In search of the missing city: Florence at the end of the nineteenth century
The Free Tour was born in 2011, as the first free tour group in Florence; since then we offer varied tours and attractiveness of great quality. Authorized guides, national officers specialized in Florence and Tuscany. We are locals, graduates, food experts organized many years ago, as tour guides in Florence!
Pickup
In front of the facade of Santa Maria Novella near the obelisk. The guide will have a sign saying "the vanished city" flag with the Lily of Florence and a
Description
Anyone who comes to Florence thinks of walking in a city immersed in the splendor of the Middle Ages, with its ancient remains of towers or that of a Renaissance city dotted with majestic buildings of the time: but this is not the case. With Italian unification the city completely changed its face and underwent a total metamorphosis: the center of Florence today is only the pale memory of its glorious past. At the end of the nineteenth century the "heart" of Firenz and centered on the Old Market , full of history and magic was subject to many urban planning misdeeds prompted by the new needs and was sacrificed to the wild building speculation of the time: with it also the old Jewish Ghetto. With the help of your imagination and with the support of many photographs and paintings we will retrace some of these stages together.
1 - We will start from Piazza SMN for a small introduction and then continue to the Market
2 - San Lorenzo Market, a majestic work of the time
3 -We will make a brief stop in front of the façade of the Cathedral to understand the tastes dictated by the new ruling class.
4 -We will proceed towards the "new" via Calzaiuoli to finally reach Piazza della Repubblica, the beating heart of the city before the major demolitions with its post-unification cafés.
5 -We will continue towards Piazza della Signoria where the original layout of the square fortunately remained almost intact.
6 - Finally with an exceptional guest invented by Collodi's creative imagination, Pinocchio, we will talk about the facade and interior of the Basilica. Before saying goodbye we will pay homage to the statue of the Divine Poet which overlooks the square to remind us that the Poet would never have approved such a metamorphosis. The story will be fueled by anecdotes, curiosities and little stories that will remain engraved in your memory for a long time.
We look forward to seeing you for this new and exciting adventure.
Important information for travellers:
- Minimum number 6
- Walkers who wish to cancel the tour confirmed by us are asked to cancel the tour no later than 24 hours before the start of the same.