Just over the Arno River, crossing Ponte Vecchio heading south, is the Oltrarno neighbourhood. The streets of Oltrarno include lovely little eateries, wine bars, a variety of boutique shops and some significant sights, such as the Pitti Palace and the Basilica di San Spirito.
We spent a number of days visiting various areas of the Oltrarno and surrounds on foot, discovering great places to eat and drink, and unique places to shop. So here is a great way you can spend a day in the neighbourhood.
Start with Breakfast
Start with a relaxed breakfast at Ditta Artigianale, Via dello Sprone. We have had breakfast here a couple of times, and they provide lovely food at reasonable prices. Both the cappuccinos and iced lattes are very good. There is indoor and outside seating, including a window bench to watch the passers by.
Browse the Boutique Shops
While you are still fresh, exploring the shops in the area is fun. We window shopped at some fabulous antique sellers. Maybe you will find something to take home. We bought a beautiful, soft leather covered journal at the bookstore near the Pitti Palace, called Giunti al Punto Librerie. This was the journal we used to capture the details of our adventures in Florence.
There are also a number of jewellery shops in the surrounding streets. We purchased a beautiful handmade brass bee pendant from a very friendly lady, who happened to have a connection to the southern Italy town Hubby’s parents are from.
Visit Piazza Santo Spirito
One of the places we always check out is Santo Spirito Square (Piazza Santo Spirito) to see the Basilica di Santo Spirito. This Basilica is quite unlike the Cathedral of Florence. Whilst the Cathedral is amazingly ornate, the Basilica di Santo Spirito has a plain, flat, sandstone frontage, with simple wooden doors. However, in the sun with the blue sky behind it, it’s hard to not still be quite taken with it. Visit in the afternoon to enjoy the facade in the sun for the best photos.
There are a number of cafes and restaurants around the Santo Spirito Square. We have dined here, enjoying the view of the church in the evening. So consider popping in to one and booking a venue for dinner whilst you are here.
Learn About Italian Wines
After your busy morning, you probably fancy a spot of lunch, or at least a decent sit down. Why not do what we did, and have a wine tasting flight at Enotecca Obsequium, 17 Borgo San Jacobo. We booked this wine tasting early in our trip so that we could try a few wines, and work out what varieties we liked. Then when we were dining out, or buying wine to take back to our apartment, we had a better idea of what we liked (and what we didn’t!).
We ordered a different flight each so we could try six wines between us. I opted for the whites (15 Euros), and Hubby chose the great reds (this included some finer, more well known reds, like Brunello and Barolo varieties, 22 Euros). You may think this is a little costly, but the quantity of wine poured was generous. We also ordered a ‘Grande Fantasia Tagliare’ which was a large board of sliced cured meats, cheeses and topped toasted bread slices (‘crostini’).
We spent a couple of hours here, and thoroughly enjoyed it. The staff were helpful and we were able to take photos of the wine bottles to help us remember what we had tasted.
Stop by the Pitti Palace
The Pitti Palace is the key attraction in this area. Admittedly, we have never visited inside the Palace, mainly as there is so much else we want to fill our time with. But at a minimum, you will most likely walk past it, so it is worth admiring the massive stone building, and if you are fortunate, there will be art installations in the space in front of the Palace.
When it comes to the Palace’s Boboli Gardens, our honest opinion is to give it a miss. We visited (2018, 10 Euros each for entry) and found they were not as ornate (or as well kept) as we expected. The gardens are huge! But much of them were pebbles and dry, dusty paths. When we visited a number of the fountains were not running, and the gardens didn’t look very loved. The highlight was the enormous sculpture of a face. It’s named Tindaro Screpolato which depicts Tyndareus, King of the ancient city of Sparta, and is the work of sculptor Igor Mitoraj.
It is likely our expectations were at fault here. We envisioned well manicured garden beds, scenic settings, and lush surroundings. The Boboli Gardens is more like a vast open, hilly park with the occasional statue. Spend your time elsewhere!
Relax with a Wine or an Espresso
There is a cute cafe and wine bar not too far from Ponte Vecchio and Pitti Palace. On the small corner of Via dello Sprone and Via Toscanella you’ll find Cafe degli Artigiani. Coloured seats and tables line the quiet Via Toscanello laneway. Given this laneway is narrow, you’ll most likely have some shade.
It was a good spot for people watching. We sat with a glass of wine and watched people lining up at the gelati shop (Gelateria Della Passera) across the street.
If you would prefer to have a coffee, this is a good time to point out that Italians do not have milk based coffees, such as cappuccino, cafe latte, etc., after late morning. Milk based coffees are considered breakfast only coffees. So to fit in, order an espresso (shot of black coffee).
There’s More to See
If you have the time and the energy, there is plenty more to see if you continue to walk around Oltranrno and explore. Here are some photos of some of the other interesting things we stumbled upon. We loved this side of the Arno river. It is more relaxed than around the main tourist sites of Florence’s Cathedral neighbourhood. It is worth some of your time when you visit Florence.
