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Alitalia, Delta, and Continental fly to Florence from New York or Newark via Rome or Milan.
Charles H. Cecil Studios
Amateurs can sign up for the July session (from $2,541); serious students have to enroll for
at least a year ($10,692) and must submit artwork to be considered for one of 12 spots. 68
Borgo San Frediano; 39-055/ 285-102; www.cecilstudios.org.
Florence Academy of Art The school runs an all-year drawing program and, in July, month-long
courses taught in English, including Anatomy and the Figure: Drawing in the Renaissance Tradition.
21R Via delle Casine; 39-055/245-444; www.florenceacademyofart.com. Cartoleria San Frediano
A fantastic art-supply store that carries thick drawing paper, paintbrushes, and oils. 5R
Via San Onofrio; 39-055/295-040.
Gallery Hotel Art
Just steps from the Ponte Vecchio, this sleek spot is part of the Ferragamo family's group
of fashionable Florence hotels. (Its sister property, the Continentale, is across the street.)
True to the hotel's name, art takes center stage: the reception area doubles as a gallery,
showcasing works by contemporary photographers and painters. 5 Vicolo dell'Oro; 39-055/27263;
www.lungarnohotels.com; doubles from $414.
Hotel Savoy
Grand and glamorous, the Savoy was given a refined $17 million overhaul by international tastemaker
Olga Polizzi. Even if you're not planning to spend the night here, a visit to Florence isn't
complete without an après-shopping cocktail on the square. 7 Piazza della Repubblica;
800/223-6800 or 39-055/27351; www.hotelsavoy.it; doubles from $556.
J. K. Place
This small, welcoming property quickly established itself as a home away from home for chic
travelers who like to chat up their fellow guests around the communal breakfast table. 7 Piazza
Santa Maria Novella; 800/525-4800 or 39-055/264-5181; www.jkplace.com; doubles from $343.
Garga
Behind the hole-in-the-wall façade, small linked dining rooms hum with fun and glamour.
Service is deft and friendly, displaying justified confidence in dishes such as asparagus
risotto and scaloppine di vitella al limone (veal scallops with lemon). 48R Via del Moro;
39-055/239-8898; dinner for two $105.
Simon Boccanegra
With its perfectly mottled stone walls, mismatched wooden tables, and adventurous Tuscan menu,
it's no wonder this tiny trattoria across from the Teatro Verdi is always packed. 124R Via
Ghibellina; 39-055/ 200-1098; dinner for two $85.
Trattoria Armando
Family-run, rustic but elegant, this half-century-old establishment serves some of the best
Tuscan food in Florence. The chef's forte is making standbys like ribollita (cabbage-and-bean
soup) and trippa alla fiorentina con fagioli (tripe with cannellini beans) taste delicious.
Try the homemade pappardelle with wild-boar sauce. 140R Via Borgognissanti; 39-055/ 216-219;
dinner for two $82.
A Room with a View
By E. M. Forster
A brilliant, gentle satire of the Edwardian art tourists who made Florence their own and put
it back on the map after a long period of decline.
The Stones of Florence
By Mary McCarthy
This classic history of the art, architecture, and culture of the city paints a sharp portrait
of the Medicis. Written in 1959, it contains amusing and telling meditations on then contemporary
Florence.
Lavender Hill Studios
Co-run by a Charles H. Cecil Studios alum, Lavender Hill offers an informal sketch club and
atelier sessions for amateurs as well as more advanced drawing and painting classes. Unit
101, Battersea Business Centre, 99109 Lavender Hill, London; 44-20/7801-3444; www.lavenderhillstudios.com.
Sarum Studio
Nicholas Beer, a former Charles Cecil pupil and instructor, teaches two-week classes in the
sight-size method.
43 Park St., Salisbury, Wiltshire; 44-779/313-9563; www.sarumstudio.com.
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