Find the Best Things to Do in Via Tornabuoni
About Via Tornabuoni
Photo courtesy of Via Tornabuoni
Via Tornabuoni neighborhood is full of high class boutiques and ritzy cafes. Along this street there are many fashion houses such as Gucci, Prada, Burberry, Tiffany and Co. The cafes along this street are of the highest fashion as well with their specialty drinks and finger foods. Cantinetta Antinori is an enoteca located within the wealthy Palazzo Antinori where the noble family of Florence still live and do business. Right off of Via Tornabuoni is Caffe Giacosa which is owned by Roberto Cavalli.
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See & Do
Along Via Tornabuoni, there is a famous enoteca located in their own Palazzo. The Antinori family own and have lived in Palazzo Antinori since 1506. Cantinetta Antinori features all the wines from all the vineyards that they produce. You can also walk around in the inner courtyard and look at the models of the vineyards all over Tuscany and Umbria. Wine is easy to find in Florence but on Via Tornabuoni you will find the best of the best of wines.
Eat
Roberto Cavalli bought a historic cafe in Florence and made it his own. Cafe Giacosa is the home of where the negroni was invented and has since been a high class cafe. The cocktails are extensive and the coffee is delicious. There are plenty of delectable restaurants within this area. Pangies Bistrot invite you into their house and Osteria Bella Donne also very small with a more elegant feel. Keep in mind around Via Tornabuoni the prices are even higher where ever you go to eat.
Party
Take a walk down Via Tornabuoni until you meet the Arno River. Just past the Ferragamo palace, you will reach Ponte Santa Trinita. This is where you can spend many nights watching the sunset over Florence. The colors that are created during this time especially in the summer, are amazingly picturesque. Bring the one you hold dear and a group of friends to watch in this magnificent display of light turning into night. Don’t forget to bring your camera to capture this amazing sight.
Stay
Hotels in this area around the fashion district are of the highest of class. Hotel De La Ville is right along Via Tornabuoni and is a refined and luxurious hotel. Antica Torre di Via Tornabuoni is another elegant stay in Florence. Across the street from the Ferragamo boutique and museum, Antica Torre is an amazing historical residence with a medieval tower dating back to the 13th century. These hotels are very expensive but worth a stay if you want to see how the noble Florentines once lived.
Shop
Old England Store was established in Florence in 1924 by Carlo Marcacci to satisfy the needs of the British community that had made Florence their home. Located on Via Vecchietti,a street parallel to Via Tornabuoni, they sell from cake mixes to tea and coffee. Once just a shop for the average Englishman, now a shop where people come all over Italy including Florentine nobility. The other shops you will find are fashion houses along Via Tornabuoni of the utmost importance of style.