There is great hosting and then there is really great hosting! Francesca belongs to this latter category: a host who goes far beyond the call of duty to make you feel at home and welcomed.
The basics: perfect accuracy of description; great and timely communications; smooth arrival and departure; good location in a quiet residential area a short walk away from most attractions.
My husband and I -- and toy poodle -- had reached out to Francesca as my parents were joining us in Florence for the holidays and we needed an apartment with 2 bedrooms. The location of Casa dell'artista is a 15-minute walk away from most of the city center's attractions which for us made it an ideal location.
The exquisitely decorated apartment is set back from the street and the main rooms are on the garden side, away from the street entirely, making it very quiet. In December - even a warm December - we did not spend much time on the garden terrace but it was easy to imagine how lovely this must be! Olive and fruit trees abound and must procure highly sough after shade in warmer months.
We had agreed to meet Francesca at a mutually convenient time and she was there waiting to greet us, show us around, and share important information about the neighborhood.
Not only had she prepared all the basics (lovely beddings and bathroom supplies, well stocked kitchen, etc.) but she had made us a Christmas tree with ornaments from my husband's native Maine, had filled the house with Toscan Christmas treats and fresh fruit from the garden. What a way to spend Christmas away from home! We felt so welcome and instantly at home!
Francesca -- who lives next door -- stayed in contact throughout our busy stay and on our last day, she stopped by a few hours before our departure to wish us farewell.
She has set the bar quite high for all our future hosts! This will be hard to beat.
Many thanks for a memorable Christmas and for the many attentions we received!
We would recommend this place to anyone looking for a super comfortable, conveniently located, and delightful place and if walking 15 minutes sounds like a lot to some people, they should know that taxis can be picked up just across the street and for a few euros take you anywhere in town!