Friendly Rentals Blog

Good, beautiful and cheap in the heart of Florence. Here are three recommmendations to enjoy the best local cuisine without having to ask where to eat in Florence. Simple ingredients, traditional preparation and love,lots of love. This is the secret of success for these three restaurants in Florence we are going to recommend. Welcoming and informal restaurants where you can try the best local dishes from teh Florentine kitchen all washed down with a good Chianti.

Have you ever wondered what football was like in Ancient Rome or in the middle Ages? Even though the so called king of sports as we know it today was born in the 19th century its origins are much older. And in Florence you can discover it thanks to the “calico storico fiorentino”

In the Renaissance city of Florence music has always placed an important role and at the very centre of this is the Teatro del Maggio Musicale which hosts the annual Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Florence Music Festival. Along with Bayreuth and Salzburg, it is one of the oldest and most prestigious European Musical Festivals and this year will take place in Florence from the 2nd of May to the 25th of June.

Nothing captures the imagination quite like Tuscan country side, rolling hills dotted with olive groves, the straight lines of grapevines making their way down sun bathed slopes, cypress trees reaching finger like into the sky and hilltop medieval villages dotting the landscape. Painters have paid homage to the beauty of Tuscany for centuries and nowhere can this beauty truly be appreciated more than the Capital of Tuscany, Florence.

Chocolate sweet chocolate, is there anyone who doesn’t enjoy the guilty pleasure of sinking their teeth into a piece of chocolate? In Florence they enjoy their handcrafted chocolate so much they decided to dedicate a fair to it: “Finalmente Ciocclato!” In 2013 this sweet fair will take place from the 8th to 17th February in the monumental Piazza Santa Maria Novella, so if you are holidaying in Florence or celebrating Valentine’s Day in the Tuscan capital make sure you pay a visit.

The cradle of the Renaissance is a great city to go shopping in, where you’ll find a wide variety of trading centres, shops and artisan’s workshops in which you can buy typical products. If you don’t know where to start, here’s some ideas of presents and typical products to buy in Florence.

The Althea apartment, this week’s top accommodation, is located on the River Arno in Florence, capital of Tuscany, and is perfect for two people.

Florence is itself a small artists’ gem: the catedral, the Ponte Vecchio, its melancholy streets, the rosary of Gothic and Renaissance churches… Some of its palatial buildings hold museums capable of intoxicating the senses with fantastic masterpieces in the history of art.

The Palio di Siena horse race is one of the oldest horse races in the world. It's a historical celebration, full of traditions and colour, which attracts millions of visitors to this charming village in the heart of Tuscany every summer.

Florence is one of our favourite cities to visit in spring. Artistic, romantic, fun, elegant… everything about this little big city puts you in the mood for relaxing and dreaming. Here are some suggestions of things to do in Florence this spring that will delight all your senses.

The Carnival of Venice is the most famous in the whole of Italy. However, there are other large-scale Italian carnivals that are as every bit as exciting. We are referring to the Viareggio Carnival, an entertaining celebration with huge parades, original costumes and impressive floats.

Christmas is almost upon us…..A festive atmosphere reigns in all the cities and lovely Florence is no exception. During the period just before Christmas, the city promotes numerous events that increase the magic and warm up those cold winter days. Thus, whilst the children play with their advent calendars, prepare to make a note of the countless activities scheduled for this December in Florence.