Where Tradition Meets History: A Walking Tour of Florence’s Oltrarno District

Oltrarno is where history and Florentine life meet. Unlike the historic and more touristy centre on the other side of the Arno River, Florentines still live in this vibrant district, where historical landmarks, bars, cafes, and restaurants coexist.

On this walking tour, I’ll guide you through this authentic district’s maze of streets and squares while I share anecdotes, historical highlights and Florentine traditions. I’ll take you back to the Middle Ages when Florence was divided into four districts, each with their own political, administrative and military responsibilities.

The tour starts at the foot of Ponte Vecchio and loops through the district’s small streets, to end around the corner from a seven-story medieval tower called Torre dei Belfredelli sec. xii. As you walk, you’ll pass through several squares, including the beautiful Piazza Santo Spirito, Piazza de Pitti, and Piazza della Passera, a secluded and lesser-known square with cafés and restaurants that are popular with locals. You’ll also enjoy breathtaking views of the Ponte Vecchio as you stroll.

On this hour-long tour you’ll have a chance to:

• Pause in Piazza Santa Felicita, the small square next to Ponte Vecchio where you’ll see the corridor overlooking the church (Chiesa di Santa Felicita) that allowed the Medici family to attend mass away from the crowds
• Find out why there are two street numbers on most buildings, and learn about the city’s famous ‘wine windows’ outside Buchetta del Vino di Baba
• Discover the history of Palazzo Pitti, the palace’s connection to the Medicis, and its secret engraved in rock
• Relax in a green cloister and see a little-known work by Michelangelo in Basilica di Santo Spirito, one of the first religious centres in the Oltrarno district
• Identify plaques with Santo Spirito (the whip) and San Frediano (the dragon), insignia that demarcated two of Florence’s four districts
• Meet a member of the Second World War Resistance, who used her flat on Piazza Pitti to protect Jews
• Enjoy an ice cream in one of the city’s best ice cream parlours, Gelateria Della Passera and get other gastronomic recommendations along the way

At the end of this hour-long tour, Florentine culture will hold no more secrets for you!