Dear Fellow-Travellers, we chose to stay in this flat for a whole month because it has character. It isn’t like the many sterile and bland interiors which are on offer elsewhere. Instead this place feels as if it has a history, as if it's lived in. It's in a small palazzo (the impressive courtyard well is still in position) and is filled with interesting things: in the living-room there's a large reproduction of a romantic etching and a little cabinet full of elegant Italian porcelain, as well as lots of books and various curios; and when you're in bed there are three elegant pieces of antique furniture along the wall beside you. There's also homeliness and flair in the design of the separate kitchen and bathroom.
The front door of this flat is on the second floor above ground-level (so it's not too tiring to reach). There are few others living in the building so the stairwell is quiet (in one whole month we only bumped into people on three occasions). Most importantly the flat is secure, both at the front-door and at the flat's own private entrance. The kitchen is small but it's well-equipped (no oven, but there's a grill in the microwave; there’s a fairly roomy freezer compartment above the fridge; and there’s an ample dishwasher). The hot-water supply to the shower and the washing-machine is excellent (the shower-mixer is sensitive so be sure to adjust it with care). The mezzanine sleeping-area is quite spacious with a large wardrobe, and the bed is large, firm, and very comfortable (but be aware that if you are of average height or taller, then about half of the mezzanine area has restricted headroom, so you'll need to remember to keep your head ducked). If you stay in winter, there's an excellent heating system, and there's an air-conditioning unit for the summer. On top of all this the flat is just one small block behind the Duomo, so you're standing in the heart of Florence within five minutes of closing the front door!
On our arrival we were meet by Marzio, a very pleasant elderly Florentine gentleman who kindly went to a great deal of trouble to introduce us to the flat and to suggest good places to eat and to purchase groceries. Although all internet communication was with Marianna we didn’t unfortunately meet her (Marianna's messages can sometimes come across as blunt to expert or native English-speakers, perhaps because she isn't a fluent English-speaker and perhaps because clearly some guests have not behaved well in this flat in the past).
Lastly, four helpful tips for your stay in this flat: (1) to ventilate the bathroom you need to open the skylight above the shower, and to do that comfortably you need to be no shorter than about 5' 10" (178cms) otherwise you won't be able to reach the skylight easily; (2) for day-light and ventilation in the sleeping area, you need to be able to reach the blind and skylight above the bed, and to do this comfortably you need to be no shorter than 6' (183cms), or have long arms; (3) to shut off smells from the shower drain, just place the drain-plunger over the drain whenever you're not using the shower; and (4) the double-glazing on the window overlooking the road keeps out much of the street-noise, but late on Friday and Saturday nights (and into the early mornings) a few ambulance sirens pass by (there’s a large hospital about 100 metres further up the road), and buses start passing the flat early every morning, so unless you’re a heavy sleeper wearing ear-plugs helps.
Enjoy beautiful Florence! We did!