Central Market
The Central Market is located on the first floor of the famous San Lorenzo Covered Market, one of the most important places in Florence. After a long restyling, it reopened during Spring 2014.
The main feature is to have recovered the sense of tradition and craftsmanship that distinguishes Florence in a more urban and modern context.
You will be pleasantly surprised by the many shops giving a homemade still refined taste to the city. From the genuineness of fruit and vegetables, to the delights of bakery, haute patisserie and meat, up to food and wine events, Florentine history revivals and much more.
Boboli Gardens
Boboli Gardens are a real green oasis of flora and fauna, framed by important monuments rich in charm and the famous Palazzo Pitti.
The whole area hosts ancient species of oaks, fountains, statues, pergolas adorned by plants offering shade, scents of woods and flowers.
The garden project inspired many European royal gardens such as the gardens in Versailles.
A complete visit of the gardens require at least 3 hours. Start from the amphitheater, where you can access the Artichoke Fountain, the obelisk and the Fountain of Neptune, then continue along the Viottolone with its terraces linked by various plants and statues in marble, up to the Prato del Cavaliere, Knight Lawn, that used to host one of the most sophisticated water system in 1500. From there, the tour continues to the discovery of the Kaffehouse, a 1700 tower that hosts several charming frescoed rooms and then to the Grotta Grande, or Buontalenti Grotto, that includes various sculptures decorating the external and internal parts like if they were stalactites.
Officina of Parfume - Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella
The Santa Maria Novella Officina of Parfume has 400 years of history. It was one of the most known historical pharmacies in Italy and abroad for its variety of beauty, health and food products.
Still today, even if with a private management, the pharmacy offers a variety of products, combining the secrets from the past to the needs of the present time. You can choose among cosmetics, perfumes, essences extracts, herbal products and much more.
Most products are made from flowers and plants grown on the hills of Castello, in the gardens of Santa Maria Novella. They were required in the 12th century by the Dominican friars who handed down as a legacy the curative and aesthetic benefits of these flowers and plants.
The store, the production premises and the gardens are open to the public with guided tours, to be reserved in advanced.
