FLORENCE, capital of the region of Tuscany, has a
population of around half a million inhabitants, spreads
on the banks of the Arno, between the Adriatic and the
Tyrrhenian seas, almost in the middle of the Italian
peninsula. It is a city which bustles with industry and
craft, commerce and culture, art and science. Being on
the main national railway lines, it is easily accessible
from most important places both in Italy and abroad. The
Florence "Vespucci" airport, where both national and
international airlines stop, is located 5 Km. from the
city centre. The main motorway, A1, connects Florence
with Bologna and Milano in the North and Rome and Naples
in the South. The motorway A11 to the sea joins it to
Prato, Pistoia, Montecatini, Lucca, Pisa and all the
resorts on the Tyrrhenian sea. There is also motorway
which connects Florence to Siena. The climate is
temperate but rather variable, with breezy winters and
hot summers.
The Chianti area, between Florence and Siena, is one of
the most beautiful countrysides in Italy and a famous
wine production area.
Florence is one of the most visited tourist
destinations of the world. At least once in a life time,
you’d like to take a close look at the David of
Michelangelo, or the Venere of
Botticelli, or visit the Uffizi Gallery,
the Pitti Palace, the Boboli
Gardens, the Brunelleschi’s Dome,
etc. etc. As a matter of fact, there are few places in
the world that have such a huge concentration of
monuments and masterpieces in such a small space.
ART AND CULTURE Florence contains an exceptional
artistic patrimony, glorious testimony to its secular
civilization. Cimabue and Giotto, the fathers of Italian
painting, lived here, along with Arnolfo and Andrea
Pisano, reformists of architecture and sculpture;
Brunelleschi, Donatello and Masaccio, founders of the
Renaissance; Ghiberti and the Della Robbia; Filippo
Lippi and l'Angelico; Botticelli and Paolo Uccello; the
universal geniuses Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo.
Their works, along with those of many generations of
artists up to the masters of the present century, are
gathered in the city's many museums. In Florence, thanks
to Dante, the Italian language was born; with Petrarch
and Boccaccio literary studies were affirmed; with
Humanism the philosophy and values of classical
civilization were revived; with Machiavelli modern
political science was born; with Guicciardini,
historical prose; and with Galileo, modern experimental
science. Up to the time of Charlemagne, Florence was a
university town. Today it includes many specialized
institutes and is an international cultural center.
Academies, art schools, scientific institutes and
cultural centers all contribute to the city's intense
activity.
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Tuscan food is simple and abundant with local
produce, mellow cheeses and grilled meats. Tuscans are
also known for their appreciation of beans as seen in
the staple of the Tuscan table: white beans cooked with
sage and olive oil. Beef Steak Florentine, many versions
of roasted or wine-braised game such as boar, deer and
rabbit and thick and hearty soups cover the table of a
typical Tuscan meal. Plus this is the home of Chianti
wine.
The recipes in Florentine cookery range from the
original and traditional to more recent arrivals and
innovations. Such a wide and occasionally unusual choice
of dishes has not only provided some fascinating
historical and social information, but the assortment
and variety of flavours, colours, customs and costs
suited to all pockets, also offers a style of cooking
which is lively and flexible.At the heart of
Florentine cookery lie four fundamental ingredients:
bread (plain, unsalted, well-baked with a crispy crust
and light and airy inside); extra-virgin olive oil,
without any doubt the best even for frying, grilled
meat; Florentine steaks of beef, roasted or wine-braised
game such as boar, deer and rabbit and lastly, wine
itself.
Florentine restaurants serve all the Italian
specialities, not just the ones typical of Florence and
here is a brief guide to some of those Tuscan meals. |
