We had a wonderful stay at Lorenzo’s apartment, for two reasons: 1. the apartment itself was amazing and 2. Lorenzo was so hospitable, kind, and attentive.
Let’s start with the apartment. It has been in Lorenzo’s family for quite some time. He has cared very well for it — it is completely up-to-date while retaining its old-world charm (those are original 17th century frescoes you see on the wall!). There are two pieces to the apartment with separate locking entrances. The side that we stayed in had a bedroom with a very comfortable queen bed and the most comfortable sofa-turned-couch I’ve ever slept on. Memory foam mattress, comfy pillows, cozy sheets, and it’s super easy to turn back into a couch to use the living area and kitchen.
The kitchen has utensils, plates, a good variety of pots and pans, coffee and coffee makers (for both Italian coffee and American coffee), and a double burner induction cooktop. There is also a lovely large table and four chairs, plus enough counter space to prep food, so it’s super easy to do so if that’s the way you like to eat on vacation. Plus you are right across the street from the huge central market, which has every grocery item you could ever want — fresh seafood, fruit, veggies, pasta, cheese, meat, and several good restaurants as well.
The apartment has a programmable thermostat to keep an even temperature day and night. There are also remote-controlled heating and air conditioning units in each bedroom. The bathroom is large with a great shower and plenty of space for toiletries.
While the apartment is right across from the mercato centrale and also surrounded by the leather market carts during the day, the place clears out at night and it becomes nice and quiet. Brand new double-paned windows keep things quiet if you are in the apartment during the day.
The apartment is centrally located — you can walk just about anywhere in Florence between 5-20 minutes, but the area is not full of tourists after hours.
The apartment itself is just lovely, but Lorenzo’s hospitality puts everything over the top. Lorenzo met us at the apartment to explain everything, set the temperature to our liking, and answer all our questions. He had cards laid out from restaurants he recommends in the area and was happy to later answer my questions (via text) about reputable places to buy leather goods. He checked on us throughout our stay to see how we were doing. After we checked out, he was kind enough to call a taxi and walk us to the end of the street until it arrived. When we said goodbye, it honestly felt like we had made a new friend in Florence.
We had a wonderful stay at Lorenzo’s place, and I hope to come back someday. Highly recommend!