Florence, Ma che bella!

Feb. 15 2014

by Laurence Ogiela / TÊTU

are you more Michelangelo, Raphael and Botticelli? Or Pucci, Gucci and Ferragamo? Or both? Then Florence is your ideal destination. A true open-air museum, you can stroll from historical monuments to palaces, before filling your wardrobe in the factory stores of the great Italian brands.

A jewel of the Renaissance, Florence is one of the European cities with the most historical monuments per square meter. The visit usually begins with the Duomo cathedral, with its green marble, symbol of the city. From there, you can wander through the streets and alleys that wind through the heart of the old city.

Everywhere you can find palaces decorated with sublime frescoes whose hidden passages were used by spies during the Renaissance. Like the Palazzo Vecchio, full of secret corridors dear to the Medici, which now houses the city hall. In its extension, the Uffizi Gallery, nicknamed the Florentine Louvre, lines up a collection of paintings by the greatest Italian artists such as Vinci, Botticelli and Michelangelo.

From there, you have a breathtaking view of the Ponte Vecchio, whose silhouette full of shops has been reflected in the Arno for centuries. Everywhere, statues of naked ephebes invite you to dream, like the most famous of them: Michelangelo's David in the Galleria dell'Accademia.

Don't be surprised if you suddenly feel dizzy. You are probably suffering from Stendhal syndrome. The travel writer would have had a similar experience when visiting Florence in 1817. was it in front of David's sublime buttocks?

Florence museums website: www.firenzemusei.it

Our good plans in Florence on the following page >>

Good shopping tips
Located thirty minutes from the city center, the factory outlets of the major Italian luxury brands sell out all year long. The stores are the same as in the city, very, very chic, but half the price because they offer the previous year's collections. Start with the Mall of Leccio, where you will find Dior, Fendi, Valentino, Tod's... Further on, the Barberino Designer Outlet (photo) offers a hundred stores: Prada, Missoni, Lagostina kitchenware... Finally, Space, the Prada store in Montevarchi, also sells the Miu Miu, Jil Sander and Helmut Lang collections
www.outlet-firenze.com

Good gay deals
The gay life in Florence is quite limited but there are some LGBT establishments in the city center

YAG B@r
The cocktail bar where the gay and lesbian community meets every weekend.
Via de Macci, 8r
www.yagbar.com

Crisco Club
An exclusively gay club with cruising area and darkrooms.
Via Sant'Egidio, 43r
www.criscoclub.it

Piccolo Caffé
A small gay bar with a heterogeneous and friendly atmosphere.
Borgo Santa Croce, 23r

Piccolo Caffé

Tabasco Discogay
In the crypt of Santa Cecilia where Dante is said to have met Beatrice, an improbable gay club. Italian what!
Piazza Santa Cecilia, 3r
www.tabascogay.eu

Florence Baths
A gay sauna in the heart of the city. Practical to relax between two museums.
Via Guelfa, 93r
www.florencebaths.eu

Bar 85
Hardcore bar for guys looking for macho, muscular and hairy Italians.
Via Guelfa, 85r
www.tabascogay.it/bar85

Main picture ©Laurence Ogiela