Florence – The Renaissance City – is famous for its beauty and home to a significant proportion of the world’s art and architectural treasures. The birthplace of many eminent thinkers, inventors, scientists, philosophers and revolutionaries, the city attracts around 12 million tourists per year.
But there is more to this city than being frogmarched off a cruise ship and on a whistlestop tour of its main attractions, or queuing for hours to see the Uffizi art gallery or the original statue of Michelangelo’s David.
On a weekend trip to see a Serie A game at Fiorentina’s Stadio Artemio Franchi, there is more than enough culture to be found outdoors for those not wanting to spend their break standing in a queue. Taking care of the practicalities, direct flights from Manchester to the city’s Peretola airport can be expensive, however there are plenty of cheap flights to Bologna or Pisa to be had, and both are less than one hour away from central Santa Maria Novella train station.
In terms of accommodation, PLUS hostel provides a reasonably priced place to stay within walking distance of the train station and historic centre, whilst the stadium can be reached via the number 17 bus. With both private rooms and dormitories available, the hostel is both clean and modern, with stunning views of the city from its rooftop bar. Alternative options are to be found near the stadium itself, with a range of places to stay connected to the city centre by regular bus services.
From the station you can catch bus number 12 or 13 up to the number one must see destination which gives a stunning panorama of the city. Perhaps best visited at sunset, it’s possible to see the incredible vista in the daylight, at sundown and then lit up as it goes dark. The city also has four main squares – Piazza Santa Maria Novella, Santa Croce, Santo Spirito and Piazza del Duomo. All are accessible on foot, and travelling between them all will give a first-time visitors a good all-round overview of the main highlights of this beautiful city.
But onto the important bit – the football. Unlike Milan, Rome and Turin, there is only one Serie A side in this city, Fiorentina having resided at the Art Deco Stadio Artemio Franchi since it was opened in 1931. Tickets are available at the official ticket point near to the stadium, but it is important not to forget your passport on matchday, as Italian rules state that there will be no admittance without it.
The partisan crowd and the famous purple shirts provide a unique experience for visitors, but the other side of that coin means it is important to be discreet as a foreigner because the club’s fans are famously insular. If matchday falls on a Sunday, it’s may also be possible to watch nearby Empoli play in Serie B on Saturday, as the two places are easily connected by train.
Siena and Pisa are also good nearby places to visit, and of course both have their own football teams. Indeed Tuscany is a hotbed of local football, so with enough research in advance there will be no shortage of games to visit.
Food and drink are also hard to go wrong with, and if you’re looking to watch another Serie A game on TV, Dublin pub on Via Faenza in the centre is a good spot to catch those matches. Just nearby is the Mercato Centrale, serving a plethora of excellent food, all with locally sourced ingredients. Ideal for those travelling in a group, the large dining area on the first floor is separated by a huge bar and surrounded by different places to eat, meaning that everyone in the party can choose something different to eat whilst drinking together.
In short, Florence is an ideal place for a weekend of football, its compact and walkable layout lending itself well to hassle-free sight-seeing. This comes as a welcome bonus in addition to a unique stadium experience when taking in a top-flight Italian match.
