Florence remains one of Italy’s historic cities that has retained the splendor of its Renaissance past. An enchanting city that never ceases to amaze, with masterpieces of art that evoke its splendor and the role it played in the development of culture and art. The city, however, is not only history but also the history of fashion. Many brands were born and developed along the Arno River, and indeed it is in Florence that you can visit the Salvatore Ferragamo Museum and the Gucci Garden Archetypes.

Salvatore Ferragamo Museum

The museum was established in May 1995 at the initiative of the Ferragamo family with the desire to acquaint the public around the world with the artistic qualities of Salvatore Ferragamo and the role he played in the history not only of footwear but also of international fashion.

In this context, we talk about the vision of Wanda Ferragamo, Salvatore’s widow and at the head of the company since 1960, with her six children, and she decided not to close the company but rather to transform an artisanal women’s footwear workshop into a fashion house, where her children can give continuity to that furrow of innovation and creativity started by her husband Salvatore. In particular, it was Fiamma Ferragamo, the eldest of the siblings, who became the spokesperson within the family for this project, drawing on the technical expertise of historians and archivists.

Each year the Museum selects a different research theme that allows for a cross-cutting investigation of the Ferragamo world, combining it with other fields such as art, architecture, design, economic and social history, and philosophy. At this time – until April 2023 – the museum is hosting, in addition to the brand’s archives, “Women in Balance, 1955-1965,” which honors Wanda’s memory with an exhibition that examines the complex reality of women in Italy between the 1950s and 1960s, a period in which Wanda changed her life. The itinerary sketches the activities and choices of women of different ages, including in fields of work until then reserved almost exclusively for men.

Gucci Garden Archetypes

Inside the Gucci Garden in Florence comes the Garden of Archetypes, an immersive, multi-sensory space that explores Gucci’s campaigns of the past six years and Alessandro Michele’s creative manifesto. The new Gucci museum allows visitors to fully immerse themselves in the heart and vision of the brand. Archetypes, which correspond precisely to archetypes, want to represent Gucci’s advertising campaigns of the past six years that represent a unique and unrepeatable moment, the source and nourishment of the debate on issues of universal scope and creativity itself.

Several rooms are set up completely at opposite ends of the spectrum to reveal the facets of a creative director who has been able to range between art and music, between modern metropolises like Los Angeles and Tokyo and utopian worlds with enchanted gardens and intergalactic landscapes, where the boundary between past, present, and future, between history and mythology, constantly shifts in a journey of senses involving sight, hearing, and smell.

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Some years ago, with a close friend of mine, I organised a day in Florence, because I live 2h away from there. Day trips can be amazing! Florence is a UNESCO heritage site, so it actually needs more than one day to be fully discovered, however I’m gonna show you what you can do in less than 24h in this beautiful city.

My friend and I arrived in Florence by car, but the train is a great option too. We parked near the train station Santa Maria Novella (the one you have to look for if you catch the train). From there, in a few steps, you can easily reach the beautiful Basilica of Santa Maria Novella with the homonymous square and the Museum of the Twentieth Century. Leaving the Basilica behind you, take one of the narrow streets on the left – reminiscent of medieval Florence – and you will find yourself in Via De’ Tornabuoni, which has become elegant and has brand-name stores.

If you enjoy a little dip through the street you will stumble upon Palazzo Strozzi that usually houses art exhibitions. Arriving at the end of the street, you will find yourself in Piazza della Trinità, with the famous Palazzo Ferragamo, known also as Spini Feroni, and the nearby Ponte della Trinità from which you can enjoy the magnificent view of the Ponte Vecchio and the Arno (the river).

Then, head towards the Duomo. On your way there, you will find Palazzo Vecchio in Piazza della Signoria with the famous Uffizi Museum (with Botticelli’s Venus, the most beautiful thing you will ever see). The first time I saw it, I never thought it would be so beautiful. It leaves you speechless, not only for the size, but also for the colors, so close to reality.

In Piazza della Signoria, Gucci opened the Gucci Garden, a store with unique edition products and a restaurant, an osteria with chef Massimo Bottura, and the Gucci Garden Galleria, a three-story museum – free for students! – where the history of Gucci is exhibited, including current and vintage clothes, accessories, and sketches. A nice pit-stop for young students!

So, going back on your way to the Duomo you will pass by Piazza della Repubblica or Mercato Vecchio, a square that I’ve always liked from the first time I’ve been there. The Duomo, the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, an immense wonder with Brunelleschi’s famous dome (if you love TV series watch “The Medici” a beautiful and fictional story about the dome and Florence), the Baptistery of San Giovanni with the east door called Paradise and Giotto’s Campanile.

For your lunch, look for the family Trattoria Sergio Gozzi, one of the best in Florence, where you can eat Florence specialties like pappa al pomodoro (tomato and bread first course) and fiorentina (meat). The staff is super busy with work, but kind! The trattoria doesn’t accept reservations, but if you are patient in less than half an hour you will be sitting at the table ready to eat. The quality-price ratio is more than fair.

When you exit, just in front of the trattoria you will find the Basilica of San Lorenzo, a church with an unfinished facade, poor but if visited inside is spectacular, revealing a great and amazing contrast. It all seems far away, but everything is closer than you think!

Enjoy your day in Florence!

The post A day in Florence: what you can see! appeared first on Marina's Discoveries.