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Districts of Florence – ” San Giovanni”

studentsville — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 07:30:49 +0000

The Duomo, Baptistery and Giotto bell tower district. The Cathedral or Duomo of Florence as we can admire it today is the end result of years of work that spanned over six centuries of history. Its basic architectural design was conceived by Arnolfo di Cambio at the end of the 13th century; the cupola that has made it a symbol for the whole city was created by that genius of the Renaissance, Filippo Brunelleschi. Nowadays the Duomo is surely one of the most impressive monuments created by humankind on the planet. When you visit it, don’t forget to climb to the top of the cupola, your efforts will be repaid by the breathtaking view of all the hills around, the red roofs of the city and all the other major monuments of Florence.

The district that surrounds the Duomo constitutes the heart of the historical city center and the area has probably one of the highest concentrations of art per square meter on the whole planet: churches, statues, museums, towers, and historical buildings fill every corner of every street.

The main problem of the district is the sensation of being trapped in a Renaissance Disneyland… The whole area is, in fact, invaded by millions of tourists armed with cameras, strange parasols, colourful shirts and funny matching hats. As a result, almost all of the local shops and dining establishments are totally designed with tourists in mind: flashy gelaterias and bars, high-fashion shops, deluxe bars now dominate every street of the area featuring 5-star prices and, more often than not, 1-star quality (we recommend that you avoid all these places, unless you either a millionaire or masochist, or both…) in this atmosphere even the most romantic spirit would find it difficult to experience a true Florentine atmosphere…

If you want to enjoy the taste of a good gelato or a truly excellent Italian espresso we suggest that you head towards Sant’Ambrogio or Santa Croce where you can find better places with (more) normal prices…

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Districts of Florence – ” SS Annunziata”

studentsville — Mon, 25 May 2009 07:30:42 +0000

At the heart of this district lies the magnificent Piazza Santissima Annunziata, a beautiful space dominated by the presence of the elegant SS.Annunziata Church. This church originally stood outside the second circle of city walls. Between 1444 and 1481 Michelozzo, Pagno Portinari and Antonio Manetti (with suggestions from the architect Alberti) remodelled it into its present form.

The facade has a portico that rests on Corinthian columns and the central portal leads to the Chiostrino dei Voti (1447), a scenic space with lunettes frescoed by Pontormo, Rosso Fiorentino, and Andrea del Sarto (1511-1513). Also to be admired is Volterrano‘s magnificent coffered ceiling (1664)… What we’re saying is, if you live in this district you can’t miss a visit to this church (come on, we’re not asking you to go to Sunday morning mass!…)

This area is characterized by the strong presence of thousands of students that attend the several Faculties and University facilities that have their seats in this and in the neighboring San Marco district (literature, fine arts, architecture, student cafeterias, student houses, etc..).

Moreover in Piazza Brunelleschi, very close to Piazza Santissima Annunziata, there is the beautiful and well-organized ‘Centro Linguistico d’Ateneo‘ or ‘Rotonda Brunelleschi‘ where you can attend – at very reasonable prices (!) – courses in Italian, English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, Arabic and more in the cool and relaxing atmosphere of this Public Linguistic Center designed by Brunelleschi himself…

Here you can find many inexpensive (but nice!) cafés (perfect for students and budget travellers), many pizzerias and Italian and international restaurants (with fixed menus for lunch) and many aperitif bars (where you can eat as much as you want for the price of a cocktail, around 6-8 Euros…).

The best streets in the area for eating and drinking economically are: Via dei Servi, Via dei Pucci, Via Bufalini and Via Capponi (it’s better if you arrive between 12am and 1pm, before the ‘invasion’ of the students and the employees in the area). The quality of food is good and prices are generally much lower than the ones you can find 200 meters away in overcrowded ‘Renaissance Disneyland‘… that is… the San Giovanni (Duomo) district.

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Districts of Florence – ” San Lorenzo “

studentsville — Mon, 18 May 2009 07:30:45 +0000

San Lorenzo, for the Florentines is synonymous with ‘market‘. The biggest open market of the city is, in fact, located here. In the colourful and noisy San Lorenzo market it’s possible to find a wide choice of leather jacket and bags, jeans, t-shirts, shoes…everything of reasonably good quality and at reasonable prices.

Even if you don’t plan to spend hours shopping we suggest that to visit the market all the same, just to enjoy browsing. Naturally, watch out for pickpockets here.

Just behind the open market, in the large grey and red building that resembles a train station, is the main daily indoor market of the city, the Mercato Centrale, where every morning (except on Sundays) you can find excellent food products (fruits, vegetables, typical local cheeses and meats) at good prices, as well as several places to stop for a quick, high-quality and low-cost lunch, immersed in the beautiful atmosphere of an ancient city market.

The main attractions of San Lorenzo (apart from shopping, of course) are the San Lorenzo Basilique (made up of several buildings including the San Lorenzo church, the Brunelleschi Sagrestia Vecchia, the annex cloisters, the Canonici area and the Laurenziana Library with the famous staircase by Leonardo da Vinci) consecrated by St. Ambrose in 393, it is the oldest church in the city. It was then rebuilt along Romanesque lines in 1060. The present building dates to 1423 and was designed and built by Brunelleschi) and the Cappelle Medicee (the Medicean Chapels – are a precious tomb which preserve the Medici family remains, representing the mausoleum of the big family).

If you love shopping, chaos, art and crowds this is certainly the right district for you.

“A trip into the past”- 1000 miles race

studentsville — Fri, 15 May 2009 00:19:34 +0000

Tomorrow on the streets of Florence, transit the race cars more attractive in the world “the 1000 miles.”

The first car transit from 14.00.

Itinerary: Via San Felice a Ema, Viale del Poggio Imperiale, Viale Torricelli, Piazzale Galileo, Viale Macchiavelli, Piazza della Calza, Via Romana, Piazza San Felice, Via Maggio, Piazza Frescobaldi, Ponte a Santa Trinità, Lungarno degli Acciaioli, Via Por Santa Maria, Via Vacchereccia, Piazza della Signoria, Via dei Calzaioli, Piazza San Giovanni, Via de’ Martelli, Via Cavour, Piazza San Marco, Via La Pira, Via Giacomo Matteotti, Piazza Libertà, Via Don Minzoni, Via G. Pascoli, Largo Zoli, Via Mafalda di Savoia, Ponte Rosso.

Cascine Park Market

studentsville — Tue, 12 May 2009 08:06:57 +0000

Open-air markets are a great place to get fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables. Le Cascine Market is one of Florence’s famous markets located along the Arno River.

It is open every Tuesday morning from 8 am until 2 pm. Vendors sell fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, cheeses, flowers, housewares, clothing, jewelry, shoes, and bags.

Just remember, vendors do not like customers touching their fruits and vegetables so just point and they will be more than happy to assist you.

You will run into many of the local Italians at Cascine market.

The fall months are great to attend this market because the weather is not too hot and there are not as many tourists crowding the street. To get the real taste of italian culture, I recommend going early and spending a few hours wandering up and down the street browsing each of the vendor’s merchandise, talking with the Italians, and enjoying a fresh panini or pizza.
Many vendors sell the same merchandise so price hunt first before buying anything. Since this market is not in the center of Florence, vendors are more likely to agree to a lower price for their merchandise than the vendors in other markets, such as the San Lorenzo market (located in the heart of the city).

Districts of Florence – ” Santa Croce “

studentsville — Mon, 11 May 2009 08:16:30 +0000

Piazza Santa Croce is an excellent example of a quintessential ‘Renaissance square‘, where perfect and impressive architectural geometry has been designed around the life of the community and its citizens. Here man is not dominated by the church and architecture but is, rather, at the center of the scene.

Piazza Santa Croce, almost all year long filled with hundreds of tourists, represents the natural landmark for all the area, either by day or by night. Due to the beauty of the piazza, its monuments and its main streets, Santa Croce is one of the major tourist centers of the town. It’s important nevertheless to point out that the district still conserves the antique atmosphere of the city, especially in the narrow, hidden streets where it’s still possible to meet local inhabitants chatting (in perfect Florentine dialect) from the windows while hanging out the washing…

On hot summer nights the steps of the Santa Croce church are a most excellent spot for drinking with your friends, playing guitar, singing and getting to know the locals.

Santa Croce is full of top-end wine bars, restaurants, gelaterias, bars and pubs, where it’s possible to start a perfect Florentine evening in the best way. Want a suggestion for a perfect ‘soirée’ in Santa Croce? Here you are: aperitif at Lidò (along the river), dinner at Finis Terrae (Piazza Santa Croce) or at Enoteca Baldovino, gelato at Vivoli, and a late-night beer at Williams Pub. If you follow this suggestion you’ll really discover Santa Croce (and Florence…) at its best, believe us!

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THE PARTY STREETS OF FLORENCE

studentsville — Thu, 07 May 2009 08:37:56 +0000

Here you are a selection of the best Party Streets of Florence:

VIA PIETRAPIANA – PIAZZA DE’ CIOMPI (SANT’AMBROGIO DISTRICT)

One of the coolest streets for outdoor party in Florence is this year (2009) Via Pietrapiana/Piazza de’ Ciompi…the streets is short and there are only 2 bars Caffé Sant’Ambrogio and Plaz and 1 great place Teatro del Sale (in my opinion, in some special evenings, the best of the city)…these venues attract hundreds of florentines and foreigners every night, especially on Friday and Saturday night…we definitely recommend a visit to these places…
If you are lucky you can also find concerts and nice events under the characteristic “Loggia del Pesce” of Piazza de’ Ciompi (famous for its flea market) and almost every night you can find a quality show (music, theatre, dance, etc) at Teatro del Sale (where you can also eat great food at a reasonable price!). In front of Caffé Sant’Ambrogio you can enjoy a drink in a nice, typical, off the beaten road Place (Piazza Sant’Ambrogio) The atmosphere in the street is cool and colourful ( the area is definitely safe).

Caffé Sant’Ambrogio and Plaz are open also in the morning for the breakfast. Caffé Sant’Ambrogio is recommended also for the “aperitivo“, from (around) 6 pm on…

VIA DE’ BENCI – PIAZZA SANTA CROCE (SANTA CROCE DISTRICT)

Moyo, Lochness, Kikuya, Red Garter, Osteria de’ Benci, Oibò, Australian Pub, William Pub…the coolest bar, pub and restaurant of Florence are located here….on Friday and Saturday the street is transformed in a great Party area, if you like having fun outdoor in a nice context you can’t miss this street! Definitely one of the trendiest of the city!

Moyo is recommended for its fine “aperitivo“…Osteria de’ Benci is a great place for a good Tuscan dinner before the long party nights….

VIA DE RENAI – PORTA SAN NICCOLO’ (SAN NICCOLO’ DISTRICT)

Zoe and Negroni, Caffe’ la Torre, Fuori Porta Wine Bar, Beppa Fioraia Restaurant, il Rifrullo Bar, l’Antica Mescita restaurant …seriously this is probably the nicest area of Florence for outdoor Party…Definitely recommended!

The area is estethically great, under Piazzale Michelangelo, along Arno River, in front of the city skyline in the middle of monuments, gardens, statues, ancient building…and, moreover the drinks (Negroni, Zoe) the Aperitivo (Rifrullo) or the dinner (Beppa Fioraia, Fuori Porta, Antica Mescita) are probably the best in town…and all these venues are nice and characteristic..

In this same area (between Porta San Niccolò and Piazzale Michelangelo) is opening this year Tennis Club (powered by Yab staff & Rooms staff )….

Please don’t miss the experience of this area while your stay in town!!!

PIAZZA SANTO SPIRITO/PIAZZA DEL CARMINE

This is definitely the most typical and ‘genuine’ district of the city.

Here the masses of tourists only pass through and its streets are characterized by the presence of many handicraft workshops, art and jewellery schools, typical restaurants, traditional shops, street markets, ancient churches and old buildings where it’s still possible today to discover the rhythms and colours of a ‘quotidian’ and noisy Florence.

The most representative piazzas of the district are:
1)Piazza Santo Spirito with the original and amazing facade of its church, designed by the incredible Brunelleschi and beloved by all Florentines, art students and the tourists that every spring and summer night fill the square till late night.
2) and Piazza del Carmine one of the nicest squares of the city (even if its packed with parked car) where you can find one of the coolest and trendiest city bars of Florence: “La Dolce Vita” (perfect in spring and summer time..).

The coolest bars and restaurants of the area are: Cabiria (Piazza Santo Spirito, 4 ), Gustapanino (Via dei Michelozzi, 13/r ) where you can buy a great typical “panino” and enjoy it in the magic (especially at night) atmosphere of the Square, O’ Munaciello (Via Maffia, 31/r) definitely one the nicest Pizzerias of the city (not to be missed!), Borgo Antico (Piazza Santo Spirito, 6/r) a great typical restaurant, Caffè Ricchi (Piazza Santo Spirito 8/r), nice typical restaurant, Caffè Notte (Via delle Caldaie, 28/r), La Dolce Vita (Piazza del Carmine) as we said one of the coolest bar of Florence where you’ll find a good mix of real florentines and foreigners, Trattoria Napoleone (Piazza de Carmine, 24) very very nice restaurant with a great original style (not to be missed!)…

You won’t be bored in this area at night!

The entire neighborhood is characterized by very representative building styles, hidden streets and gardens, and beautiful piazzas.

The social life is mostly concentrated in the two main squares, Piazza Santo Spirito and Piazza del Carmine where you’ll find very cool bars and wine bars (Dolce Vita, Caffè Ricchi, Cabiria…) and excellent restaurants (Napoleone, Borgo Antico, O’Munaciello…)

If your dream is to discover the atmosphere of ancient Florence take a walk in Santo Spirito/Piazza del Carmine and then rest in one of the typical local enoteques, wine bars o restaurant you’ll be assured of a wonderful time!!

Article written by Marco de la Pierre – StudentsVille staff

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Cost of Living in Florence 2009

studentsville — Wed, 06 May 2009 10:38:34 +0000

The inflation rate of Italy in March 2009 is not so high, it’s around 1,2/1,5%….

The fact is that, after the introduction of the Euro (the 1st of January 2002) , the practice of rounding up the euro to the value of ITL 2,000, rather than to the correct conversion rate of ITL 1,936.27 has given rise – according to the president of Istat (Italian Institute of Statistics) – to the unexpected (and unwanted) effect that, in Italy, perceived inflation can be estimated at around 6%…!

This process has brought to a rise in prices particularly strong in cities like Florence, Venise, Rome, Milan, Bologna…
Here we have listed the prices of some of the most usual things that you can buy during your stay here so you can better compare the cost of living of Florence with the cost of living in your hometown…

1) A night in an Hostel: 18/25€
2) A night in B&B (double bedroom): 50/120€ ( find your B&b)
3) A night in a one star Hotel in Florence city center: 20/30€ per person
4) The rent of a cosy studio in the city center (40/60 sq meters): 700/1300€
5) The rent of a nice single room in the city center: 400/700 € per month all inclusive
6) The rent of a nice double room in the city center: 550/1000€ per month all inclusive
7) A private lesson of Italian Language in a private school: 25/40€ per hour
8 ) An intensive private course of Italian in a private school: 1000/1200€ per 40 hours
9) A standard Italian course in a private school: 450/700€ per 4 weeks (20hrs per week)
10) A good dinner for 2 pax (and you buy everything at the supermarket!): 15/20€

11) A standard dinner for 2 pax (and you buy everything at the supermarket!): 8/15€

12) A good dinner for 2 pax (in the restaurant!): 70/100€

13) A standard dinner for 2 pax (in the restaurant!): 40/60€

14) A good dinner for 2 pax (in a Pizzeria): 30/50€

15) A “basic” dinner for 2 pax (in a Pizzeria): 20/40€

16) A pizza slice in the city center: 2/4€

17) A 10 minute taxi ride : 10/15€! (a flight Pisa-London with Ryanair? 0,99 cents…)

18) A Sandwich on the road in the city center: 2/5€

19) A pack of Marlboro (don’t do that guys!): 4,50€

20) A pack of Italian sigarettes (don’t do that guys!): 2/3€

21) A condom (yes, do that guys!): around 1€

A train ticket:

22)Florence-Milan with Eurostar” Freccia rossa” 45 or 64 € with Intercity 27 or 37 € ticket and timetable

23) Florence-Rome with Eurostar ” Freccia rossa” 39 or 56 € with Intercity 26 or 36 € ticket and timetable

24) Florence-Napoli with Eurostar ” Freccia rossa” 63 or 92 € with Intercity 39 or 52 € ticket and timetable

25) Florence-Venice with Eurostar ” Freccia rossa “ 35 or 54 € with Intercity 23 or 31 € ticket and timetable

26) Florence-Pisa: 6/9€

27) A second hand Vespa: 500/1000€

28) A second hand bycicle: 30/100€

29) A second hand Cinquecento: 2000/3500€

30) A good Italian breakfast in a standard bar: 3/5€ per person

31) A good bottle of wine (at the supermarket) : 5/10€

32) An excellent bottle of wine (at the supermarket) : 15/25€

33) A bus ticket: 1,20€ more info

34) A pint of beer in a bar/pub: 4/7€

35) A drink in a bar: 6/8€

36) A drink in a disco: 8/15€

37) A Cinema Show: 5/6€ on wednesday – 7/€ other days

38) A disco club ticket: 10/35€

39) A good mobile phone (we suggest you to buy it and not to rent it!) : 49/100€

40) 1 kg of good Italian Prosciutto (Ham): 30/40€

41) A month of subscription in a gym: 50/60€

42) An International newspaper: 2/3€

43) A good ice cream in the city center: 2,20€/,50€

The recipes of ” Giglio Cooking School”: The Meat Sauce

studentsville — Mon, 04 May 2009 13:33:30 +0000

Many cooks say that for a good ragu’ (Italian for Meat Sauce) different kinds of meat are required: beef, pork, lamb, veal. Purists say that only beef meat is required. I don’t dislike to mix a crumbled good fresh and rather lean sausage with the ground beef.

Meat sauce – or ragù – is made with different meats all over Italy: in the south, especially Apulia, there is a predilection for lamb. In Napoli the meat is not ground: they rather use a whole piece of beef to stew for six or seven hours. What seems to be in common is the use of tomato. Not everybody knows that the tomato is a recent addition to Italian recipes, being original from America. Tomatoes started to appear on Italian tables only at the beginning of the 17 hundred. The real Bolognese sauce is, actually, without tomato. The lack of one ingredients brings also to a different procedure.
Comparing the following recipes, you would notice that in the meat sauce with tomato the vegetable are cooked first, in the Bolognese sauce the vegetable are added later.

Ingredients:

300gr ground beef – it shouldn’t be too lean, or the sugo will be dry

2 fresh sausages
olive oil
2 onions, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
2 cups dry red wine
400gr canned tomatoes
4 tbsp tomato paste dissolved in 1/2 cup water
Beef broth
A pinch of salt
Pepper
Bay leaves and chopped rosemary

Procedure:
Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, carrots, and rosemary. Sweat them in the oil until they are almost tender; do not brown. Add the ground beef and the sausage and continue cooking over medium heat until the meat is evenly done. Add the red wine and let evaporate. Add tomato paste diluted in water, canned tomatoes and bay leaves then cover with the broth. Cook over low heat for 1 1/2 hours. Add salt and pepper to taste.

BOLOGNESE MEAT SAUCE

Ingredients:
100 gr ( 3 Oz) ground pork meat
100 gr ( 3 Oz) ground veal meat
50 gr ( 1 ½ Oz) minced cured Pancetta
50 gr ( 1 ½ Oz) butter
1 medium onion
1 carrot
1 celery stalk
250 ml ( 1 cup) beef broth
120 ml ( ½ cup) red wine
salt and pepper

Procedure:

Peel, wash and mince the vegetables.
Mix in a bowls the meats and the minced Pancetta.
Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the meats and braise for 10 minutes on medium heat.
Pour in the red wine, stir, let it to evaporate half.
Add the minced vegetables, lower the heat. Cook for 2 hours, stirring occasionally and adding the broth.
Regulate salt and pepper. Cook to reduce: the sauce must be thick and well amalgamated.

Marcella Ansaldo invite you to visit her web site: www.gigliocooking.com or to contact her at info@gigliocooking.com