My daughter recently spent two months in Florence for a college summer study abroad program with her university. We first visited Florence when she was in 12 years old. So, visiting and living in this fabulous city as a 19 year old college student was quite a different perspective, from being able to legally drink wine and exploring with her friends ,versus touring with your parents as a middle schooler.
I asked her to write about her Italian adventures. My hopes for her during this experience was to enjoy and cherish each moment. I’m so happy she was able to spread her wings and soar during this time abroad. Let’s just say Florence may now be her favorite city.
As a Nursing college major, I was worried I would not be able to study abroad with the strict schedule and curriculum I have to follow to graduate in eight semesters. Although, I was unable to go for an entire semester, I feel so fortunate to have been able to go abroad this past summer for two months. My university has a campus in Florence, Italy. I took two courses there: Nursing Growth and Development and Renaissance Art (most likely the best city to take this class).
Explore and Do Walking Tours
Florence is such a walkable city, and there is always something going on whether it was new areas to explore or new streets to wander. I loved how I was able to see the entire city just by walking to new destinations every day. The city boasts cobblestone roads, beautiful architecture, famous paintings and sculptures, and endless Italian leather markets.
When we first arrived in Florence, we had two walking tours of the city: one to see the historical sights and architecture and another more “practical” and orientation tour to the supermarket, pharmacy, and bank, etc. At night, we had a five course dinner with our program. We finished our long day exploring Florence’s nightlife and eating pizza by the Duomo at 2 AM. We spent the next few days familiarizing ourselves with the city and our pensione which was like a boarding house.
Live like a local
My pensione was one of the highlights of my study abroad experience. My pensione owners were so thoughtful and welcoming and treated us all like family the moment we got there. They had a son who was 7 years old, and he often joined us for lunch. Meals are fully appreciated in Italy as we ate breakfast and lunch together as a pensione during the week.
Lunch was always a three course meal, and my host mom always cooked for us the most amazing pasta dishes. Tuesdays soon became my favorite day of the week because she would make different lasagnas. My favorite was the pesto lasagna.
I experienced and appreciated how the Italian culture cherishes the time spent with one another. This was also the case whenever my friends and I went out to dinner. For example, it was typical to order several courses and then enjoy the ambiance and each other’s company, even after we were finished with our meal. This was so unlike the rushed meals here in America when eating out.
Since we rarely had classes in the afternoon, we often hung out on the pensione’s patio and talked, played guitar, and journaled. Whenever their son would visit, we also played soccer with him. Saying goodbye to my pensione and my host parents were the saddest part of my experience. My pensione owners also had a restaurant in Fiesole, which is a small town about 15 minutes away from Florence. We had our final pensione dinner at their restaurant
Florence is the birthplace of the Renaissance because the city sparked a period of enlightenment that helped bring life back to culture and the arts. My Renaissance Art class was an amazing opportunity to learn about the endless history and artworks in Florence. We had several walking tours of the city along with weekly visits to churches and museums.
Visit Museums
We did walking tours to Palazzo Vecchio, Piazza della Signoria, and Orsanmichele. Some of the many museums I visited during my Renaissance Art class included the Opera del Duomo Museum, San Giovanni Baptistery, San Lorenzo Church and Museum of Medici Chapels, San Marco Convent and Museum, Bargello Museum, New Sacristy, Ospedale degli Innocenti, Galileo Museum and Museo della Misericordia.
I never realized the timeless art and mesmerizing views of every street, alley, and building that I passed daily were such important pieces of the Renaissance. The Uffizi Gallery was my favorite museum as it was captivating to see Botticelli’s Birth of Venus, Titan’s Venus of Urbino, Botticelli’s La Primavera, and several other celebrated artworks in person.
Seeing these masterpieces was incredibly beautiful and thought-provoking, and it was amazing to witness the extraordinary talent of these artists up close. I skipped visiting Michelangelo’s David on this trip since I already visited when I was younger with my family.
Spend time with the Locals
I really enjoyed my Nursing Growth and Development course because we were able to compare the lifestyles between America and Italy and see how the cultural differences impacted growth and development. We visited an elementary school and talked to Italian students to help them practice their English.
We also talked to an Italian high schooler. It was interesting to learn about how different their lives growing up were compared to ours in America. For example, getting your driver’s license and being able to legally drink are huge milestones in America, but not in Italy. While at home, my friends and I enjoy going on long drives, instead in Italy, they go on long walks. Additionally, Italians have one of the highest average life expectancies in the world mainly because of the quality of their food and active lifestyle.
Take a Cooking Class
Our school did an amazing job of planning activities for us. One of my favorite activities was a cooking class with In Tavola Cooking Academy. We made artichoke souffle, gnocchi with tomato sauce, and vanilla gelato. It was so fun to follow along with the cooking process and see how everything was made. In Tavola offers various group and private cooking lessons so visit them if you’re in Florence. You can also check out Lorenzo de’ Medici Cooking School in Mercato Centrale for several cooking classes.
Attend an Opera
We also attended an Italian opera, Ariadne auf Naxos at Teatro della Pergola. We attended a presentation before to understand the backstory of the opera since it was performed in German. It was fun to get dressed up for the night and experience an actual Italian opera. Check out various operas and shows when in Florence.
Go Wine Tasting
Since the legal drinking age is 18 in Italy, I also went wine tasting two separate times: the first time was on our own and the second time was with my school. They were both family-owned wineries so it was fun to learn the history of the wineries, go behind the scenes in the winemaking process and see how the wineries have developed over the years.
The first winery we toured was Azienda Agricola La Lastra during our day trip to Siena. This was a smaller winery, but our tour guide was very knowledgeable. We toured their vineyards and wine cellars and tasted four wines and olive oil at the end of the tour.
The winery we toured with my school was the 400-year old Principe Corsini winery in Chianti. We tasted three Corsini wines and olive oil along with local Tuscan prosciutto, salami, cheese, and bread. We also took a walk through the vineyards and olive orchards as we learned about how wine and olive oil were made.
Attend a Futbol aka Soccer Game
One of my favorite events I attended while I was abroad was an ACF Fiorentina vs. Juventus futbol game. It was amazing to experience and share in the passion Italians hold for their city’s team. Although I couldn’t understand any of the cheers, it was still fun to witness and be involved. The games get so rowdy that the Juventus team had their own barricaded section to prevent them from interacting with the Fiorentina team.
Climb the Duomo
The Duomo is the most iconic symbol of Florence, and it is the first monument that comes to mind when people envision Florence. The cathedral towers over the city. The statues carved into the façade of the building stare down at you as if they are trying to communicate with you.
Getting to climb the Duomo was one of my favorite experiences from my time herein Florence. It was interesting to read about the history of the cathedral and bell tower while climbing up. Once I reached the top of the Duomo, it was surreal to see how small the city looked from above. The views were so beautiful especially during sunset.
Tip: You can visit and go inside the Duomo for free. Just be sure to get there early to line up. Doors usually open at 10 AM. You have to buy the “Grande Museo del Duomo” pass to visit the other monuments like the bell tower, museum and the Baptistery.
Visit Boboli Gardens and Palazzo Pitti
While I loved exploring the countless Renaissance artworks encapsulating the rich Italian history, it was nice to sometimes escape from the city and tourists. Boboli Gardens and Palazzo Pitti were a nice change of scenery and provided a distinct sense of tranquility due to being isolated from the historic center across the river.
Palazzo Pitti is considered Florence’s most important palace filled with history and home to several dynasties. It also houses four museums including the vast art gallery (Galleria Palatina). Boboli Gardens is a green oasis behind the palace. This Italian style garden was used as a model for other gardens found around Europe.
Piazzale Michelangelo was definitely one of my favorite places to hang out in Florence. I loved watching the sunset from the piazzale because I could see the entire city light up from above. There is also a rose garden below the piazzale where my friends and I often went to have a picnic or read. One of my first few days in Florence was spent watching the sunset at the piazzale, and my final school dinner was at a restaurant in Piazzale Michelangelo.
I miss the convenience of having everything I need within a walking distance and being able to navigate through the city without needing Google Maps. Nothing will compare to walking down the streets at night and hearing the locals playing their instruments with crowds gathered around and singing along. Sunsets in Florence are magical. We watched many sunsets at Ponte Vecchio.
I miss walking out of my pensione and seeing the Duomo. It was so easy to take the train or bus to another city or country. My friends and I did several day trips to nearby cities like Siena, Pisa and Fiesole and long weekend trips to Croatia, Elba Island, Viareggio, Cinque Terre and Lake Maggiore.
I miss eating meals at my pensione and eating all the delicious pasta, pizza, and gelato around Florence. I am so thankful for the time I spent studying abroad in Italy. Although, I have traveled extensively with my family, living and learning in Italy was a completely different and unforgettable experience. It was so hard to leave and I can’t wait to return.
These are some of my recommended places to eat around Florence:
Sandwich Shops – We ate at several sandwich shops because they were convenient, cheap and easy to eat.
- SandwiChic – Look for the student deals with sandwich and drink. I loved my sandwiches with balsamic vinegar or pepper jam. I loved their sauce so much that I brought one home.
- Il Cernacchino: They have the best sandwiches
- Panini Toscana: You can sample different meats here
- All’ Antico Vinaio: sandwiches
Pizza
- Gusta Pizza: This was our favorite pizza place and was wallet-friendly too.
- Mister Pizza: This was not the best pizza, but it stays open until 4 AM and is right by the Duomo. I recommend for the price, location and convenience.
Other Favorites
- Mercato Centrale: Don’t miss going here. There are plenty of vendors and various food choices and they stay open late.
- La Prosciutteria: We enjoyed their charcuterie boards here.
- Trattoria Za Za: Try the Fiorentina steak here which is one of the city’s specialties.
- Gino’s Bakery: Go here for cheap pastries
- Divina Terrazza at Grand Hotel Cavour: This bar has a great view of the Duomo and a fantastic place to watch the sunset.
Gelateria (I learned that great quality gelato shouldn’t be piled up and decorated with fruits and ingredients on top. This means that gelato is not slowly churned and has more air mixed in. Go for ones that are stored in metal containers with lids since they are stored in the right temperature.
- La Strega Nocciola – Try their lavender and dark chocolate gelato. We went here a lot since this was down the street from campus and it is close to the Accademia and the Duomo.
- Perche No – We loved their lavender and coffee crunch gelato
- Grom – this is a chain of gelateria but they are delicious. There’s one by the Duomo.
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