Our fourth trip to Florence was just an amazing experience and Giulio's apartment was a big part of it. We did not meet him but his friend Luca was a gentleman who helped answered all of our questions. Things to consider when renting this apartment:
1. Location, location, location. You can't beat the location as major sites are within walking distance. There is a major market right around the corner and the much needed Tobachi shop for mailing things close by. The Duomo is in your backyard and I did not hear a thing while enjoying the patio early in the morning when the birds are out circling the dome and at night when the lights sparkle.
2. Plenty big for a couple but a stretch for more than that. The fridge is tiny and you can only fit so much in it. It keeps your Diet Coke cold enough if you put it up near the ice box. Shower is fine and the air conditioner kept the place cool. Not a lot of space to eat, especially if you have more than two people. The kitchen is dinky but if you are coming to Florence to cook you are missing the point. The bed is okay but sags a bit in the middle. The couch is better for your back if you don't mind sleeping in another bed than your partner.
3. If you need constant access to wifi to upload pictures to a site (Shutterfly/Facebook) or have to look over documents from work you may be frustrated. I appreciate Giulio's effort to assist in getting it to run after our email, but it continued to break down and I am writing this review in the apartment on a note app that does not need wifi. With that said the local book stores often have wifi and are cool to take refuge in.
Summary: Even though the wifi was a major issue I would come back in a second. The apartment gets the job done in the major areas we are concerned about during the summer: air conditioner, shower, and location. Get a SIM card with a good data plan and load it up (WorldSim card is what we used on our IPhones and it worked great the whole time in Rome, Orvieto, and Florence). Finally, a big thank you to Luca for his help and patience and Giulio for giving us the amazing opportunity to stay in his apartment!