Secret Florence (Local Guides

Visit a church in a prison, learn how Florence became the center of hermetism during the Renaissance and where you can still find traces of it today, escape from the crowds of tourists to visit little-known artistic masterpieces, head off to hunt for the 34 plaques displaying quotes from the “Divine Comedy”, fill up your tank at a vintage service station, have your children count the number of bees sculpted on the monument to the glory of Ferdinand I, look for the last wine distributors of the Renaissance, notice the minuscule windows designed to let children look out quietly onto the street, visit superb private gardens that even the Florentines don’t know about, learn how the purple color of the Fiorentina football team is connected to the pee of a Florentine crusader in Palestine . . .

Far from the crowds and usual clichés, Florence holds many well-hidden treasures that are revealed only to the city’s inhabitants or travelers who know how to step off the beaten track. An essential guide for those who think they know Florence well or for those looking to discover the hidden side of the city.

Niccolò Rinaldi (www.niccolorinaldi.it) was born in Florence in 1962. He has been head of the U.N. Afghanistan Information Office as well as assistant secretary general to the European Parliament. He is at present a member of the European Parliament, elected within the constituency of Central Italy, which includes the area of Florence. Within the European Parliament, he is head of the IDV (Italia dei Valori) party group as well as vice-chairman  of the ADLE (Alliance of Democrats and Liberals for Europe). He is the author of travel books and reportage on Central Asia and Africa, as well as books on Florentine travellers.