Reasons to live in Florence

Hello, I hope that each and every one of you is very well! In this post, I want to tell you the reasons that make living in Florence worth it, whether it is for Erasmus or working like me. It is a place that I have come to consider my second home.

I have lived in Florence for almost a year and this Tuscan city has taught me so much in this time and I have discovered things within myself that have been buried for along time.

Without further ado, let's begin!

It is not very big, but it has everything

Florence is a city located in the Tuscan region. It is one of the most visited cities in Italy, when comparing its inhabitants to cities like Milan or Rome. Florence is a much smaller city however there are a lot of places to travel around and enjoy its cultural and natural environment. Since it is not so big, you can easily use a bike or a vespa to get from place to place.

The city centre has so many beautiful places to see that even being young, you have it all. As time goes by you start wanting to see so much more of the city that you had never seen before. For example, Le Cascine, or the Le Cure areas.

A city where you can come to visit your friends and family since it is a must see destination in Italy. Of course there are a lot of other cities with a unique personality but there is no place like Florence.

You are situated close to a lot of other places

Florence is a city that asks to be explored. You can also travel around areas that are close to it such as, Siena, Pisa, Livorno, Fiesole and San Gimignano and so many other places that you can take a trip to any weekend for a change of scenery and do whatever activities are there. You can travel by bus or train or your own way, there is always a way to get there.

The geographical location of Florence is also exceptional because you are practically in between Rome and Milan if you want to go and see another big Italian city. The Santa Maria di Novella station is right in the centre of the city and from there you can reach any place in Italy and you can also travel with Flixbus, which almost always has deals on trips from Florence to cities that are further away. In terms of the airport, although Florence does have its own airport, Ryanair do not fly to there. They do however fly to Pisa and from there you can easily take a train to Florence.

There are places that are so close that you can take the same bus that runs in Florence. One of them is Fiesole, where you can have a unique view of the Tuscan countryside and Florence cathedral from afar.

A city with many influences from different parts of the world

Although the art in the cathedral here is predominantly renaissance art, as in all beautiful churches and places, Florence has also had an interesting influx of immigrants which can be seen in the amount of Japanese, Chinese, Arab and Latin restaurants in the city centre. It is almost impossible to get bored in Florence. Within its culinary options, there are a lot of places where you can enjoy the delicious food as well as being able to visit markets such as the San Lorenzo market, where you can find very good restaurants to enjoy the thriving gastronomy from different parts of Italy.

Another point I have to highlight is how tasty the food is in Florence. You can also have fun with a delicious apéritif in the evening, near the Palacio Pitti, area or in the old part of Piazzalle Michel Angelo where you can enjoy one of the best sunsets in the city. The food is one of the best representations that Florence has, although there are some things that are not so cheap, as in other places in Italy, so you can always go to the supermarket near your house to save money and cook from home.

A city open to culture

If you are someone who likes reading books from different genres, Florencia offers an immense amount of libraries of different sizes, styles and concepts. Florence has taught me to get back into this habit by reading a quiet book at the foot of the river Arno, in its libraries near the cathedral, or in one of the hidden libraries in the centre such as Todo Modo or Feltrinelli.

As far as cinema is concerned, Florence also has an interesting choice of cinemas where films of different qualities are shown and for all kinds of audiences. One that I recommend is Spazio Uno which is a few steps from the square, Plaza Santa Maria di Novella. Some days they have offers on where you get a discount voucher by email.

I cannot forget to mention the interesting number of museums in Florence. In fact there are more than 70 and you would not expect any less from the renaissance capital. Its museums are a true experience. Speaking of museums, there are dates when they open their doors to the public and many people go there to experience the most artistic city in Italy, a city that has everything in terms of art with this Fiorentino style that characterizes its inhabitants and their good taste.

there are a lot more reasons to discover Florence, this is only a small number of things that you get out of being there. I hope that this has motivated you to get to explore this Italian location, which is among the best places that I have been in my life.

Thank you for reading and see you next time!

Photo gallery