Itineraries in Oltrarno in Florence
Oltrarno is the district of the historical center of Florence that has suffered less from the globalization of tourism.
Florence: itineraries in Oltrarno
The city of Florence is divided into two by the Arno river
which, over the centuries, has made the wealth of the city but
has also caused many damages because of the several floods.
Various itineraries can be developed in Oltrarno in Florence
because, although this part of the city is not too wide, there
are many interesting places to visit and know.
This is the district of the historic center of Florence that has
suffered less from the globalization of tourism and thanks to
this, in Oltrarno I can provide itineraries leading you to
discover the true Florentine soul: itineraries in Oltrarno in
Florence can be dedicated, for example, to Artistic
craftsmanship. Here you can find and visit workshops of
stonemasons, gilders, framers, mosaicists, goldsmiths,
silversmiths, cabinetmakers, printers, shoemakers, perfumers.
The artisans' workshops have made the wealth of Florence and
with specific itineraries, in Oltrarno you can visit the shops,
talk with the artisans, learn about ancient crafts. It is a
tradition that is carried out with effort but with passion and
that must be known and preserved.
Antiques and Modern
Itineraries in Oltrarno in Florence can be dedicated to antiques and modern antiques since many galleries and specialized shops are concentrated in this area of the historic center. Via Maggio is one of the most elegant streets of the Florentine Oltrarno and there are interesting Art Galleries for lovers of antiques and modern antiques.
Via Maggio: its palaces
In the same street, there are also beautiful sixteenth-century stately buildings: via Maggio was the main street (maior) of the Oltrarno and the great Florentine families competed to build their palace right on this important artery, near Palazzo Pitti, that is to the palace of the Grand Dukes.
Bianca Cappello: love and tragedy
Among the buildings, attention is caught by the graffiti on the facade of the Palace belonged to Bianca Cappello, whose tragic story I tell you during my itineraries in the Oltrarno in Florence.
The Basilicas of Santo Spirito and Santa Maria del Carmine
Another itinerary in Oltrarno in Florence can be dedicated to two
important basilicas and their precious works of art: the Basilica
of Santo Spirito and that of Santa Maria del Carmine. The Basilica
of Santo Spirito was rebuilt by Brunelleschi in the fifteenth
century and retains fifteenth-century altarpieces of considerable
importance. Santo Spirito concentrates in itself the Florentine
humanistic spirit thanks to the human-scale spatial architecture
and the altarpieces that still play their role as sacred images.
In the Basilica there is also an extraordinary Crucifix carved by
the young Michelangelo and given to the Augustinian friars for
gratitude. The Basilica of Santa Maria del Carmine dates back to
the thirteenth century but inside you can admire an interesting
example of Florentine Baroque. Besides, in a side chapel, the
Brancacci Chapel, the frescoes by Masaccio with the famous
Expulsion from Earthly Paradise are preserved, considered the "big
bang" of the Florentine Renaissance.
Pitti Palace
In Florence, any itinerary in Oltrarno must include a visit to the Pitti Palace and the Boboli Gardens. Palazzo Pitti has for centuries been the nerve center of court life in Florence and the most elegant palace in the whole of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. It was Eleonora of Toledo to remind her husband Cosimo that the Medici owned a palace in Oltrarno, lying on the Boboli hill. The Duchess was more interested in the garden than in the palace and had one made to measure for her own needs. For his part, the Duke decided to transform what was the Luca Pitti outside from the city villa into a royal palace. In the building, enlarged over the centuries, all the Medici lived up to the last representative of the dynasty, Anna Maria Luisa, the Palatine Electrix.
Boboli Gardens
Subsequently, the palace was inhabited by the
Habsburg-Lorraine Grand Dukes, by Elisa Baciocchi,
Napoleon's sister and, finally, by the King of Italy
Vittorio Emanuele II during the period in which Florence was
the capital city. Currently, Palazzo Pitti can be visited
and in it, you can admire the collections of the Palatine
Gallery, the Gallery of Modern Art, the Treasury of the
Grand Dukes and you can take beautiful walks in the immense
Boboli Gardens, the green lung of the historic center.
Although this district is not particularly large, the
concentration of things to see is remarkable and therefore
interesting itineraries can be developed in Oltrarno in
Florence that respond to your interests and preferences.