Fashion, food and wine in Florence

Florence is one of the most famous Italian cities in the world.

It owes its immense popularity to the historical and cultural events of which it was the protagonist, to the artistic treasures it houses, to the thriving food and wine culture and to Italian fashion, of which it has often made its spokesman.

Let’s take a closer look at some of the things that make this place unique: fashion, food and wine

Fashion in Florence

Speaking of made in Italy fashion began in Florence thanks to Giovanni Battista Giorgini in 1951.

In general, the city boasts a thriving high fashion industry with a centuries-old tradition. In fact, many of the most famous Italian Fashion Houses, reference points for the international scene, have been conceived and born in the Tuscan chief town. Among the famous designers who started their atelier in Florence, we find Gucci, Enrico Coveri, Roberto Cavalli, Salvatore Ferragamo, Patrizia Pepe, and many others.

Their luxury boutiques do not have a casual placement, they are all concentrated in an area that goes from Via De ‘Tornabuoni and Via di Vigna nuova, specifically called the luxury commercial district.

The close link between the city and Italian fashion is also evident from many initiatives related to fashion that are parallel hosted in Florence.

Firstly, in the capital, it has its headquarters in La Costume Gallery, the only Italian museum dedicated to the history of Italian fashion. Secondly, it is possible to admire the Salvatore Ferragamo Museum, where part of the collection of over 10,000 shoes produced by the Maison is displayed. Then, there are many events related to fashion activated by the city (like Pitti Immagine). Finally, in Florence, there are numerous fashion schools: Polimoda, Italian Academy, Leather School, and IED.

Food in Florence: what to eat

When planning a trip to Florence it often happens to be so fascinated and involved in how beautiful it is to see that you can’t give the right weight to what good there is to eat.

The food and wine culture of the city is strong and rich. Moreover, Florence can boast the birth of several of the most popular dishes of our cuisine, having meat as its main element.

Therefore, before going to visit the city, we advise you to inquire about the most typical of its restaurants, its food and its stalls have to offer.

Here are some of the tastiest food you will have the chance to taste in the Tuscan capital.

SANDWICH WITH LAMPREDOTTO

We suggest you not only traditional dishes of the Sunday lunch but also tasty street food.

A classic example of Florentine street food is the Panino con il lampredotto. The latter is one of the oldest dishes of the Tuscan tradition and includes a sandwich fills with offal obtained from the abomasum, a part of the digestive tract of cattle, called its lampredotto.

Furthermore, the lampredotto is carefully seasoned with green sauce, salt, pepper and a pinch of spicy.

Although the raw materials may not be exciting at all, the flavor of this dish is unique and easily appreciated.

Historically this particular sandwich was born in 1400 as poor food and was sold by street vendors on carts. This tradition has been partly maintained: even today on the streets of Florence you can find lampredottai, which sell the dish inside small kiosks.

 FLORENTINE TRIPPA

Remaining on the subject, the second dish of which we speak is the Florentine tripe, which is obtained from the waste of slaughtered meats.

The succulent dish is one of the cornerstones of the popular local cuisine and it seems to have origins in the same period of the sandwich with lampredotto.

Always considered a poor dish, the tripe originally included the dressing of various offal with a special mix of aromas. To date, the recipe has been changed slightly and includes the addition of tomato and grated parmesan

Also, in this case, there were special vendors to take care of the sale of the dish, the tripe makers, who today have moved to banquets and sell the dish in the markets.

CROSTINI DI FEGATO

An appetizer to which the Florentines cannot give up, a strong and succulent opening of the famous Sunday lunch, are liver crostini.

A dish that its goodness and its unique flavor has become an integral part of the gastronomic tradition of all of central Italy, but which originated in the splendid city.

Tasting it is a real experience that will be difficult to escape, because the dish is masterfully offered by any restaurant of traditional cuisine where you can go during your stay.

Even of Roman origin, the main component of the dish is the chicken livers that are delicately blended into the chianti vin santo.

The latter is further flavored with fine chopped capers, anchovy fillets, and broth.

Even the bread is not chosen randomly. Tradition has it that the Florentine whisk is used, a bread having a shape similar to a baguette, which can be dipped in broth, left natural or toasted.

PEPOSO DELL’IMPRUNETA

 In Florence, as has already clearly emerged, treating meat in all its parts is truly an art and is celebrated like a work present in the Uffizi gallery.

Among the main courses to be tasted absolutely we have the Peposo dell’Impruneta.

This stew takes its name from the rich amount of pepper added to it and from the place called Impruneta, situated among the verdant hills of Florence.

Moreover, this long-cooking course requires that the meat is blended into a full-bodied red wine, usually the classic Chianti.

FLORENTINE STEAK

The Florentine steak is probably the queen of Tuscan cuisine, perhaps even of all Italian meat dishes. In other words, it is certainly the bone, the Chianina beef and the height that must not fall below 4 fingers.

Another distinctive element, which not everyone is able to appreciate, it’s his cooking. In fact, the steak should be cooked in a way that maintains a rose brilliant in its interior.

WINE IN FLORENCE: 5 BEST WINES

As we anticipated, Florence is also famous for its food and wine culture.

In particular, the vineyards and wineries that arise in its surroundings are deeply intertwined with the Florentine tradition.

The ancient bond does not depend only on the goodness of its grapes, but also on the profound financial support that this activity has always represented for the city and the region. Even today, Tuscan wine is among the most exported from Italy and appreciated all over the world.

Specifically, in the surroundings of Florence there are two DOCG (Chianti and classic Chianti), five DOC (the Bianco dell’Empolese, the Colli dell’Etruria Centrale, the Pomino, the Vinsanto del Chianti and the Vinsanto del Chianti Classico) and three IGT (Alta Valle della Greve, Central Tuscany, and Tuscany)

Now let’s see some more details.

CHIANTI CLASSICO

It is said that Chianti Classico has very ancient origins and dates back to the early Middle Ages.

In reality this type of wine, as we know it, was born around 1300 and is today produced by almost 400 wineries.

At the base of the Chianti Classico we find the Sangiovese grape, whose vines extend over an area of about 72,000 hectares between Florence and Siena.

It is a wine rich in organoleptic properties, with a sweet, dry and deep red colored taste.

Furthermore, the precious liquid is ably enriched with hints of wild berries.

WHITE OF EMPOLESE

Empolese White is one of the few really appreciated white wines produced in the region.

This particular quality of Trebbiano has a straw yellow color and has an aftertaste very similar to the Vin santo.

The grapes through which it is produced are decidedly later than those of red wines, but the distinctive taste and balanced chemical-physical characteristics of this white wine derive from the prolonged maturation on the plant.

WHITE POMINO

Pomino Bianco is made from grapes found in vineyards located in the northeastern area of Tuscany, about 40 km north-east of Florence.

The vines that occupy the area were imported from France (specifically from Burgundy) in 1855. Precisely for this reason, the grape at the base of Pomino is mainly corresponding to the Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio typology.

The aroma of this wine, which is intense, bitter and ample depends in particular on the climate in the area. Furthermore, Pomino Bianco has a straw-white color, with greenish reflections, and delicate and pleasant smell.

THE HIGH VALLEY OF THE GREVE RED

Always produced in the province of Florence, the Alta Valle della Greve Rosso has a special coloring, ranging from violet to ruby.

The fruity aroma that distinguishes this particular wine is also perceptible by its fragrance. Moreover, its taste is fresh and balanced, rightly tannic.

VINSANTO DEL CHIANTI

The Chianti Vinsanto is produced in the same area of origin as the Chianti region, through the use of two different qualities of grapes: the Tuscan Trebbiano and the Malvasia.

It is characterized by a dry, velvety flavor and pronounced roundness. Its color is straw yellow, tending to amber.

Moreover, for these properties, it can be perfectly combined with fruit and desserts

Wedding In Florence

Florence is frequently chosen to host weddings, probably because the city is considered among the most romantic in Italy and, perhaps, in the world.

Usually in the capital the celebration of the civil ceremony takes place in the Palazzo Vecchio, a symbol of the municipal power of the city. Inside the beautiful building, it is possible to choose, according to your needs, between the Sala Rossa, the Sala di Lorenzo and the Salone de ‘Cinquecento.

An outdoor alternative for your civil ceremony is the Rose Garden, an exceptionally beautiful park located on the hill of San Miniato.

As for the sacred rite, numerous splendid churches stand in Florence. Among the favorites for weddings, we find the Basilica of Santa Croce, the Basilica of Santo Spirito and the Basilica of San Miniato.

How to get to Florence

Florence is well connected by various means of transport.

First of all, the Florence Amerigo Vespucci airport ensures that the city is connected not only to Italy but to the whole of Europe.

Secondly, the Tuscan capital is at the center of the state railway network. So its stations, Florence Santa Maria Novella and Florence Campo di Marte, are traveled by both regional trains and high-speed trains Freccia or Italo, through which it is possible to the other most important Italian cities directly and quickly.

Finally, Florence is also a fundamental node in the Italian motorway network. In particular, the A1 has four exits around the city and the A11 has been designed to facilitate the movement between Florence, Pisa, and Livorno.

It is possible to go to the Tuscan capital through the motorway network by car or by bus, such as Flixbus.

Related posts:

Tuscany travel Guide: why to visit the pearl of Italy

The Top 15 Places to Go in Tuscany

Tuscany the Map (Top Cities)

This post is also available in: Italian