City streets,  Gardens,  Italy,  Monday walks

On the far side of the Arno

November 18, 2025 / 47 Comments

Rejoice, Florence, seeing you are so great that over sea and land you flap your wings, and your name is widely known in Hell!

Dante Alighieri, The Divine Comedy, 1320

We had spent two days in rather unsettled weather exploring the various sights of Florence, sights I will come back to in future posts. But when the sun appeared on our third day in the city it was time to see it from a different perspective, the far side of the River Arno.

Come with me please, for Jo’s Monday Walk this week. And click on any photo in the following galleries to open a captioned slideshow.

Crossing the Arno

We crossed by the bridge nearest to our temporary home on Borgo Santa Croce: the Ponte alle Grazie. From here we had excellent views of the Ponte Vecchio in one direction and low morning clouds over the hills in the other direction.

Views east (left) and west from the Ponte alle Grazie

Halfway across the bridge on the west side, facing the Ponte Vecchio, is a sculpture by local street artist, Clet. Called Common Man, the black metal figure appears to be stepping off the bridge into an abyss. The city authorities are apparently not keen on it and have removed it several times, but it always reappears! And it seems it’s a popular target for stickers, as it looked anything but black when we were there.

Common Man by Clet

There were plenty of examples of Clet’s work on the far side of the river. His speciality is modifying street signs, so we had fun searching some out to photograph. I found the ‘no entry’ signs especially clever!

Street art by Clet

And we enjoyed wandering through the quiet Saturday morning streets here.

Via dei Renai (on the left) and Via di S. Niccolò (right)

We turned left into Via di San Niccolò and popped into the church of San Niccolò Oltrarno. This was the Florentine church most badly affected by the 1966 flood, being so close to the river, but it has been fully restored. It has some lovely stained glass and various paintings.

In San Niccolò Oltrarno

Climbing the hill

We zigzagged our way up from Porto San Niccolò towards the Piazzale Michaelangelo, one of the most popular spots for vistas over the city.

Zigzagging Via dei Bastioni, with the old city walls on the right

For part of the climb we followed a path through the Giardino delle Rose which cut off a couple of zigzags in the road. We stopped for photos several times as even from a little lower down the views were great. We also had a great perspective on this stretch of the city’s wall.

Views from the Giardino delle Rose of il Duomo and the city walls

Old and new sculpture in the Giardino delle Rose

Piazzale Michaelangelo

After a fairly steep but not too lengthy climb we reached the Piazzale Michaelangelo. Although busy it was still easy to find a spot by the wall from which to soak up, and photograph, the views.

Panorama from the Piazzale Michelangelo:
the Ponte Vecchio is far left, the Torre di Arnolfo and Palazzo Vecchio mid-left, the Duomo left of centre, Santa Croce near the centre and the Porta San Niccolò in the foreground towards the right

Views from the Piazzale Michelangelo

I also got some shots of the city’s second David replica (this one in bronze) which sits in the square, although the lighting wasn’t great with the sun behind him.

Bronze replica of Michelangelo’s David

And we bought a cold drink from one of the stalls and found an empty bench where we could enjoy it while continuing to take in the views.

It was too lovely a day not to continue a little higher, so we followed some steps up to the Chiesa di San Salvatore al Monte, part of a monastery of Franciscan friars. There was a mass in progress so we contented ourselves with a quick look and photos from just inside the door.

In the Chiesa di San Salvatore al Monte

Basilica di San Miniato al Monte

A little higher still and we reached the Basilica di San Miniato al Monte. This has a fabulous location with a terrace offering possibly even better views than the Piazzale Michaelangelo, and with a fraction of the crowds.

Views from the Basilica di San Miniato al Monte

The basilica is named for an early Christian martyr, St Minius, who apparently climbed this hill after being beheaded, carrying his head under his arm. Unfortunately for us it is currently undergoing extensive restoration both outside and in, but we were still able to see the beautiful wooden ceiling above the nave and the main altar, although the side aisles were boarded up.

Nave and altar

A passage had been left between sections of scaffolding that allowed us to reach the atmospheric Romanesque crypt. A monk was playing the organ in the latter, adding further to the atmosphere. I shot some video, despite the low lighting, to capture a bit of the music.

In the crypt

Crypt of the Basilica di San Miniato al Monte, organ playing

Descending the hill

From here we followed busy Viale Gallileo Gallilei a short distance before turning into the much more picturesque Via dell’Erta Canina. Lined with some beautiful houses (a couple of which are used as schools and one as the Israeli consulate), this led steeply downhill and eventually became a grassy path with more great views.

On the Via dell’Erta Canina

At the bottom we spotted a sign for a restaurant with a garden, Beppa Fioraia. There was a table available in the garden – perfect! We thoroughly enjoyed our meal here, with a generous sharing board of cheese and charcuterie and good bread, washed down with beers.

And up again!

We wanted to visit the Giardini Bardini, and it was just as well we’d had a good lunch, as that meant another steep uphill climb on the Via di Belvedere which follows the city walls.

On the Via di Belvedere

At the top we discovered there was a 10 euro entry charge for the gardens but we’d come too far, and climbed too high, not to pay it!

We only explored part of the gardens as it was a bit late in the year to see them at the best and also the weather had started to turn cloudier, so the views were less well lit.

In the Giardini Bardini

Exiting on to the Via de’Bardi below we passed a memorial marking a visit to the city by St Francis of Assissi and another interesting-sounding church, Santa Lucia dei Magnoli, which was unfortunately closed.

On and around the Via de’ Bardi

This road ended at a busy square overlooking the Arno. We bought excellent gelati at the Cantina del Gelato before continuing along the riverbank to the famous Ponte Vecchio. This was packed with tourists, a real contrast to the quieter areas we’d spent most of the day exploring, but it had to be seen!

The Ponte Vecchio

From here we made our way back to our accommodation via the Piazza della Signoria, but I’ll be featuring this part of the city in future posts, so let’s finish here, crossing back over the Arno to complete our walk on its far side.

  • This article is also featured on GPSmyCity. To download this article for offline reading or create a self-guided walking tour to visit the attractions highlighted in this article, go to Walking Tours and Articles in Florence.

I visited Florence in October/November 2025

47 Comments

  • Mari Nicholson

    November 27, 2025 at 14:38 Reply

    Ah, you’ve re-awakened so many lovely memories for me. No matter how many times I visit, I always want to return. Your images, as always, are superb, and I envy you not just your ability to ‘fix’ the picture but to be able to ‘see’ the image, something I can’t do. I could go to the same places, in fact I have, and not see the lovely views you do. But maybe my talents lie in other directions, just not with a camera! I loved Clet’s work, such a contrast to the Renaissance beauties all around and such fun too. My first visit to Florence was in the early 1960s when it wasn’t busy at all and we spent quite a few hours in the Uffizi, taking photos, something that is not permissible nowadays. It was winter and it was damp and chilly but we were intoxicated by the place – and fairly newly married – so it was a magical trip. We went back again about 15 years ago when the place was crawling with gap-year students strumming guitars on the steps of the Duomo (which really offended me, purist that I am), and our favourite restaurant told us they had had to cut down the use of garlic because of complaints from English visitors. But I’d still go back like a shot!

    • Sarah Wilkie

      November 27, 2025 at 17:49 Reply

      Thank you very much Mari 😊The contrast between your two visits is interesting, and I’m sure similar anecdotes could be told of many other present-day tourist hotspots. But honestly we found it relatively easy to avoid the crowds. The area where we stayed, very near the Piazza di Santa Croce, was very lowkey and had a pleasing mix of locals and tourists out in the evenings. And by visiting the less well-known (but still excellent) museums, like the Bargello, we were able to see some stunning works of art in a peaceful environment 🙂 But I would advise your favourite restaurant to tell those English visitors that they were welcome to look elsewhere for their meal!

  • Yvonne Dumsday

    November 21, 2025 at 15:30 Reply

    Once again I thank you for taking me on a virtual tour of somewhere I may never visit. You certainly packed a lot into that day and I so look forward to your other blogs about this trip. 😊

  • Sue

    November 19, 2025 at 11:00 Reply

    Thought I had to responded to this post, but somehow it seems to have gone missing. Anyway, just wanted to say thoroughly enjoyed seeing Florence again.

  • Suzanne

    November 18, 2025 at 22:33 Reply

    Sarah, I really like the photo of the roses and statue. Well, I enjoyed all the photos just that one stood out. It really looks like you made the most of your visit to Florence and isn’t it wonderful just wandering around the less touristy areas by foot.

    • Sarah Wilkie

      November 19, 2025 at 10:04 Reply

      Thank you Suzanne, that one is a favourite of mine from this day (along with the angel and view at the basilica) 😊 Yes, it was great to find some less touristy areas here, although the Piazzale Michelangelo was very busy of course.

  • Egídio

    November 18, 2025 at 22:15 Reply

    What a joy to see these images! That view from the piazzale is truly unforgettable. I don’t remember if we ever went to the basilica you showed here. So beautiful!

    • Sarah Wilkie

      November 19, 2025 at 10:03 Reply

      Thank you Egidio 😊 The basilica was stunning even shrouded in scaffolding – I would love to have seen it in its entirety! But it was worth the extra climb even just for the views.

    • Anabel @ The Glasgow Gallivanter

      November 19, 2025 at 18:24 Reply

      I’m fairly sure Chiesa di San Salvatore al Monte is the church we popped into on Christmas Day 1993. The location is right and the relative plainness and large tiled area at the back seems familiar. It was mobbed so no-one seemed to mind us going in and out – many others were doing so, or chatting through the proceedings – a much more casual attitude to religious services than I had been brought up with!

      • Sarah Wilkie

        November 19, 2025 at 18:54 Reply

        I do think the Italians, and continental European Catholics in general, have a much more relaxed attitude to church going. They take it seriously to a point, but wandering around seems to be accepted!

    • Sarah Wilkie

      November 19, 2025 at 10:01 Reply

      My husband wouldn’t call me unstoppable – it’s always me begging for a rest when we climb such hills 🤣 Thank you Teresa, I’m glad you liked these photos.

  • rkrontheroad

    November 18, 2025 at 20:52 Reply

    I’ve been to Florence a few times many years ago, but never explored the far side in your post. I especially like those morning street photos. Not much street art when I was there, so I enjoyed your seeking out some fun ones.

    • Sarah Wilkie

      November 19, 2025 at 10:00 Reply

      Thank you Ruth 🙂 To be honest it was seeing photos of these views that most drew me to Florence, more than the famous art collections! I loved how beautiful the city was as a whole.

  • restlessjo

    November 18, 2025 at 18:58 Reply

    I’ve just spent a happy half hour or so wandering through my Florence posts. I was surprised to find that it was 8 years gone February, but Clet definitely wasn’t around. I like his stuff. The city was a love affair for me, Sarah, and over a sequence of posts I have many of the views you show. I doubt I’ll go back- sometimes better to just treasure the memories, but perhaps another Italian city. Thanks for the link. I can’t resist leaving one of mine here. https://restlessjo.me/2017/03/13/jos-monday-walk-a-garden-extravaganza/
    I covered your area in 2 separate posts, one of them a 6WS. In the main Florence wasn’t too busy, apart from Ponte Vecchio, of course xx

    • Sarah Wilkie

      November 19, 2025 at 09:59 Reply

      Likewise I was very happy to see your post and the Boboli Gardens in particular, as we’d had to give them a miss. Maybe another time …? But I agree about going back, and there are plenty of other Italian cities to see! Glad you enjoyed seeing Clet’s work.

  • Smitha V

    November 18, 2025 at 18:40 Reply

    I don’t think I’ll climb the duomo again. I don’t know how I did it then. The stone steps are narrow and winding and the same steps are used to go up and down. There’s just one or two tiny windows. I don’t know how I did it then. Now when I think of it, I feel claustrophobic.
    Your photos are so good that it’s easy to believe I’ve seen it with my eyes.☺️

  • Monkey's Tale

    November 18, 2025 at 16:40 Reply

    Such a nice walk Sarah, I always love the views from above and it looks like there are several great opportunities for that in Florence. It’s even nicer that not many tourists seem to go where you went. I also love the sign artwork. Maggie

  • Smitha V

    November 18, 2025 at 16:21 Reply

    A beautiful tour of Florence, Sarah. I got to see the things that I missed seeing during our visit in 2016. I didn’t see the street art then. We had climbed up the duomo to get a view of Florence from the top and got the artists sitting in the square to do a caricature of our girls. I love Florence and do hope I can visit i again. Thank you for sharing this.
    Your picture ‘Via dei Renai (on the left)’ is like a postcard. I love it.

    • Sarah Wilkie

      November 18, 2025 at 17:56 Reply

      Thanks so much 😊 I’m glad I brought back some good Florence memories for you, and showed you some aspects you missed too. We passed on climbing the Duomo and also skipped the Torre d’Arnolfo which we’d considered, as apart from this day the weather was roo gloomy for decent views.

Do share your thoughts, I'd love to hear from you! And please include your name in case WP marks you 'anonymous' - thank you