Florence: Oltrarno Walking Tour - 6 ore

OLTRARNO WALKING TOUR  Half Day

Florence was founded in 1st Century b. C. on the northern bank of the Arno and its central square corresponded to today's Piazza della Repubblica. First settlements on the southern bank of the river date back to 4th Century A.D., when a Cristian community established itself in the area at the beginning of Via Guicciardini and Borgo San Jacopo and founded the church of Santa Felicita.
Oltrarno's inhabitants where during Middle Ages mainly «ciompi» "workers" and craftsmen, who still today have here their workshops; Oltrarno underwent a deep change at the end of 15th Century, when rich merchants and noble families begun building here their palaces; the most imposant one is without any doubt Pitti Palace, built by the banker Luca Pitti who demolished part of Borgo di Piazza in front of the palace and created the Gardens of Boboli behind it.
In 1550 the Medici chose Pitti Palace as their residence.
Oltrarno preserved until today a truly Florentine atmosphere made of art and artisans : these quarters welcome visitors with shops and unique workshops, cafes and restaurants, world-famous and lesser-known museums and monuments - and a way of life you cannot find in other quarters of Florence.
We'll start our tour from the 14th-century Ponte Vecchio or Old Bridge, characterised by the Goldsmith Old Shops.
We’ll continue to the church of Santo Spirito,  conceived by Brunelleschi, studied and admired by Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, called by Bernini «the most beautiful church in the world».
In 1252 the Augustinian monks built on this area a monastery and a church dedicated to «Saint Mary of Ognissanti and the Holy Spirit», which became soon known as the Church of the «Holy Spirit». In just a few decades the church became one of the most important in Florence,  rebuilt then under Brunelleschi's direction. At that point several rich merchants and noblesmen  built there their palaces,  like Palazzo Guadagni. Apart from gorgeous palaces or the church,  in this square we can still find traditional artisan workshops, where craftsmen work like centuries ago - instead of tourist-shops characterizing many Florentine squares.
It is the only square of Oltrarno where a foods and clothes market is held each day.
Our next stop will be Palazzo Pitti, which works begun in 1458  . The original palazzo consisted of two floors with seven windows : Luca Pitti wanted them as big as the entrance door of the new palace of the Medici. Such an imposant project proved to be too expensive, even for the rich Pitti family, and the building was interrupted in 1466; only 80 years later Eleonora di Toledo, wife of Cosimo I de' Medici, bought the abandoned palace and the gardens of Boboli, and made of them the new palace of her family. The building was completed in 1580 by Bartolomeo Ammannati, who designed the courtyard and added the lion heads on the façade.
In 1865-71, when Florence was capital of Italy, Palazzo Pitti was the royal palace, and in 1919 King Vittorio Emanuele III donated the whole complex of palace, museums and gardens to the Italian State. Inside the palace, the Palatine Gallery shows a collection of over 1000 paintings: among them are several masterpieces of Florentine Renaissance and Mannerism and of European art.
The Royal Apartments include the rooms used by Medici, Lorraine and Savoy for court receptions: these rooms are enriched with important artworks.
The Gardens of Boboli are located right behind Pitti Palace; they are among the largest parks in Florence (45,000 square meters) and represent an excellent example of Italian gardens of 16th Century.

OLTRARNO WALKING TOUR  Full Day

Florence was founded in 1st Century b. C. on the northern bank of the Arno and its central square corresponded to today's Piazza della Repubblica. First settlements on the southern bank of the river date back to 4th Century A.D., when a Cristian community established itself in the area at the beginning of Via Guicciardini and Borgo San Jacopo and founded the church of Santa Felicita.
Oltrarno's inhabitants where during Middle Ages mainly «ciompi» "workers" and craftsmen, who still today have here their workshops; Oltrarno underwent a deep change at the end of 15th Century, when rich merchants and noble families begun building here their palaces; the most imposant one is without any doubt Pitti Palace, built by the banker Luca Pitti who demolished part of Borgo di Piazza in front of the palace and created the Gardens of Boboli behind it.
In 1550 the Medici chose Pitti Palace as their residence.
Oltrarno preserved until today a truly Florentine atmosphere made of art and artisans : these quarters welcome visitors with shops and unique workshops, cafes and restaurants, world-famous and lesser-known museums and monuments - and a way of life you cannot find in other quarters of Florence.
We'll start our tour from the 14th-century Ponte Vecchio or Old Bridge, characterised by the Goldsmith Old Shops.
We’ll continue to the church of Santo Spirito,  conceived by Brunelleschi, studied and admired by Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, called by Bernini «the most beautiful church in the world».
In 1252 the Augustinian monks built on this area a monastery and a church dedicated to «Saint Mary of Ognissanti and the Holy Spirit», which became soon known as the Church of the «Holy Spirit». In just a few decades the church became one of the most important in Florence,  rebuilt then under Brunelleschi's direction. At that point several rich merchants and noblesmen  built there their palaces,  like Palazzo Guadagni. Apart from gorgeous palaces or the church,  in this square we can still find traditional artisan workshops, where craftsmen work like centuries ago - instead of tourist-shops characterizing many Florentine squares.
It is the only square of Oltrarno where a foods and clothes market is held each day.
Our next stop will be Palazzo Pitti, which works begun in 1458  . The original palazzo consisted of two floors with seven windows : Luca Pitti wanted them as big as the entrance door of the new palace of the Medici. Such an imposant project proved to be too expensive, even for the rich Pitti family, and the building was interrupted in 1466; only 80 years later Eleonora di Toledo, wife of Cosimo I de' Medici, bought the abandoned palace and the gardens of Boboli, and made of them the new palace of her family. The building was completed in 1580 by Bartolomeo Ammannati, who designed the courtyard and added the lion heads on the façade.
In 1865-71, when Florence was capital of Italy, Palazzo Pitti was the royal palace, and in 1919 King Vittorio Emanuele III donated the whole complex of palace, museums and gardens to the Italian State. Inside the palace, the Palatine Gallery shows a collection of over 1000 paintings: among them are several masterpieces of Florentine Renaissance and Mannerism and of European art.
The Royal Apartments include the rooms used by Medici, Lorraine and Savoy for court receptions: these rooms are enriched with important artworks.
The Gardens of Boboli are located right behind Pitti Palace; they are among the largest parks in Florence (45,000 square meters) and represent an excellent example of Italian gardens of 16th Century.
From Boboli Gardens, we'll enter to Giardino Bardini, an Italian Renaissance garden  in the hilly part of Oltrarno, offering the best views of Florence. Opened only recently to the public, the garden is composed of three separate areas, each one created in a different time period. We'll go out from the garden  in the typical alley  of Costa di San Giorgio, onto which the Forte di Belvedere and the Giardino di Boboli connect in turn.
The fortress of Belvedere, located on the hill behind the garden of Boboli, is often referred to as «the most beautiful terrace on Florence». Art exhibitions and summer festivals are held here. Our tour will go on with the visit of the gorgeous church of San Miniato and the  breathtaking view from Piazzale Michelangelo, then , passing from the typical district of San Frediano, we'll go back to the banks of Arno.