District
Santo Spirito
Florence neighbourhood guide
artisan workshops, church-step drinks, Pitti and Boboli
The heart of the Oltrarno, the south bank: a square with Brunelleschi's plain-fronted church, a morning market and bars that spill onto the steps at night. Around it are workshops for frames, gilding and restoration, and a short walk away, Palazzo Pitti and the Boboli Gardens.
Day trips from Florence
Siena · Pisa · Lucca · San Gimignano · Chianti
Most are about an hour away by train or bus.
Explore Santo Spirito
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Trattoria Cammillo
A long-running Oltrarno trattoria on Borgo San Jacopo, a few steps from Ponte Vecchio, with white tablecloths, Tuscan classics and seasonal dishes. Book for dinner.
Osteria Santo Spirito
A lively osteria on the corner of Piazza Santo Spirito with outdoor tables on the square in good weather. Hearty portions; its baked gnocchi with cheese is the dish people come back for.
Trattoria 4 Leoni
An old trattoria on Piazza della Passera, a small square in the Oltrarno, with tables outside in summer. Tuscan staples plus its well-known pear and pecorino pasta. Popular; reserve for dinner.
Trattoria da Ruggero
A small family trattoria on Via Senese, outside Porta Romana and away from the tourist centre. Classic Florentine cooking, with locals at most tables. Book by phone; it is tiny.
Palazzo Pitti
The Medici's later palace on the south bank, now several museums: the Palatine Gallery's Raphaels and Titians hung frame to frame, the royal apartments and the modern art gallery. Part of the Uffizi Galleries, with combined tickets that include the Boboli Gardens behind it.
Boboli Gardens
The Medici's formal garden behind Palazzo Pitti, climbing a hillside of avenues, fountains, grottoes and statues to views over the city and the countryside. Bring water and sensible shoes; it is steeper and bigger than it looks. Combined tickets with Palazzo Pitti are available.
Wine windows walk
Small arched hatches in palace walls, used for centuries to sell wine straight from the cellar. There are well over a hundred in the city; a handful have reopened to serve wine or gelato. A free, self-guided walk around Santo Spirito and the centre; the Buchette del Vino association maps them.
Volume
A bar on Piazza Santo Spirito in the former workshop of a craftsman who carved wooden hat forms, with the old tools and machinery kept as decor. Casual, cheap by Florence standards and busy from aperitivo until late; drinks often end up on the church steps.
Le Volpi e l'Uva
A small wine bar in Piazza dei Rossi, just across Ponte Vecchio, focused on Italian wines from small producers by the glass, with cheese and cured meats. A good antidote to the crowds a minute away.
Enoteca Pitti Gola e Cantina
A wine bar and small restaurant facing Palazzo Pitti, with a deep Tuscan list and tables on the piazza. Sources disagree on opening days; check before going.
Rasputin
A speakeasy-style cocktail bar in the Oltrarno with no sign outside and a 1920s look inside. Reservations are needed and the booking process is part of the act; check the official site.