The history of the Florentine Renaissance is revealed in the city's churches and priceless art treasures; today, like locals from the fifteenth century, study abroad students can discover these treasures by simply walking from quarter to quarter. Florence is very manageable in size; a twenty minute stroll will take you across the entire centro.

As you become more acquainted with Florence, you, like most Italians, will frequently take a passeggiata (stroll) through the picturesque side streets while window-shopping. You will find that "getting lost" can be an entertaining way to discover new streets and quarters.

You will notice that streets were not designed with modern traffic needs in mind. Today, locals manage to maneuver around in very small cars and on mopeds and bicycles.

Street Numbers

When looking for a particular address, it is helpful to know that there are two different systems by which buildings are numbered in Florence. The red numbers refer only to business addresses, while the blue or black numbers refer mostly to residences, but can also refer to businesses.

When a street address is written with an "r" (e.g., Via Santa Croce, 8r) it means that when you are looking on the building for the number, you need to look for a number painted red. If there is no "r" in the address, you should look for the more common blue or black numbers.

In addition, blue and red numbers usually do not follow each other in numerical sequence, which means that you may find a red 13 next to a blue 27.

You will also find that even numbers are found on one side of the street and odd on the other (like in the U.S.). In Florence, however, the numbering system may not be equally spaced. For example, the number 7 may be across the street from 24.

At first, all the streets in Florence may look alike. As you become more aware of your surroundings and begin to recognize landmarks, finding your way around will get easier. It may be helpful to carry a map of the city for at least the first few weeks - if not for your entire stay.