Carlotta Benvenuti
Fresco by fresco, Uffizi to Oltrarno bottega
Based in Florence, Italy.
Florence culture writer reading the city fresco by fresco, from the Uffizi and the Bargello to the artisan bottegas of the Oltrarno.
Latest stories
Santo Spirito, Florence: the Oltrarno square that still argues back
Across the Arno, Santo Spirito is Florence at its most lived-in: Brunelleschi’s unfinished church, artisan streets, and a piazza that turns from market to aperitivo theatre by dusk.
Santa Croce, Florence: leather, late nights and the city’s living pantheon
A walk through Florence’s most human quarter, where Franciscan tombs, schiacciata queues, leather workshops and after-dark aperitivo all crowd into a few stubbornly alive streets.
Sant'Ambrogio, Florence: where the city still shops, eats and lingers
A walk through Florence’s most grounded quarter, where the market still sets the clock, trattorias still mean business, and the old city feels lived in rather than staged.
San Niccolò, Florence: the quiet hill-foot quarter that still feels like a village
A compact Florentine neighbourhood of medieval gates, artisan shutters and excellent wine bars, San Niccolò is where you come for sunset climbs, long aperitivi and a slower, more local Florence.
San Lorenzo & Santa Maria Novella, Florence: markets, Medici and the city’s working front door
A street-level walk through Florence’s pantry district, where the market still smells of broth and leather, and the Medici, Masaccio and the city’s oldest perfumery keep the old substance intact.
San Frediano, Florence: the Oltrarno’s Working Soul
Across the Arno, San Frediano trades postcard polish for workshop grit, serious trattorie and a night scene that feels gloriously, stubbornly local.
Porta al Prato & Cascine, Florence: the city’s green, practical west side
West of Florence’s marble sheen, Porta al Prato and the Cascine trade postcard prettiness for space, tramlines, cheap dumplings, opera, and the city’s biggest park.
Centro Storico, Florence: where the Renaissance still runs on foot
Between Brunelleschi’s dome and the stone theatre of Piazza della Signoria, Florence’s historic core is all masterworks, queues, and the small street choices that decide whether your day feels sublime or merely crowded.
Campo di Marte, Florence: the city’s working living room
A leafy, local Florence of stadium roars, no-nonsense trattorias and quiet residential streets just beyond the tourist ring.
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