Florence On Line

There is a fantastic organic food (and more - like wine, textiles, and hand made arts and crafts) market on the third Sunday of every month in Piazza Santo Spirito. These photos are from the Sunday before Christmas, 2011.

La Perla is one of Italy's most well known brands, with a reputation for fine lingerie and other apparel. The La Perla boutique in Florence is at 22 via degli Strozzi (map below the photo), near the Palazzo Strozzi. You can also shop on line by clicking on the logo.

Since Italians don't have Thanksgiving to interfere, they get right down to business and start thinking about Christmas in mid-November - the shops are already decorated and pushing their Christmas wares. By December the streets in the center will be draped with lights and Piazza Repubblica will put up the annual Christmas tree. But you really know Christmas is coming when Piazza Santa Croce sets up for the annual German Christmas Market (Heidelberger Weihnachtsmarkt).

Every year the German town of Heidelberg's 500-year-old market comes to Florence with it's holiday tradition and festive atmosphere. Piazza Santa Croce is filled with small wooden stalls selling everything from unique woolens and Bunzlau ceramics to handmade toys and colorful ornaments. It's a great place to pick up stocking stuffers, holiday decorations or unusual sweets.

This market also worth a visit just for the food: you can enjoy some bratwurst and a beer or traditional Heidelberg Lebkuchen cookies and a spiced vin brulè. Our family never misses the merry-go-round style rotating bar which offers a place to relax and look over the festive sights of the market kiosks while sipping the drink of your choice.

November 30 to December 18, 2011 (and approximately these dates every year)
Everyday from 10am to 8pm
Piazza Santa Croce

Calcio Fiorentino or Calcio in Costume - better known here as Calcio Storico - is a traditional football game dating back to the 15th century. A violent mix of football, soccer, wrestling and perhaps boxing, the tournament is played in medieval costume every year from mid to late June. The final match is always held on June 24th, as a celebration of the city's patron saint, St. John the Baptist. The event takes place in Florence's Piazza Santa Croce, where the piazza is transformed into a playing field with a thick layer of sand under the players and bleacher-style stands for onlookers.

The exact origins of the game are unclear, but some believe it began as a way to keep military troops in shape while waiting to go to battle. Later, it became more of a competitive sport for young Florentine aristocrats. The first official rules for the Calcio Storico were written by Florentine Count Giovanni de'Bardi di Vernio in 1580. Each game of the Calcio Storico has 54 players divided into two teams of 27 which are lined up in three rows. After that, it seems there are no real guidelines - just the final objective of making a goal. The round ball is tossed around the field while the players do anything in their power to stop their opponents from making a goal. Punching, tackling, kicking and clawing are all acceptable tactics to stop the opponent (we also saw biting and sand throwing one year!). A goal is made by throwing the ball over 4 foot high wooden wall that runs the length of the field.

The four teams consist of players from four areas of the city: Santa Croce ("Azzurri" or Blues); Santa Maria Novella ("Rossi" or Reds); Santo Spirito ("Bianchi" or Whites); and San Giovanni ("Verdi" or Greens). Needless to say, passionate loyalties fuel the ruthlessness of the tournament.

Before each game, a long procession starts from Piazza Santa Maria Novella at 4 p.m. and makes its way to Piazza della Signora, through Via de'Neri until it finally reaches Borgo Santa Croce. The comradery, pageantry, costumes and trumpets are quite impressive and worth watching even if you don't have the stomach to watch the actual game (which, by the way, requires tickets in advance to get in the piazza).

For a real sense of the atmosphere of the event, we found several well-done videos of the Calcio Storico:

GLADIATORS SPIRIT'S IS STILL ALIVE Calcio storico Fiorentino Take 2 from Brice Ansel on Vimeo.

MODERN GLADIATORS - CALCIO STORICO from David Battistella on Vimeo.

Trattoria Omero in Florence is characterized by a rustic yet elegant environment, offering two spacious dining rooms of each 70 seats and a magnificent terrace with another 45 seats during summertime. Both dining rooms and terrace face splendid views of the surrounding hills.
The menu offers simple but tasty dishes prepared according to the best of Tuscan traditions which include freshly homemade pasta, stuffed pasta, whole wheat pasta, such as "penne strascicate", "pappardelle" pasta in hare sauce, grilled meat, fried dishes, the traditional "bistecca alla fiorentina" steak and "pollo schiacciato" chicken, venison specialities, home made desserts and much more.

LOCATION: Via Pian dei Giullari 11r, Firenze
TELEPHONE: 055 22 00 53

Frommers review of Fuori Porta:

You can dine out on the sidewalk in nice weather, or sit on the benches at tiny wooden tables inside to taste the excellent pizzalike crostini here. Start with the pappa al pomodoro or gnocchi with broccoli rabe and sausage. The crostoni are divided by cheese -- mozzarella, sharp pecorino, creamy goat-cheese caprino -- along with a list of the toppings to accompany them. My favorite is caprino con prosciutto arrosto e pomodori secchi (with goat cheese, roasted prosciutto, and sun-dried tomatoes). The wine is a key part of the meal; the list draws from the more interesting vineyards in Tuscany and beyond. This place is a bit out-of-the-way but worth the trip.

LOCATION: Via del Monte alle Croci 10, Firenze
TELEPHONE: 055 234 2483
EMAIL: info@fuoriporta.it

Antica Mescita San Niccolò is a traditional osteria in the district of San Niccolò where you can order wine with a plate of cold cuts and cheeses, bruschette and carpacci, and you can also savor other uncommon plates from the best of Florentine tradition. Guendalina always greets you with a smile as if you had entered the dining room of her own home. The osteria is also suitable for vegetarians with the best zuppe e minestre (soups). Taste the cream of chickpeas, spelt or stew with porcini mushrooms, and homemade desserts. Don't forget to go downstairs to visit the crypt from the 1000's. Sit at a charming table on the street which leads to Fort Belvedere.

LOCATION: Via di San Niccolò 60, Firenze
TELEPHONE: (39) 055 2342836
EMAIL: info@osteriasanniccolo.it

A newer and welcome restaurant in San Frediano, iO Osteria Personale offers an upscale and unique menu, with new twists on classic dishes - like carpaccio di manzo with pecorino gelato, tartare of Ricciola on a bed of ricotta topped with spinach, and an amazing chocolate soufflé topped with dollop of olive oil and a pinch of salt, accompanied by basil gelato with a tomato based sauce. It is all extremely well done in a minimal but comfortable and quiet room, with attentive service and a very nice wine list. Their 4 or 5 course tasting menus are a perfect introduction to a unique restaurant you will no doubt want to return to every time you are in Florence.

LOCATION: Borgo San Frediano 167r, Firenze
TELEPHONE: 055 9331341
EMAIL: info@io-osteriapersonale.it

Il Santo Bevitore is not just a trendy restaurant - it is a very good one - with ample reason. The food is excellent, the prices are very reasonable for the center of Florence, the wine list is solid and fair, and the service is professional. Reservations are always recommended, as it can be full even on weeknights. We have had both lunch and dinner here on several occasions, and I can't think of a complaint. The atmosphere is friendly and casual and there are a couple of rooms, one closer to the bar, and a smaller one that is a bit more quiet.

As to the highlights, please see the photos below (taken in May of 2011). To me one of the most attractive aspects of Il Santo Bevitore is that the fare is not just traditional Tuscan. It is inventive and also features a lot of seafood, like raw Branzino and crispy grilled octopus. Also below the starters of purple cabbage soup and tortelli with artichokes, and desserts of rum cream and coconut crème brûlée with gelato. This meal with cover and a very nice bottle of Terlaner Terlano (a white blend) was € 85.

LOCATION: Via Santo Spirito 64/66r, Firenze
TELEPHONE: (39) 055 211264
EMAIL: info@ilsantobevitore.com

Ruth's is essentially Florence's only kosher restaurant and located next door to the city's beautiful synagogue. The menu, which is enhanced with a number of daily specials, is primarily vegetarian but also contains many fish dishes, all at decent prices. The blends of flavor and aroma are enjoyed in a cosy environment by a clientele which is often a mix of people from all over the globe.

LOCATION: Via Luigi Carlo Farini 2a, Firenze
TELEPHONE: (39) 055 248 0888
EMAIL: info@kosheruth.com