By Riley Housler
Florence is a city that makes it quite impossible to ignore the seasonal holiday cheer. Each street is lined from window to window with Christmas lights. The decorated alleyways lead to festive squares. In front of the church of Santa Croce lies a Christmas market filled with rows of wooden booths holding everything from delicious treats to hand-painted ornaments.
Continue reading Festive Feel of Christmas in Florence
By Riley Houstler
In strolling the cobblestone streets of Florence, passersby are overwhelmed with scents of savory salami, potent leather, and bitter wine. However, the city has finer smells to offer. Perfumeries are a hidden luxury of the town. Florence has turned perfume-making into an art form. It is a common misconception that perfume was invented in France. Renato Bianco opened the first ever perfume shop in Paris, however he was originally from Florence, as he was Catherine de Medici’s personal perfumer.
Continue reading Florence Perfumeries
By Riley Houstler
It is only as I walk past the exquisite Duomo in the heart of Florence that I realize I have almost made my way home without using my maps. Florence is now starting to feel like home.