The location is fantastic (about 3 minutes on foot to Pitti Palace or Santo Spirito), within a half-hour or less of walking to any site we wanted to visit. Although the street ends at one of the bridges over the Arno, the neighbourhood itself didn’t feel full of tourists. Everything you need is close by, and there’s a lovely pastry shop next door. There are plenty of local restaurants to choose from.

As for the apartment, Alessandra and her husband have created an aesthetically pleasing space full of art and of interesting objects. It feels personal and lived-in – but not as if you are living in somebody else’s house.

The bedroom is elegant, and the bed itself is VERY comfortable. The sparkling clean bathroom has abundant terry-cloth towels, and the kitchen is its own, charming, very well-equipped world. And it has a washing machine!

Alessandra was there early to greet us. She oriented us to the apartment and neighborhood, and she gave us a map with guidelines for where to find a supermarket and nearby restaurants. She also provided useful informational fact sheets that included listings for taxi companies and restaurant recommendations. She couldn’t have been more welcoming, and she was instantly available by text or phone when we had questions. She even reserved a cab for us when it was, sadly, time for us to leave.

Incredibly light sleepers might find the sound of speeding vespas down in the street off-putting, but that would be true anywhere else in Florence. We recommend this apartment highly.