florence – Page 2 – Fennyblack

Monalisa and Berta, 2 women stuck in Florence

It was a funny discovery, it happened some days ago while I was searching for something to do in Florence – hopefully for free

So I ended up reading a city blog and, 5 minutes after, I was walking towards Palazzo Pitti, here you are what I found out:

It’s in Via Sguazza, the street were Lisa Gherardini – better known as Monalisa, La Gioconda, the wonderful lover of Leonardo Da Vinci was born. And she’s still there in her house waiting for being admired by the people of the world.

Just in front of her there’s a new version of Monalisa, a contemporary picture created by Blub, a street artist in Florence whose paintings and creations are always totally submerged in the water:

Monalisa street art version by Blub #Lartesanuotare

After taking some pictures, I head ed towards the second lady of Florence, the less popular one, but it is worth it to tell her story too.

I’m talking about ‘La Berta‘ whose legend tells she was stuck in the wall by magic while she was screaming at a sentenced magician to not give any water to help him. While it was happening, the magician replied that she won’t be able anymore to move her head from that wall of the tower, and there she is:

La Berta, via Cerretani, Santa Maria Maggiore - Florence — La Berta, via Cerretani, Santa Maria Maggiore – Florence

You just have to look towards the highest part of the wall of Santa Maria Maggiore to see her stuck in between of the two highest windows:

If you fancy walking up and down the city, enjoy its uniqueness and discover these little pieces of ancient arts.

#NoteOfTheDay ‘Piece of my heart‘ by Janis Joplin

Something in the way, going up to the top of Florence

Florence, view from Ponte Vecchio - in a rainy day — Florence, view from Ponte Vecchio – in a rainy day

You will always appreciate the wonderful walk that leads you to the top of the city of Florence. You can choose several ways to get there, but the best one is through the little gardens behind the Tower of San Niccolò.

Something in the way is the title of this note, and here you are what I found going up to the top of Florence:

Passing by Ponte Vecchio, going towards Ponte alle Grazie:

Florence, Ponte alle Grazie and its artists

Towards San Niccolò:

Florence views: San Niccolò Tower, Santa Croce

Brunelleschi's Dome of Florence — Brunelleschi’s Dome of Florence

Almost to the top, just next to the Giardino delle Rose (Rose Garden) – main entrance is along the stairs coming up from San Niccolò:

#NoteOfTheDay is Something by Beatles, 1969 (inspired by ‘Something in the way she moves’ by James Taylor

, 1968)

Hashtag challenge for Pitti 2016!

How can’t imagine thousands of Pitti phootsuite and articles in the blogs and selfies and special events without hashtags?

For this Pitti there’s a very interesting challenge, that marks the increasing importance of social network for the fashion world – and not only.

Let’s starting from hashtags as #Pitti #Pittiuomo #Pittiflorence #Pittifirenze #Pitti2016 and many more, but the real challenge is among the popular fashion brands, now that a only hashtag can be an original Brand or Product campaign!

#Luisaviaroma #imatechdreamer #techdreamer the whole campaign based on fashion business and technology, just to explain how the first Italian/English e-commerce became one of the most popolar in the world. Here you are some pics of its event (usually done as Pitti opening):

Luisa Via Roma event for Pitti 2016 - #techdreamer — Luisa Via Roma event for Pitti 2016 – #techdreamer

#imatechdreamer and details - Luisa Via Roma party Pitti 2016 — #imatechdreamer and details – Luisa Via Roma party Pitti 2016

Some nice and weird people you could meet in the street during these days…

And finally the guests: Petite Meller, Dragonette and Nervo!

Then, here you are some original details and special campaigns:

nice and nonconformist idea to boost this #madeintuscany #nessunostile #tshirts:

And #thefakefactory a project by IED which aims at representing 50 years of Italian beauty and stile on La Rinascente walls!

The fake factory - project by IED #thefakefactory — The fake factory – project by IED #thefakefactory

#pivifirenze ‘The untitled project for Etchigo-Tsumari’ (the top Pitti feature I think!) is an installation by the artist Paola Pivi from Milan: it’s a huge colorful staircase over 20 metres tall that is located into the Palazzo Strozzi courtyard in order to let people feel the contrast between the modern sense and ancient style:

Untitled project by Paola Pivi #Pivifirenze

Unusual TOD's shop window #italiancraftsmanship — Unusual TOD’s shop window #italiancraftsmanship

However, for the first time Pitti put on its website homepage its 4 official hahstags: #pittiuomo #pu89 #pittipeople #pittigenerations followed by some of the most famous fashion brands hashtags. But is this helpful? The wide range of hashtags causes just confusion…

anyway, besides hashtags, the social communication in general is becoming even more powerful: if once Facebook was the leader, now Twitter and above all Instagram are necessary.

Here you are the top hashtags list of #Pittiuomo 2016: #iamwhoiam by #AntonyMorato, #TommyHilfiger (omonym), #NorthSailsGerardLoft, #IEDsaveTheDuck, #ptdreams by Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy, #romantictaste #atestoni by A. Testoni, #embracetheelements by the Canadian brand Nobis, any more?

#NoteOfTheDay Baby Love by Petite Meller – 2015

La Ménagère – Cupcakes, coffee, salads, aperitivo, flower shop, what else? In Florence.

la Menagere - Florence — la Menagere – Florence

This is how it introduces itself: a bunch of things, interesting, nice and a little vintage. But the place is much more…completely restyled, it’s very huge and you can enjoy every parts of your day inside of it: it works for breakfast, lunch, a simple tea with friends, very good meals – those which sound and taste a little American 😉 – even if the name it’s French and its business card says Florence since 1896 (?!)

Anyway, what I found most interesting was its internal design and weird furniture. In fact La Ménagère shows exactly how much the static and conventional things are changing, including also the restaurants that maybe are one of the most traditional concept we have – ore better, we had.

Now you can enter a trattoria and buy flowers, cakes, stylish chairs or pictures, things for your home and so on..it means to buy the whole experience.

Have a look:

As you can notice, my pictures aren’t exactly based on their menu and meals 😁 maybe because I appreciate the sorrounding concept more than the restaurant. They got it.

If you are around Via de Ginori (near Cappelle Medicee and leather market of Florence) have a look inside this concept-restaurant!

The most popular ‘schiacciata’ in Florence

The most popular schiacciata in Florence is made by the staff of All’antico vinaio in Via De Neri, near Santa Croce.

It’s a very old and typical place where if you’re lucky enough you can sit inside the little restaurant. In the most of cases, you will enjoy a wonderful huge schiacciata by sitting on the pavements in the streets.

But what’s schiacciata? Here you are the answer:

Generally, the bread in Tuscany is without salt – that’s why it’s not considered as one of the most delicious, and that’s maybe why schiacciata became the most popular one 😁

The menù looks like having lots of schiacciate also called focacce (my favourite one is La Favolosa):

All'antico vinaio menu- Florence — All’antico vinaio menu- Florence

Here you are some other ingredients you can add in your schiacciata:

tomatoes, mozzarellas, mushroom and cheese creams

That’s it! Here you are a little souvenir from the Antico Vinaio of Florence, if you want to enjoy it, just go in this legendary street Via de Neri in the back of Palazzo Vecchio, just five minutes walking from there.

Super vintage shop of Florence: ubflorence.it

I was out of the office, going towards via de Neri in Santa Croce. I decided to pass by the narrows surrounding the Dome and I found this weird place with everything in it! Everything was so vintage that made everybody curious to look more and more to disocover all those little things that maybe you were used in the past, when you were a child.

Let’s start from vintage radios (those ade just some shelves 😅):

And here you see the funniest side: lots of posters from the 80s and first of 90s, the ones you have in your school room…

– The following pic shows the word ‘codesta’ that is a Tuscan word which means ‘this’ –

Note that the decorations are the old letters that were sent by air:

Find yourself your favourite gadgets and tools and accessories and equipments:

#pomidoro - vintage tomatoes — #pomidoro – vintage tomatoes

Enjoy your tour, have a look to the world this shop shows you 😊

Florence best rooftop ever: I don’t wanna move from here 😍

I’m not a snob and I don’t want to give you a wrong feeling, but believe me, the photos you’ll see in this article really represent the top rooftop of the city, or better, the very center of the city.

Some photos show you Santa Croce, Green mosque, the fantastic Dome, by day and by night:

some pictures by night:

Florence tips – 10 places you should go

Florence is a wonderful city and, above all, a small wonderful city, so that you can hang around and see a lot of things at the same time. Good job 😎

Here you are some pictures about what you can enjoy in the city…and where:

1. #Mayday Club, organic cocktail and weird owner in Via Dante Alighieri

2.#Hemingway chocolate Cafe

3.#MaurizioSalici Antiques & lifestyle in Via Santo Spirito, look at these particular signs and high-level gadgets:

4.#Venchi chocolate stores (near Piazza del Porcellino and the new one in Via Calzaiuoli):

5.#FourSeason hotel in Borgo Pinti with its sculpture Gardens:

Four Season - the hall — Four Season – the hall

inside Four Season where you can enjoy aperitivo

6.#LaProsciutteria for good wine and aperitivo in Via de Neri:

'prosciutti' from Italy — ‘prosciutti’ from Italy

La Prosciutteria - Via de Neri — La Prosciutteria – Via de Neri

la Prosciutteria - top wine — la Prosciutteria – top wine

7.#yogurt & co. Top yogurt of the city in the city centre, via de Tosinghi

8.#Rivoire, one of the oldest and classic cafe of the city – actually, the name Rivoire, or better the surname, if by a family of Piemonte who started its business there:

#9.Arte de Ciompi Shop in Via Cerretani, where you can find handmade souvenir made by leather that could be books, blocknotes, frames and so on…

#10.GoldenView, a little fashionist cafe corner on Ponte Vecchio, where you can enjoy not so regular cocktails 😁

aperitivo with roasted rabbit, potatoes and cocktails with rosemary and mint

New places coming soon!

Live from Belle Epoque market in Florence

I don’t know why tourists and Italians would buy gadgets from Paris in Florence, but it works this way 😳

I’m exactly in Santissima Annunziata Square and there’s this Parisienne market where you can find everything from souvenirs representing Tour Eiffel, bags, jewelry and fake representation of Moulin Rouge!

Here you are a little demo 😁 and if you want to enjoy it remember it will be open until next weekend

moulin Rouge - belle epoque — moulin rouge – belle epoque

handmade French jewelry — handmade French Jewelry

...and obviously cheese — …and obviously cheese

More info here

#NoteOfTheDay Mademoiselle de Paris sung by Edith Piaf, song by Jacqueline François, 1948

Vogue fashion’s night out with coffee Illy for #DREAM campaign -vfno2015

It’s the day after. Just having a coffee in Gilli, one of the top place of Florence, and discovering about this collaboration through a lot of wonderful postcards, ‘free postcards’ 😳

I should have known before that Vogue and Illy were having a contest about the best landscapes and pictures representing Dreams. Lot of pictures took part, but just a little has been selected to become real paintings (or illustrations) that will be exhibit here.

Here you are the selected postcards:

lovely Ballerina shoes - detail — lovely Ballerina shoes – detail

Some pictures are missing, so you have one more reason to go watching them live ✌️