Whether for a holiday or a business trip, the Oltrarno area is the ideal solution for experiencing Florence in peace. The presence of shops and artistic workshops, bars, restaurants, and places of tourist interest make it the perfect area for business trips and holidays. At the same time, it is far from the hustle and bustle of noisy tourism that crowds the streets of the centre.

The boutique B&B Oltrarno Splendid may be the ideal solution for your stay in the Oltrarno area of Florence. Our B&B is housed in an 18th century building with frescoed rentals and spread over the two highest floors connected by a staircase. Located on the historic Via Dei Serragli, a stone’s throw from the centre, it offers 14 comfortable and spacious rooms. Each uniquely decorated with iconic contemporary pieces and eclectic details.

The Oltrarno area of Florence is an integral part of the historic centre of the city: here you can visit historic districts such as San Frediano and Santo Spirito with the Basilica that dominates the square.

Let us begin by suggesting Porta San Frediano: as the start of the itinerary: a mammoth gateway that still retains its original wooden door and iron rings for the horses to stay in.
A piece of the 14th-century wall is still preserved next to the gateway.
San Frediano is a lively district with the Church of San Frediano in Cestello rich in works of art.

We also recommend the Church of Santa Felicita, just behind Ponte Vecchio in the direction of Palazzo Pitti, one of the oldest in the whole of Florence. It hides important works of art inside, including Pontormo’s “Deposition”, considered one of the greatest masterpieces of art, not only Florentine. Some place the origins of the church in the second century, when Greek and Syrian merchants settled in the area bringing their religion.

Returning to the main street, here is the Palazzo Pitti in all its splendour, an imposing palace designed by Filippo Brunelleschi, and the Boboli Garden.
PalazzoPitti houses numerous museums and galleries: the Palatine Gallery and the Royal Apartments, the Modern Art Gallery, the CostumeGallery, the Silver Museum, the Porcelain Museum and the Boboli Garden itself, to be considered a real open-air museum.

Returning a little further you will find yourself in one of the characteristic alleys of Florence, the Sdrucciolo de’ Pitti: it winds through the heart of the Oltrarno area to Piazza Santo Spirito. In the Church of Santo Spirito, one of the main basilicas of the city, is one of the earliest works of Michelangelo, a Crucifix of Christ.

The small, shady square in front hosts weekly and monthly markets specialising in all kinds of objects, as well as a wide selection of restaurants.

We stroll southwards on Via delle Caldaie, whose name dates back to its ancient connection with the Corporazione dell’Arte della Lana (also known as the “Wool Union”). The street ends in front of the Goldoni Theatre, which was originally a monastery founded by Anna Elena Malatesta.

We turn left in front of the theatre and then right at the next corner and stop at the Corsi Gardens: the gardens were once part of the monastery of San Vincenzo then in 1790 the Marquis Tommaso Corsi bought the property and commissioned the architect Giuseppe Manetti to design and build what can be considered to all intents and purposes the first English garden in Florence.

We conclude by visiting the Church of Santa Maria del Carmine and the Brancacci Chapel.

The Brancacci Chapel represents one of the finest examples of Renaissance painting, the result of the collaboration of two of the greatest artists of the time, Masaccio and Masolino da Panicale, to which we add the hand of Filippino Lippi, called to complete the work some fifty years later.

At this point all that remains is to wish you a pleasant trip to Florence and invite you to discover the rooms of Oltrarno Splendid to book your stay directly or contact our staff if you would like more details. Staying in Oltrarno Splendid you can enjoy the most authentic Florence!