Giving gifts on Christmas Day is actually something of a novelty in this old, established city—a concession to American films that have stirred the moviegoing Italian imagination with images of colorful boxes stacked under trees and a jovial, white-bearded Santa Claus. According to Italian custom, presents were not handed out until Epiphany, when, in a fusion of Christmas and Carnevale, La Befana, the beneficent Yuletide witch—a sort of thin, female Santa—flew in and distributed toys and candy to the good children and coal to the bad. These days, all the children get coal—or La Befana’s trademark carbone, black sugary lumps that resemble coal but taste like cotton candy.
Come December 26, there is a mass exodus from the city, as younger people in particular flock to the various spas, ski resorts, European capitals, and country bed-and-breakfasts where they will pass the rest of the holiday—the stretch of days to New Year’s, Capodanno, when one eats a multicourse cenone, and then on through January 6, by which point even the children have started to weary of too many holidays.
Soon the trees will be taken down, the lights unstrung, the few panettones that remain consigned to half-price tables at the backs of shops. To happen upon them on one of those long, lovely summer evenings when you have to wear sunglasses to dinner is to be reminded, dimly, of the seasonal shifts upon which so much of Italian life depends: sunlight as something to seek out rather than flee; the witch who carries coal; and the pony who, stripped of his costume, is spending, one hopes, the warm months in seclusion, munching on hay and dreaming of Natali to come.
Staying There
A festive address for the holidays? Try the brand new five-star Villa La Vedetta (011-39-055-681631; from $565) in the hills off the Piazzale Michelangelo, with stunning vistas of the city. If you’d rather be in the middle of the action, the Ferragamo family’s oh so comfortable Continentale Contemporary Pleasing Hotel (011-39-055-27262; from $345) has just been renovated. Its rooftop lounge and bar puts the cradle of the Renaissance at your feet. Just a few yards away, on the banks of the Arno, their Lungarno Suites (011-39-055-27262; from $295) provides a furnished, staffed, and fully equipped (microwave, dishwasher, DVD/CD player, Internet/satellite TV) pied-à-terre. For views plus shopping, you can’t beat the simple but elegant Antica Torre di Via Tornabuoni 1 (011-39-055-2658161; from $270) , with rooms set in a 13th-century tower and designer boutiques right on the doorstep.
Recently, Florentine hospitality has expanded to include alternatives for visitors who want to feel more at home. The aristocratic Palazzo Magnani Feroni (011-39-055-2399544; from $245) features family antiques (and, at this season, a Christmas tree) in each of its 12 suites, where Florence’s finest craftsmen will visit you with samples of their work. Less grand, but absolutely exquisite (and just a short walk from the city center), is the Villa Antea (011-39-055-484106; from $365).
Eating There
Buca Lapi (Via del Trebbio 1r; 055-213768) has held court in the cellars of the Palazzo Antinori for 130 years. It is still the best of the buchi, exuding heady aromas and delicious tastes—from hearty ribollita and fresh pappardelle with wild boar sauce to crispy fried rabbit with artichoke and expertly grilled fiorentina steak. Florence is not a place you expect to find exceptional fish, but Fuor d’Acqua (Via Pisana 37r; 055-222299) serves excellent raw shellfish, gnocchi with plump shrimp, and fish delivered fresh every evening from their own fishing boat. At Frescobaldi Wine Bar (Via dei Magazzini 2-4r; 055-284724), you can sample some 75 namesake wines. The menu here features simple Tuscan specialties such as crostini topped with liver pâté and bruschette with tomato, basil, and Frescobaldi’s own superb Laudemio extra-virgin olive oil. Don’t miss the delicate semifreddi of Vin Santo with warm Gorgonzola sauce.
In the evening, the serene Piazza di Santa Croce, known for its outdoor gatherings since medieval times, has lately become the hottest area in Florence for new restaurants and wine bars. Boccadama (Piazza di Santa Croce 25-26r; 055-243640) offers Tuscan salumi and a brief dinner menu. Across the piazza, Finisterrae (Via de’ Pepi 3-5r; 055-2638675) cuts a wide Mediterranean swath—from mezes and tapas to moussaka and Neapolitan pizza. Trattoria Baldovino (Via di S. Giuseppe 22r; 055-241773) serves rich Tuscan soups and local specialties like braised pork shank with mint and cauliflower purée. Across the street, Enoteca Baldovino (Via di S. Giuseppe 18r; 055-2347220) offers wine tastings with salumi and cheeses on the terrace (weather permitting).
The holiday season is a swell time to visit old favorites like the extravagant Enoteca Pinchiorri (Via Ghibellina 87; 055-242777), the astonishing Cibrèo (Via Andrea del Verrocchio 8r; 055-2341100), the boisterous Il Latini (Via dei Palchetti 6r; 055-210916), or the colorful Trattoria Garga (Via del Moro 48r; 055-2398898).
When you need a break from shopping, try Caffè Rivoire (Piazza della Signoria 5r) for rich hot chocolate or coffee and a view of the Palazzo Vecchio. Or the historic—and very hip—Caffè Giacosa (Via de’ Tornabuoni 10r) for their traditional Giacosa pastry and homemade panettone. The Colle Bereto wine bar (Piazza degli Strozzi 5r) has a light lunch menu of creative salads and pastas. Later in the day, Procacci (Via de’ Tornabuoni 64r) is a favorite stop for a glass of Prosecco with their famous truffled panini. Olio & Convivium, in the Palazzo Capponi (Via Santo Spirito 4), sells not only 250 Tuscan wines but 50 different kinds of extra-virgin olive oil.
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