The Florentine

3 days ago | theflorentine.net | Falcone Geddes

In the postwar years, Florence was in need of housing. World War II had laid much of the city centre to waste. At the same time, people were moving en masse from rural areas to cities. (The population of Florence increased by 115,000 people from 1936 to 1961.) In the immediate aftermath of the war, the reconstruction effort prioritized the city centre, particularly the bridges across the Arno river, which had all been destroyed, except for the Ponte Vecchio.

1 week ago | theflorentine.net | Helen Farrell

The panoramic rooftop public garden at The Social Hub Belfiore opens on June 1, 2025 and is set to become The Place To Be this summer in Florence. With a maximum capacity of 999 people, access is granted from the public steps, a high-impact metallic architectural feature, or using the express elevator in the hotel foyer. As soon as the lift doors open, locals and internationals alike are struck by the Duomo views and vastity of the space, 7,000 square metres in total.

1 week ago | theflorentine.net | Helen Farrell

Tucci in Italy: Behind the scenes with Emiko Davies Hot on the heels of the success of his CNN Searching for Italy series in 2022, the American actor and foodie has returned to our screens with Tucci in Italy. Produced by SALT Productions and BBC Studios Specialist Factual Productions, in partnership with National Geographic, Stanley Tucci visits a selection of Italy’s regions for a deep dive into food traditions and the people who keep the culinary customs alive.

1 week ago | theflorentine.net | Helen Farrell

Local Ginevra Moretti + Englishman Maximilian Fane are partners in life and in work, their labours an endless entwining of business and pleasure. From the eclectic House of Nine members’ club and hotel in via de’ Conti to the family’s industrial factories, the hardworking couple have been in the news of late due to their successful bid to acquire Sammezzano Castle, with a promise to restore and reopen the seventeenth-century gem near Reggello. Helen: How did you meet? Max: It was 2022.

2 weeks ago | theflorentine.net | Jane Farrell

Following decades of closure, the Gallery of Frescoes at the Istituto degli Innocenti has reopened to the public, becoming part of the permanent museum itinerary of the Museo degli Innocenti. Facing onto piazza della Santissima Annunziata, the museum recounts the history of the institute that dates to 1419, founded to look after children who had been left without parents.