Santo Spirito - Florence

Accommodates 2 -- 1 Bedroom -- 1 Bath -- Terrace

Now, here’s a lovely flat located on the “other” side of the Arno near Piazza Santo Spirito, one of Florence’s most evocative squares. From here, sights like the Pitti Palace, Boboli Gardens, and Masaccio’s frescoes in the Carmine are just a short distance by foot. But then, so is everything in Florence, and the Ponte Vecchio, Uffizi, and Piazza della Signoria can’t be more than about 10-12 minutes away either. The immediate neighbhorhood of Santo Spirito is full of coffee bars, restaurants of all standards, banks, grocers, shops and service providers of all sorts. There are also several language schools close by.

You enter from the street into the fairly unprepossessing entry hall of the building and take an elevator to the top floor. From here, there is a narrow, somewhat steep staircase (bring small suitcases!) up into the Santo Spirito flat itself. The apartment consists of a living room with two sofas; a dining area (table for 6) well-separated from the living area; fully-equipped kitchen with low sloping ceilings (tall people watch out!); and a separate bedroom with matrimonial bed and a neat interior garden. The bathroom is en-suite and has attachable hand-held shower over tub. Overall, furnishings are comfortable without being at all fancy; if you want formal and elegant, this isn’t it.

Santo Spirito has beamed ceilings throughout; floors are parquet in the bedroom and white ceramic tiles in the living/dining area. The flat is quiet, and lighting is good: there’s a big skylight in the bedroom and dining area and a large window in the living room. The flat comes equipped with telephone, color television (Italian channels only), washing machine, autonomous heating, and, most important, two air-conditioning units, one in the living room, one in the bedroom, to keep things cool(er) when needed. A housekeeper comes in once each week to change linens and do light cleaning.

Perhaps the most attractive feature of this characteristic flat is the charming “pocket terrace” off the living room, with simple patio furniture and delightful trompe-l’oeil decorations. From here, one can enjoy views of many of Florence’s principal monuments while breakfasting or dining alfresco.

A delightful rooftop flat in one of Florence’s most central and interesting locations.