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Florence 31 GRAND HOTEL VILLA CORA O O O O O The Grand Hotel Villa Cora is located in a park amid plane tree woods and the Viale dei Colli gardens, and is just a few steps away from Boboli and the Oltrarno. This grande dame of the hills offers 46 rooms and suites designed for the most discerning of travelers. The hotel offers the finest amenities of a sophisticated city center hotel, with a heated swimming pool in the park; the gourmet gastronomic restaurant, Ristorante Il Pasha; and the spa and wellness center overlooking the Bobolino's Gardens. GRAND HOTEL VILLA MEDICI O O O O O A splendid 18 th century residence in the heart of Florence, the Grand Hotel Villa Medici offers 100 rooms and suites furnished in classic or contemporary style. The Lorenzo de Medici restaurant and the Conservatory, which overlooks the garden and the swimming pool, serve local specialities in a refined atmosphere. Enjoy the jockey bar, fitness center, meeting and banqueting facilities, and WiFi in public areas. HOTEL HELVETIA & BRISTOL O O O O O The Hotel Helvetia & Bristol is located right in front of Palazzo Strozzi, just off the most glamorous streets for shopping and sightseeing. Restored with the utmost respect for the period in terms of look and furnishings, the interior evokes a world of elegance and contemporary style. This is an enchanting hotel with charm, character, personalized service, and attention to detail. HOTEL LUNGARNO O O O O O Owned by the Ferragamo family, this sophisticated and utterly charming hotel offers magical views overlooking the Arno and Ponte Vecchio. Beautifully designed by famed Florentine architect Michele Bonan, Hotel Lungarno features one of the city's finest restaurants, and an astonishing 20 th century art collection featuring works from Picasso, Cocteau, and many others. FLORENCE Firenze, a city of red-tiled roofs jauntily baking under a golden Tuscan sun, steals hearts in a sigh. There's much to be said about the birthplace of the Renaissance and seat of the legendary House of Medici, once famous patrons of the arts. Considered one of the most architecturally beautiful cities in the world, its buildings are as easily recognizable as the famous works of art by Botticelli, Michelangelo, da Vinci and Raffaello housed in the esteemed Uffizi Gallery. Among the most well known landmarks stand the orange- domed Duomo, the Cattedrale Santa Maria del Fiore, and its bell tower, Campanille di Giotto, the trio rising high above the buildings that make up Florence's heart. The Ponte Vecchio—literally translated as "Old Bridge," dating back to the 1300s—connects the old and new towns, with jewelers, art dealers, and souvenir shops giving visitors reason to stop and admire the craftsmanship of the famous Florentine gold designs, leather goods, and views of the Arno River from the bridge. When the sense of sight is exhausted, those of scent and taste can easily take over. World-famous cuisine, accented with virgin pressed olive oil and washed down with the region's celebrated Chianti, rouse taste buds to dance. Inhale the bouquet of fine wine, the green scents of farm-fresh produce, and feel the sun on your back as you do so. That's all it takes to realize why people fall so in love with Florence. 2 Duomo Baptisty Pitti Palace Belvedere Fortress Uffizi Gallery Church of Santa Croce Boboli Gardens Church of Santo Spirito Church of Santa Maria Novella Basilica of San Lorenzo V. della Scala Piazza dell' Unità Italiana Pte. alla Carraia Ponte S. Trinita Piazza del Carmine Piazza S. Spirito Piazza S. Felice Torrigiani Gardens Piazza del Duomo Piazza della SS. Annunziata Piazza San Marco Piazza di S. Giovanni Piazza Salvemini Piazza della Repubblica Ponte Vecchio Piazza S. Maria Novella Piazza N. Sauro Piazza dei Mozzi Piazza Santa Croce Piazza di Signoria Vecchio Palace Medici Riccardi Palace Piazza dei Giudici Stazione Centrale Pte. alle Grazie Piazza di Cestello Arno Arno Arno Ponte Vespucci V. Palazzuolo V. Valfonda V. d. Belle Donne V. Guicciardini V. dei Serragli V. Guelfa V. Cerretani V. Strozzi V. Cavour V. dei Servi Borgo Pinti V. Ghibellina Piazza Ognissanti Borgo degli Albizi 0 1/2 miles 0 1/2 km