Secret Florence (5th ed. May 2023)

Visit a church in a prison, learn how Florence became the centre of hermetism during the Renaissance and where you can still find traces of it today, escape from the crowds of tourists to visit little-known artistic masterpieces, head off to hunt for the 34 plaques displaying quotes from the "Divine Comedy", fill up your tank at a vintage service station, have your children count the number of bees sculpted on the monument to the glory of Ferdinand I, look for the last wine distributors of the Renaissance, notice the minuscule windows designed to let children look out quietly onto the street, visit superb private gardens that even the Florentines don't know about, learn how the purple colour of the Fiorentina football team is connected to the pee of a Florentine crusader in Palestine ... Far from the crowds and the usual cliches, Florence offers countless off-beat experiences and is home to any number of well-hidden treasures that are revealed only to residents and travellers who find their way off the beaten track. An indispensable guide for those who thought they knew Florence well or would like to discover the other face of the city.