Sara Papini, founder of Firenze con Me
A talk with the expert Florentine tour guide
How was Firenze con Me created?
With the pandemic and the tourist season cancelled, I decided to do something I had never done before: organise tours in Florence for the Florentines, my people. The demand was exceptional and unexpected.
The places which attract people the most on your tours?
Besides museums and religious buildings, they are unspoilt and ‘simple’ places such as the oratory of the Buonomini di San Martino, the Oltrarno and the Renaissance-style courtyards that leave my guests spellbound.
And the most popular tour?
The most requested among museums is the Medici Chapels and as for thematic tours, the ones regarding wine and the tiny-holes-in-the-wall. I work a lot with families and two tours for children, which they enjoy a lot.
Three unusual or hidden places in Florence not to be missed.
The museum of the Ospedale degli Innocenti, the Rose Garden and the workshop of Luigi Mecocci, an almost 90 years old artisan who will enchant with his words and wooden sculptures.
You are one of the tour guides of the Tram-e-d’Arte tours, a project which promotes a new and sustainable way to discover the beauty of Florence away from the historic centre…
Tram-e d’Arte was my challenge in 2022: to create three tours in districts I hardly knew about, Novoli, the Isolotto and Lungo Mugnone, despite being born and bred in Florence. It has been an incredible journey. My favourite tour has definitely been the Isolotto as it involves emotional and human contact.
Three recommendations for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Breakfast at the Cantinetta Verrazzano, a lunch at Rosalia Salad Gourmet or the Trattoria Le Mossacce and dinner at Angiolino in Santo Spirito.