Author: Lourdes Flores

I'm from California but have called Florence my home for over a decade. I love to explore Italy; it is a lot of fun to try to see everything like I'm seeing it for the first time, keeping you, our readers, always in mind. I enjoy sharing what I know and helping others as they make their travel plans for Tuscany through our Forum. If you have itinerary-related questions, please post them there and I'll answer!

A burger for Amatrice… and a new Veggie Menu at the Hard Rock Cafe

October 24, 2016

While the Hard Rock Cafe is not your traditional trattoria or restaurant in Florence, we often end up recommending it to lots of travelers who are seeking a pace of change from pasta or pizza during their trips in Italy. While their specialties are American style dishes, and in particular, burgers, it is interesting to…

Read more

Explore the new Botticelli rooms at the Uffizi

October 20, 2016

The latest rooms to be reopened at the Uffizi Gallery this past week are the Botticelli rooms and rooms dedicated to the Early Renaissance – and we are super excited to see the changes! First, as you might all already know, the Uffizi Gallery is the most visited museum in all of Italy and it…

Read more

Explore the Bargello and Medici Chapels

October 13, 2016

This October, you can continue to enjoy the special guided visits offered every Thursday, Friday and Saturday at the Bargello and Medici Chapels. The itineraries focus on unusual aspects or lesser-known works within the two museum’s collections. These visits are perfect not just for adults, but for families with kids as well.

Read more

Ardengo Soffici at the Uffizi Gallery

October 10, 2016

Discoveries and Massacres: Ardengo Soffici and the Avant-Gardes in Florences Uffizi Gallery, September 27, 2016 – January 8, 2017 Most people will never have heard of Ardengo Soffici unless you’re in the art world in one way or another. Soffici was a Tuscan painter and intellectual from the early 20th century. He was an art…

Read more

European Heritage Days September 24 & 25

September 21, 2016

The European Heritage Days are the most widely celebrated participatory cultural event shared by the citizens of Europe.  Held in September each year, EHDs events – often called Heritage Open Days – take place in the 50 countries party to the European Cultural Convention; this year, the days fall this weekend, Sept 24-25. During this…

Read more
Bargello Courtyard special events

Longer Summer Openings at Florence Museums with Special Events

August 3, 2016

This summer in Florence, when the temps are quite warm during the day, you can dedicate a part of your evening to culture and art! The Uffizi, Accademia, Bargello and Medici Chapels all are offering extended opening times on different days of the week to offer a chance to visit these popular museums outside of…

Read more
Black David laying in Piazza Repubblica

A Michelangelo Week: July 14-21

July 13, 2016

“A Michelangeleque Week” is starting tomorrow, July 14 through July 21, which coincides with the anniversary of his funeral in San Lorenzo on the 14th of July 1564. The Settimana Michelangiolesca is an annual, multidisciplinary cultural festival, now in its 3rd edition, that is centered around the life and work of Michelangelo Buonarroti. Painter, sculptor,…

Read more

A McDonald’s Right Next to the Duomo?

June 23, 2016

This week the media and public have learned that the City of Florence has been in talks with the international fast-food chain McDonald’s for a new branch opening right in Piazza Duomo, on the northern side of the cathedral. An uproar has risen on social media, while the city’s mayor, Dario Nardella, has spoken publicly…

Read more