Planning your vacation in Florence during the winter and spring months is a great idea. You miss the summer heat and the high season crowds. It is the best time of year for hearty food like pappardelle al cinghiale and glasses of deep Tuscan red wine. Most of your days will be sunny and crisp but if Il Meteo predicts a rainy day in Florence don’t worry, there is still plenty for you to do. Pack an umbrella and take cover under the many covered loggias and porticos as you follow our suggestions of things to do on a rainy day in Florence.
Have a Second Breakfast
Bubbles for breakfast will surely brighten a gray morning. This historic shop has a glass case filled with tiny soft rolls slathered with truffle flecked butter and high top tables to sit and have a flute of prosecco. Procacci is located on the ground floor of a palazzo on the swanky Via de’ Tornabuoni. First or second breakfast will be enhanced by the extensive selection of cornetti (croissants), 10 flavors last time we looked, at the Finisterra Bar & Restaurant overlooked by the statue of Dante in Piazza Santa Croce. If you stay in our apartments Medici and Donatello it is just across the piazza.
Stay dry inside the Palazzo Vecchio
So Many Museums
There are 72 museums in Florence, so you could spend a month of rainy days in Florence and still not see them all. See the only Last Supper known to be painted by a women, a 16th century nun Plautilla Nelli, in the Santa Maria Novella complex. If you have kids that like creepy sites, the Museo Galileo is sure to delight with the glass-encased finger of the famous scientist. The deceptively simple facade of the Basilica of San Lorenzo belies the ornate treasures inside. Don’t miss the Michelangelo-designed Medici Chapels with their intricate inlaid marble and semi-precious stones. The Palazzo Strozzi is situated between Piazza Strozzi and via Tornabuoni and hosts major modern and contemporary exhibitions. Italy Perfect apartment trio of Prisco, Strozzi and Michaela are right there for you.
Take Tea in a Palazzo
Italy is known for its coffee culture, but Florentines have adopted the tradition of a proper cup of tea in an elegant place. In the Santo Spirito neighborhood, near the Casetta Bonsi apartment, is the flagship store of La Via del Tè. You can have an elaborate full-cream tea with finger sandwiches or order a pot of tea and a pastry. There are also tea-based cocktails and gelato. The shop and tea room is in the prestigious Palazzo Frescobaldi, where the well-known wine-making family still lives.
Go our for coffee or stay in and stay dry on our Memoria terrace.
Time for a Coffee Break
It is much more common to have your coffee quickly while standing up at the bar, but a rainy day is a perfect excuse to slow down and find a table in one of the many fine cafes in Florence. The Caffè Rivoire has been making chocolate in the Piazza Signoria since the late 1800s; plan on purchasing a box or two of foil-wrapped treats to take home. The atmosphere here is formal and old fashioned. Another historic cafe to take cover is Caffè Gilli in the Piazza della Repubblica. This cafe is the oldest in the city and the only example of Belle Epoque style. The inside space is filled with crystal chandeliers, marble-topped tables, and warm wood paneling. On the other side of the river, in the Oltrano neighborhood, is a branch of the modern Ditta Artiginale. This stylish cafe combines Italian coffee tradition with Third Wave methods like fancy single estate Chemex pour-overs and cold brew.
Browse for Books
Vacation is the perfect opportunity to unplug. Visit one of Florence’s bookstores to find the perfect book to read by the fire in Miravista. Paperback Exchange is right around the corner from the Duomo and has rooms filled with English language books.
Rain or shine, we are ready to book your Florence holiday! Contact Italy Perfect at [email protected] or 1-888-308-6123, and we’ll jump start the planning with accommodations and tours.
