Some suggestions to enjoy at its best Florence
What to do in Florence while learning Italian with Linguaviva
EATING OUT
In Florence while there are many grand gourmet restaurants, you can still eat simple, hearty local dishes at extremely reasonable prices.
Here is LINGUAVIVA selection for you.
| Mercato Centrale | Via dell'Ariento | Traditional and genuine tuscan meals |
| Mario | Via Rosina 2r | Well priced Tuscan food for 60 years |
| Za Za | Piazza del Mercato Centrale | Tuscan meals |
| Casa del Vino | Via dell’Ariento 16 | Gourmet panino, bruschetta or salad |
| Acqua al 2 | Via della Vigna Vecchia 40r | Modern Italian cuisine |
| Borgo Antico | Piazza Santo Spirito 6 | Tuscan meals |
| Quattro Leoni | Via Vellutini 1r | Modern tuscan meals |
| Il Latini | Via dei Palchetti 6r | Traditional tuscan meals |
| La Rotonda | Il Prato 10/16 | Pizza & grill |
| I Tarocchi | Via dei Renai 14r | Pizzeria |
| Danny Rock | Via de’ Pandolfini 13r | Pizzeria & Internet |
| Baldovino | Via di San Giuseppe 22r | Pizzeria |
BARS & CAFES
For an enjoyable break with cappuccino or delicious pastries.
| Caffé Gilli | Piazza della Repubblica | A good breakfast spot |
| Rivoire | Piazza della Signoria | Old fashioned pasticceria with superb pastries |
| Carabe | Via Ricasoli 60 | Great gelateria close to Duomo |
| Dolci e Dolcezza | Piazza Beccaria 8r | Bakery considered to be one of the city’s best |
MUSEUM & GALLERIES
Florence, might seem like an open air museum to most visitors. However we suggest visiting one or two museums out of 72 museums full of masterpiece. There you will find the paintings, sculptures and frescoes imagined and created by the greatest minds of all time.
Please check this website to have all the information on Florence Museums www.firenzemusei.it
NIGHTLIFE
Florence is known for its spectacular renaissance architecture, but after sun-set the city has other interesting aspects and its compact layout makes club hopping easy. Nightclubbing is fun and meeting point of students, travelers and dance-loving florentines alike, who come together and prove that you can party all night also in Florence.
MUSIC & THEATRE
Italian Opera was born in Florence over 400 years ago. Its musical tradition continues and music lovers wil enjoy performances of various kind: opera, classical music and the latest music trends.
The music and opera season, which lasts from October to April, is followed from the end of April to early July by the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, a festival which attracts conductors and musicians from all over the world.
www.maggiofiorentino.com
Orchestra della Toscana-Teatro verdi in Florence is the headquarter of this classical music ensemble of undisputed excellence. If you are a Linguaviva student with the school student card you can have 15% discount on concert tickets.
Estate fiesolana, presents every year a rich programme for both classical music and jazz.
www.orchestradellatoscana.it
Information on programmes, productions and festivals may also be obtained from Teatrionline Magazine, distributed free of charge in all city theatres.
SHOPPING & MARKETS
Florence is a great shopping destination for both shops and beautiful markets. While many of the chain stores have taken on the full working day, there are still some, especially smaller, artisan or boutique stores, that will close for the traditional lunch hour usually between 12:30 and 3:30pm. Most shops are open until around 7:30pm. Stores are generally closed on Sundays and on a Monday morning.
Shopping Areas: Duomo, Via Tornabuoni, Station and San Lorenzo, Ponte Vecchio and Oltrarno, Santa Croce.
Markets: There are many markets in Florence, and together with the daily markets there are even weekly and monthly. You will find that markets are generally selling either leather and other souvenirs, food or household goods. The monthly markets tend to be a bit more special with handmade goods or antiques.
| Mercato Centrale | Via dell’Ariento | It is the main indoor food market in Florence |
| Open everyday from 7am to 12am | ||
| Mercato delle Cascine | Parco delle Cascine | Tourist market |
| Open every day from 9am to 1pm | ||
| Mercato di San Lorenzo | Piazza S. Lorenzo | Tourist market |
| Open everyday form 9am to 8 pm | ||
| Mercato delle Pulci | Piazza dei Ciompi | Flea Market |
| Open Tue-Sat 9 am to 7,30 pm |
SPORTS & FITNESS
There is a wide variety of gyms and pools in Florence.
While in Florence you can’t miss a game of soccer of A.C. Fiorentina. Artemio Franchi stadium, where Fiorentina plays its home matches, is a national monument. Fiorentina nickname is ‘viola’ because the official uniforms are violet shirts with white stripe on each side, violet shorts and violet socks. www.acffiorentina.it
With Linguaviva student card you can have a discount of 15% at Palestra Ricciardi, Borgo Pinti 75 – one of the long standing and most known gyms in Florence historical center.