Travel writer Lee Marshall moved to Italy in 1984. The Eternal City is his first love and he returns there as often as possible.
At the moment, you’ll see Florence at its best. The weather is warm but not yet swelteringly hot. The city’s many gardens are resplendent, and its café-lined piazzas become al‑fresco living rooms. You won’t be alone, of course, but it’s easy to shake off the tourist hordes, and there are few more satisfying places in Europe for an early summer city break.
Read Lee Marshall's complete guide to Florence
Cultured through and through, Florence comes into its own as a city of art and performance at this busy time.
The Americans in Florence exhibition, of works by John Singer Sargent and contemporaries, continues at the Palazzo Strozzi until July 15 (palazzostrozzi.org), while the Uffizi Gallery looks back to the 14th century in Bagliori Dorati (Gleam of Gold), which showcases the international Gothic style (June 19 to November 4).
The Tuscan Sun festival this year moves from Cortona to Florence, with a deck that shuffles classical music stars, Italian superchefs, Tribeca Festival films and Tony Bennett (June 11-18; tuscansunfestival.com). The Estate Fiorentina, a raft of musical and cultural offerings including concerts by Madonna (June 16) and Radiohead (July 1), sails on until September 19 (firenzestate.it).
On arrival
7pm
Enjoy an aperitivo either in one of the bars and cafés that line Piazza Santo Spirito, or at Le Volpi e l’Uva (1) (Piazza dei Rossi 1; 0039 055 239 8132; www.levolpieluva.com), with its carefully chosen wines by the glass.
8.30pm
Head across the Ponte Santa Trinità and past the chic boutiques of swanky Via Tornabuoni to dinner at Cantinetta Antinori (2) (Piazza Antinori 3; 0039 055 292234; www.antinori.it, around €40 a head).
Dominated by dark wood, the decor of this Antinori-owned restaurant exudes sober elegance. Well-heeled fiorentini come to tuck into local specialities such as ribollita soup or Chianina steak, washed down by a wine from the family empire – it’s not bad value for money for a reliable meal in this exalted location.
Day one
10am
Begin the day by combining sightseeing with an exercise class. The Duomo (3)(operaduomo.firenze.it) offers two perfect platforms for a bird’s-eye view of the city – providing you can handle the climb. It’s 463 steps (we counted) up to the top of Brunelleschi’s Cupola, and 414 up to the viewing platform atop the Campanile (bell-tower).
Recuperate at ground level while admiring the replicas of Lorenzo Ghiberti’s exquisite “Paradise” doors (1452), on the eastern side of the Battistero (baptistry).
11.30am
Stroll south, to Piazza della Signoria for its mighty statues in the square, and self-glorifying frescoes inside the historic town hall, Palazzo Vecchio (4) (www.museicivicifiorentini.it).
1pm
It’s no distance from here to stylish ’Ino (5) (Via dei Georgofili; 0039 055 219208; inofirenze.com), where staff fill freshly baked artisanal panini with your selection of gourmet ingredients. Budget around €10 for a panino and a glass of wine.
2.30pm
Make your way to the Uffizi (6; www.uffizi.firenze.it), a staggering collection of Renaissance masterpieces. Botticelli’s La Primavera and Birth of Venus are merely the icing on the cake here: works by Caravaggio, Rubens, Fra Angelico and a host of other greats will keep you occupied for hours.
Pre-book the Uffizi online to beat the queues. For full details, see the 'Attractions’ tab above.
6pm
Recover from art overload by wandering down to the riverside and watching the evening rowers beneath Ponte Vecchio (7). Then venture on to this ancient bridge. Though souvenir tat dominates today, most of the shops that line the bridge belong to proper goldsmiths, who have plied their trade here since at least 1345.
8pm
For a really special meal, book for dinner at Ora d’Aria (8) (Via dei Georgofili 11R; 0039 055 2001699; www.oradariaristorante.com, about €60 a head), the chic-but-welcoming realm of chef Marco Stabile, a master of contemporary Italian/Mediterranean cuisine.
Day two
10am
Wear comfortable shoes for a tour of the Oltrarno (south bank), which begins with a “country in the city” walk from the church of Santa Felicita (9), with its dramatic Pontormo altarpiece in the first chapel on the right. Then head up the steep medieval lane of Costa San Giorgio.
10.30am
Break the climb at Villa Bardini (10; Costa San Giorgio 2, bardinipeyron.it), with its glorious garden. Inside the villa is a museum (fondazionerobertocapucci.com) dedicated to the sculptural silk creations of Florentine fashion designer Roberto Capucci. At the top of Costa San Giorgio, enjoy the sweeping views over the city from the massive Medici bastion of Forte di Belvedere, then head down Via di Belvedere to the Porta San Miniato gate.
12.30
Have an early lunch at Zeb (11; Via San Miniato 2; 0039 055 2342 864; zebgastronomia.com), a good-value deli-diner, with the day’s specials cooked up by Mamma Giuseppina. If you have time, head north of Ponte Vecchio, where the tight medieval lanes open up to accommodate the huge Palazzo Pitti (12) (www.polomuseale.firenze.it), with some variably interesting Medici collections of painting, sculpture and costumes.
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