Mercato Centrale

Formed from a major urban project in the mid-19th century, Mercato Centrale in San Lorenzo offers food and small goods shopping in a classic Florentine atmosphere. A two-story structure of cast iron and glass, there are ten classical arches to welcome visitors. Souvenir shops around the building make sure you don't go home without something to remember the trip.

Local produce features prominently here...agricultural art, if you like. The mercato's atmosphere derives from the combination of its old world architecture and the lively interaction of the vendors who offer everything from simple meats and fish to an array of exotic cheeses. Check out the wild boar salami for a very different tasting sandwich. Visitors who want to make themselves a snack on the spot will find the freshest ingredients, many straight from local farms.

The market sellers also offer a wide variety of pre-made take-out foods that will have you refreshed and on your way again in no time. Just want some nuts? Mercato Centrale has the best. Looking for a little wine to take home? You'll find a selection that probably will get consumed long before you leave. Best of all there are free samples of a variety of foods and wines so you can't go wrong.

Santa Maria Novella Pharmacy

Looking for a fascinating new perfume or just an authentic old world shopping experience? The Farmacia di Santa Maria Novella at Via Delle Scala is your best bet. The word pharmacy here has a very different connotation that its American counterpart... not a drug store but an emporium of perfumes, aromatic herbals, balms, soaps and much more.

It is one of the oldest farmacias in the world, begun in the 13th century by a group of Dominican Friars who cultivated herbs and made medicinal salves and potions for use in the monastery's infirmary. In the seventeenth century grand duke Fernando di Medici, gave the dominicans permission to open this little store and for the first time the farmacia was opened to the public. A century later their herbal secrets had become internationally renowned and they have been doing business ever since. Try some of the almond hand cream and you'll place a standing order to have it imported for the rest of your life. Ditto if you smell the pomegranate soap, Sapone al Melograno.

Mercato Nuovo

The open air market called Mercato Nuovo, offers leather goods, silk scarves, souvenirs and a variety of other items. New Market, in Italian, here simply means it's less than 1,000 years old. In this case, the building was completed in 1551. Looking for a genuine Italian leather jacket? You'll find one for a good deal less here than at the ritzier high-end shops. The perfect leather purse can be found at another of these stalls and all the vendors expect you to bargain.

Ponte Vecchio

Old Bridge, built in 1345 and modified little since, is one of the many readily identifiable landmark sights of Florence. Shoppers will be glad to know it's also a central location for unique jewelry which you won't find anywhere else. Whether it's a luxury piece from Bucelatti or just a simple, unique design, there's something near the Ponte Vecchio to suit all tastes and budgets.