Alessio was very charming and humorous; we did not need any subsequent help after been shown the flat, but I am sure he would have been been very attentive to our needs. He also kindly left us a bottle of wine. Before arriving we were doubtful that the flat could be as good as it looks in the pictures, it is. The view of the Duomo and surrounding hills is astounding. The balcony is great for eating out on but you can also open the windows wide in the sitting room and watch the swifts flying round, and listen to the bells from all the churches and towers. There is also a peregrine falcon nesting on the Duomo dome. The flat itself has everything you need for a comfortable stay and is homely rather than rather than pristine, it has character. There is a great place next door in the street that does amazing crepes, and a 15 minute walk and you are at the market, which has fresh fish and meat, home-made pasta, vegetables etc, but is worth going just to wander around. The location is perfect, you can walk everywhere.
A few things to be aware of: there are a lot (really a lot) of stairs and therefore some people might find it a bit of a struggle after a day out in the heat, the water pressure is slightly erratic. Also, the wall of the bedroom is very thin and noise travels easily through it. It was only a problem one night for us, but it might depend on your luck who is staying next door. One other thing is that we were quite badly bitten by some unseen insect, a ninja of the insect world. The bites are very itchy and if you are going during the time of year when the bugs are active I would take some effective skin cream. None of this should put you off though, we would love to return some day. The flat will make your stay in Florence even more unforgettable.