The city has historically been divided into four quatieri, or sections. These four sections are contained within the viali. Many Florentines still define themselves by the area of the city where they live or were raised.

Santa Maria Novella - The area around the church of Santa Maria Novella and the train station.
San Giovanni - This area includes the Baptistery, the Cathedral, Piazza del Duomo, Piazza San Giovanni, the church and markets of San Lorenzo.
Santa Croce - Includes the Piazza and church of Santa Croce, the National Library, the Palazzo Vecchio, Piazza Signoria, and the Uffizi gallery.
Santo Spirito - The Oltr'arno, the other side of the river Arno, includes the church and Piazza Santo Spirito, the church and Piazza del Carmine, and the Palazzo Pitti.

Newer sections of the city have since grown up outside of the viali.

Campo di Marte - Located in the northeast corner of the city around the Campo di Marte train station and soccer stadium.
The Cascine Park - A large recreation area along the Arno, to the west of the center, with lawns, areas for roller-blading, jogging, and bike-riding, and a popular mile-long variety market, held outdoors every Tuesday morning.

During your study abroad experience in Florence, you may never have any reason to travel beyond these six quartieri. In fact, there are some Florentines who have never traveled, in the words of the fifteenth-century humanist and architect Leon Battista Alberti, "out of the shadow of the Dome of the Cathedral!"