Florence. Weekend of History, Art, Fashion, Photos and… “lampredotto”!
A MUST SEE IN FLORENCE
Palazzo Vecchio. the Medici Chapel, a sumptuous octagonal room full of marble inlays and splendid sculptures by Michelangelo, the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella and the numerous Renaissance treasures of the Tuscan capital such as Santa Maria del Fiore, Brunelleschi’s Dome, Giotto’s Bell Tower, the Baptistery and the Accademia Gallery for the inevitable appointment with Michelangelo’s iconic David

Ponte Vecchio with its shops is one of the most romantic places in the world, while the Uffizi and Bargello Galleries host the works of the fathers of the Renaissance: Giotto, Leonardo, Michelangelo, Botticelli, Raphael and Donatello.
Uffizi Galleries: Botticelli’s Venus. one of the many masterpieces housed in the Galleries, whose visit requires at least a couple of hours
The Bargello Museum


Not to mention the wonderful Florentine gastronomy that you will discover at the Central Market, open every day at the following times: Sunday – Thursday 9:00 – 23:00, Friday – Saturday 9:00 – 00:00. There you will discover many shops offering bread and pastries, fresh fish, fried, vegetarian and vegan, meat and cured meats, buffalo mozzarella, cheeses, chocolate and ice cream, fresh pasta, wine shop, lamprey, truffles: all the shops are run by artisan traders with in common the love for their profession. Try the traditional village soups “Ribollita” and “Pappa al pomodoro” spicy green or not, according to your taste and then sprinkled with salt and pepper.
Delicacies of Florentine gastronomy at the Central Market: Ribollita, pappa al pomodoro and the famous “lampredotto”
The legendary Bambi family (trippali since 1890!) is present on both levels of the Market: on the ground floor in a historic marble counter almost an altar, and on the mezzanine where, in addition to their exquisite lamprey you can find a myriad of shops, restaurants, pizzerias, bars and even a “Lorenzo de’ Medici” cooking school, a large structure used as cooking classes.

TO DISCOVER : 2 PARADISES OF “SELFIE”
Gucci Garden
You are “fashion addicted” Do you love fashion? Do you follow the latest trends in elegance? Do you feel “influencers”? In the (almost) museum of the Gucci brand, a multi-sensory exhibition space awaits you dedicated to Gucci’s advertising campaigns of the last six years through surprising Installations for an immersion in the kaleidoscopic aesthetics of the Maison.
Among videos, neon, graffiti, aliens and mannequins you will find entire walls of cuckoo clocks, mega showcases of butterflies, a parade of wigs of all kinds and lots of fashion …. Ideal place to let loose with selfies, taking advantage of every corner, and making the most of the museum, also because to visit it, you will have shelled out 8 euros… Oh well…
Gucci Garden Museum
Selfie Museum
If the “selfie” experience at Gucci didn’t satisfy you too much… go to the very central Via Ricasoli, at 44 you will find 1000 square meters dedicated to the creative reinterpretation of art and culture of every era and style, with immersive installations and scenarios created by over 400 artists from all over the world. More than 50 locations where you can place yourself and immortalize your self-portraits…
A new space where visitors are free to express their creativity with memorable photographs, images and video clips to share with their friends. They range from the Gioconda POP, to psychedelic rooms and many “love” corners. There is no shortage of rainbows, graphic graffiti and even an irresistible romantic “Souvenir of Florence” flower stall!
WHERE STAY
Bernini Palace Hotel
For a weekend dedicated to history and elegance, I recommend an authentic 5-star jewel of the prestigious Due Torri Hotels chain, located in a 15th-century building, right in the heart of the city, behind Piazza della Signoria and the Galleria degli Uffizi.
For centuries the building has been devoted to the hospitality of wayfarers, think that in the seventeenth century it was the only hotel in Florence to have running water and a shelter for animals. Already around the mid-nineteenth century the building is remembered as the site of an elegant hotel, known as the Albergo dello Scudo di Francia and in the period of Florence, capital of the Kingdom of Italy (1865-1871) it experienced its first great moment of splendour. transforming itself into the Columbia Parliament Hotel,
For centuries the building has been devoted to the hospitality of wayfarers, think that in the seventeenth century it was the only hotel in Florence to have running water and a shelter for animals. Already around the mid-nineteenth century the building is remembered as the site of an elegant hotel, known as the Albergo dello Scudo di Francia and in the period of Florence, capital of the Kingdom of Italy (1865-1871) it experienced its first great moment of splendour. transforming itself into the Columbia Parliament Hotel,
Era was at the center of national political entanglements, frequented by parliamentarians and historical figures and protagonists of the Risorgimento. remembered by the frescoed roundels that embellish the current spectacular room where refined breakfasts are served impeccably every morning. Along the walls you can admire the faces of great personalities, including Garibaldi, Cavour, Balbo, Gioberti, Lamarmora, Daniele Manin and many others
The ground floor has a surprise in store for us, an old mods boutique, a meeting point for the elegant ladies of Florence who met here to discover the latest collections of fashionable caps. Customers’ heads and corsets dressed up with curious hats remind us of an ancient exhibition set up in the hotel hall in the early 1900s.
The elegance of this building has always attracted characters from high society, fashion and entertainment. Many celebrities who have chosen Bernini for their Florentine stays: rock stars, politicians, television personalities, screen stars…

Patty Smith, Il Volo, Gianna Nannini, Fiorello, il Nobel Fisica Gerard Mourou, Eric, Bana, e molti altri.
How many VIPs have chosen the Bernini Palace!,
Patty Smith, Il Volo, Gianna Nannini, Fiorello, Nobel Physics Gerard Mourou, Eric, Bana, and many others.
The rooms, which are divided into superior, deluxe, junior suites and suites, are sumptuously furnished with magnificent antiques with particular attention to detail, equipped with all modern comforts and free wi-fi. Each room is embellished from linen sheets, hypoallergenic duvets and light white satin cotton duvet covers. The atmosphere is intimate and welcoming. The ceilings with wooden beams, the four-poster beds, the period decorations, the precious fabrics and the marvelous tapestries contribute to creating a truly unique atmosphere.
Inside a historic portico dating back to the 1500s, we discover a small paadiso gormet: the La Chiostrina restaurant, led by Chef Stefano Bellini, a true Florentine who I did not miss for a nice interview and to experience his cuisine.

Hello Stefano, the usual question: which car do you drive?
(smiles) I had a Mercedes, some wild boars destroyed it …. and I ended up with a quiet Toyota Corolla.
A trip you would like to take?
I plan to go to Bora Bora for work. There I will find wonderful spices, fresh fruit and lots of shellfish, for dishes that are simple to prepare but very tasty.
Where do you like to spend a free weekend?
For a weekend “out of town” I like Colonnata, a fraction of the municipality of Carrara, located on the slopes of the Apuan Alps. It is known throughout the world for its white marble quarries and for its lard which has become a fashionable ingredient, but which boasts ancient and wonderful traditions to be discovered on site. If I have a few extra days, I like to spend it on the French Riviera whose colours, flavors and aromas I adore.

Where did your passion for cooking come from?
From a culinary DNA that was born between the home and the teachings of grandmother Rina. I am in the middle of a generation of cooks, my father managed important restaurants in Florence and my son continues the family tradition, also exported to the United States, in Chicago, where my American mother and my Florentine father continued to cook at Italian.
Your first memory in the kitchen?
The potato tortelli from grandmother Rina, an excellent cook who she also ended up in various television programs recorded in Los Angeles, where she taught how to make fresh pasta.
In my family, teaching has always been the order of the day, it’s not for nothing that I met my partner in a cooking class, where I was the teacher and she was the pupil… well, the passion of stoves bring us together…
Do you cook at home?
Yes, I like both going traditional and experimenting with new combinations, even if I think that improvisation must have a solid knowledge base and a good repertoire of notions that can be revisited by adding, decreasing, changing according to inspiration and the ingredients you have at hand.
Always and never in you fridge….
Always fresh eggs from our farmer, ham and Tuscan pecorino, finocchiona and soppressata. Never pre-packaged or industrially processed foods. I always like to start from fresh, whether to make a velvety soup or a broth, or, to stay on the Florentine theme, a classic black cabbage ribollita or pappa al pomodoro.
Chef, a Tuscan first course that you like?
A dish with “bici”, hand-rolled spagnettoni typical of Siena, but popular throughout Tuscany.
I propose them with a white ragout of veal and thyme with green asparagus and cow’s milk ricotta coulis with walnuts.
My mouth is already watering… Stefano, will you give us the recipe?
Here you go!!
Pici nel ragù bianco di vitella e timo con asparagi verdi e coulis di ricotta vaccina alle noci
Recipes for 6 people:
500 g dry pici (about 20 minutes of cooking)
250 g of fresh asparagus
450 gr veal of which 300 minced
300 g veal broth (obtained with 150 g veal, 100 g celery, 100 carrots, 100 white onion, salt, bay leaves, 1 liter of water. Cook for approx. 1 hour)
2 bay leaves
50 g red onion
100 g white onion
200 g carrots
200 g celery
120 g extra virgin olive oil
80 g white wine
40 g chopped walnuts
20g butter
40 g grated parmesan
Fresh thyme to taste
salt and black pepper to taste
Preparation
Clean the carrots, celery and onion, finely chop and fry in 80 g of EVO oil when the fried begins to color, add the minced meat and brown until it has released all its water, add the thyme and pour over the wine white, once it has evaporated, add the broth and reduce everything over a low heat. Season with salt and pepper.
Separately, remove the end part of the asparagus stems. Cut the stems into rings (keep the tips) and brown them in a pan with 40 g of oil for 30 seconds, then add 200 cl of water and cook for approx. 10 minutes, add salt. Blend everything until you get an asparagus cream.
Cook the pici in plenty of salted water and 5 minutes from the end of cooking add the aspragus tips.
In a pan, combine the veal ragout, the asparagus cream and the drained pici. Jump over high heat mixing everything together. Add the knob of butter and the grated Parmesan and continue to sauté to make the mixture creamy.
Serve and finish with ricotta quenelles, sprinkle with chopped walnuts, add a few leaves of fresh thyme.
INFO
https://www.galleriaaccademiafirenze.it/#
http://www.bargellomusei.beniculturali.it/musei/1/bargello/
http://www.bargellomusei.beniculturali.it/musei/2/medicee/
https://www.villabardini.it/
https://www.mercatocentrale.it/firenze/
https://hotelbernini.duetorrihotels.com/
ristorante La Chiostrina
https://selfiemuseumfirenze.it/
CESARE ZUCCA Travel, food & lifestyle.
Milanese by birth, Cesare lives between New York, Milan and the rest of the world. For WEEKEND PREMIUM he photographs and writes about cities, cultures, lifestyles. He likes to discover both traditional and innovative gastronomic delights. Cesare meets and interview top chefs from all over the world, ‘steals’ their recipes in a ” non touristy tourist ” styleÂ
.