Maybe you need a break from seeing the most breathtaking Renaissance masterpieces in the world.  It can happen, I suppose.  So time to leave the sight-seeing behind and check out the neighborhood.  If you followed my advice and took a room at the Hotel Tornabuoni Beacci, you are only steps away from discovering everything from high fashion to street markets.

Gucci, Prada, Versace or Ferragamo?  Depending on your budget, they are all waiting for you on the elegant Via de’Tornabuoni.  If you have a snack attack while working your way through Italian haute couture, stop in at Procacci, Via de’Tornabuoni 64r, for a couple of panini tartufati (truffle sandwiches).  They are famous for this taste treat!

Trying to stretch those euros?  Shop the well known Mercato di San Lorenzo, a short walk from the hotel. Even closer is the Loggia del Mercato Nuovo (o Loggia de Porcellino). Cross the Via de’Tornabuoni to Via Porta Rossa then start looking for the Fontana del Porcellino (piglet).  The porcellino, actually a bronze wild boar, is a focal point of Mercato Nuovo. Tradition has it that rubbing its nose brings good fortune, so the statue has acquired quite a shine on its snout.  Want to make a wish? If you finish the ritual by placing a coin in the mouth of the boar, your wish will be granted (particularly if you wished for a good buy on a leather bag!)  But buyer beware!  In recent years, counterfeit products have found their way to the streets.  Do the Florentine merchants a favor, buy Italian made!

Before you head off to the Ponte Vecchio, the Old Bridge, lined with more gold shops than you will ever see in one place, you’ll need butter soft leather gloves in candy store colors. . . .then a stop at one of my favorite little shops for cashmere and silk scarves, made in Florence and at a great price.  But that’s a story for another day.

Lynn Pedersen is a writer and Italian travel expert.

See her blog: http://www.tuscanyatheart.com/tuscany-travel-blog/

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