along the upper edge to the gate that leads out to Fort Belvedere to via del Forte di S. Giorgio. It’s just a few steps from there to access the upper level of the Bardini Gardens.
Bardini Gardens
When you enter the Bardini through the upper entrance, it takes you into the Bardini Villa where there is a ticket office. For the first time ever there was a line from the entrance from via Costa S. Giorgio to the ticket desk. We stood there for a few minutes before I realized that we could skip the line and show the combined ticket to the person taking tickets.
The first thing that strikes you as you exit the Villa is the spectacular view of Firenze. You then have several options as to which path to take. We took one that wanders through a wooded area with lovely fountains and statuary and then brings you out in front of the café.
Bardini Gardens April 2025
I thought Boboli was crowded but it was nothing compared to the wall to wall tourists and locals all there to see the same thing: the Wisteria Pergola. We decided to have a prosecco on the café patio and wait for the crowds to thin out. It was a beautiful day and fun to people watch as well as enjoy the views.
We probably sat there for close to an hour before deciding we could actually walk through the pergola and enjoy the wisteria. Mama mia!! It was one of the most beautiful things I’ve seen in Firenze.
Wisteria Pergola Bardini Gardens
Sunset at Piazzale Michelangelo
After seeing a number of Instagram posts of the crowds sitting on the steps to Piazzale Michelangelo watching the sunset and listening to music I decided I had to be part of the scene, even though I’ve been to Piazzale Michelangelo multiple times. (See Florence and Fiesole, Florence and Fiesole, parte due posts)
As discussed below, my sister and I had stopped at Fuori Porta for a spritz since it sits at the base of the steep street and steps that lead up to Piazzale Michelangelo. While the manager told us that we could sit on the patio as long as we wanted, even though the bar was closing from 4:00 pm to 7:00pm, I got antsy and suggested we start up to the piazza around 5:30pm. Bad idea.
We started up Via del Monte alle Croci, which turns in San Salvatore alle Monte and the ‘steps’ to Piazzale Michelangelo. For some reason people are now detoured to the left about half way up and through the rose garden. The garden is beautiful and I wish we’d spent more time there. I found the garden path somewhat confusing but kept following it until we found our way to the top.
There were quite a few people already in the Piazzale and we wandered around, first taking some photos of the views of the city. Then we tried different places to sit including the steps which at that time were too hot for me. Then we moved down to a lower piazza sitting on a bench people watching. We finally walked over to the side of the piazza around 6:55pm hoping the sun would start to set. But it just hung in the sky, seemingly not moving at all. I did get some nice photos of the Firenze skyline and the Arno, which I never grow tired of seeing.
view from Piazzale Michelangelo
We left at 7:15pm since I was nervous about walking back in the dark. Naturally it was much easier to get down than expected, taking the road to the steps to Porta San Niccolo and then along the Lungomare to Ponte San Niccolo.
We stopped on Ponte San Niccolo and took some beautiful pictures as the sun seemingly hovered over the Arno.
Sunset from Ponte San Niccolo
Mostre (Exhibitions)
Artisan Fair at Fortezza da Basso
Not having been in Firenze in the spring for many years, I browsed several sites that had activity calendars and ran across this event. Despite it being only 2 days after my accident, I convinced 2 friends to go with me on the first day of the fair, the 89th edition. We took a taxi from our apartment to the Fortezza.
I had never been to the Fortezza but it was easy to get around. After funneling through the ticket office, we found ourselves in an open area with some food stands outside a large building. The fair itself was inside the building; aisles and aisles of every type of artisan imaginable; jewelry makers, leather goods, household goods, sculpture, paintings…..
We walked up and down all the aisles, admiring the beautiful wares. My friends bought several pieces of gorgeous and unique jewelry and I felt semi-normal for the first time since my accident.
Caravaggio at Villa Bardini
In addition to looking at activity calendars, I also specifically researched art exhibits and learned that there would be Caravaggio and Impressionists exhibits during out visit. Getting there was a little more challenging, mostly because it was two days after my fall and my arm was in a heavy cast. The walk from our apartment on via Arnolfo to the Bardini involved crossing over the Arno at Ponte S. Niccolo and then walking along the lungarno for about a mile, then walking along Piazza de Mozzi to via Bardi where the lower level ticket office is located. From the ticket office we took the elevator up to the gardens where, thankfully, a cart was taking people back and forth to the villa. Walking up the steep slopes with my arm in a cast would have been difficult and coming down even more so.
I wish I’d read the information at the link above because I have to admit I was a bit confused as to the theme. There were several rooms with information about Roberto Longhi and Anna Banti who re-discovered Caravaggio and several rooms with art that seemed completely unrelated.
But the room that held about 8 of Caravaggio’s masterpieces made the trip totally worth it. One of my companions was starting an art class the next day and we sat on a small sofa in the middle of the room for close to an hour admiring his works, discussing his use of light and shadow and other techniques. It was a once in a lifetime experience.
The Impressionists in Normandy at Ospedale degli Innocenti
https://www.museodeglinnocenti.it/en/mostra/impressionisti-in-normandia
I’ve loved the works of the Impressionists ever since a friend took me to the Art Institute of Chicago many years ago and I’ve gone to every exhibit I’ve had access to, including an immersion exhibit of Van Gogh’s works.
When I think of Impressionists works, I think of sunny Provence or picnics along the Seine. But after doing some research, (see https://www.firenzemadeintuscany.com/en/article/impressionists-normandy-exhibition-museo-degli-innocenti-di-firenze/), I found that Impressionism has its roots in Normandy. So instead of sunny Provence the art captures scenes of the ocean off the coast of Normandy, as well as Deuville, Honfleur, Le Havre and village scenes near La fattoria Saint-Simenon where many of the artists stayed.
Impressionists in Normandy
The exhibit itself, which was held in the lower level of Museo degli Innocenti, was designed quite differently from others I’ve attended although in some respects it was similar to the Van Gogh immersion exhibit. The initial entrance to the exhibit was designed to make you feel as though you are standing inside the paintings. Then a second ‘entrance’ was designed to look like the rippling water along the shore. Plus there were a number of exhibits showing the technique the artists used as well as their palettes and types of paints and brushes.
Walkabouts
Day Two in the Centro
It’s difficult for me to write about this year’s Walkabouts because of the one that ended in disaster and is still following me as I write this. But I can never get enough of wandering through the centro and the Oltrarno; there’s always something new to see.
Street scenes Firenze
On our second full day in Firenze the forecast called for rain so we walked around our neighborhood which I’d never visited before, organized our apartment and planned some trips that never materialized due to my accident. When the rain didn’t materialize, I suggested a walk to the centro for an affogato and a visit to Orsanmichele which I’d seen in 2021 and thought my sister would like. (see Firenze off season, parte uno post)
We walked from our apartment on via Arnolfo to the Lungarno and followed it to via dei Benci and then Via dei Neri. We were disappointed to find that Gelateria Neri was closed. I tried to find another option using my phone but it kept sending me the wrong direction. So we walked on to Orsanmichele. The sign outside the church indicated that it should be open but the ticket office was closed. Strike two. We did have a good laugh with a street vendor who told us to take a break and shop at his stand.
My next idea was to go to the Bargello but once again my phone kept sending me in circles and by the time I found it, it too was closed. By that time I was hot, tired and cranky and suggested we go have a spritz in the Oltrarno at Fuori Porta. As I’ve written below in Where to eat and drink, that was also a partial fail. But we definitely enjoyed our time there.
A spritz at Fuori Porta
Walk to Piazzale Michelangelo
I wrote in one of my first posts on Firenze (Florence and Fiesole ) that walking up the steps to Piazzale Michelangelo had become one of the first things I did when arriving in Firenze. It’s a fairly strenuous hike but worth it for the views. This year was somewhat different.
We started up Via del Monte alle Croci, which turns into San Salvatore alle Monte and the ‘steps’ to Piazzale Michelangelo. For some reason people are now detoured to the left about half way up and through the Rose Garden. The garden is beautiful and I wish we’d spent more time there, especially given that we arrived way too early to see the sunset. I found the garden path somewhat confusing but kept following it until we found our way to the top.
Where to eat and drink
Signor Vino’s
Via de’ Bardi, 46/R 48/R, 50125 Firenze FI, Italy
signorvino.com
My first experience with Signorvino was an excellent dinner with a language school group in 2017. The next year we stumbled on a Signorvino in Bologna and stopped there multiple times for panini and vino.
It’s become something of a go to place after arriving in Firenze and this year was no exception. After meeting my sister at Hotel la Scaletta, we started heading towards the lungomare and a walkabout but then decided to have a late lunch at Signorvino which has a great location right next to the Arno. We sat outside on the patio which was a bit toasty but still enjoyed a delicious tagliere and a vino.
Trattoria de’Pitti
https://www.trattoriadepitti.it
Piazza de’ Pitti, 32, 50125 Firenze FI, Italy
We’ve been coming to Trattoria de’Pitti for several years and have not been disappointed. So after a long day of travel on Easter Sunday, having dinner at this small trattoria across from the Pitti Palace was an easy decision. My sister had a pizza and I had my favorite, strozzapreti, pasta with a sweet/spicey tomato sauce which I love.
We also had our usual house wine and a dessert.
Gelateria dei Neri
Via dei Neri, 9/11R, 50122 Firenze FI, Italy
As I wrote above, one of my goals this trip was to have an affogato caffe, which translates to drowned coffee and is made by pouring a shot of espresso over gelato. If you look online, the most popular gelateria in Firenze for an affogato is Vivoli. I thought it might be too touristy so decided on Gelateria dei Neri.
On our Tuesday walkabout, we stopped here first, finding it closed which was disappointing. But we persevered and stopped here Wednesday early afternoon before my accident and had a delicious affogato. I know I’ll stop again on my next visit to Firenze.
Ditta Artiginale
via della Sprone, 5R
https://dittaartigianale.com/?shpxid=bbcbef6f-bbcd-4e62-b1eb-58422c534a3d
We discovered this great coffee bar and breakfast place during our December 2023 visit (see Firenze, 2023 post). It was just up the street from our apartment and it was even closer to Hotel La Scaletta. So it was the perfect place for breakfast our first morning in Firenze.
They have fabulous pastries and coffees, but I had the yoghurt and granola that I discovered on my first visit. It gives you a great protein boost for a day of walking and seeing the sights.
Osteria Fiorentini
Via Arnolfo, 8 rosso, 50121 Firenze FI, Italy
We also found a lovely osteria (Osteria dei Fiorentini) just a half a block away from our apartment with excellent food. We ate there our last 2 nights in Firenze and it appeared that a mother and daughter owned the restaurant and did all the serving. They were very kind to me and helped me select food that I could eat despite my arm being in a cast and my mouth and teeth being injured. The first night I had a simple rigatoni with a tomato based sauce, the second night I had a delicious tortellini stuffed with ricotta and spinach and covered in one of the best ragu’s I’ve ever had. We also had dessert both nights as well as a very good house wine that was only 10 euros a bottle.
Bottega di Pasticceria
Lungarno Francesco Ferrucci, 9c Rosso, 50126 Firenze FI
I discovered this lovely little restaurant while staying at a nearby AirBnB in late 2021. After going to the Caravaggio exhibit at the Bardini Villa, I suggested to my friends that we stop here on the way back to our apartment since it was only a couple of blocks out of the way.
They were delighted with the lovely atmosphere and the yummy panini and dolci. We each had a panino and a glass of wine, then got a plate of dolci to share. It was a great way to end a pleasant Sunday.
Fuori Porta
Via del Monte alle Croci, 10, 50125 Firenze FI
I think I first discovered Fuori Porta in 2014, after a hike up to Piazzale Michelangelo. I loved sitting out on the small terrace with a vino and aperitivo, watching the world go by. For several years it became our go to place after the walk to Piazzale Michelangelo. When I stopped here in 2017, I was disappointed in the quality of the crostini which had always been excellent, so we started going to another enoteca in the centro.
But on Tuesday of this trip to Firenze, after a less than great walkabout in the centro, I suggested going to Fuori Porta for a spritz or two, then continuing to Piazzale Michelangelo to see the sunset.
We arrived around 3:30-3:45pm, finding that Fuori Porta now closes from 4-7 pm. The staff person did let us order a spritz and told us we could sit on the terrace as long as we wanted but if you’re looking for a place to cool off and have an aperitivo after visiting Piazzale Michelangelo, just be aware that it could be closed.
Café at Ospedale degli Innocenti
Piaza della SS. Annunziata, 12, Firenze
https://www.istitutodeglinnocenti.it/it
I ‘discovered’ the rooftop café in 2017, the first time I visited the museum itself (see Florence and Fiesole, parte due post). It was a rainy chilly day in September and I went up to the café to have a cup of tea, and warm up a bit before checking into an apartment for language school.
I’ve been back to the museum and café multiple times since and if it’s a nice day usually have a spritz or wine and enjoy the views. This year was quite different from previous visits in that, despite my arm being in a cast from a bad fall, I was determined to see the Impressionist exhibit at Ospedale and talked my sister into walking from our apartment to Piazza della SS Annunziata. I even posted this picture on my Instagram page. (see @blwidick, Instagram)
The exhibit was well worth the walk and having a spritz on the rooftop made for a perfect afternoon.
view from Ospedale degli Innocenti
Where to stay
Hotel La Scaletta
via de’ Guicciardini 13, Firenze
Originally my sister and I booked Corte d’Arnolfo apartment (see below) from April 20th through the 29th. On reflection, though, I suggested we get a hotel for the first night so that we could check in, leave our bags, and walk around Firenze, enjoying the Easter activities.
While going through possible options on Expedia or TripAdvisor, La Scaletta popped up. We had stayed here in 2010, the first time I brought my sister to Firenze. I found several pictures of the interior from that visit and to say it was somewhat funky would be a mild understatement; a small wire cage elevator that took you from the ground level up to the ‘front desk,’ rooms with orange walls, stairs going in every direction….
La Scaletta 2010
But the rooftop terrace and bar made it all worthwhile. We spent all our spare time there, having cocktails and taking pictures.
view from the rooftop of La Scaletta 2010
It has been substantially remodeled during the intervening years, with additions around a courtyard behind the hotel, the front desk and entrance on the ground level, a more modern elevator to the floor just below the rooftop terrace, an expensive restaurant also on the rooftop and a nightly price of over $200.00.
We had a room on the courtyard level which we liked both for the convenience of not needing to go up and down stairs and also for the quiet.
However, we both agreed that the renovations had not been done with the best quality materials. Baseboards were peeling from the wall, the shower sprayed water all over the bathroom which was not well designed and the room overall was quite small.
We had after dinner limoncellos on the roof top bar, finding it much smaller than before and the staff less friendly. But the view was still spectacular.
Corte d’Arnolfo Rubino
via Arnolfo 56, Firenze
My sister and I stayed at Corte d’Arnolfo for 9 days, from April 21 to April 30, 2025 and I think it will always be one of my favorite apartments in Italy, despite how the trip ended.
There are three apartments in Corte d’Arnolfo sitting around a lovely courtyard. We rented a one bedroom apartment (through Air BnB) and while it was modestly sized, it had a very well equipped kitchen with a gas range, small refrigerator, dishwasher and all the dishes and cooking utensils needed for preparing meals. There was both a washer and a dryer in the courtyard and we used them several times over the course of our stay. The bathroom was fairly large and there was plenty of hot water for the shower. The bedroom and living areas were small but (up until my accident) we were out of the apartment during the day and when we were at the apartment, we often sat in the courtyard.
I thought the location would be the major negative factor for the apartment but it was our favorite part of the stay. It’s located in a quiet residential area just east of the centro and about 3 blocks north of the Arno River. Firenze was busier than any time I’ve been there, (wall to wall tourists), and we loved being out of the craziness and the fact that we were in a real neighborhood where we could easily walk to the bakery, two good grocery stores and several bars.
I was afraid taxi fares would be very expensive but it actually cost less to take a taxi to via Arnolfo than taking a taxi from the train station to a hotel in the centro; 15 euros to and from the centro, compared to 20 euros within the centro.
And our hosts could not have been nicer. Silverio and his wife, Antonella, made sure we had everything we needed, from information about how to use the appliances in the apartment to how to get around the area. Silverio even arranged an appointment with his dentist to help with some of my injuries after my fall. Plus Antonella brought me several delicious treats from the bakery for my birthday.
Corte d’Arnolfo
Assuming I return to Firenze, I will definitely rent one of Silverio’s apartments.