A lovely church located in the heart of Florence. Amazing works of art but the church lacks the…read moregrandeur of other locations. A very nice place to pray and reflect. Very interesting history of construction and reconstruction. Worth a visit.

Santa Maria Maggiore may just be the most forgettable church in Florence. Most tourists will just…read morewalk by this church. We visited because I was interested in the hidden secret (below). It is, after all, one of Florence's oldest churches (some say the oldest). The church has an unfinished exterior. We enjoyed the peace and quiet during our visit. There is a hidden secret on the outside of the church. It is about a "petrified woman" known as "Berta," whose head comes out in a disquieting way from the stones of the walls of the church. You really have to look for it on the Via Cerretani. The story goes that on September 16, 1327, Cecco d'Ascoli, a doctor, astrologer and teacher, was being led to execution after predicting that the future queen of Naples would be 'inclined to lust'--an accurate prophecy as it turned out: (Joanna I had four husbands, one of whom she killed, and she was suffocated to death in her own bed.) As Ascoli was being marched to the bonfire on which he would be burned, crowds poured out into the street to shout and jeer at the poor man. When he passed in front of the church, he begged the crowd for a little water for his parched throat. Berta, watching from a window in the bell tower, shouted cruelly, 'He's a wizard! If he drinks he shall not burn!' Ascoli, in response to the woman's meanness, cursed her, saying, 'And you shall never again lift up your head from that place!' To this day, her petrified head can be seen on the wall of the tower, waiting to be freed from the curse.

Mercato del Porcellino is best known in Firenze for two things - firstly, there is a statue of a…read morepig that sits at the edge of the market in a fountain that is apparently good luck to rub and toss a coin in (hence the name of the market). Secondly, it's home to a large cluster of street vendors selling mostly leather goods along with a few other items. We thought it would be a good idea to explore this during our time in Firenze since we were looking for some gifts to bring home. In terms of content, what's being sold at Porcellino is really no different than what you see from vendors throughout the city - lots of leather goods such as bags, wallets, folios, belts, and catchalls. I also noticed a selection of scarves and other small accessories. What makes Procellino stand out is the sheer concentration of the vendors in one space, so you can take the time to explore one right after the other. Also, because they're so close the smell of the leather is really concentrated - I was taking deep sniffs as I was walking around the market. I ended up buying two belts, and my brother ended up getting a few gifts for the upcoming holidays. Prices aren't bad, you can pay face value/what they offer, but also be prepared to haggle and be charged different prices whether you pay with card or cash. Overall, it's definitely worth a stop while you're in Firenze - you never know what you may find - also pet the pig.

We liked this market. Majority of the vendors offered leather goods or "Italia"/"Florence" merch. I…read morefound the prices to be very reasonable, especially for what seemed like high quality leather goods. We were on somewhat of a time crunch due to being on a shore excursion, but I could have spent a long time here.