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22
Feb

Florence through fiction

Fiction reflects reality in a way we could see things we normally wouldn’t be able to. The stories that take place in Florence or just represent the city give us a different vision of it and all its unnoticed magic and beauty. For that reason, from Il Salviatino, your 5 stars hotel in Florence, we encourage you to discover some of those stories and the authors that made them possible.

As a matter of fact, Tuscany’s been the cradle of many artists and writers. People like Dante Alighieri and Giovanni Boccaccio were born here, and their masterpieces, Divina Commedia and Il Decameron, were made timeless so that they can touch and excite us forever. In addition, books like Under the Tuscan sun are a wonderful invitation for the readers to know a region in which you could even start over.

But when it comes to Florence, there are also some remarkable movies that let us know its citizens, monuments and streets full of life. It’s the case, for example, of Tea with Mussolini, which included an incredible cast and told us a curious story. So if you’re looking for something to do, bet on these works and make room for Florence’s attractive among your dreams.

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7
Feb

What about giving Florence’s wintertime a try?

Many things change with the weather, from the colors of the landscapes even to some people’s behavior. But that change hasn’t to be a disagreeable one. Although one uses to prefer summer conditions rather than winter’s ones, you can have a nice time any moment of the year. Tuscany’s capital is a clear example of it. Why? It’s quite simple:

firenze-winter-park

- The joy of finding shorter queues after entering to Florence’s magnificent museums and monuments, like the Uffizi Gallery.

- The pleasure of tasting a cup of hot chocolate or smooth coffee and then notice how you start feeling like you’re in heaven, little by little.

- The possibility of go shopping in one of the most glamorous cities in the world and even find sales!

- The chance of go skiing, ice skating or snow-tubing at the Firenze Winter Park! It will remain open until 17th February, so you’re still on time!

- The beauty of some temporary art exhibitions like “A message for you”, dedicated to French photographer, Guy Bourdin, at the Museo Nazionale Alinari Della Fotografia.

- The challenge of using your imagination in order to explore a wonderful city filled with history and unseen nooks.

Whether it’s cold or hot, come what may, at Il Salviatino, your luxury hotel in Florence, we’re always willing to make you feel good.

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29
Nov

What to do in December in Florence?

Il Salviatino, your luxury hotel in Florence, propose you some of the mainstream events that are taking place in Florence on the month of December.

The Christmas celebrations are coming and with them the familiar reunions and parties. Florence celebrates its own events to commemorate these special dates, here you may find some examples.

– Florence Noel Market: from November 29th the “Stazione Leopolda” hosts this food, crafts and gifts market, most of them of Tuscan origins. You can also visit he Santa Claus house, a really amazing attraction for the little ones.

– Hanukkah: from 8th to 16th December. The Jewish celebration takes place in Florence in the Ghetto. Visit the Florence Synagogue and discover this traditional festivities.

– Immaculate Conception: 8th of December. In Florence you will find the Fierucolina dell’Immacolata, and art and food fair in Piazza Santissima Annunziata.

– Pontevecchio Golf Challenge: 14th – 17th of December. The international golf competition in Florence.

– Fierucola: 16th of December. Taking place in Piazza Santo Spirito, the Fierucola is an organic and handmade products fair for local producers. Come to visit it.

– Christmas Markets: from middle December you can find the famous Mercato Tedesco di Natale in Piazza Santa Croce.

– Christmas Day: 25th December. Visit the Duomo and attend to the midnight mass to celebrate this very important religious party.

– New Year’s Eve: 31th December. A New Year’s Eve with Marilyn at Il Salviatino. Discover your luxury hotel in Florence by celebrating the coming of the New Year with us.

http://bit.ly/111PMQ3

http://bit.ly/111PMQ3

So December is very full of events in this marvelous city. Do not miss them and enjoy these Christmas holidays by discovering one of the most magic and creative cities in the world.

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18
Oct

The Festival of the White Truffle in San Miniato

On the top of a hill and overlooking the Arno valley there is the small medieval village of San Miniato. In November, this typical Tuscan town hosts once more the “Sagra del Tartufo Bianco”, the most exquisite truffle festival in Italy.

The white truffle is the undisputable king of the festival, the precious ‘oro bianco’ that every year attracts thousands of visitors from all around the world. The picturesque area of San Miniato produces a quarter of Italy’s white truffles, and November is the month when the delicious fungi get to the climax of their ripening. This ‘diamante della terra’ can reach the price of 4000 euro per kilo.

Tartufo copyright Tuscanycious

The main square and the surrounding streets of San Miniato will get full of stalls offering to the visitor wine, cheese and other local products, a gathering of the most traditional flavors of Italy. Moreover, there will be open-air plays, art exhibitions, marching bands, arts and crafts markets and, of course, tastings of the luscious tartufo bianco!

The festival the white truffle will be happening from the second weekend until the last weekend of November. At Il Salviatino, your 5 star hotel in Florence, we recommend you to visit this small town at the heart of Tuscany so you can enjoy one of the highest pleasures Italy can offer to your palate.

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24
Aug

A roof with a view.

Florence is probably one of the cities with the most stunning panoramic views that exist. One can climb up to the cathedral’s dome and discover a breathtaking overview of Tuscany’s capital, or hike up to Piazzale Michelangelo and admire a Renaissance beautiful skyline. But if you are a panorama lover and are not afraid of heights, “A roof with a view” brings to you a marvellous experience only possible until the 30th of September.

15 rooftop terraces of hotels or restaurants, a bunch of exclusive viewpoints, open to everybody for a visit, a photograph, a video or a drink. An event willing to broaden horizons (more than ever), offering all possible perspectives of a magical Florence seen from the sky.

Panorama from Il Salviatino.

Panorama from Il Salviatino.

Furthermore, “A roof with a view” transforms itself into a contest as well. Visit astonishing terraces, choose your favourite, take a photo or make a short video, post it on Facebook or Instagram and…you can win a weekend in Florence. For further information you can click here.

A great summer plan that your five star hotel in Florence, Il Salviatino, will be delighted to share with you: its 14th century villa crowning the top of hillside Fiesole will offer you a view hard to forget.

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17
Aug

Discover a different city: Florence in August.

August: holidays, good weather, travelling, no stress, no work and…Florence! Don’t let yourself down if you encounter notices like  “chiuso per ferie” (closed for holidays) and enjoy a different Florence in August, one you will not find any different time of the year.

In Italy, August is the key month to go on for a holiday, which means that many Florentines rush off to the beach and mountain leaving their city and transforming it into a peaceful oasis. Even though it’s hard to witness a decline of tourists in Florence any time of the year, the city exudes a more tranquil and calm atmosphere in general.

With the upcoming of the summer, Tuscany’s capital makes the most of its Mediterranean good climate and sets up a series of different outdoor events to enrich your visit such as concerts, exhibitions and wine tastings. Natural open air spaces turn into stages, scenarios for social encounters, refreshing settings and offer a series of activities only possible under good weather.

Overview of Florence from Il Salviatino.

Overview of Florence from Il Salviatino.

Important buildings and monuments stretch out their schedules up until summer midnight. This is the case for example of beautiful and enigmatic Palazzo Vecchio that, together with its Torre d’Arnolfo stands majestically in Piazza della Signoria. If the day is hot, no alarm. Florence offers a range of different green areas such as lovely parks and gardens that will enable you to enjoy a refreshing promenade amongst Tuscan flora.

Needles to say is that Il Salviatino, your luxury hotel in Florence, will be waiting for you in August with cool pools, tasteful aperitivi, inviting terraces with breathtaking panoramas, and much more.

Come and discover with us a different Florence in August!

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10
Aug

Celebrating San Lorenzo.

The 10th of August is a special day for Florence. The city celebrates the feast of San Lorenzo, commemorating this saint and martyr and the basilica which received his name, one of the oldest and most important in Florence. For this date, a whole bunch of celebrations will be carried out, like the traditional historical parade through the streets of Florence with memorable stops at Piazza della Signoria and at the Basilica of San Lorenzo.

The Basilica is the key spot of such celebrations. The consignment of the traditional banner called the “Gonfalone” and the ceremony of the “Offer of the Candles” (Offerta dei Ceri) followed by the blessing of the city make good proof of the importance of Saint Lawrence’s festivity for Florence. However, not only religious celebrations will be taking place. The popular and lay celebrations have been preserved until nowadays, some of which imply free distribution of lasagne and watermelon for everyone.

shooting-star

When night time takes over the show begins. The 10th of August coincides with the season of shooting stars. Hundreds of falling stars can be contemplated in Florence’s sky and infinite wishes can thus be made. A shower of meteors which are interpreted as San Lorenzo’s tears, shed every year in the anniversary of his death. A visual spectacle that finds the perfect scenario at Il Salviatino, your five star hotel in Florence, sitting on hillside Fiesole, where a plain clear sky offers an unforgettable show.

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3
Aug

Top places to take pictures in Florence.

Florence and its natural charm, its precious artistic legacy, and the magical aura surrounding it all year long, make it extremely easy to take home with us beautiful memories. However, we all like to secure those mental memories with visual evidence that will help us recreate the lived moments over and over again. For such reason, here you have the top places from which to take some of the best pictures of Florence.

Piazzale Michelangelo is one of them. After a nice hike up through San Niccolo, the panorama is absolutely stunning. Beautiful hillside Fiesole, colourful and perfectly arranged fields reaching magical river Arno and the matchless skyline conformed by the bell tower of Santa Croce, Il Duomo, Il Campanile, Palazzo Vecchio, and the Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge) speak for themselves.

View of Florence from Il Salviatino.

View of Florence from Il Salviatino.

Continuing the promenade slightly higher up we reach San Miniato al Monte with panoramic views that will inevitably get stuck in our retina. The panorama at dusk turns into a magical experience that, if you’re lucky, will be accompanied by the sound of the chants of the Monks of the church of San Miniato. A well of peace and tranquillity surrounded by the most spectacular picture.

If there is an outstanding construction among Florence skyline that is, with no doubt, the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, commonly known as the Duomo. Climbing up the 463 steps that lead to the top of Brunelleschi’s dome will result in a stunning 360º view of everything surrounding Tuscany’s capital.

Last, but not least, we are faced with beautiful hillside village Fiesole surrounded by the colourful Tuscan countryside. A lovely town full of charm that, given its privileged location, offers one of the best views of Florence in its complex. An Etruscan jewel where one may find the best luxury hotel in Florence, Il Salviatino, from which to immortalise the unforgettable moments that one will surely enjoy there.

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27
Jul

Il Giardino del buon vino.

In the context of the Estate Fiorentina 2012 (Summer Florence 2012) arises a wonderful project which tries to make the best of pleasures like outdoor activities under good weather and wining and dining. The result: the Giardino del Buon Vino or, what is the same, the Garden of Good Wine. A scenario willing to deepen and divulge the culture of the wine activity, projecting it as the result of human wit and of our capacity of interacting with the environment and its natural resources.

A welcoming place where one can attend photographic exhibitions focused on the techniques used in the wine production, on its history and that of the main Tuscan wine enterprises.  To enrich the experience, one will have the opportunity to attend weekly encounters with winemakers that will happily illustrate the characteristics of their wine, the peculiarities of their production area and the cultivation techniques.

vino1

However, not everything starts and ends up only with wine. Suggestive Piazza Demidoff will host many other different small events such as concerts, shows, editorial presentations and poetry reading, etc. An excellent opportunity to enjoy wining along with many other activities in a superb natural environment that, combined with a stay at Il Salviatino, your luxury hotel in Florence, will make your summer days in Tuscany unique and worth remembering.

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13
Jul

Mercantia in Certaldo.

Tuscany will never stop surprising us. No matter where you go, every Tuscan town offers infinite possibilities for us to enjoy. This time, Certaldo’s city hall is preparing the 25th edition of Mercantia, an Italian live show festival with over 100 different events each evening that will be taking place from the 11th to the 15th of July.

Any kind of show that can come to mind is possible in Mercantia: prose, dance, circus, mime, street band, one man show…they magically spring up in Certaldo’s medieval squares, cloisters and parks. A fabulous way to bring together medieval traditions with modern and contemporary ways of expression. The perfect occasion for past and present to fuse in harmony.In this year’s edition, the theme is the fifth element or the collective game. Yes, you have heard well. To the fourth basic elements that make up our universe (earth, fire, water and air) this festival introduces a fifth one without which man would not survive: the game or the collective game. In words of  the artistic director, Alessandro Gigli, “man cannot live without playing.” Thus, we’re all invited to participate and play in this peculiar spectacle.

A festival that revolves around four main key areas: theatre, craftsmanship, contemporary art and the singularity of Certaldo’s medieval borough. Always willing to convert each and every single one of us into main characters, leading us into participating and making part of an enriching collective experience.

Throughout playing, Mercantia is looking forward to draw a smile on our faces, to make us feel part of a great community willing to give our worries a break and simply enjoy Tuscany. A similar objective to that of the best luxury hotel in Florence, Il Salviatino, which aims to make your stay in Tuscany unforgettable at every single level.

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