It was a sunny Easter Saturday in Florence, March 30, 2024. In the historic Piazza del Duomo, preparations were being made for the Scoppio del Carro (Explosion of the Cart), a centuries-old ritual involving a parade of costumed flag throwers and musicians, a tall chariot filled with fireworks, and a mechanical pigeon. and lots of noise.
At exactly 11:00 the dove was to be shot along a wire from the High Altar in the Duomo; According to local belief, if one ignites fireworks, there will be a bountiful harvest.
It was one of the busiest weekends of the year and is protected by Unesco. central story It was going up and down. Bridges were blocked by tourists taking selfies and gawking at TikTok feeds; bike tours and golf carts clogged traffic; and there were barely any tables in any of the restaurants. The following feeling arose among the residents of the neighborhood: deja vu. Very few of us have the desire to spend another summer season like the previous one.
Florence has been the target of a lot of criticism lately; There are articles in the foreign press highlighting the impact of the estimated 11 million visitors in 2023 on the historical city and its residents. The problem of overtourism, whose figures are expected to exceed this figure this year, especially “mordi and fuggiThe (hit-and-run) genre, which contributes almost nothing in terms of revenue, is a hot topic.
Residents are leaving the area central story They were driven out in droves by rising rents and a shortage of available housing. While entire palazzi have been converted into short-term rentals (29 percent of the apartments in the center are now said to be rented out to Airbnbs), real estate is being seized at inflated prices by relocating foreigners, leaving empty neighborhoods. and a sense of anger and loss among residents.
Small shops that depend on local trade for survival are forced to close and are replaced by shops selling focaccia, fast food, mass-produced ice cream or cheap souvenirs. The streets of the city center are so crowded with people and traffic that getting through daily life has become a serious problem.
And yet… Florence, the cradle of the Italian Renaissance and home to an estimated 30 percent of the world’s artistic treasures, remains a fascinating blend of artistic and architectural marvels and quintessential “Italianness”; Despite the bad press, it more than deserves its place on everyone’s bucket list.
It is brimming with exciting urban renewal projects, such as renovated galleries and museums, numerous new hotels, restaurants and cocktail bars, and multifunctional creative spaces in the former tobacco factory Manifattura Tabacchi.
Expanded pedestrianized zones make walking around the city center a much more enjoyable experience; New tram lines are under construction, increasing the accessibility of outlying neighbourhoods, and plans to expand the runway at Peretola airport to accommodate more flights are likely to move forward. There will even be a vineyard on the roof of the newly designed terminal building.
Although the concentration of tourists can be difficult, there are ways to alleviate this problem when planning your visit. For starters, choose your dates carefully. To see art, do it first and foremost in the winter (Christmas holidays aside, December through February are the best months).
For sunnier weather, choose the so-called shoulder seasons (early spring or late autumn) and pre-book time slots to visit the main galleries at the end of the day, when most people will leave. You can always return for a second visit if necessary. Avoid the first Sunday of the month, when many museums are free, and Tuesdays, when cruise ships dock in Livorno and unload thousands of passengers onto buses bound for David and the Duomo. Until December 27, the Uffizi will remain open until 10pm on Tuesdays, long after cruisers return to their ships.
Still more extreme? Consider ditching the big hitters altogether. Wonders such as the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo, the Bargello and the Museo di San Marco are largely ignored, even in high season, as masses line up under the scorching sun to take selfies in front of the world’s most famous nude statue.
Blink off-the-radar gems like Andrea del Sarto’s Last Supper in San Salvi, Perugino’s Crucifix in Santa Maria Maddalena dei Pazzi, and the wonderfully eclectic and eccentric private collections at the Stibbert and Bardini museums. There is enough in Florence to keep an art lover happy for several weeks without going anywhere near the main galleries.
The city’s food and beverage scene is thriving; Young chefs are reviving their culinary roots with a new wave of osterias, increasingly located in off-the-beaten-track locations where you’ll find neighborhood vibes, reasonable prices, and command. Italian is spoken.
Of course, if you want to stay in the thick of things, there are plenty of excellent, centrally located hotels and short-term stays; but a bed and breakfast or apartment outside the city walls will offer a much more local perspective on Florentine life. . Le Cure, Piazza Beccaria, Campo di Marte and Gavinana are lively neighborhoods with good transport links and lively markets, as well as many small shops, bars and restaurants where Italian remains the dominant language.
With overtourism and its complex knock-on effects among the hottest topics on the table, Florentines will go to the polls on June 8 and 9 to elect a new Sindaco (mayor).
Many are considering outgoing mayor Dario Nardella’s move to ban new Airbnbs central story But will media-savvy, German-born former Uffizi gallery director Eike Schmidt, whose candidacy is backed by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing coalition, be able to convince the traditionally media? Left-leaning Fiorentini says he’s their man?
In a recent interview with The Times, he explained that he was “on a mission to save this city,” adding that he decided to run because “I love Florence with all my heart and I couldn’t see it being mistreated.”
His desire is to make Florence great again. Nice words, but are they enough? We will find out soon.