In Florence every stone, every bridge, every building has a story to tell. About the likes of Leonardo Da Vinci, Lorenzo De’ Medici, Michelangelo, Donatello, Machiavelli and, of course, Dante, whose 700th anniversary of is being celebrated this year with a packed calendar of events. Surrounded by hills that look as if they have been painted by an artist, the city is a veritable treasure trove. Located in the old centre, the Bernini Palace has excogitated a series of itineraries that allow guests to discover the city from different angles. 

The Bernini Palace is ready to pamper its guests with a comprehensive range of bespoke packages, tailor-made to meet their every desire. Ask the “Gold Keys” Concierges and they’ll be happy to plan transfers, book guides, experiences and tours, and buy museum tickets – at the last minute if necessary, to avoid queues. This way you can tour the city or go shopping in the city’s boutiques – Florence is tops for Italian fashion and design – with a personal shopper on hand to offer advice and tips. Or, if you prefer, you can plan a tour out of town, visiting the cellars of the Chianti district, amid breathtaking landscapes and in the company of a professional sommelier, or discover the secrets of truffle hunting with an expert and his dogs – and, hopefully, bring home unique, unforgettable memories.

It’s no coincidence that for four centuries Florence was a must-see stopover on the Gran Tour and that the Renaissance began here before spreading across the rest of Europe. Thanks to its location, the Bernini Palace boasts strong links with the history of the city and offers its guests a themed itinerary. The tour sets off from the Bargello Museum and ends at the Medici Chapel, via the Renaissance Boboli Gardens, and the more baroque Bardini Garden. It also includes visits to the Cathedral Museum, Ghiberti’s famous Baptistry doors, the “Gates of Paradise”, Brunelleschi’s cupola and, finally, an out-of-town “exploration” of the Medici villas of Petraia, Castello and Poggio a Caiano.

 

For families with children, we suggest a day in the open air with a visit to a farm. A charming adventure to see the animals – ducks, geese, goats, ostriches, Amiata donkeys and Limousine cattle – at the Laghetto delle Colonne, a small lake inside an old quarry, and soak up the scents of the botanical garden among cypresses, holm-oaks and oaks. This magical place enchanted no less than Queen Victoria, who can be seen painting it in a portrait. When evening falls, it’s possible to lap up the sunset over Florence and enjoy a tasting of the finest local produce. 

 

The River Arno is one of the symbols of Florence. It’s possible to make an alternative tour of the city down the river on one of the old-fashioned wood boats once used by the so-called “renaioli”, or gatherers of sand for the building of houses and palazzi, which only rarely transported people. Known as a “barchetto”, this type of boat is now used like a gondola but is 100% Florentine in origin. You’ll be accompanied by an experienced boatman who will tell you all about the city as seen from the river, as you sail under the bridges – Ponte Vecchio, the picturesque Ponte Santa Trinita and Ponte Carraia – and past a series of historical buildings. The trip will be rounded off with a glass of prosecco by way of an aperitif. 

 

Last but not least, one of the most unusual experiences we have in store for you is a tour in a hot-air balloon over the rooftops of the city, with aerial views of Giotto’s Gothic campanile and Brunelleschi’s cupola, the bridges over the Arno, and the streets of the old centre. During the tour, the thrill of flight combines with a sense of wonderment at the landscape seen from an altitude of thousands of metres. Here you’ll travel suspended in the air as the world goes by beneath your feet and the whole of Florence appears as a work of art.