Florence, City of Fairy Tales and Magic

“One evening a small boy stood under the pine trees in the garden of the Grand Duke’s castle. He was hungry and alone, and noone had taken pity on him and given him any alms. When night fell he was sent away from the castle which was locking its gates. He wandered lost around the city until the shape of a small bronze pig loomed before him in the darkness. He went up to it, rested his head on it and found he could drink from its mouth. It was a fountain of the coolest water! Grateful, the little boy put his arms around it and fell into a deep sleep…”

This is how the adventure of a magic pig and a lonely boy begins. Inspired by the little pig fountain in the loggia of the Mercato Nuovo, Hans Christian Andersen takes us to the magical Florence he loved and which he called “an entire picture book”. The “bronze pig” is the tale that first gave rise to the legend that it is lucky to rub the pig’s nose. The pig is just a short walk from Palazzo Castri. So it is the ideal place to stop by on your way to explore the centre of Florence. Give the pig’s nose a rub, and tradition has it that if you pop a coin into its mouth so that it falls into the grate below it will bring you luck!

Florence is a place where fairy tales and legends are born, and it satisfies our thirst for the magical. It is a world of symbols that art experts are still trying to decipher in the paintings depicting Florentine places and people. Until 30 June visitors can experience a magical tour of the Cappella Sassetti in the Basilica di Santa Trìnita to “meditate” on the secret symbols it contains that brighten imaginative minds and romantic souls. Built by Francesco Sassetti, the Cappella was conceived as a talisman for the Medici after a premonition came true thirty years later. Curious to find out more?

Magic from the moment you walk into Palazzo Castri 1874.

Whether you have travelled by car or train, arriving at Palazzo Castri is the real start to your holiday. The feeling you get when putting your bags down is one of being at home, and of a dream coming true! Our smiling, polite staff, perfumed interiors, clean and well-cared for rooms are the best magical formula for our welcome. We wanted to offer guests at Palazzo Castri a unique sensory experience, to wrap them in a delicate, unusual and “pleasingly ubiquitous” perfume, designed to eliminate the tiredness of your journey. Welcoming and gentle to the right degree, to ensure you experience a magical holiday, a sensory pleasure to brighten your stay. You can relax in our garden and drink a cocktail immersed in an oasis of peace and silence right in the middle of Florence. Discreet tables mixed with armchairs and umbrellas providing shade, a jacuzzi, our lemon tree indoor garden and sunshine – the Florence of your dreams awaits you.

Let’s go, it’s time for a tour

Whether you are spending a week or just a weekend in Florence we suggest you prepare the tours and events you absolutely don’t want to miss carefully beforehand. It doesn’t take long to search online but let us look after you! Call us and we can offer you our concierge service, and book tickets to your museums of choice. When you arrive we will give you the booking code you need to show on arrival at the museum. Those staying in Florence for longer can buy cumulative tickets to visit the Uffizi Museum circuit, saving on the cost of the tickets.

Interesting extras for the curious among you:

• Anna Maria Luisa de Medici, Electress of the Palatinate, was the last lineal descendant of the House of Medici. She can virtually accompany you around Florence, telling the story of her family, along with secrets, anecdotes and interesting facts, as if you were members of the famous noble Florentine family.

• Not keen on walking? The eco-tour of Florence in an electric golf buggy could have been designed specially for you. You will have the chance to enjoy the sights of Florence in a comfortable, fun way, and they are easy to hire.

• Do you want to find out more about Florence and its sayings? Do you want to understand the secrets of our speech and walk around Florence listening to anecdotes about our folk culture, as well as about Dante and Michelangelo? AbstrArt www.abstrartfirenze.com organises unusual tours (in Italian only).

We remind guests that new regulations require guided tours to be booked at least one day in advance. So when you book your stay with us, decide on your itinerary and organise it with us, and we will make sure you experience Florence in the most carefree, enjoyable way possible.