My wife and I stayed at Silvia and Giacomo’s La Casina on Via May in Florence for three weeks in March/April. The place is cozy and very much a “home”, well set up and stocked to host guests. As the very accurate description says, it is a renovated mezzanine flat, so the arched ceilings are a bit low for tall people, but it was no issue for us for average height. There is a separate bedroom for a couple of kids or an adult, and a large bedroom for the two of us. Plenty of cabinet space for storage. A living area, a dining area with a large table and a very comfortable kitchen area. All the daily necessities like towels in the bathroom, paper towels in the kitchen, coffee were provided, to make us feel right at home. Giacomo met us at check in and got us oriented, and Silvia met us at check out. They both were absolutely wonderful – always available for any help we needed, like reserving a taxi for us on our last day. We didn’t have any issues, but it was very comforting to know that they were always available. A great thing they did was to put up small notes and signs everywhere in the apartment providing helpful hints, which were very useful, and we didn’t have to bother them. They also informed us well in advance when they had to visit the apartment for some maintenance.
The apartment is quite large and comfortable for two people. The bed is very comfortable, and the bathroom is large. The wifi worked very well. This was critical, since the only issue was that there was no cellular reception in the apartment except for a spot near the window in the bathroom. Giacomo had told us that. This is an issue all over Florence – in most buildings and restaurants in Florence, there is no cellular signal. We did OK in the apartment due to the good wifi connection. It is a very quiet place, and the building is very secure. The apartment is three short flight of stairs up on the 2nd floor (1st floor for US visitors).
The best thing about the apartment was the LOCATION! It was perfect. Several restaurants right in the neighbourhood, a Conad supermarket about 7-8 minute walk, Palazzo Pitti and the Boboli Gardens just on the next street, and Ponte Vecchio a 5 minute walk away! We could walk to every spot in the old city very easily, and when needed, there are a couple of bus stops just 2-3 minutes away.
This is a perfect spot to stay at when visiting Florence. We felt so at home, and really enjoyed our stay. Our highest recommendations. Silvia and Giacomo were awesome hosts, and we couldn’t thank them enough to let us stay at their place.