Plan Your Visit To The Florence Duomo During my recent trip to Florence, Italy, my girlfriend Kristin and I decided to do something we’d never done before: visit the top of the Florence Duomo. Every Italian city has a duomo. Though there is no English equivalent, to define duomo is easy enough: it is the most important church in a city. The Italian duomo is usually located in the largest ... Read Full Article
Italy’s Boccaccesca Food and Wine Festival
If you’ll be in Florence this October, the Boccaccesca Food and Wine Festival is a must see. Not only does it feature the region’s best traditional food and wine, of which there is a whole lot, the festival is located in the rolling Tuscan countryside, just a few miles from the heart of the Chianti region. Now in its 11th year, the festival takes place in the town of Certaldo, the first and second ... Read Full Article
Italy from Bottom to Top: Tuscany’s Cuisine
Last night, to celebrate the dollar’s dramatic comeback against the euro, Kristin and I scoured Florence for the famous bistecca alla fiorentina. Made from a unique breed of cow, Chianina, the steak is served in huge slabs of between 1.5 lbs and 3 lbs, and traditionally cooked al sangue, which means “bloody.” I say “scoured” because the prices of bistecca alla fiorentina vary, and I was looking ... Read Full Article
Enjoying an Aperitivo in Florence, Italy
I’ve been walking and bicycling Florence’s busy and beautiful streets for five days now; it’s been hot and muggy, rainy and thundery, and absolutely breathing. Florence has many sides, but my favorites are its sights and its food. Since I’ve seen most of its sights before such as the Uffizi Gallery, and the Duomo, I’ve been focusing on Florence’s aperitivo culture and fine dining. Florence ... Read Full Article
Florence’s Mercato Centrale in the San Lorenzo Market
Florence is alive with markets, day in and day-out you will find several Florence markets ready for you to discover. The San Lorenzo market, in the heart of Florence, is a swarm of colors and scents. At the Mercato Centrale (the Food market in San Lorenzo) we’re talking artisan breads of all shapes and sizes; stands overflowing with in-season fruits and vegetables such as green beans, ... Read Full Article
Italy Tourist Information
Introduction to Italy The tenth-largest country in Europe; Italy reaches into the central Mediterranean and includes the islands Sardinia and Sicily. Before Italy became a nation-state in 1861, the country was divided into city-states. Those political divisions may no longer exist but they are still present culturally. One will find a long-standing rivalry between Florence and Siena, ... Read Full Article
Curious Easter Ceremonies in Italy
Easter time in Italy means spending time with family, eating good food, and picnicking in the countryside. Businesses sometimes take the entire week off, and government-run institutions, such as bus and train service, are pared down. Easter Sunday itself, known as Pasqua, is a day of intense celebration. Parades, brass marching bands, idols made of precious metals carried atop men’s’ ... Read Full Article
Uffizi Gallery – Stepping into The Florentine Renaissance
Recognized as one of the most important art museums in Italy, the Uffizi Gallery in Florence is home to the works of numerous Renaissance painters, and like Paris’s Louvre, filled with more artwork than any one person can appreciate in a lifetime. Located inside a palace built in 1554, the gallery is situated in the center of Florence, the very city where much of the artwork on display was ... Read Full Article
Wine Tasting in Chianti, Italy
I never realized how easy it is to go wine tasting in Chianti until I gave it a try. My girlfriend Kristin and I were staying in Florence and decided to rent a car for twenty-four hours and drive into wine country. It didn’t take more than forty-five minutes and we were in the rolling, vine-covered hills of one of the most important wine-producing regions in history. The main town in Chianti is ... Read Full Article
Seeking Sanctuary on Borgo Santissimi Apostoli, Florence
It’s late spring, unseasonably hot, and I’m amidst the clamoring crowds walking toward Ponte Vecchio on via Por Santa Maria. It’s dusk, and for some reason the sun seems to strike more intensly upon setting in the western sky. I need a refuge. Instead of following the map-wielding, chatty crowds, I take a right on Borgo Santissimi Apostoli for sanctuary. It’s dark and quiet—and, best of all, ... Read Full Article