Travelling in Florence, Italy in the Low Season
3 min readThinking of visiting Florence in the winter? In the low season, Florence is full of beauty, found in its people and piazzas.
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Slowing down in Florence over the holidays
by Carolyn Ray
It’s Christmas Eve in Florence. I’ve just arrived on the train and am rushing to get to my rented apartment in Oltrarno, on the far side of the Arno River. After a long day of travel from Belgium, I am tired. I am frustrated. I stop and look around. Why is everyone walking so slowly? Don’t they have anywhere to be? Then it hits me – I’m in Florence, the city where Michelangelo’s David stands in solid marble. Where Dante, ‘the father of the Italian language’ was born in 1265. Where the House of the Medici, under the influence of Cosimo de Medici, ruled Florence and inspired the Italian Renaissance in the first half of the 15th century.
Everywhere I look, there is beauty. It’s in the white lights hanging across cobblestone streets. It’s in the brightly lit presents that dominate the main squares. It’s even in the quaint shops decorated with garland and lights around every entrance. I watch as a charming marionette show draws a crowd. There’s music but also a vibrant hum of French, Spanish, Japanese and English. Stylish couples are strolling arm in arm, gesturing and smiling. Families are standing in circles hugging and chatting with each other as their kids run around in the streets. With a deep breath, I walk forward slowly, matching the pace of those around me. Ciao Florence! It’s time to slow down.
Florence at Christmas time
Over the next two weeks, I take some time for me. I stroll leisurely through Florence’s cobblestone streets and wander around piazzas, shops and restaurants. Everything is welcoming and charming. The weather is mild and my leggings, sweater, scarf and lightweight jacket are more than enough. Of course, I can’t resist buying a stylish hat from the family-owned business Grevi, which has been making hats by hand for almost 180 years. I find that mornings are the best time to get out for a coffee in my local piazza, with afternoons spent in galleries, churches and museums.
Florence’s version of Fifth Avenue is Via Tornabuoni, a luxurious street that runs from Piazza Antinori to Santa Trinita Bridge, which is very close to my apartment. I wander by stunning displays from Gucci, Ferragamo and Prada. In the Hermes store, I am awed by the beautiful ceiling. On the side streets, vendors sell colourful silk scarves, jewelry and handmade leather bags. All the restaurants and patios are open, and while some have heaters, the sunshine makes eating outside warm enough, even on New Year’s Eve.
Florence’s oldest bridge, the 13-century Ponte Vecchio, was once home to fishmongers. Today, jewelry shops line each side. Looking up, I see the Corridoio Vasariano, the private passage used by the Medici family that runs from the Uffizi to the Palazzo Pitti, on the other side of the Arno. Built in 1565 by Giorgio Vasari, it will reopen to the public after several years of restoration in Spring 2024. During the holidays, the bridge is covered in vibrant light displays of flowers, with classical music playing. On New Year’s Eve, it’s where everyone gathers to watch fireworks, the light display on the bridge and drink prosecco. It’s truly magical.
