FIRENZE: PALAZZO DAVANZATI

Façade of the palace.

Palazzo Davanzati is a palace in Florence. It houses the Museum of the Old Florentine House.

Palazzo Davanzati was erected in the second half of the 14th century by the Davizzi family, who were wealthy members of the wool guild. In 1516 it was sold to the Bartolini and, later that century, to the Davanzati family, also rich merchants (1578), who held it until 1838. After the suicide of Carlo Davanzati, it was split into different quarters and modified. After escaping the numerous demolitions of 19th century Florence, it was bought by Elia Volpi, an antiquarian, who restored in (his impression of) the original style.

In 1910, Volpi opened the building as a private museum (Museo Privato della Casa Fiorentina Antica). The contents of this museum kept changing as Volpi sold the furniture at auctions, including in a major sale of 1916 in New York. In the 1920s, Egyptian antique dealers Vitale and Leopoldo Bengujat acquired the building and its contents. In 1951 it was purchased by the Italian state and kept open as a museum. In 1995 it was closed for major restoration to consolidate the building that was falling down. The museum was partially reopened in 2005; the ground and first floors can now be visited.

The palace consists of a facade that unifies a grouping of earlier, medieval tower homes that the owner purchased with the intent to put them together.

It is constructed in sandstone, with three large portals on the horizontal axis, and three stories of mullioned windows. The topmost floor has a loggia supported by four columns and two pilasters that was added in the 16th century. The façade displays the Davanzati coats of arms and has traces of other decorations.

The interior courtyard has arches, vaults, and capitals in 14th century-style.

Roman origins of Florence

A wooden model of Florence

Florence was established by Lucius Cornelius Sulla in 80 BC as a settlement for his veteran soldiers and was named originally Fluentia, owing the fact that it was built between two rivers, which was later corrupted to Florentia. It was built in the style of an army camp with the main streets, the cardo and the decumanus, intersecting at the present Piazza della Repubblica. Situated at the Via Cassia, the main route between Rome and the north, and within the fertile valley of the Arno, the settlement quickly became an important commercial centre. The Emperor Diocletian is said to have made Florentia the seat of a bishopric around the beginning of the 4th century AD, but this seems impossible in that Diocletian was a notable persecutor of Christians.

In the ensuing two centuries, the city experienced turbulent periods of Ostrogothic rule, during which the city was often troubled by warfare between the Ostrogoths and the Byzantines, which may have caused the population to fall to as few as 1,000 people. Peace returned under Lombard rule in the 6th century. Florence was conquered by Charlemagne in 774 and became part of the Duchy of Tuscany, with Lucca as capital. The population began to grow again and commerce prospered. In 854, Florence and Fiesole were united in one county.

Chianti Classico wine

The Chianti Classico Wine Consortium has safeguarded since 1924 the world’s best known wine, promoting the denomination, its territory of origin and its history.
Its trademark, which stands out because it displays the unmistakable image of the Black Rooster which guarantees the real Chianti Classico: authentic, because it uniquely originated in the territory of Chianti; certified because its production is controlled from the vine to the bottle; inimitable because its quality and identity are protected in Italy and throughout the world.

The DOCG regulations. Not all the wine produced in the Chianti zone is Chianti Classico.
To have the right to a denomination is not sufficient. In fact, the provenance refers to a given territory but also all the rules stipulated in the production regulations must be respected. Those rules determine the conditions and the requisites that permit a wine to be decked out with the name Chianti Classico DOCG.
Chianti Classico wine In addition, other fundamentals and other requisites concern the ampelographical base—or the types of grapes that can be used in the preparation of the wine. The rules provide for a minimum ratio of 80% for Sangiovese, the typical red variety of the zone. Along with the Sangiovese, other red grapes of the area can be used in a maximum percentage of 20%. These grapes include natives like Canaiolo and Colorino as well as “international” varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, all recommended and/or authorized for the production zone. Among the principal sensory characteristics indicated by the production rules, there is the ruby red color that can become at times intense and profound, depending upon the wine’s origin.
The odor offers floral notes of violets and irises combined with a typical character of red fruit. The flavor is harmonious, dry and sapid with a good level of tannin that fines in time, becoming soft and velvety. Other requisites requested include a minimum alcohol level of 12 degrees for young wines and 12.5 degrees for the Riserva. Minimum net dry extract amounts to 24 g/l, while total minimum acidity is registered at 4.5 g/l. In addition, the production rules require important factors. For example, it is stipulated that the yield of grapes per hectare cannot exceed 75 quintals four years after the vines are planted and that the yield of wine from grapes cannot exceed 70% or 52.5 hectoliters per hectare. In addition, the regulations note that the processes of vinification, preservation and bottling must occur exclusively in the production zone. And the wine may not be released for consumption before October 1. Minimum required maturation for the Riserva is 24 months including three months of bottle fining.
As far as the label is concerned, the regulations contain some terms that are added to those already stipulated by the specific rules in effect in the sector. In the first place, the label must contain the indication “Chianti Classico” with the more specific identification, Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita and display the year when the grapes were produced (vintage). The name of the wine can be identified in connection with that of the estate or with a brand name or it can be a fantasy name or indication of the name of the vineyard of provenance. In any case, terms like extra, fine, select, selected, superiore, old and similar may not be used.

Hotel Mario's Florence - 3 Star Hotel In Florence

Welcome to Mario’s 3 Star Hotel in the Renaissance city of Firenze. With a cosy and friendly atmosphere and a great central location, Mario’s is a family run Guest House style hotel which offers comfort and service with a smile to guests from all over the world. Blending the old world charm of Florence in the fixtures and fittings of a 17th century building with the modern luxuries and comforts expected by today’s traveller, The Florentine hotel owners Leonardo and his brothers like to personally afford each and every guest that personal touch and leave you with happy memories of a pleasant and fruitful stay in Florence.
Mario’s Hotel is located on Via Faenza, number 89, an unusual niche of tranquillity in an otherwise bustling city. Our half of via Faenza (the half nearest Santa Maria Novella train station) is not an ZTL zone, meaning most traffic is allowed down it. No parking is allowed therefore you must park in a nearby garage however, Mario’s guests get parking facilities here at discount rates!
If arriving by air you can take the city shuttle to Santa Maria Novella Station. To reach the hotel from here go parallel to the station on its right hand side and turn right at Piazza Adua and continue along Via Cennini. When you come to Via Faenza turn right and you’ll soon come to Mario’s Hotel – number 89.
If you’re coming by car simply follow signs for the station then the directions above. The Fortezza da Basso conference and trade fair centre are within a few minutes walk of the hotel.
The ornate renaissance building which houses Mario’s Hotel dates back to the 17th century, when it was the aristocratic residence of a noble of the great Florentine Republic and was converted into a hotel in 1872. Today, Mario's is still run by a Florentine family who have been in the hospitality industry for generations. Leonardo and his brothers will make sure that the 3 Star Hotel Marios continues to remain the value for money, charming Florentine Guest House for which it is famous. Now refurbished and improved, through continuous change Mario’s Guest House is a perfect blend of charm and splendour from the cradle of the renaissance with modern customer service and with only 16 rooms we’re able to give each and every guest personal service.
The entire property is air conditioned and central heated, with 21st century insulation and a range of mod cons like power showers, international satellite TV and a Hotel Bar with internet point where you can relax and catch up on those emails. Business clients are welcome to use our fax and photocopier and will be pleased to know we’re located right by the Fortezza da Basso Exhibition Centre.

VIRTUAL TOUR: HOTEL MARIO'S - FIRENZE

L'hotel Mario's è a pochi metri dalla stazione ferroviaria di Firenze Santa Maria Novella. Si puo' definire un albergo molto romantico, un hotel attrezzatissimo per esigenti uomini di affari, un palazzo storico. E' formato da un numero complessivo di 16 camere. E' sempre aperto.
Si parlano diverse lingue, tra le quali il francese, l'inglese, lo spagnolo, il tedesco.
Si accettano bancomat, carte di credito.
Molti i servizi disponibili nelle camere: l'aria condizionata, tutte le stanze dotate di phon, i vostri oggetti di valore nella cassaforte in dotazione, presa modem per essere sempre online, un telefono disponibile in ogni camera, la TV per rilassarvi.
L'albergo offre svariati servizi: gli animali sono ben accetti, la struttura offre l'aria condizionata in tutti gli spazi comuni, in qualsiasi momento potrete usufruire del bar. Per i più piccoli dispone di un servizio di baby sitting.
La mattina iniziate bene la vostra giornata con un'abbondantissima colazione a buffet. Infine, per chi ha bisogno di tecnologie business, sono disponibili diversi servizi, tra cui: servizio WIFI per il collegamento al web, comoda sala riunioni.

AAAS10: ADVANCED ATMOSPHERIC AEROSOL SYMPOSIUM

From 14 to 17 March 2010 in the astonishing scenario of Florence the fourth International Conference on Safety and Environment in the Process Industry (CISAP4) will be held, thus giving continuation to the permanent biennial forum in the Italian country on HSE topics as well as industrial sustainability.
As in the past events, the principal aim of the Conference is to help the process industries to find out the best balance between the expected growth of the enterprise value and the safeguard of the health of employees and population, the safety of operations, the environmental protection.
I hope that this conference could provide both the platform for bringing together operators, researchers, consultants involved worldwide in optimizing the Safety and Environmental science and engineering and the opportunity for participants to learn about the latest developments, to improve communication and to increase cooperation and coordination among all the actors.

Florence: Palazzo Vecchio

Hotel Mario's is 15 minutes far walking. A nice way through the old city centre. The Palazzo Vecchio is the town hall of Florence, Italy. This massive, Romanesque, crenellated fortress-palace is among the most impressive town halls of Tuscany. Overlooking the Piazza della Signoria with its copy of Michelangelo's David statue as well the gallery of statues in the adjacent Loggia dei Lanzi, it is one of the most significant public places in Italy.
Originally called the Palazzo della Signoria, after the Signoria of Florence, the ruling body of the Republic of Florence, it was also given several other names: Palazzo del Popolo, Palazzo dei Priori, and Palazzo Ducale, in accordance with the varying use of the palace during its long history. The building acquired its current name when the Medici duke's residence was moved across the Arno to the Palazzo Pitti.

Florence Airport

To confirm the constant increase of the airport traffic of the last years nearby the airport of Florence Perentola, AdF Spa has begun during the first months of the 2006 the airport modernization.
With an investiment of about 11 milions of euro for the works on the runway and of about 4,5 milions of euro for the renovations of the air terminals AdF has so taken to the maxim operating efficiency the principals infrastuctures of the Florence airport and has increased the total capacity of the airport from 1.500.000 to 2.200.000 passengers/year.
To plan the new internal structure of the airstations, AdF has used particular attention to the improvement of the flow passengers in departure setting in a more rational way different operative and commercial services that the passengers find now along a more fluent way.
The security passages have been increased from 3 to 5, the boarding gates from 6 to 10. The conveyer claims have been increased from 2 to 3. The check-in desk have become 23.

FORTEZZA DA BASSO

Mario's Hotel is very near Fortezza da Basso.
The great pentagonal mass of the Fortress of San Giovanni is known to everyone as the Fortress "Da Basso" because it is located on the river plain.
It was built around the medieval Porta Faenza beginning in 1534 by the great architect Antonio San Gallo the younger, and commissioned by the Duke Alessandro de' Medici, who wanted to create a kind of citadel of power. Indeed, in the original designs for the fortress, there was a palace to be constructed inside for the Prince himself. However, political considerations persuaded him to remain in the Medici family residence in Via Larga. The fortress was finished in 1537 and today is used as an exhibition center.

A TRIP TO FIESOLE

Mario's Hotel's staff helps you in visiting Fiesole.
Fiesole(Vipsul) was probably founded in the 9th-8th century BC, as it was an important member of the Etruscan confederacy, as may be seen from the remains of its ancient walls.
The first recorded mention on the town dates to 283 BC, when the town, then known as Faesulae, was conquered by the Romans. In pagan antiquity it was the seat of a famous school of augurs, and every year twelve young men were sent thither from Rome to study the art of divination. Sulla colonized it with veterans, who afterwards, under the leadership of Gaius Mallius, supported the cause of Catilina.
Fiesole was the scene of Stilicho's great victory over the Germanic hordes of the Vandals and Suevi under Radagaisus in 406. During the Gothic War (536-53) the town was several times besieged. In 539 Justinus, the Byzantine general, captured it and razed its fortifications.
It was an independent town for several centuries in the early Middle Ages, no less powerful than Florence in the valley below, and many wars arose between them; in 1010 and 1025 Fiesole was sacked by the Florentines, before it was conquered by Florence in 1125, and its leading families obliged to take up their residence in Florence.
By the 14th century, rich Florentines had countryside villas in Fiesole, and one of them is the setting of the frame narrative of the Decameron, also Boccaccio wrote the poem "Ninfale fiesolano". Robert Browning also mentions "sober pleasant Fiesole" several times in his poem, Andrea del Sarto.

OUR STAFF HELPS YOU IN VISITING FLORENCE

Florence keeps an exceptional artistic heritage, marvelous evidence of its secular civilization.
The works of great Italian art, Cimabue, Giotto, Brunelleschi, Donatello, Leonardo, Michelangelo, are gathered in numerous museums including the Uffizi, a key step for those visiting the Tuscan capital.
Great monuments are the landmarks florentine artistic culture: the Baptistry, the Duomo, the medieval churches, the public and private buildings, monasteries and cloisters, monasteries and the Certosa.
World Heritage Site recognized by UNESCO in 1982, the historic center of Florence, enclosed by a circle of paths traced over the old medieval walls, collects the most important cultural heritage of the city.
The old town can be appreciated in its entirety from the surrounding hills, especially by the Forte Belvedere, from the Piazzale Michelangelo with the Romanesque Basilica of San Miniato al Monte and the hills of Fiesole, which offers one of the most beautiful views of Arno valley.

VASARI CORRIDOR

The Vasari Corridor (Italian: Corridoio Vasariano) is an elevated enclosed passageway in Florence, which connects the Palazzo Vecchio with the Palazzo Pitti. Beginning on the south side of the Palazzo Vecchio, it then joins the Uffizi Gallery and leaves on its south side, crossing the Lungarno dei Archibusieri and then following the north bank of the River Arno until it crosses the Ponte Vecchio. At the time of construction the Torre dei Mannelli had to be built around using brackets because the owners of the tower refused to alter it. The corridor covers up part of the façade of the chiesa di Santa Felicità. The corridor then snakes its way over rows of houses in the Oltrarno district, becoming narrower, to finally join the Palazzo Pitti. Most of it is closed to visitors.
The Vasari Corridor was built in 5 months by order of Grand Duke Cosimo I de' Medici in 1564, to the design of Giorgio Vasari. It was commissioned in connection with the marriage of Cosimo's son, Francesco, with Johanna of Austria. The idea of an enclosed passageway was motivated by the Grand Duke's desire to move freely between his residence and the government palace, when, like most monarchs of the period, he felt insecure in public, in his case especially because he had replaced the Republic of Florence. The meat market of Ponte Vecchio was moved to avoid its smell reaching into the passage, its place being taken by the goldsmith shops that still occupy the bridge. At the latter extremity, the corridor was forced to pass around the Mannelli's Tower, after the staunch opposition of that family to its destruction.
In the middle of Ponte Vecchio the corridor is characterized by a series of panoramic windows facing the Arno, in direction of the Ponte Santa Trinita. These replaced the smaller windows of the original construction in 1939, by order of Benito Mussolini.
After the Ponte Vecchio the Corridor passes over the loggiato of the church of Santa Felicita; at that point it had a balcony, protected by a thick railing, looking into the interior of the church, in order to allow the Grand Duke's family to follow services without mixing with the populace.

Piazzale Michelangelo: a panoramic view

Piazzale Michelangelo is a famous square with a magnificent panoramic view of Florence, Italy and is a popular tourist destination in the Oltrarno district of the city. The view from this most famous observation point of the city landscape has been reproduced in countless postcards and snapshots over the years.
It was built in 1869 and designed by architect Giuseppe Poggi on a hill just south of the historic center, on completion of retraining of the left bank of the shore. From that fact, Florence was the capital of Italy and the whole city was involved in an urban renewal, the so-called rehabilitation, or the rebirth of the city middle class: they were created lungarni; on the right bank, instead of the fourteenth-century walls were open the avenues of the ring of a boulevard, on the left bank was traced, wind on the hill of San Miniato, the Viale dei Colli, a street tree overview 8 kilometers long, at whose climax the square was built as a terrace with a panoramic view inside the city. The chronicle of the early construction of the company has been described in detail by the Italian journalist Peter Ferrigno (known under the name of Yorick) that does not fail to report as a part of Florence is dispiacesse "for the excessive spending of the construction.
The square Michelangelo square, dedicated to the great Renaissance artist Michelangelo, has copies of some of his famous works in Florence: the David and the four allegories of the Medici Chapel of San Lorenzo. These copies are made of bronze, while the originals are all in white marble. The monument was brought up by nine pairs of oxen on 25 June 1873.
Poggi designed the loggia in the neoclassical style that dominates the whole terrace, which today houses a panoramic restaurant. Originally it was supposed to house a museum of works by Michelangelo, ever. In the wall of the balcony, under the loggia, an epigraph is a banner characters reminiscent of his work: Florentine architect Giuseppe Poggi turn around here is his monument MCMXI.
The panorama encompasses the heart of Florence from Forte Belvedere to Santa Croce lungarni through the bridges of Florence and in sequence, especially the Ponte Vecchio, are the Duomo, Palazzo Vecchio, the Bargello and the octagonal bell tower of the Badia Fiorentina, without forgetting opposed to the hills north of the city with the center and Settignano Fiesole.
The square can be accessed by car along the tree-Viale Michelangelo, made in those same years, or walk the stairs going up the ramps of the monumental Piazza Poggi Poggi in the district of San Niccolò.

Hotel Mario's an real idea of hospitality

How many times do you find fantastic luxury hotels, with the most modern technologies, the best view and the best service ? if you have the opportunity to pay a lot of money, you know what we are talking about.
How many times have you been in a nice cozy little Hotel, ran from real youngs Florentine guys, with the history in their blood, with a know-ledge of the secret of the city? how many times in the big and unreal hotels you felt only a number? too big, too less time to spend with clients, no way to have a relationship with the concierge or with the front desk.
Here at Hotel Mario's, a very old Hotel, with far origin, we instist without esiting, to follow the way of a style that is not studied, but it's inside ourself. Real,Florentine,authentic and charming place, near the railway station of Santa Maria Novella and close to the Fortezza da Basso, to the Palazzo dei Congressi and in the historical area of the Mercato Centrale ( central food market ). A terrific position where to start your walking tours through the city.
Contact us to require information, to be helped to plan your trip. Don't hesitate, write us : info@hotelmarios.com
We'll be glad to assist you in any occasion.

Ciao from Florence, a magic city

Arno

The Arno is a river in the Tuscany region of Italy. It is the most important river of central Italy after the Tiber.
The river originates on Mount Falterona in the Casentino area of the Apennines, and takes initially a southward curve. The river turns to the west near Arezzo passing through Florence, Empoli and Pisa, flowing into the Tyrrhenian Sea at Marina di Pisa. With a length of 241 kilometers, it is the largest river in the region. Its main tributaries are: the Sieve (60 kilometers), Bisenzio (49 kilometers), Ombrone, Era, Elsa, Pesa and Pescia. The drainage basin amounts to more than 8,200 km² and drains the waters of the following sub-basins:
* The Casentino, in the province of Arezzo, formed by the upper course of the river until the confluence with the Maestro della Chiana channel.
* The Val di Chiana, a plain dried in the 18th century, which, until the 18th century, was a marshy area tributary of the Tiber.
* The upper Valdarno, a long valley bordered from East by the Pratomagno massif and from West by the hills around Siena.
* The Sieve's basin, which flows in the Arno immediately before Florence.
* The middle Valdarno, with the plain including Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, Prato and Pistoia.
* The lower Valdarno, with the valley of important tributaries such as the Pesa, Elsa and Era and in which, after Pontedera, the Arno flows into the Tyrrhenian Sea. The river has a very variable discharge, ranging from minimum values such as 6 m³/s to more than 2,000. The mouth of the river was once near Pisa, but is now several kilometres westwards.
It crosses Florence, where it passes below the Ponte Vecchio and the Santa Trìnita bridge (built by Bartolomeo Ammanati, but inspired by Michelangelo). The river flooded this city regularly in historical times, the last occasion being the famous flood of 1966, with 4,500 m³/s after a rain of 437.2 mm in Badia Agnano and 190 millimetres in Florence, in only 24 hours.
The flow rate of the Arno is irregular. It is sometimes described as having a torrent-like behaviour, because it can easily go from almost dry to near-flood in a few days. At the point where the Arno leaves the Apennines, flow measurements can vary between 0.56 m³/s and 3,540 m³/s. New dams built upstream of Florence have greatly alleviated the problem in recent years.
A flood on November 4, 1966 collapsed the embankment in Florence, killing at least 40 people and damaging or destroying millions of works of art and rare books. New conservation techniques were inspired by the disaster, but even 40 years later hundreds of works still await restoration.

Wifi connection at Hotel Mario's

Dear Guest, dear visitors,

Hotel Mario's is an hotel with a long history and is situated in the city centre of Florence, near the railway train station and the Duomo, in a very good position, even if you arrive from the airport; there is a shuttle bus every 30 minutes that takes 20 min. to get to Santa Maria Novella railway station; from there only 250 metres to get here.
Despite an ancient building, Hotel Mario's got the most modern technology and one of that is wifi connection for clients staying at our Hotel. We already had this option, but we have improved it with a very fast and safe connection for all the type of computers. From every room you can surf on internet with your personal computer.
Do you need to work? do you need to keep in touch with your friend in facebook? do you need to have information from the train schedule? Would you like to use Skype? At Hotel Mario's, no panic, no way. I know, Hotel Mario's

THE PLACE WHERE TO BE