SACI STUDENT HANDBOOK - UW Study Abroad

SACI STUDENT HANDBOOK 

A Guide to Maximize Your 

SACI Experience.

Front and back cover images: details of Michelangelo’s Sis! ne Chapel. 

SACI STUDENT HANDBOOK 

A Guide to Maximize Your 

SACI Experience. 

Studio Art Centers Interna! onal 

Palazzo dei Cartelloni 

Via Sant’Antonino 11 

50123 Florence - ITALY 

T (+39) 011 055 289948 

F (+39) 011 055 2776408 

info@saci- orence.edu 

www.saci- orence.edu

Contents 

Welcome...........................................7 

SACI Mission Statement....................8 

SACI Facili! es.....................................9 

School Regula! ons and Policies......10 

Housing...........................................12 

Other SACI Services.........................15 

Visitors............................................16 

SACI Academic Informa! on.............17 

Course Informa! on 

Financial Informa! on 

SACI Field Trips................................21 

Florence’s Schedule.........................23 

Health and Safety ............................24 

Fitness Facili! es 

Medical Informa! on 

Safety Informa! on 

Communica! on...............................30 

Telephone 

Fax 

Email & Internet 

Mail 

Money Transac! ons........................34 

Ge" ng Around in Florence.............36 

On Foot 

Bus Service 

Bikes 

Scooters and Mopeds 

Taxis 

Art and School Supplies...................40 

Libraries and Bookstores.................43 

Museums........................................46 

Churches.........................................51 

Measuring Di# erences....................53 

Markets and Shopping.....................54 

Buying Food....................................57 

Ea! ng Out.......................................61 

Nightlife...........................................67 

Travel...............................................69 

Mailing and Shipping.......................72 

Ge" ng Home..................................75 

Appendix of Helpful Info.................77 

4 5

Welcome to Italy, to Florence, and to SACI! 

When you rst arrive, you will be awed by Florence! This handbook is 

meant to help you to understand this fascina! ng city and to u! lize fully 

your ! me here. It is a guide to the many resources, of the city and of our 

school. It includes essen! al informa! on about SACI and this remarkable 

city. 

The possibili! es of Florence cannot be contained in a few neat pages 

and you’ll probably have some addi! onal ques! ons – but we hope this 

handbook will be a useful tool. Addi! onally, there are many good web 

sites out there to help you explore Florence - including the “Student Life” 

sec! on of the SACI web site: www.saci- orence.edu. 

You are in Italy and your experience will be enriched by seeking to 

understand the di# erences, to see them as rich resources for your art. 

The SACI sta# is here to help answer ques! ons you may have. We want 

you to pro t from the educa! onal, cultural, and social possibili! es to the 

fullest, and we look forward to helping you become one of the many SACI 

alumni who say that their ! me here changed their lives. BENVENUTO! 


Please note: Things can change frequently in Italy and we cannot guarantee that all the 

informa! on in this handbook will remain accurate. 

6 7

SACI Mission Statement 

SACI’s mission is to provide a unique, life-enhancing study-abroad experience in the 

center of Florence for students of both tradi! onal and contemporary studio arts and 

design by o# ering: 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Direct access to centuries of Floren! ne and Italian culture; 

A wide range of art and design studios and complementary academic courses of 

outstanding quality; 

The opportunity to be part of an ins! tu! on engaged in leading areas of research 

and explora! on; 

The unparalleled opportunity to interact with the Floren! ne community through a 

variety of social and humanitarian programs. 

SACI Facili! es 



tel. 055 289948 

Administra! ve O" ces 

Open weekdays 9:00am-5:00pm. 

Classrooms and Studios - When school 

is in session, SACI’s Palazzo dei Cartelloni 

is open Monday-Thursday, 8:30am- 

10:00pm; Friday, 8:30am-7:00pm; Saturday 

and Sunday, 1:00pm-7:00pm. 

Library - The SACI Worthington Library 

has numerous school work related ! tles 

in English to choose from, as well as a 

good selec! on of art periodicals, video 

casse$ es, DVDs, CDs, and slides. 

The library is upstairs in SACI’s main building 

and is open seven days a week during 

Fall and Spring terms and six days a week 

(closed Sundays) during the Late Spring 

and Summer terms. Hours are posted each 

term. Five books may be checked out for 

one week at a ! me. For more extensive 

research, students may want to visit some 

of the other libraries around Florence (see 

the Libraries and Bookstores sec! on of this 

handbook). 

Students can sign out video casse$ es 

and DVDs from SACI’s library and use the 

VCR or DVD player in the Clayton Hubbs 

Lecture Hall. The VCR and DVD player are 

available for study-related or recrea! onal 

video viewing during normal studio and 

open studio hours, provided the room and 

equipment are not in use. Students must 

receive approval from the sta# and make 

an appointment to use the equipment. The 

library can accommodate up to ve laptop 

computers for Ethernet connec! on to the 

internet. Wireless access is also available. 

Student Lounge - Upstairs in SACI’s main 

building at the Palazzo dei Cartelloni. Student 

mailboxes, a bulle! n board for no! - 

ces of interest to students, and computers 

are available in the Student Lounge. 

Faculty Lounge, O" ces of the President 

and Dean - Beyond the Student Lounge is 

the Faculty Lounge with faculty mailboxes, 

and beyond this the President’s O% ce. 

The Dean’s O% ce is between the library 

and the classrooms. 

SACI’s Jules Maido# Palazzo 

for the Visual Arts 

Via Sant’Egidio 14 

tel. 055 240910 

Classrooms, Studios, and Graduate Area 

When school is in session during Fall and 

Spring terms, SACI’s Jules Maido# Palazzo 

for the Visual Arts is normally open 

Monday-Thursday, 9:00am-10:00pm; 

Friday, 9:00am-7:00pm; Saturday and 

Sunday, 1:00pm-8:00pm. During Late 

Spring and Summer terms, opening hours 

vary. 

Fuji Studio 

Via Guelfa 85, tel. 055 219914 

Site where SACI Ba! k, Jewelry Design, and 

Serigraphy classes are held. Open Monday- 

Thursday. Open studio ! me on most Fridays. 

Studio hours are announced at the 

beginning of each term. 

Tessilarte 

Via Toselli, 100, tel. 055 364097 

Site where SACI Weaving classes are held. 

Soprintendenza Archeologica 

della Toscana 

Centro di Restauro, Largo Bosche$ o 3 

(So% ano), tel. 055 0949300 

Site where SACI Conserva! on of 

Archaeological Objects classes are held. 

8 9

School Regula! ons and Policies 

A$ endance 

Class a$ endance is compulsory. Only 

absences owing to a documented illness 

or emergency are excused by the Dean. 

Two unexcused absences result in a 

lowering of the grade by 1/3 of a le$ er. 

Two late arrivals to class are considered 

the equivalent of one unexcused absence. 

Students who do not stay for the dura! on 

of a class session will be marked absent. 

Students who miss more than 20% of a 

course due to unexcused absences will not 

receive a passing grade for the course. 

Examina! ons 

Students must take exams at established 

examina! on ! mes. No early exams will 

be given unless special arrangements are 

made with the instructor. Students will 

not be excused from exams or allowed to 

take early or make-up exams due to travel 

arrangements. 

Withdrawal Policy 

Students who withdraw a& er the rst day 

of the term are not eligible for any refund 

of tui! on, housing, or other fees, except 

the general program deposit. Students 

may transfer tui! on only to a future term 

with the approval of the administra! on. 

The SACI applica! on fee is non-refundable. 

Students a$ ending mul! ple terms are 

subject to this policy for all terms of study. 

In addi! on, each student is held liable for 

all costs associated with the collec! on of 

his or her past-due account, including legal 

fees and court costs. Any student who 

withdraws from the term while receiving 

nancial aid must immediately contact 

the Financial Aid Director at his or her 

home ins! tu! on. Students dismissed for 

disciplinary reasons forfeit the privilege of 

a refund. 

Studios 

Studios and equipment are availabile for 

student use during normal school hours. 

Students with classes in the Fuji Studio 

should check with their instructors on 

open studio ! mes. 

School Policies 

1. Unnecessary noise or behavior which 

detracts from the serious use of the 

studios by fellow students is not 

permi$ ed. 

2. Cell phones must be turned o# during 

class ! me, lms, and lectures. Cell 

phones and laptops cannot be used 

during exams. 

3. Walkmans must be used with 

4. 

headphones, so as to not disturb your 

classmates. 

Keep your SACI I.D. cards with you. 

The security sta# might ask you to 

iden! fy yourself. 

5. Clean up a& er you nish working to 

maintain a safe and orderly studio 

space. 

6. Use the studio storage areas. Do not 

leave work dispersed throughout the 

studios or it may be discarded by the 

cleaning or maintenance personnel. 

7. For security reasons, please make sure 

that the front doors are closed at all 

! mes. Do not admit strangers. Report 

any suspicious behavior to the Recep- 

! onist, President, or Dean. Guests 

must register at the Front Desk. 

8. No photocopies are to be made at 

SACI except for class work. You can 

purchase cards for the photocopiers 

at the Front Desk. There are also 

photocopy shops very near the school 

that will do copies on the spot very 

cheaply for you. 

Teaching assistants are authorized to 

10 11 

9. 

10. 

enforce the above regula! ons. Please 

cooperate. 

A security phone tree will be put into 

place in case of a city emergency. 

All students must give their mobile 

or home phone number to the 

Recep! onist at the Front Desk. 

Student Behavior 

SACI expects students to behave in a manner 

which demonstrates good inten! ons, 

mature judgment, and respect for the 

rights of others. Any student who is unable 

to meet these expecta! ons will be required 

to meet with the Dean. Depending 

on the severity of the problem, the home 

school of the student involved may be informed 

of the student’s ac! on. SACI reserves 

the right to expel students, should 

it be necessary. Any criminal acts will be 

dealt with through the proper authori! es. 

SACI considers the following misconduct 

subject to disciplinary ac! on: 

1. Dishonesty in all forms: lying, chea- 

! ng, plagiarism, providing false informa! 

on to SACI, forgery, or use of SACI 

documents with intent to defraud. 

2. Obstruc! on or disrup! on of teaching, 

research, administra! on, or other 

SACI ac! vi! es. 

3. Disrup! ve behavior, including physical 

abuse, assault and ba$ ery, 

harassment or threats to any person 

on SACI premises or at SACI sponsored 

func! ons. This includes drug- and 

alcohol-related behavior. 

4. 

5. 

6. 

7. 

8. 

9. 

Vandalism or the& of SACI property. 

Unauthorized entry to or use of SACI 

facili! es. 

Failure to comply with the requests of 

SACI o% cials. 

Viola! ons of rules governing residence 

in SACI-owned or controlled property. 

Viola! on of Italian laws (e.g., noise). 

SACI policy prohibits the unlawful use, 

sale, dispensing, transfer or possession 

of controlled substances, alcoholic 

beverages, drugs not medically 

authorized, or any other substance 

that may impair an individual’s academic 

or work performance. No alcohol 

is allowed in SACI and smoking is not 

permi$ ed in SACI facili! es. 

Harassment of any SACI student, employee, 

or other member of the SACI community 

is prohibited and violates federal, state, 

and local law. Harassment includes 

verbal, physical, and visual conduct that 

creates an in! mida! ng, o# ensive, or 

hos! le environment or that interferes 

with work performance. Some examples 

include racial slurs; ethnic jokes; pos! ng 

of o# ensive statements, posters, or 

cartoons; or other similar conduct. Sexual 

harassment includes solicita! on of sexual 

favors, unwelcome sexual advances, or 

other verbal, visual, or physical conduct of 

a sexual nature. 

SACI is commi$ ed to providing a workplace 

free of sexual harassment as well as 

harassment based on such factors as race, 

religion, color, age, sex, na! onal or ethnic 

origin, medical condi! on, disability, sexual 

orienta! on, marital status, or veteran 

status. For more informa! on, please see 

SACI’s Harassment Policy in the General 

Informa! on / SACI Policies sec! on of the 

website: www.saci- orence.edu.

Housing 

Queries about housing should be directed 

to the Housing Director. Should you have 

di% cul! es with your housing situa! on, do 

not hesitate to report them. If you need 

something repaired in your apartment, 

please advise us immediately because 

it takes ! me for repair people to be 

scheduled. Please do not a$ empt to adjust 

the u! lity elements (hea! ng, refrigerator, 

etc.) in your apartments; you will be 

charged if you break them. 

At SACI we believe all students have a right 

to live comfortably while they are here: do 

not put up with behavior from roommates 

that you would not put up with at home. 

About Smoking 

Since some students fail to provide us on 

their housing forms with informa! on on 

their smoking habits, and/or fail to turn in 

forms on ! me, you may nd yourself with 

smoking or non-smoking roommates. The 

general rule is that there is no smoking in 

apartments where there are non-smokers. 

When You Move In 

A SACI representa! ve will meet you at 

your apartment early in the term to go 

over the inventory of the apartment, read 

the meters, go over rules, and show you 

where the circuit breakers are. Make sure 

you sign the inventory list - if not, damages 

may be claimed when you vacate. Be 

respec' ul of your apartment. The owner 

or a housing inspector may decide to drop 

in on you one day to say hello and check 

things out, so keep your dwelling livable 

and presentable. 

Housing Rules 

1. Overnight guests are not allowed. 

This policy is required by Italian law. The 

SACI sta# will be happy to help you nd affordable 

accommoda! ons for family members 

or friends, or see the Visitors sec! on 

of this handbook. 

2. Keep your apartment clean. 

Dump your garbage promptly outside in 

the garbage bins with the blue lid (the blue 

domed bins are for glass & plas! c recycling 

and the bins with the yellow lids are for paper 

and cardboard). Don’t leave garbage in 

your apartment or in the hall - you don’t 

want to a$ ract insects or worse. 

3. No noise a% er 10:30 pm. 

Remember that your apartment is not a 

dorm room and you have working Italian 

neighbors, so keep the noise down. A& er 

10:30 pm, Italian law requires that noise 

be kept to a bare minimum. If you create 

excessive noise, your neighbors may call 

the police, and you may be ned. Your behavior 

re ects on all foreigners in Florence, 

so be considerate guests and neighbors. 

4. Be gentle with the plumbing. 

Florence’s sewer system dates back to 

the Renaissance, when art was blooming 

but sanita! on was not. Only toilet paper 

should go down the toilet. Tampons, sanitary 

napkins, and other heavy paper goods 

may clog your toilet, as well as the plumbing 

in the rest of your building. Accumulated 

hair can also cause stopped drains. 

Not only will you be responsible for paying 

the plumbing bill, but worse: plumbers 

can take a long ! me to show up and solve 

your problem. Crack open your bathroom 

windows (other windows, too, if possible) 

a& er taking a shower to let humidity out, 

otherwise mildew will grow on the walls. 

5. Be careful with voltage adapters and 

electricity. 

Electricity shorts out frequently in Florence 

so don’t overload the system – if the washer 

is going, you may want to wait before 

turning on the radio or drying your hair. 

Many voltage adapters for appliances can 

short out the en! re electrical system. This 

can also be dangerous. If you need a hair 

dryer, it’s a good idea to pool money with 

your roommates to buy a cheap, safe Italian 

one. (A warning: in some Italian apartments, 

outlets are found dangerously near 

showers and baths…be careful when using 

electrical equipment in the bathroom!!!) 

6. Do not paint in your apartment or use 

tape on your walls. 

Tape tears the paint and some! mes the 

plaster o# the wall when removed. Remember 

that you will have to pay for damages. 

If the lights suddenly go out... 

If the electricity goes o# in your apartment, 

rst turn o# all electrical appliances. Then 

check the main switch or circuit breaker 

and push it to the on posi! on (you will be 

shown where this is during the ini! al visit 

from a SACI representa! ve). This usually 

works to reconnect the current. 

U! li! es 

Meter boxes are labeled: ENEL for electricity, 

GAS for gas, and ACQUA for water. 

SACI will take a reading when you move 

in and when you vacate the apartment. 

The u! li! es allowance should be more 

than enough to keep you comfortable, 

but u! li! es cost substan! ally more than 

in the States. Remember to turn o# lights 

and water taps and turn down the heat 

when you are not in your apartment. 

If you are curious about your energy 

expenditures and need help calcula! ng, 

you can always bring your meter 

readings to the Housing Director to do a 

quick calcula! on. Remember: If you’ve 

been using excess energy, your general 

program deposit will su# er accordingly. 

Phones 

Although SACI apartments are not 

equipped with telephones, many have 

wireless capability. Pay phones can be 

found almost everywhere, and many 

students buy or rent cell phones. (See the 

Communica! on sec! on for informa! on.) 

Laundromats 

Most SACI apartments are provided with 

washers, but dryers in Italy are very rare. 

Your apartment will have a clothesline 

or drying rack. Here are some local 

laundromats for dry cleaning or when a 

tumble dry is necessary: 

Elensec 

Via San Gallo 52/r, tel. 055 483415. Dry 

cleaning and laundry service. 

Lavanderia Duomo 

Piazza S. Benede$ o 1/r, tel. 055 2382249. 

Dry cleaning and laundry service. 

Onda Blu 

Via degli Alfani 24/b-r. American style, 

self-serve. 

Self Service Wash & Go 

Via Faenza 26/r. American style, selfserve. 

12 13

Wash & Dry 

Via dei Servi 105/r, Via dei Serragli 87/r, 

Via Nazionale 129/r, Via Ghibellina 143/r, 

Via della Scala 52-54/r (more located in 

various spots around the city). American 

style, self-serve. Open 7 days a week. 

About Mail 

Please arrange to have mail sent to the 

general SACI address instead of having it 

sent to your apartment. Why? Because the 

owner won’t send your mail back when 

you move, but SACI will. Bring any mail or 

bills concerning your apartment received 

at your apartment to the Housing Director. 

The address is: 

Your name 

c/o SACI - Via Sant’Antonino 11 

50123 Firenze, Italy 

About Mosquitoes 

In warm weather, mosquitoes nd Italy an 

appe! zing place. To avoid sleepless nights 

and walls stained with squashed invaders, 

you can buy a “Vape” (a small plug-in device 

which radiates bug-retardant vapor) at 

any local supermarket or hardware store. 

These kill the mosquitoes (zanzare). But 

do leave the windows cracked open. 

When You Move Out 

On the day your lease ends, your apartment 

must be cleaned, all keys returned, 

and all of your belongings removed. If you 

need further housing, SACI will be happy 

to assist you. Please, let us know well in 

advance. The SACI o% ce in New York will 

refund your general program deposit to 

you by mail, but make sure we have your 

correct forwarding address. 

It is your responsibility to do the 

following: 

1. Clean the en! re house, including 

oors, bathroom, and oven. 

2. A& er emptying and cleaning the 

refrigerator, unplug it and leave its 

door open so mold doesn’t form. 

3. If you have ! me, machine-wash all 

sheets provided by the landlord. 

4. All garbage, bo$ les, etc., must be 

removed. Burnt-out lightbulbs must 

be replaced. 

5. Return all furniture, curtains, pictures, 

knick-knacks, etc., to their original 

posi! ons. Please be careful – an! ques 

can be fragile. 

6. Double-check to make sure that no 

school or personal materials (books, 

easels, drawing boards, clothes, etc.) 

have been le& behind. 

7. Turn o# the hot water, heat, and gas 

(if possible). 

8. Close all windows and shu$ ers. 

9. Lock the front door (and back door, if 

there is one). 

10. Return your keys to the Housing 

Director. 

Important! 

The cost of any repairs necessary to restore 

your apartment to its original condi! on 

will be deducted equally from the general 

program deposits of all housemates 

concerned, unless the Housing Director 

is informed in wri! ng of the responsible 

party. This must be agreed to in a statement 

signed by all housemates. Repairs include 

cleaning, laundering, xing, replacing, 

pain! ng, changing locks due to missing 

keys, etc. 

Other SACI Services 

Italian Exchange Program 

SACI’s conversa! on exchange program 

is a great way to make friends, improve 

your Italian language skills and experience 

Italian life. A& er discussion with the Italian 

instructor, you may be assigned an Italian 

conversa! on partner to meet with for at 

least two hours a week outside of school 

hours. Many SACI students become close 

friends with their conversa! on partners, 

and even correspond with them for years 

a& erwards. And what be$ er way to get to 

know Florence than with an Italian friend? 

Extracurricular Ac! vi! es 

The Administra! ve sta# can provide you 

with informa! on about di# erent cultural 

and spor! ng ac! vi! es in Florence. SACI 

no! ce boards adver! se various events 

going on in Florence and the rest of Italy. 

Lockers 

There are many lockers for studio ar! sts. 

Purchase your own small keylocks. First 

come, rst served! 

SACI I.D. Cards 

At the beginning of each term, SACI 

I.D. cards are handed out. It is useful to 

keep your card on you at all ! mes to get 

discounts at certain local shops and banks 

(including art supply stores), for security 

reasons, and in order to check out books 

from the library. 

Exhibi! ons 

Exhibi! ons of artwork completed by 

students for SACI classes are held 

throughout the year. At the end of every 

academic year an exhibi! on of student 

artwork is held in the SACI art gallery. It is 

a juried art show, and prizes are awarded. 

During the term, faculty and visi! ng ar! sts 

are o& en invited to exhibit their work in 

the gallery space. 

14 15

Visitors 

Please remember that overnight guests are 

not allowed in the SACI apartments. This 

policy is required by Italian law. SACI has a 

list of hotel possibili! es for hos! ng friends 

and family, ranging from the elegant hotel 

to the comfortable pensione or hostel, 

and can recommend restaurants within 

parental (or other) nancial ranges. 

Hotels 

Here are some recommended hotels for 

your rela! ves and friends when they visit 

Florence. (Prices vary according to the 

season and whether the bathroom is in 

the room or down the hall.) 

Baglioni **** 

Piazza dell’Unità 6, tel. 055 23580, www. 

hotelbaglioni.it 

Gallery Hotel Art **** 

Vicolo dell’Oro 5, tel. 055 27263, www. 

lungarnohotels.com 

Globus *** 

Via Sant’Antonino 24, tel. 055 211062, 

www.hotelglobus.com. Men! on SACI and 

you’ll get a discount. 

Hotel Guelfo Bianco *** 

Via Cavour 29, tel. 055 288330, 

www.ilguelfobianco.it 

Hotel City *** 

Via Sant’Antonino 18, tel. 055 211543, 

www.hotelcity.net 

Palazzo Benci *** 

Piazza Madonna degli Aldobrandini 3, 

tel. 055 217049, www.palazzobenci.com 

Hotel Loggiato de’ Servi! *** 

Piazza San! ssima Annunziata 3, 

tel. 055 289592, 

www.loggiatodeiservi! hotel.it 

Hotel Centro ** 

Via de’ Ginori 17, tel. 055 2302901, 

www.hotelcentro.net 

Concordia ** 

Via dell’Amorino 14, tel. 055 213233, 

www.albergoconcordia.it 

Hotel Tina * 

Via San Gallo 31, tel. 055 4625016, 

www.hotel! na.it 

Bed & Breakfast 

Palazzo Galle& 

Via Sant’Egidio 12, tel. 055 218046, 

www.palazzogalle" .it 

Abatjour ECO-Friendly B&B 

Viale Cadorna, 12, tel. 055 485688, 

www.@abatjour orence.it 

Hostels 

Hostel Archi Rossi 

Via Faenza 94/r, tel. 055 290804, 

www.hostelarchirossi.com 

Hostel Santa Monaca 

Via S. Monaca 6, 

tel. 055 268338, 0552396704, 

www.ostello.it 

Hostel Gallo d’Oro 

Via Cavour 104, tel. 055 5522964, 

www.ostellogallodoro.com 

Campgrounds 

Campeggio Italiani e Stranieri 

Viale Michelangelo 80 (near Piazzale 

Michelangelo), tel. 055 6811977. 

A tent-site with a view (bus #12 or 13). 

Campeggio Villa Camerata 

Viale Righi 2/a, tel. 055 601451. This 

campground has a hostel too. Slightly out 

of town (bus #17). 

SACI Academic Informa! on 

COURSE INFORMATION 

Orienta! on 

Upon arrival students a$ end a complete 

orienta! on program to acquaint them 

with the city, language, food, monuments, 

and social customs in Florence. Students 

visit the outdoor markets, the post o% ce, 

banks, various museums and palazzi, and 

art supply stores. Students are provided 

with a detailed orienta! on packet 

describing all aspects of life in Florence. An 

informal recep! on for students and faculty 

opens each term. 

Classes 

Art classes normally meet with instructors 

for 90 hours per term (including eld 

trips). For each studio course, students are 

expected to ful ll a minimum of 45 hours 

of addi! onal studio ! me per term beyond 

the class hours. Students who wish to preregister 

for courses at the Intermediate 

or Advanced level must include with their 

applica! ons slides, photos, CDs, or videos 

of work already undertaken in these areas 

of study. 

Academic Studies Department classes 

normally meet with instructors for 45 

hours per term (including eld trips). 

In all classes, students have assignments 

beyond regular class hours. A$ endance is 

mandatory for all classes. All classes are 

taught in English, with the excep! on of 

Italian language classes. 

Audits 

Students can audit a class by special 

permission and only if the class is taken as 

one of the ve possible classes selected 

at registra! on in the Fall/Spring terms or 

one of the two possible classes selected 

at registra! on in the Late Spring/Summer 

terms. Students who do not wish to receive 

credit for an academic course may audit 

the course if their home school approves. 

Students are not permi$ ed to audit studio, 

conserva! on, or crea! ve wri! ng courses. 

Students cannot receive credit for an 

audited class. 

Directed Independent Study 

The Directed Independent Study (DIS) 

is intended to be a structured course 

designed coopera! vely between the 

instructor and the individual student. 

The DIS must meet a speci c educa! onal 

need per! nent to individual ar! s! c or 

scholarly development that cannot be met 

through regular course work. A DIS can 

be undertaken only in the Fall or Spring 

terms. Those wishing to pursue a DIS must 

be either (1) advanced students in good 

standing who have been at SACI for at least 

one semester or (2) post-baccalaureate 

or master’s degree candidates in good 

standing. 

A student who wishes to undertake a 

DIS must obtain from the Registrar a DIS 

proposal form and indicate on the form the 

objec! ves and study plan of the DIS. The 

student, instructor teaching the DIS, and 

appropriate Area Head must then sign this 

form. The completed DIS proposal form 

must then be submi$ ed by the student to 

the Registrar. 

The student and instructor are expected 

to meet weekly throughout the term for 

16 17

approximately one hour each session for a 

total of twelve contact hours. In addi! on, 

each week the student is expected to work 

independently on the DIS for at least 5 

hours (if the DIS is in an academic area) 

or 8 hours (if the DIS is in a studio area). 

A DIS may u! lize facili! es and resources 

both within and outside SACI. A student 

undertaking a DIS is graded in the same 

manner as in other courses. 

Lectures 

SACI hosts a lecture series featuring 

interna! onal painters, sculptors, designers, 

lmmakers, cri! cs, museum directors, art 

historians, conservators, historians and 

other academics, and prominent gures 

in the worlds of Italian art and culture. 

Students are urged to a$ end these 

lectures. Keep in mind that some lectures 

are mandatory for certain classes. 

Grades 

SACI students are graded on the A-F le$ er 

scale. Year/Semester Abroad Program 

students can opt to be graded on a Pass/ 

Fail basis if their home school approves. 

Students who do not wish to receive 

credit for an academic course may audit 

the course if their home school approves. 

Students are not permi$ ed to audit studio, 

conserva! on, or crea! ve wri! ng courses. 

Following the add/drop period, students 

cannot change their status. 

Students who withdraw from a class before 

the mid-term break in the Fall and Spring 

terms, or before the end of the second week 

of classes in the Late Spring and Summer 

terms, will receive a Withdraw Passing 

(WP). Those who withdraw from a course 

a& er these periods will receive a Withdraw 

Failing (WF). All class withdrawals must be 

approved by the SACI Registrar. 

If course work is not completed by the 

last day of term, students will receive an 

Incomplete for the course. The Incomplete 

will automa! cally become an “F” if all 

course work is not completed by March 1 

for the Fall term, August 1 for the Spring 

term, or November 1 for the Late Spring 

and Summer terms. 

Credits 

Courses are for 3 credits, except for Late 

Medieval and Early Renaissance Art 

History and High Renaissance, Mannerist, 

and Early Baroque Art History, which are 

each for 6 credits with the required eld 

trip component. 

Year/Semester Abroad Program students 

have received credit for their course work 

at SACI from many schools throughout the 

world. 

Transcripts 

An o% cial SACI transcript is issued to 

each student, except for those registered 

as Bowling Green State University guest 

students. Transcripts will not be released 

unless students have returned all SACI 

library books and equipment and paid in 

full all tui! on and fees. 

SACI Alumni Teaching 

Assistantships 

The SACI Teaching Assistantship Program 

has o# ered alumni the opportunity to 

realize their personal, ar! s! c, and cultural 

goals while assis! ng SACI sta# and faculty 

to pass on their knowledge to a new student 

body. TAs are needed in the following 

areas: photography; conserva! on; and art 

history. TA applica! ons are not currently 

being sought in the design, 2-D, or 3-D 

areas. 

Eligibility: SACI alumni interested in living 

for two terms in Florence who have studio 

and some o% ce skills, a desire to work 

within their own area of specializa! on, and 

have completed their BA or BFA degree are 

invited to apply. Preference, however, will 

be given to those who have completed 

their MA or MFA. 

Requirements 

Le$ er describing why you think 

this is an appropriate choice for 

you and in what ways you think you 

can be valuable to SACI. You should 

speci cally indicate the areas at SACI 

in which you would be able to work 

as a TA. 

18 19 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Your curriculum vitae. 

Transcripts from all colleges and universi! 

es you a$ ended. 

For photography applicants: Por' olio 

of 20 slides of your work or a CD. 

For art history applicants: An essay 

wri$ en by you on an art-historical 

topic. 

For conserva! on applicants: An essay 

wri$ en by you on a conserva! on topic 

and a slide por' olio or CD of works 

restored by you. 

One recommenda! on from someone 

with whom you have been working 

during the past year. 

Award: TAs are employed from the 

beginning of September through the end 

of April. The award is $1120 per month, 

and it is subject to US tax withholding. 

NOTE: SACI does not pay for the TA’s 

transporta! on to and from Florence nor 

for the TA’s housing. 

Deadline: Completed applica! ons must be 

received at SACI by May 1. 

In order to ensure your applica! on arrives 

on ! me, mail it at least one month ahead 

or use an express mail service. The 

applica! on should be mailed directly to: 

Dean 




50123 Florence, ITALY 

Return of Submi$ ed Materials: Materials 

submi$ ed by applicants will be retained 

by SACI. Applicants should therefore not 

submit originals of art history essays or art 

conserva! on essays. Slide por' olios and 

CDs will be returned to applicants only if 

applicants submit with their applica! ons 

self-addressed stamped envelopes (SASE) 

with su% cient postage to pay for the 

return of these items. Those who want 

their por' olios returned to an address in 

the US should use US stamps on the SASE; 

those who want their por' olios returned 

to an address outside of the US should use 

Italian stamps on the SASE. 

FINANCIAL INFORMATION 

Year/Semester Abroad Program, 

Late Spring Term, and Summer 

Term 

Current federal regula! ons permit applying 

Direct Loans (Sta# ord and PLUS) to study 

abroad, provided credits awarded for that 

study are counted towards gradua! on 

requirements by a cer! cate-, diploma-, 

or degree-gran! ng ins! tu! on. Before 

making formal applica! on to SACI, Year/ 

Semester Abroad, Late Spring term, and 

Summer term students receiving nancial

aid should consult their home ins! tu! on’s 

nancial aid o% ce about expending such 

funds for enrollment. Students should also 

check with their university’s nancial aid 

o% ce about applying private university 

funds to study abroad. 

Students applying for nancial aid directly 

through SACI will be required to complete 

a Free Applica! on for Federal Student Aid 

(FAFSA) online at www.fafsa.ed.gov and list 

SACI’s federal school code-G30501 in the 

school sec! on. FAFSA applica! ons should 

be submi$ ed by SACI’s priority ling date 

of March 15 for the Fall and October 1 for 

the Spring. 

BGSU Master of Fine Arts Program 

First Year in Florence at SACI 

Students in this program should consult 

the Financial Aid O% ce at Bowling Green 

State University about nancial aid op! ons 

for students in these programs. 

Scholarships 

There are a number of scholarship opportuni! 

es for undergraduate and graduate 

study at SACI. They are awarded on the 

basis of both talent and need. Except for 

scholarships for children of SACI alumni, 

SACI scholarships are available for the Fall 

and Spring terms only. 

SACI scholarships include: the Interna! onal 

Incen! ve Awards, which encourage 

par! cipa! on by under represented minori! 

es in overseas study; the Anna K. 

Meredith Scholarships, which aid general 

undergraduate study; the Clare Bre$ Smith 

Scholarship, which is given in photography; 

the Lile Cassin Scholarship, which is given 

in video produc! on; the Gillian Award 

of $3000 for a female student; the Jules 

Maido# Scholarship of $2500; the Elizabeth 

A. Sackler Museum Educa! onal Trust SACI 

Scholarship of up to $7,500 for both Fall 

and Spring terms to a female student with 

demonstrated ar! s! c achievement and 

nancial need; and the SACI Consor! um 

Scholarship, which awards full tui! on to a 

student from a SACI Consor! um school. 

For more scholarship informa! on, contact 

the New York o% ce or see the SACI web 

site. 

Tui! on, Fees, and Expenses 

The SACI Calendar and Fee Schedule lists 

tui! on, fees, and housing costs for study 

at SACI. In addi! on to these costs, several 

courses have materials fees which are 

payable upon arrival in Florence. All fees 

must be paid by the indicated deadlines or 

covered by nancial aid. 

All students must provide their own 

transporta! on to and from Florence. 

Most students take advantage of the 

SACI ight with group departure and oneyear 

open return. A SACI representa! ve 

meets the group ights and provides 

housing placements and other orienta! on 

informa! on. 

Books for courses and other supplies 

related to the student’s studies can be 

purchased in Florence. SACI students are 

en! tled to discounts at local art supply 

stores. Students planning their budgets 

should allow approximately $1,525 a 

month for food, supplies, and personal 

expenses (based on the current rate of 

exchange and par! cular needs). 

SACI Field Trips 

SACI’s eld trips are o& en what our students 

cite as among their most rewarding 

experiences in Italy. Not only do you have 

a chance to explore the areas outside 

Florence, but you also have an exclusive 

view, courtesy of SACI art historians, of 

the history and art history of Italy. Some 

of these trips are mandatory for history of 

art students, who receive priority sea! ng 

on buses, but, room permi" ng, other 

students may arrange to par! cipate. 

Watch for detailed informa! on posted on 

the bulle! n boards. 

In addi! on to the art history trips, most 

studio courses include trips as part of 

their regular instruc! on. SACI runs over 

120 eld trips each Fall and Spring term 

to museums, exhibi! ons, ar! st studios, 

workshops, and key sites. The cost of these 

class eld trips is covered by your tui! on. 

Pisa and Lucca 

Required for Early Renaissance art students. 

O# ered every term. 

These two great proto-Renaissance 

Romanesque ci! es provide a spectacular 

day trip. In Pisa, students visit the Piazza 

dei Miracoli, the sculpture museum, the 

cathedral, its bap! stry and holy cemetery 

(Campo Santo), and, of course, the worldfamous 

Leaning Tower. The walled city of 

Lucca is the site of many inspiring churches 

as well as the 12th-century cathedral of 

San Mar! no. 

Siena and San Gimignano 


O# ered every term. 

In the morning, students view the quiet 

beauty of Siena, a 13th-century city 

renowned for banking, its interna! onally 

famous university, and legendary horse 

race, the Palio. They tour Siena’s famous 

town hall (Palazzo Pubblico), cathedral, 

bap! stry, and museum housing the 

“Maestà.” The next stop is the towered 

village of San Gimignano, famed for its 

beau! fully frescoed Collegiate church and 

its medieval towers. 

Rome 

Three-day trip; required for High Renaissance 

art students. O# ered Fall and 

Spring Terms. 

Students see all the major sights of 

Rome in this excep! onal three-day tour 

of the Va! can, St. Peter’s Cathedral, the 

Colosseum, the Roman Forum, and more. 

Students also travel outside Rome to see 

Tivoli and Hadrian’s villa. 

Arezzo, Urbino, and Sansepolcro 

Two-day trip; required for Early Renaissance 

art students. O# ered Fall and Spring 

terms. 

O& en cited for the serene landscape 

and these scenic Italian villages, the 

mountainous Umbrian region is a place of 

great natural beauty. Highlights include the 

restored works of Piero Della Francesca, 

the beau! es of the Casen! no, and the 

great palace at Urbino. A SACI favorite, this 

overnight trip is highly recommended. 

Fiesole 

Required for art history students. O# ered 

every term. 

20 21

Fiesole is a beau! ful Etruscan hilltop town 

with an extraordinary view of Florence. 

Students visit the Roman amphitheater, 

bishop’s church, and remarkable Franciscan 

monastery. 

Venice 

Op! onal two-day trip; modest fee for 

hotel. O# ered Fall and Spring term. 

Students explore the legendary city of 

romance, canals, and Mediterranean 

commerce on this two-day trip. This ancient 

republic, the “Serenissima,” is the site of 

the Doge’s Palace, St. Mark’s Cathedral, 

and the stupendous masterpieces of the 

Vene! an Accademia and Correr Museum 

(Ti! an, Canale$ o, Veronese, Bellini, Tiepolo). 

Students can also visit the Peggy 

Guggenheim collec! on of modern art and 

the exhibi! ons in Palazzo Grassi. Every 

other year we visit the world-famous 

art fair, the Biennale. In the Spring term, 

the trip occurs during Venice’s famed 

Carnevale. 

Vinci and the Medici Villas 

Required for High Renaissance art students. 

O# ered Fall and Spring terms. 

Students visit the museum devoted to 

Leonardo da Vinci in the famed master’s 

home town, as well as the Mannerist villas 

of the Medici (Demido# , Ar! mino, and 

Poggio a Caiano). 

Bologna 



Bologna boasts some of the nest 

Renaissance works in central Italy. Students 

see the great Della Quercia sculpture in 

the cathedral and the pain! ngs in the 

Pinacoteca. 

The Certosa of Galluzzo 



This remarkable monastery just outside 

of Florence s! ll houses monks as well 

as some of Pontormo’s last and most 

beau! ful works. 

Ravenna 



Students visit one of the capitals of the 

Byzan! ne culture and see beau! ful 

mosaics, the ivory throne of Bishop 

Maximian, and other pre-Renaissance 

works of art in this city of Early Chris! an 

and Byzan! ne art. 

Pompeii, Naples and Herculaneum 

Op! onal three-day trip. O# ered Spring 

term. 

Students visit the great Roman ci! es which 

were covered by ash in the erup! on of 

Mount Vesuvius, the Naples Archaeological 

Museum, and the famous art museum 

of Capo di Monte. 

Florence’s Schedule 

Florence’s schedule is very di# erent from 

the hec! c, on-the-go rou! ne in most 

North American ci! es. Why? Because 

Italy is a land with hundreds of years of 

tradi! on, and in some ways it s! ll belongs 

to its past. The schedule that Florence lives 

by is based on an agricultural life, when it 

simply got too hot in the early a& ernoon 

(from about 1:00pm to 3:00pm) to work 

in the elds. This ! me became the part of 

the day when the en! re family gathered 

together to enjoy the midday meal. Even 

today, the long lunch break is a treasured 

Italian tradi! on and many people (including 

business people and school children) s! ll 

try to return home during the a& ernoon 

break to relax and spend ! me with their 

loved ones. 

Banks 

Open weekdays, 8:20am-1:20pm, and also 

2:45pm-3:45pm. Closed weekends. Hours 

may vary slightly at di# erent banks. All 

banks have cash points for credit card use. 

Food Stores 

June-September: 

Open weekdays, 8:30am-1:00pm and 

4:00pm-8:00pm, Saturday, 9:00am- 

1:00pm. O& en closed Saturday a& ernoons 

and all day Sunday. 

October-May: 

Open weekdays and Saturdays, 8:30am- 

1:00pm, 3:30pm-7:30pm. O& en closed 

Wednesday a& ernoons and all day Sunday. 

Open Markets 

Open Monday-Saturday, 8:00am-1:00pm. 

Closed Sunday. Very economical! 

Retail Shops 

Times are changing in Italy and you will nd 

that some stores do not close over lunch. 

However, the general opening hours are 

the following: 

June-September: 

Open weekdays, 9:00am-1:00pm and 


1:00pm. Some close Saturday a& ernoon 

and almost all shops close Sunday. 

October-May: 

Open weekdays, 9:00am-1:00pm, 


1:00pm, 4:00pm-8:00pm. Closed Monday 

morning and Sunday. 

Post O" ces 

The main branch in Piazza Repubblica is 

the nearest post o% ce to the school. Open 

Monday-Friday, 8:15am-7:00pm, Saturday, 

8:15am-1:30pm. 

Other branches: Open weekdays, 8:15am- 

7:00pm, Saturday, 8:15am-12:30pm. 

All post o% ces close early on the last day 

of the month and are closed Sundays. 

www.posteitaliane.it 

Museums 

Museum hours vary; check the Museums 

sec! on of this handbook on p. 46 and consult 

the SACI bulle! n boards for updates. 

Churches 

Typically open 9:00am-noon and 4:00pm- 

6:00 pm. 

22 23

Health and Safety 

You may nd that tness “Italian-style” is 

not the same as in the States. For example, 

runners are hard-pressed to nd the open 

road, but many jog along the river or in the 

Cascine Park. Workout centers in Florence 

also may not be the high-tech facili! es 

you are used to. However, Florence does 

have plenty that should suit your spor! ng 

style: from gyms to yoga or dance. To help, 

we have provided a list here, but ask the 

Recep! onist at the Front Desk if you are 

looking for other speci c ac! vi! es. 

We have also listed important informa- 

! on about doctors and medical facili! es 

in Florence, as well as safety advice which 

should keep you from needing them. 

FITNESS FACILITIES 

Gyms: 

Bene t Club 

Via di S. Salvi 17/r, tel. 055 672565 

Bombo Klaat 

Via Vanini 18, tel. 055 412158 

Budokan (mar! al arts) 

Borgo Pin! 5, tel. 055 2344605 

Centro Yoga 

Via dei Bardi 5, tel. 055 2342703 

Equipe One 

Via Monteverdi 43, tel. 055 362666 

Ginn-Mass 

Via Gordigiani 18, tel. 055 354930 

Gym e Tonic 

Via Leone 10/r, tel. 055 280524 

Gymnasium 

Via Palazzuolo 49/r, tel. 055 293308 

Klab Wellness Center 

Via de’Con! , 7, tel. 055 718 4300 (near 

SACI, but slightly more expensive loca! on) 

Via G.B. Lulli 62, tel. 055 333621 

Ki Dojo 

Via Gordigiani 20/m, tel. 055 362090 

Libertas Judo 

Piazza S.M.Novella 18, tel. 055 294421 

Mee! ng Spor! ng Club 

Via Romito 44, tel. 055 486016 

Nuovo Sakura Club (mar! al arts) 

Via Cosimo il Vecchio 7, tel. 055 419500 

Ricciardi 

Borgo Pin! 75, tel. 055 2478444 

S. Niccolò 

Via S.Miniato 6, tel. 055 2342424 

Silhoue$ e 

Viale dei Mille 97, tel. 055 571488 

Stadio 6 

Viale Maratona 6, tel. 055 572398 

Studio A (also has dance lessons) 

Via de’ Ginori 19, tel. 055 292887 

Swan Gymnas! c Center 

Via de’ Pepi 28, tel. 055 240802 

Time Out 

Via Ponte Sospeso 6, tel. 055 714069 

Yurikukay Karate Club 

Viale Fan! 20, tel. 055 608316 

Spas: 

Soul Space 

Via Sant’Egidio 12, tel. 055 2001794, 

www.soulspace.it 

Hidron 

Via di Gramignano, Campibisenzio, 

tel. 055 892500 

(Bus #35 from Florence’s Santa Maria 

Novella train sta! on.) 

Pools: 

The densely packed city center does not 

o# er a lot of space for pool-sized facili! es, 

so you will probably have to travel outside 

the center to nd a pool. Outside pools are 

only open in the summer. 

A. Franchi (near the soccer stadium) 

Viale Maratona 2, tel. 055 5002225 

Il Pogge$ o 

Via M. Merca! 35, tel. 055484465 

Nannini Bellariva (open air swimming pool 

open in the summer) 

Lungarno A. Moro 6, tel. 055 677521 

Le Pavoniere (open air swimming pool 

open in the summer) 

Via della Catena 4 (inside the Cascine Park), 

tel. 055 3215644 

Paganelli 

Viale Guidoni 208, tel. 055 4379787 

Piscina Costoli (near the soccer stadium 

- open air swimming pool open in the 

summer) 

Viale Paoli, tel. 055 6236027 

MEDICAL INFORMATION 

If you have a medical condi! on that we 

should be aware of (including allergies to 

medicines), please inform the Dean. 

Counseling 

Scholas! c problems should be discussed 

with the appropriate Area Head and/or 

the Dean. 

You can always speak to the Dean about 

any personal problems you may be 

experiencing. Professional counselors who 

speak English can also be recommended. 

Hospitals 

In an emergency, head for the Pronto Soc- 

corso (Emergency Room) sta! on located in 

the front of all major hospitals (see list below). 

There is also a sta! on to the right of 

the Duomo façade. Italian doctors are well 

quali ed and will be able to provide aid, 

even if a translator is not available. 

In emergency cases, you will always 

be treated in public Italian hospitals, 

regardless of health coverage. Do not 

hesitate to go to a hospital if needed! 

If necessary, one of the administra! ve 

sta# will accompany you to the hospital 

to help you with the en! re procedure and 

to translate. Keep the emergency SACI 

numbers handy for assistance during nono% 

ce hours. 

Santa Maria Nuova 

Piazza Santa Maria Nuova 1, tel. 055 27581. 

The Pronto Soccorso is free for emergencies 

and they speak English. 

Careggi Hospital 

Viale Morgagni 85, tel. 055 794111. The 

Pronto Soccorso is free for emergencies 

and they speak English. 

Is! tuto Ortopedico Toscano 

Viale Michelangelo 41, tel. 055 6577249 

English-Speaking Doctors 

If you have a problem, speak to one of the 

sta# . SACI keeps a list of English-speaking 

doctors in a wide range of specializa! ons. 

Or call one of the following directly: 

Dr. Stephen Kerr 

An English general prac! ! oner who lives 

and prac! ces in Florence. Piazza Mercato 

Nuovo 1, Studio Medico, 4th oor, (very 

close to Piazza della Signoria), tel. 055 

288055 (o% ce), 335 8361682 (cell). Walk- 

24 25

in hours are weekdays from 3:00pm- 

5:00pm or call for an appointment. 

www.dr-kerr.com 

Dr. Gabriella Friedl 

A general prac! ! oner and pulmonary 

specialist. Piazza de l’Unità Italiana 7 

(upstairs in the Studio Medico o% ces near 

the pharmacy). Available Monday through 

Friday without an appointment from 

2:00pm-4:00pm. 055-287383 (phone), 

349 7319461 (cell). 

Dr. Francesco Porro 

A general prac! ! oner. Is! tuto Fanfani, 

Piazza della Indipendenza 16. Available for 

house calls. 338-8203612 (cell). 

email: docporro@alice.it 

Medical Service Firenze 

Via Lorenzo il Magni co 59, tel. 055 

475411. A doctor is on call 24 hours a day. 

They provide medical service in a variety 

of languages for a range of problems. They 

will also make house calls. Walk in hours: 

weekdays, 11:00am-12:00pm & 5:00pm- 

6:00pm, Saturday, 11:00am-12:00pm. 

A Medical Service Firenze doctor is also 

available in Florence’s historic center at 

Via Porta Rossa 1. Monday-Saturday, 1:00- 

3:00 pm. 

www.medicalservice. renze.it 

email: medserv@! n.it 

Guardia Medica Turis! ca 

This inexpensive Catholic medical clinic is 

located just around the corner from the 

Duomo. Vicolo degli Adimari 1, tel. 055 

212221. Open Monday-Friday, 2:00pm- 

4:00pm. 

Dr. Barbara Brodbeck 

Gynecologist 

Via dello Statuto 7, tel. 055 461465 

(o% ce), 335 8353612 (cell). Credit cards 

not accepted. 

Dr. Mariarosaria di Tommaso 

Gynecologist 

Via Ponteo Neri 4, tel. 055 476749 

Dr. Margaret Mary Runge 

Psychologist 

Via Antonio Scialoia 23, tel. 349 7169302, 

email: dr_runge@hotmail.it 

Dr. Mary Ann Bellini 

Psychologist 

Lungarno Cellini 25, tel. 055 680721 

(o% ce), 055 701548 (home). 

email: maryasan@! n.it 

Dr. Linda For! ni 

Psychologist 

Via Gambologna 5/A, tel. 055 577127 

Drs. Giovanni and Riccardo Bindi 

Den! sts 

Via Carducci 16, tel. 055 2638544 

Dr. Daniela Signorelli 

Orthodon! st 

Piazza Indipendenza 21, tel. 055 496506. 

Received orthodon! c training in the U.S. 

Support Groups 

Alcoholics Anonymous (and Narco! cs 

Anonymous) at St. James American Church. 

Via Rucellai 9, tel. 055 294417. 

Artemisia (Women’s Center Against Domes! 

c Violence) Via Mezze$ a 1 int, tel. 

055 602311. All services free of charge. 

Pharmacies 

Look for the neon green cross which indicates 

a pharmacy. Pharmacists in Italy go 

through intensive training and are usually 

quali ed to give medical advice on minor 

ailments. Try to ll prescrip! ons BEFORE 

you come to Italy, as it is some! mes dif- 

cult to ll a foreign prescrip! on. Pack 

medica! on in your carry-on if you need it 

o& en. You may have trouble ge" ng medicines 

through customs. 

On each pharmacy door, there is a list of 

the closest “farmacie di turno” (pharmacies 

open at night or Sundays/holidays). 

Farmacia Codeca 

Via de’ Ginori 50/r, tel. 055 210849. 

English-speaking pharmacists Fahdi and 

Benede$ a can translate and interpret your 

prescrip! ons for you; they are old friends 

of SACI. 

Farmacia della Stazione 

Via Panzani, 65/r, tel. 055 215188. This 

pharamacy is very close to the school 

and is owned by friends of SACI (Dr. 

Biagio and Dr. Antonio Pinto). Not only 

can you get advice about medica! ons 

from their English-speaking pharmacists, 

How to be sick in Italian 

but you can also bene t from a discount 

to SACI students for cosme! cs and nonpharmaceu! 

cal products. 

24-Hour Pharmacies: Some pharmacies 

o# er 24-hour service. You may be 

charged a slight “diri$ o di chiamata” (night 

call tax) for late-night purchases. And you 

may also have to ring a door bell for service 

if the pharmacy appears to be closed. 

Farmacia Molteni 

Open 24 hours. 

Via Calzaiuoli 7/r (Piazza Signoria), 

tel. 055 289490 

Farmacia All’Insegna del Moro 


Piazza S. Giovanni 20r (Piazza Duomo), 

tel. 055 211343 

Farmacia Comunale 


Piazza Stazione (inside the train sta! on), 

tel. 055 216761 

Allergy Allergia Flu In uenza 

An! bio! c An! bio! co Fracture Fra" ura 

Band-aid Cero" o Headache Mal di testa 

Blood Sangue Heat Stroke Insolazione 

Broken Bones Ossa ro" e Indiges! on Indiges! one 

Bruise Livido Irrita! on Irritazione 

Burn Bruciatura Jet Lag Fuso orario 

Cold Ra# reddore Mo! on Sickness Mal d’Auto 

Cold Sweat Sudori freddi Nausea Nausea 

Cough Tosse Shivers Brividi 

Cramps Crampi Sprain Torsione 

Cut Ferita Stomach ache Mal di Pancia 

Diarrhea Diarrea Sunburn Sco" atura 

Faint Svenimento Thrush Candida 

Fever Febbre Vomit Vomito 

26 27

Farmacia dell’Ospedale di Santa Nuova 

Piazza Santa Maria Nuova 1, 

tel. 055 27581 

SAFETY INFORMATION 

Compared to American ci! es, Florence is 

rela! vely safe. However, please keep in 

mind that Florence is a city and follow the 

same basic safety precau! ons you would 

anywhere else. 

You can usually walk around central 

Florence un! l 11 p.m., but remember that 

it is safer to walk in well-lit areas, where 

there are other people around, rather than 

taking the dark side streets. As always, 

walking in a group is the best way to avoid 

problems. 

While it can be a lot of fun during the day, 

the Cascine Park is not advisable a& er 

dark. If you run into problems, phone one 

of the emergency numbers listed below. 

Do not take risks that you would not take 

at home. 

SACI can be reached by phone 24-hours/ 

day, 7-days/week. When SACI is open 

(Monday-Thursday, 8:30 am - 10:00 pm; 

Friday, 8:30 am - 7:00 pm; Saturday- 

Sunday, 1:00 pm-7:00 pm), call (39) 055 

289948. For emergencies, when SACI is 

closed, call (39) 347 7738076. 

Security Guidelines 

The American Consulate has asked all 

students for their coopera! on in helping 

with the security of US schools. SACI is 

regularly updated on security issues by 

the State Department, via the American 

Consulate in Florence. 

Be responsible about access to the school. 

Do not admit strangers into SACI buildings. 

Report any suspicious persons to the 

school administra! on immediately. Keep 

your SACI I.D. card with you as you may be 

asked to iden! fy yourself by the security 

sta# . Make sure that all entryways to SACI 

buildings are securely closed. 

Place your keys on the SACI key ring that 

you receive during orienta! on. Carry 

the key ring with you at all ! mes. It has 

on it phone numbers for SACI facili! es, 

emergency use, and taxi companies. 

Always let someone know when and where 

you are going on a trip. Never leave or stay 

away overnight without informing SACI or 

your friends of your plans. If your return is 

delayed, let someone here know! 

Don’t forget your passport when you 

travel. You will need it for I.D. and to check 

into hotels. 

Pickpockets 

Unfortunately, pickpockets are a reality in 

Florence. Be especially careful on crowded 

buses, which allow nimble- ngered thieves 

the perfect opportunity to snag wallets 

from purses, pants, or jacket pockets. On 

the street, gypsies (even the children) have 

ingenious ways to distract you so they can 

pick your pocket. 

Beware of anyone holding out a piece of 

cardboard or folded newspaper – it’s a 

popular ruse. It is not at all rude to hold 

your private possessions close to you when 

passing a group of gypsies. 

To be on the safe side, please consider the 

following advice: 

Do not carry your passport, ight 

! ckets, or large amounts of cash on 

your person. 

Carry your money and credit cards 

separately in more than one place. 

Carry iden! ca! on at all ! mes. 

Make photocopies of all important 

documents to carry with you, and 

store the originals in a safe place. 

28 29 

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

If Something Is Lost or Stolen 

The City Lost and Found O% ce (U% cio 

Ogge" Smarri! del Comune di Firenze) is at 

Via Francesco Veracini, 5/5 (Piazza Puccini 

- Via Maragliano area), tel. 055 334802. 

Open in the morning Monday-Friday 9:00 

am - 12:30pm (Tues. & Thurs. also open in 

the a& ernoon 2:30pm-4:30pm). 

If something important is lost or stolen, 

you will need to go to the Carabinieri 

(Borgo Ognissan! 48), the Polizia (Via 

Pietrapiana 50/r at Piazza dei Ciompi, tel. 

055 203911), or the Questura (Via Duca 

d’Aosta 3, tel. 055 49771, open 24 hours a 

day for emergencies, but regular hours for 

simple things) and ll out a police report 

(denuncia) at the U% cio Denunce. The 

SACI sta# can help you with this procedure. 

There are English-speaking o% cers who 

can help you ll out your report. You should 

bring some form of iden! ca! on with you. 

The police will provide you with legal proof 

of your loss which is needed when you 

request the replacement of documents. 

If you are insured, the insurance company 

will also want a copy. 

Alcohol and Drugs 

In compliance with the Drug-Free Schools 

and Communi! es Act Amendments of 1989, 

SACI implements a policy which prohibits 

the unlawful use, sale, dispensing, transfer 

or possession of controlled substances, 

alcoholic beverages, drugs not medically 

authorized, or any other substance that 

may impair an individual’s academic or 

work performance. No alcohol is allowed 

in SACI and smoking is permi$ ed only in 

the gardens, and not in SACI facili! es. It is 

the responsibility of each faculty member, 

employee, and student to adhere to this 

policy. Breech of this policy will result 

in disciplinary ac! on which may lead to 

dismissal. 

Alcoholic beverages are o& en stronger 

in Italy than in the USA. It is therefore 

especially important that modera! on be 

prac! ced—and special care should be 

taken, when drinking alcoholic beverages, 

by those using prescrip! on or over-thecounter 

drugs. 

Social Behavior 

Occasionally, males in Florence seem 

aggressively forward. Although they are 

usually harmless, some women may 

consider their advances as harassment. If 

you nd yourself pestered by a persistent 

individual, the best way to rebu# unwanted 

interest is simply to ignore it. If 

you give him a$ en! on, it is more likely to 

persist. If you feel threatened, head for 

the nearest group of people. When alone, 

keep your cell phone on and ready in case 

you wish to call a friend, the police (112), 

or a taxi (055 4242, 055 4390, 055 4798). 

If there’s a problem with one par! cular 

individual, let the Dean know. There is 

a 24-hour police emergency number for 

violence against women or children (tel. 

055 473535). The o% cers usually speak 

English. The Artemesia Women’s Center 

Against Domes! c Violence o# ers many 

services free of charge (tel. 055 602311).

Communica! on 

TELEPHONE 

Pay Phones 

The SACI o% ce sta# is happy to relay messages 

phoned to the general line, but you’ll 

need to nd a pay phone to make personal 

phone calls if you haven’t bought or rented 

a cell phone. 

To make virtually any call (except 

emergency numbers) from a pay phone 

you must start the phone with a coin or 

a scheda telefonica (phone card). Phone 

cards come in di# erent denomina! ons 

and can be purchased at most bars or 

tabacchi shops. These cards will start any 

type of call and will work un! l you run out 

of money on the card. (Remember to tear 

the corner o# to ac! vate.) 

Once you have inserted a coin or card, you 

Police (English spoken) 112 

Ambulance 118 

Fire 115 

Emergency Phone Numbers 

will be able to dial a local or foreign number 

directly (using the correct interna! onal 

codes), call a long-distance operator (see 

list below), or dial the access number for 

interna! onal phone cards. You can call 

long distance direct from pay phones, but, 

the farther away you are calling, the more 

it will cost. 

The pay phone nearest to SACI’s main 

building, the Palazzo dei Cartelloni, is at 

the corner of Via Sant’Antonino at Piazza 

dell’Unità (in front of Ca# è Belle Rose); the 

pay phone nearest SACI’s Jules Maido# 

Palazzo for the Visual Arts is at Piazza 

Salvemini (in front of Banca di Roma). 

Calling within Italy 

Area codes are always used when placing 

calls in Italy – even for local calls. For 

example, the area code for Florence is 055. 

In case of a medical emergency, go to the emergency 

room (pronto soccorso) at Santa Maria Nuova located 

in the city center at Piazza S. Maria Nuova 1. 

Violence against Women or Children (English spoken) 055 473535 

Dr. Stephen Kerr (General Prac! ! oner) 055 288055 

SACI’s Palazzo dei Cartelloni 055 289948 

SACI’s Jules Maido# Palazzo for the Visual Arts 055 240910 

SACI’s Emergency Phone # (For use only when the school is closed) 347 7738076 

Medical Service Firenze 055 475411 

Dr. Mary Ann Bellini 055 680721 (Psychologist) 

Dr. Margaret Mary Runge 349 7169302 (Psychologist) 

US Consulate (other consulates are listed in the phone book) 

Lungarno Vespucci, 38, tel. 055 266951 fax. 055 284088 

Open to the public from 9:00am-12:30pm Monday through Friday. 

h$ p:// orence.usconsulate.gov/english/ 

Thus, to call the SACI o% ce from anywhere 

in Italy (even from next door) you’ll need 

to dial 055 289948. 

You do not need to add the area code when 

dialing emergency numbers (i.e. 118, 115, 

or 112 - see the sec! on on Emergency 

Phone Numbers). You do not need to add 

the area code when dialing a cell phone 

number. 

Calling Other Countries 

To call outside of Italy dial: 

00 + Country code + Area code + Number 

From Italy: To call the USA directly from a 

Florence phone dial: 

00-1-area code-number. 

From USA: To call a xed phone (like 

SACI) directly from the USA: 011-39-055- 

289948. 

To call an Italian cell phone directly from 

the USA: 011-39-3xxx xxx… 

(City area codes are not needed when calling 

cell phones.) 

Commonly used country codes: 

Brazil 0055 Ireland 00353 

England 0044 Mexico 0052 

France 0033 Spain 0034 

Germany 0049 Switzerland 0041 

Greece 0030 USA 001 

Calling Cards 

Phone companies in your na! ve country, 

such as AT&T or MCI, o& en o# er lower 

rates as incen! ves to use their calling 

cards. 

Direct Service Numbers in Italy: 

Note: these numbers change frequently. 

AT&T 800 172 444 

Sprint 800 172 405 

MCI 800 905 825 

Verizon 800 172 401 

Some students bring “interna! onal calling 

cards” with them from the States, but do 

not realize that these cards are for calls 

origina! ng in America. Hence, once in 

Italy you cannot access the American “1- 

800” number. If you buy these cards, make 

sure they work for calls origina! ng outside 

the US, or have an access number for such 

calls. 

Many interna! onal calling cards are on sale 

at internet points, bars, or Tabacchi here 

in Italy. Before buying a card, make sure it 

works for the country you wish to call, and 

that it works from the type of phone which 

you use ( xed or cell). To operate these 

cards, you must rst ac! vate the phone 

with a coin or a phone card. Next dial 

the access number wri$ en on the card (a 

di# erent access number is o& en provided 

if calling from a cell phone). Then select 

your language and follow the prompts: 

enter the code found in the scratch-o# 

area, then the number you wish to dial. 

Providing the lines are open, your call 

should go through. 

Major credit cards can be used to place 

calls in special phones at airports and train 

sta! ons. 

Cellular Phones 

SACI encourages students to buy or rent 

cell phones as an easy and a# ordable way 

to keep in touch with friends and family 

both here in Florence and back at home. 

Students can o& en sell back or turn in 

their phones at the end of their stay, or sell 

them to another student. Loca! ons, rates, 

and o# ers change quickly; during Orienta- 

! on, SACI distributes a list of vendors. 

When buying or ren! ng a phone, many 

students choose one with a pre-paid card 

30 31

(tessera ricaricabile). Every ! me you make 

a call, money will be deducted from the 

card un! l it is used up. You can then recharge 

it before your credit runs out by 

buying another pre-paid card from a bar 

or cell phone dealer. You can also set up 

a billing contract, and the store who sells 

or rents to you will explain its system and 

fees. 

There are di# erent kinds of phones you 

can buy: e.g., Vodafone/Omnitel, TIM, and 

Wind. If you get the same phone network 

as your friends in Florence you will spend 

a lot less for calls. Although all phones 

should be able to make and receive interna! 

onal phone calls, you might want to 

double check with the vendor about your 

ability to communicate interna! onally before 

buying or ren! ng the phone. If you 

already have a cell phone that works in 

Europe, you might consider just buying an 

Italian SIM card. However, before buying a 

SIM card, check with the vendor to see if 

your phone has a block on it. 

It does not cost anything to receive calls 

on cell phones within Italy. 

Helpful Telephone Hints: 

• Know the codes before you come. Ask 

speci cally how to use your phone 

cards and write down all the access 

codes you will need before you get on 

the plane. 

• American 1-800 numbers are NOT 

free from Italy (and will not work)! 

It is suggested that you get a regular 

phone number for banks, credit card 

companies, etc. before you come. 

• Remember: everything is di# erent in 

a foreign country, including the dial 

tone. In Italy, the dial tone sounds like 

a tone pulse; the busy signal is faster 

than the American beeps. 

• Telephone numbers in Italy can be 

of di# erent lengths – there is no set 

number of digits. 

• A few key words: Aspe" are = Wait; 

Sganciare = Li& up the receiver; 

Inserire = Insert; Ri! rare = Take back; 

Riagganciare = Hang up. 

• A general policy: it is almost always 

cheaper to have your family and 

friends call you than for you to call 

them from Italy! 

FAX 

The SACI fax line (055 2776408) is reserved 

for school informa! on or emergencies. It 

costs 1 euro per page to receive faxes on 

this line. However, there are many places 

in Florence where you can send a fax 

home. 

Copisteria X 

Via San Gallo 72/r, fax number from the 

US: 011-39-055-215367. This is the place 

where your parents or friends should send 

any faxes. Your name and SACI’s should 

be clearly marked so they can no! fy the 

school when your message arrives. 

EMAIL & INTERNET 

There are computers available for email and 

internet research at SACI, but you may nd 

it more convenient to open an account at 

one of the many internet shops in Florence 

located near home or school. Hours, o# ers, 

and deals change quickly. Have your SACI 

I.D. with you if you decide to sign up, since 

many o# er student discounts. In addi! on, 

ask for the possibility of “buying” a certain 

number of hours, which reduces the cost 

even more. The following ca# ès o# er free 

Wi-Fi internet access. 

Ca# e$ eria delle Oblate – Via Oriuolo 26 

Part of the Oblate Library. A terri c place 

to meet Italian university students, just 

down the block from SACI’s Jules Maido# 

Palazzo for the Visual Arts. 

La Cité Libreria 

Borgo San Frediano 20/r 

Moyo 

Via dei Benci 23/r 

So 

Largo Piero Bargellini 2 (Santa Croce area) 

Brac 

Via dei Vagellai 18/r (Santa Croce area) 

Ca# è Sant’Ambrogio 

Piazza Sant’Ambrogio 7 

Café Deluxe 

Piazza Indipendenza (corner of Via XVII 

Aprile) 

Il Rifrullo 

Via San Niccolò 55/r 

32 33 

MAIL 

Post O" ces 

For informa! on on sending packages, see 

the Mailing and Shipping sec! on of this 

handbook on p. 72 and www.posteitaliane. 

it. 

Via Pellicceria 3. This is the main branch 

(in Piazza Repubblica) and is the post o% ce 

nearest to the school. Open Monday-Friday, 

8:15am-7:00pm, Saturday, 8:15 am- 

1:30pm. 

Via Pietrapiana 53. Near SACI’s Jules 

Maido# Palazzo for the Visual Arts. Open 


8:15 am-12:30pm. 

Via Alamanni 20/r. Near SACI’s main 

building, the Palazzo dei Cartelloni. Open 


8:15 am-12:30pm. 

Receiving Mail 

Please arrange to have mail and packages 

sent to the general SACI address: 

Your name 

c/o SACI, Via Sant’Antonino 11 

50123 Firenze - Italy 

Student mailboxes are upstairs in the 

Student Lounge. 

Receiving Packages 

When packages, faxes and special 

deliveries are received, no! ces are posted 

on the no! ce boards. 

SACI is happy to accept packages for 

you, but please be aware that addi! onal 

shipping fees are o& en required by the 

Customs O% ce, especially for electronic or 

computer equipment. To avoid large fees 

and hassles: 

• 

• 

• 

Make the “total value declared” a 

small sum or you will be required to 

pay huge custom du! es upon receipt. 

Declare “used personal items” as a 

descrip! on of contents or the package 

could get stopped at customs for 

inspec! on and charges. 

Never ship prescrip! on medicine 

or declare medica! on as contents – 

bring medicine with you as a carry-on 

item or the box will surely get stopped 

at customs.

Money Transac! ons 

With advances in technology, it is easier 

than ever to do banking worldwide. You 

should be able to do most transac! ons 

easily while abroad, provided you inform 

your home bank that you will be overseas, 

and set up your account accordingly. 

Di# erent banking op! ons will be covered 

during Orienta! on, but you will NOT have 

to set up a bank account in Florence. 

Before leaving, nd out if your bank has 

a web site, or put your account online to 

keep close tabs on ac! vity. It is also good 

to get a number for assistance from your 

bank that is not a “1-800” number since 

some 1-800 numbers cannot be called 

from overseas. 

Remember to budget extra money for 

emergencies! A good way to budget is by 

arranging a monthly deposit into your ATM 

account. 

Ge& ng Cash 

The easiest way to get money while in 

Italy is to use your ATM or credit card to 

take out money from your home bank 

account. ATM machines (Bancomat) 

that have corresponding symbols (e.g., 

VISA, MasterCard, Cirrus, STAR, etc.) are 

everywhere in Europe. IMPORTANT: be 

sure to ac! vate your credit cards and ATM 

cards for interna! onal use before you 

leave and check to make sure your PIN 

number will work in Italy. Ask your bank 

what the service fee is to withdraw money, 

and budget accordingly. 

Money Transfers 

Western Union Change Point 

Via Calzaiuoi 3/r, tel. 055 2398057 

Western Union VIP (Internet Point) 

Via Faenza 49, tel. 055 2645552 

Western Union Ca# è Salvemini 

Piazza Salvemini 22 tel. 055 2480972 

Addi! onally, all Mailboxes Etc. stores are 

branch o% ces for Western Union services. 

Through Western Union, anyone can send 

or receive money interna! onally. The 

sender brings the money to any Western 

Union agent, lls out a short form, pays 

the service fee and receives a receipt with 

a control number. The sender than informs 

the receiver of the transfer. The receiver 

goes to any Western Union agent, provides 

iden! ca! on (knowing the control number 

will help), and immediately gets the full 

amount in cash. You may be asked the 

sender’s name and the amount expected, 

and if you know ahead of ! me that you 

will be receiving a large amount of money, 

you may wish to no! fy the o% ce where 

you plan to pick it up so it can be sure to 

have that quan! ty of cash on hand. 

For further informa! on, call the Italian toll 

free number 800 220055. 

Cash Exchange Machines 

Foreign currency can be changed a& er 

bank hours at currency exchange machines 

and booths sca$ ered around Florence. 

However, you will be charged a transac! on 

fee. 

Changing Money 

You can change money or cash traveler’s 

checks at any one of the many change 

shops or banks in Florence. Rates will vary 

from bank to bank. Fees vary for this transac! 

on. Banks are open weekdays, 8:20am- 

1:20pm, 2:45pm-3:45pm. Remember that 

it is usually cheaper to change money at a 

bank than at change points. 

Opening an Italian Bank Account 

If you’re thinking about opening a bank 

account, you might want to think again, 

since it is o& en more hassle than it is worth. 

There is a large closing fee, and you might 

end up paying taxes that get automa! cally 

withdrawn from your account. With all the 

advances in bank account management 

available now, it doesn’t make sense 

to complicate your life with a foreign 

account. 

Correspondent Banks 

Some of you may have a “correspondent” 

bank in Florence which deals with your 

bank on a regular basis. These banks will 

be glad to see you and help you. Ask your 

home bank for details. 

Lost or Stolen Credit Cards 

VISA - tel. 800 819014 www.visa.com/pd/ 

lost/main.htm 

MASTERCARD - tel. 800 870866 www. 

mastercard.com/cgi-bin/emergserv.cgi 

AMERICAN EXPRESS - tel. 800 914912 

34 35

Ge& ng Around in Florence 

Florence’s picturesque network of streets 

may seem a li$ le confusing at rst, but 

the best way to get to know the city is 

to take some ! me and just explore. The 

Duomo, Florence’s enormous cathedral 

roughly in the center of town, is a good 

building to orient yourself with. It’s huge, 

easily recognizable, and everyone can tell 

you how to get there. Simply ask “Dov’è il 

Duomo?” and you’re on your way. 

One thing to keep in mind when trying to 

nd a street address is that Florence has 

two numbering systems: black numbers for 

hotels and residences, and red numbers 

for businesses. The red numbers are 

denoted by an “r” following the number 

(e.g., 28/r). Also, street names can change 

a& er an intersec! on or curve. 

Transporta! on info can be found on the 

city’s web page: 

www.comune. renze.it/inglese 

Don’t forget your map! 

ON FOOT 

Since Florence’s center is dense and 

closely packed with fascina! ng things, you 

can easily get around on foot. In fact, you’ll 

probably want to, since it’s the best way 

to meet people, explore quaint li$ le sidestreets, 

and see the culture face-to-face. 

A good map is a useful idea at rst. SACI 

provides students in SACI housing with 

one in the orienta! on packet. You may 

also want to pop into a major bookstore to 

purchase a larger one. Open the map rst 

to make sure you’re ge" ng everything you 

want – the best maps have a street index. 

The one thing to remember about walking 

in Florence is to look for the pedestrian 

crosswalks (striped white lines on the 

cement). Always watch out for tra% c – the 

Italian style of driving is quite di# erent 

from that in the States and many other 

countries. It is not unusual to nd a 

motorist coming at you the wrong way on a 

one-way street! The sidewalks in Florence 

can be very narrow. Be careful, keep an 

eye out for the unexpected, and you’ll be 

ne (a good general travel rule). 

BUS SERVICE (ATAF) 

Florence’s bus system spreads a huge 

network over the city, and buses run 

frequently. You can get to or near any 

loca! on simply by using the bus. Especially 

useful are the small buses A, B, C, and D, 

which never leave the historical center 

of town, so you can use them to get just 

about anywhere you need, and you will 

never be carried too far from home! 

Bus stops are marked by large orange 

signs (FERMATA) indica! ng which buses 

stop there. Some lines run only during 

the day, but night buses (indicated on the 

signs in black) o& en take over their routes. 

You may nd yourself taking one number 

in the morning and another at night! Bus 

schedules are available at the ATAF o% ce 

in Piazza Stazione. 

To take the bus, you should to buy a ! cket 

at a Tabacchi shop, bar, ATAF booth at the 

train sta! on, or newsstand before you 

get on the bus (! ckets bought on the bus 

are more expensive!), and validate it in 

one of the orange boxes on the bus when 

you rst get on. Please do remember to 

buy and stamp your ! cket! If one of the 

ATAF inspectors catches you riding the bus 

without one, you’ll be required to pay a 

large ne. Not only that, but you give all 

foreigners a bad name. Remember, we are 

all guests in Italy! 

For complete informa! on (even in English!) 

on routes, strikes, etc, use the web site: 

www.ataf.net 

Bus Tickets 

You can buy bus ! ckets at most bars, 

magazine stands, or shops with an orange 

ATAF s! cker. There is also an ATAF ! cket 

booth on the north side of the train sta! on 

that sells all types of ! ckets. 

Standard ! ckets are valid for 90 minutes. 

Once stamped, these ! ckets give you 90 

minutes to use as much of the bus system 

as you wish. You can also buy four-trip 

! ckets, or ! ckets good for 24 hours, three 

days, or other ! me periods. These ! ckets 

are all available at the ATAF booth at the 

train sta! on. 

Bus Passes 

It is very convenient to purchase a bus 

pass. If you want to obtain a pass that will 

enable you to ride buses at less expense 

throughout your stay in Florence, bring 

your SACI I.D. passport, and one passportsize 

photo of yourself to the ATAF bus 

company’s main loca! on at Piazza Stazione 

(Piazza Adua side, tel. 055 5650642), which 

is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 

am-7:30 pm and Saturday from 7:30 am- 

1:30 pm. You will be asked to ll in a form 

with the exact numbers of the buses you’ll 

need to ride to reach SACI from your 

apartment. You’ll only be allowed to use 

this card on those bus lines. 

Bus Hours 

Since each bus has its own schedule, you 

can go to the ATAF booth on the northern 

side of the train sta! on and pick up printed 

schedules for your par! cular bus number. 

Schedules are free; you should also get 

holiday lis! ngs. Or use the ! metables 

search at: www.ataf.net 

TRAM SERVICE 

Work on the rst of three Florence tram 

lines has recently been completed. You 

can now catch Sirio, Florence’s tram, just 

outside Florence’s Santa Maria Novella 

train sta! on, and take TramVia Line 1 to 

the Cascine Park and to other stops along 

the Arno as far as the Florence suburb of 

Scandicci. The tram leaves Santa Maria 

Novella sta! on every 8 minutes and takes 

23 minutes, stopping at 14 sta! ons along 

a 7.4 km route, to reach Villa Costanza 

in Scandicci. The costs and ! ckets are 

the same as for Florence buses. As when 

riding the bus, don’t forget to stamp your 

! cket once you’re on board the tram. For 

more informa! on about Florence’s tram, 

see: h$ p://www.mondotram.it/ renzesimone/english 

36 37 

BIKES 

Having a bike is a great way to get around 

town. You’ll have to get used to the tra% c, 

and don’t forget to buy a helmet and a 

strong lock (be$ er yet, get 2 locks)! You 

can buy bikes new – try Ciclocity, Via Orsini 

4/A, tel. 055 6800069.

Used bikes can be surprisingly hard to nd 

and the bicycle black market is prevalent. 

Pick up a copy of La Pulce (a bi-weekly 

classi ed newspaper for sale at newspaper 

stands, www.lapulce.it), look for no! ces 

on bulle! n boards around town, or ask 

in bike repair shops. Try Geordie Chopin, 

Via Fiesolana 16/r, tel. 055 2343048 or 

Florence by Bike, Via S. Zanobi 120/122/r, 

tel. 055 488992. Some shops will buy bikes 

back at the end of the term. 

One-day bike rental is also available from 

the City of Florence – you leave a document, 

pay a small fee, and have the use of a city 

bike for the day. There are various rental 

points in the center of town, usually in pay 

parking lots; look for the locked blue bikes. 

The place to rent a bike that is closest 

to SACI’s main building, the Palazzo dei 

Cartelloni, is in front of the train sta! on 

in Piazza Stazione: Monday-Saturday, 

7:30am-7:00pm, Sunday, 9:00am-7:00pm. 

The place to rent a bike that is closest to 

SACI’s Jules Maido# Palazzo for the Visual 

Arts is at Piazza Alberto Ghiber! : Monday- 

Friday, 8:30am-7:00pm. 

Bikes are also a great way to explore the 

area around Florence. As always, adhere 

to basic safety rules – follow tra% c, wear 

a helmet, pay a$ en! on, and you’ll have 

an incredible outdoor experience (as well 

as keep in shape). However, be aware 

that there are very few bicycle lanes in 

Florence, so remember always to s! ck to 

the right hand side of the road. 

There are several companies which o# er 

bike tours of the countryside: I Bike Italy 

(www.ibikeitaly.com; Florence by Bike 

(www. orencebybike.it, Via San Zanobi 

120/122/r, tel. 055 480814), or the Italianrun 

MTB www.ver! gomtb.com. 

SCOOTERS & MOPEDS 

Italians use motorini to zip quickly and 

cheaply all around Florence because they 

use only a small amount of gasoline. Used 

responsibly, a motorino can be e% cient, 

convenient, and great fun. However, using 

a motorino involves more responsibility 

and complica! ons than other forms of 

transporta! on in Florence and we don’t 

suggest them as a prac! cal daily mode of 

transporta! on. 

Ren! ng Motorini 

First thing to consider: do you know how 

to drive a scooter - and in foreign tra% c? 

Do you want to use one here? Think about 

safety. 

You will need a driver’s license to rent a 

moped. Be aware that mopeds are not 

legal on highways so you will have to s! ck 

to the back roads. Rental rates are usually 

reasonable and are divided into halfhour, 

hour, full-day, and weekly (fuel not 

included). 

Alinari 

Via San Zanobi 38/r, tel. 055 280500. 

Provides bicycles, motorbikes, and 

mountain bikes. 

Florence by Bike 

Via San Zanobi 120/122/r, tel. 055 480814. 

Provides bicycles and scooters. 

TAXIS 

Taxis can be quite expensive. However, 

they are also one of the only ways to get 

home if you’re out past bus hours and far 

away. Going in groups is one way to cut the 

cost, but night ! me rates include an extra 

fee. 

Keep in mind that in most instances you 

can’t just ag down a cab as you may be 

used to; you must call for one or go to a 

taxi stand (in front of the train sta! on, in 

Piazza della Repubblica, Piazza San Marco, 

Porta Romana, behind the Duomo, etc.). 

Give the address where you need to be 

picked up and wait for the operator to 

give the name of the taxi which is coming 

to pick you up (e.g., “Parigi 23”). The 

operator will also tell you how long before 

the taxi arrives, which usually is within 

three to ve minutes. (Remember, in Italy 

you don’t have to ! p the driver.) 

Women travelling alone in a taxi are en- 

! tled to a 10% discount between the hours 

of 9pm to 2am. There is also a discount 

of 15% for hospital des! na! ons between 

the hours of 1pm-3pm and 7-9pm. Be 

sure that these discount are applied when 

appropriate. More informa! on about 

these and other services can be found at: 

h$ p://www.socota.it/eng/taxi-fares 

There is also an all-female taxi service in 

Florence that operates from 5am to 11pm 

daily. All the drivers in this company speak 

English. More informa! on about this 

service can be found at: 

www.intaxi renze.it, tel: 055 200 1326 

Taxi Numbers: 

055 4798 

055 4242 

055 4390 

055 200 1326 

38 39

Art and School Supplies 

Florence is over owing with art resources 

and art stores are everywhere! This short 

list is just to provide you with perennial 

SACI favorites. As your pre-departure 

notes warned you, some things will be 

more expensive in Italian art stores than 

in the States; others will be cheaper. Ask 

your instructors if they know which ones 

give SACI discounts! 

Pain! ng, Drawing, and Sculpture 

Lory – Piazza Frescobaldi 8/r, tel. 055 

213246. All you need for paints, oil colors, 

water colors, canvas, special paper, and 

graphic art. www.lory.net 

Rigacci – Via dei Servi 71/r, tel. 055 216206. 

Wide range of art supplies. 

Salvini – Via degli Alfani 127/r, tel. 055 

219421. Has a li$ le of most things, but 

is a small supplier. They are friendly, 

give student discounts, and are good for 

dra& ing supplies and paper. 

Zecchi – Via dello Studio 19/r, tel. 055 

211470. Pain! ng, drawing, sculpture, and 

design materials and more. The widest 

selec! on in town. They speak English and 

give a SACI discount. 

Magna Charta – Via San Gallo 105/r, tel. 

055 483396. Paint, pencils, paper of all 

kinds. 

Photography 

Fontani – Viale Strozzi 18/r, tel. 055 470981. 

Basic photo supplies, camera repair, and 

cheap next-day lm processing. 

Bongi Fotogra a – Via Por S. Maria 82-84/ 

r, tel. 055 2398811. 

O& ca Radioradar – Via Sant’Antonino 

6b/r, tel. 055 2398549. An eye-glass shop 

which does basic photo developing too. 

Right in front of the school. 

Printmaking and Lithography 


055 483396. Etching and lithography 

paper. 

Rigacci – Via dei Servi 71/r, tel. 055 216206. 

Etching and lithography paper. 

Zecchi – Via dello Studio 19/r, tel. 055 

211470. Etching and lithography paper and 

more. The widest selec! on in town. They 

speak English and give a SACI discount. 

Design 

Il Plas! co – Via San Gallo 127/r, tel. 055 

4628940. Model-making supplies. 

www.ilplas! co.com 

Lory – Piazza Frescobaldi 8/r, tel. 055 

213246. All you need for paints, oil colors, 

water color, canvas, special paper, and 

graphic art. www.lory.net 


055 483396. Colored paper, foam board, 

art brushes, a wide assortment of colored 

pencils and markers, concentrated liquid 

water colors, design tools, pens, sta! onery, 

etc. 

Marzo$ o – Borgo degli Albizi 86/r, tel. 055 

2340726. Various kinds of paper. 

Art Conserva! on 

Bizzarri – Via della Condo$ a 32/r,. tel. 055 

211580 

Phase – Via dello Sprone 6-8/r. tel. 055 

289113 

Zecchi – Via dello Studio 19/r. tel. 055 

211470 

Fabric Arts: Ba! k, Serigraphy, and 

Weaving 

Bizzarri – Via Condo$ a 32/r, tel. 055 

211580. For rosin, damar in crystal form, 

pure acids, and analine dyes. 

Bacci – Via dell’Ariento 32/r, tel. 055 

216508. Dress fabrics, silk, wool, co$ on, 

and linen. 

Poli Colori co – Via Guelfa 49/r. tel. 055 

216506. Nylon dyes, spray paint, silicon, 

smalts, roulant brushes, working gloves, 

and powder color. 

Ceramics 

Poli Colori co – Via Guelfa 49/r, tel. 055 

216506. Basic ceramics tools, clay, and 

glazes. 

Italian Language Texts 

Feltrinelli Interna! onal – Via Cerretani 

30/r, tel. 055 219524. 

Paperback Exchange – Via delle Oche 4/r, 

tel. 055 293460, fax 055 2658395. New 

and used language texts. www.papex.it 

Hardware and Supply Stores 

Ferramenta Leoni – Via Nazionale 94/r, 

tel. 055 294124. Basic hardware store for 

supplies, copying keys, etc. 

Ferramenta Masini – Via San Gallo 60/r, 

tel. 055 480827. Hardware galore, along 

with sandpaper, cheap brushes, tape, 

turpen! ne, solvents, acid, dry pigment, 

and inexpensive house paint to use as 

grounds, etc. 

Migliorini – Via del Proconsolo 30/r, tel. 

055 213748 

Ferramenta Cesar – Borgo La Croce 36/r, 

tel. 055 2343167. Basic hardware store 

near SACI’s Jules Maido# Palazzo for the 

Visual Arts. 

O" ce & Sta! onery Supplies 

Cartoleria Guido Romeo – Via della 

Condo$ a 43/r (near Piazza Signoria), tel. 

055 210350. O% ce supplies, sta! onery, 

notebooks, por' olio cases, etc. 

Donatello e ... le Ar! – Via dei Servi, 106/r, 

tel. 055 2398215. A good selec! on of 

notebooks, pens, folders, etc. 


055 483396. Basic sta! onery, notebooks, 

pens, rulers, etc. 

Ar! st’s Verbs 

To Cut Tagliare 

To Develop Sviluppare 

To Dilute Diluire 

To Draw Disegnare 

To Dye Tingere 

To Etch Incidere 

To Glue Incollare 

To Paint Dipingere 

To Photograph Fotografare 

To Sew Cucire 

To Sculpt Scolpire 

To Write Scrivere 

40 41

Acid (nitric) Acido (nitrico) 

Bronze Bronzo 

Brush Pennello 

Bubble Wrap Pluribol 

Burin Bulino 

Burnisher Raschie" o 

Camera Macchina fotogra ca 

Canvas Tela 

Clay Creta 

Color Slide Diaposi! va a colori 

Combined Scraper Bruitoio 

Copper Rame 

Co$ on Cotone 

Damar Varnish Vernice Dammara 

Drawing Disegno 

Drypoint Punte 

Dye Tinta 

Easel Cavalle" o 

Eraser Gomma 

Etcher’s Varnish Vernice nera per 

incisione 

Etching Incisione 

Etching Needles Punte 

Etching Paper Carta per incisione 

Fabric Sto# a 

Film Pellicola 

Fountain Pen Penna S! logra ca 

Frame Cornice 

Gesso Gesso 

Glue Colla 

Ink Inchiostro 

Knife Coltello 

Linen Lino 

Linseed Oil Olio di lino 

Magnifying Lens Lente d’ingrandimento 

How to be Ar! s! c in Italian 

Marker Pennarello 

Metal Metallo 

Mold Forma 

Oil Olio 

Paint Color 

Pain! ng Dipinto 

Pale$ e Knife Spatola da pi" ori 

Pale$ e Tavolozza da pi" ori 

Paper Carta 

Pen Penna 

Pencil Ma! ta, lapis 

Pencil Sharpener Tempera ma! te 

Plate Lastra 

Por' olio Cartella 

Proo ng Paper Carta da prova 

Remnant Scampolo 

Rosin Pesce greca, Resina 

Sandpaper Carta vetrata 

Sculpture Scultura 

Sharpening Stone Pietra per a$ lare 

Silk Seta 

Smock Grembiule 

Solvent Diluente al nitro 

(a very strong universal 

solvent: use with cau! on, 

preferably in an aerated place) 

Stretcher Telaio 

Tape (masking) Nastro da carrozziere 

Tape (adhesive) Nastro adesivo 

Tarlatan Tarlatana 

Turpen! ne Tremen! na, 

Acquaragia 

Wax Cera 

Wood Legno 

Wool Lana 

Zinc Zinco 

Libraries and Bookstores 

You will probably want to do research, or 

you might crave some light reading while 

in Florence. The SACI library has a large 

range of materials available, from books 

to video casse$ es and DVDs. For more 

specialized research, you can take advantage 

of the wealth of Floren! ne libraries 

(a complete list with full details is available 

in the SACI library). Access to the Florence 

libraries is free. In a few cases (indicated in 

italics) you need a reference le$ er, which 

you can get from a SACI librarian. 

A piece of curiosity: the rst “public” library 

ever was the San Marco Library, whose 

books are now housed in the Lauren! an 

Library of the San Lorenzo church, designed 

by Michelangelo and Brunelleschi. 

Libraries 

Biblioteca Nazionale 

Piazza Cavalleggeri 1 (on the Lungarno, 

near Piazza Santa Croce), tel. 055 249191. 

www.bncf. renze.sbn.it 

A copyright library since 1870, this is one 

of the ve Italian na! onal libraries, holding 

over ve million books. Bring your passport 

with you the rst ! me and at all ! mes if 

you need to use pre-1900 materials. 

Open Monday-Friday, 8:15am-7:00pm; 

Saturday, 8:15am-1:30pm. For pre-1900 

materials, a le" er of reference is required. 

Oblate Library 

Via Sant’Egidio 21 and Via dell’Oriuolo 26 

(same library – two entrances) 

tel. 055 2616512 

e-mail. bibiotecadelleoblatecomune. .it 

www.bibliotecadelleoblate.it 

Monday, 2:00pm-7:00pm, Tuesday-Saturday, 

9:00am-midnight, Sunday closed. 

Just down the block from SACI’s Jules 

Maido# Palazzo for the Visual Arts. Lots of 

Italian university students use this library. 

The library contains a charming ca# è and 

large study areas, and o# ers free Wi-Fi. 

In order to use the library’s resources, 

you must register with your passport and 

a telephone number. If you do not have 

your own local cell phone number, you 

may use SACI’s main telephone number: 

055-289948. You may also register online: 

http://www.bibliotecadelleoblate.it/ 

oblateonline/iscrizione_on_line.htm 

Art History Library 

Via della Pergola 56, tel. 055 2757837. 

This is the Art History Library of the 

University of Florence. Open Monday- 

Friday, 9:00am-7:00pm. 

Biblioteca dell’Is! tuto Nazionale di Studi 

sul Rinascimento 

(Na! onal Ins! tute for the Study of the 

Renaissance Library), Palazzo Strozzi, 

Piazza Strozzi 1 (second oor) 

tel. 055 287728. www.iris. renze.it 

e-mail: insr@insr.insr.it 

Together with ve other major Florence 

libraries, including the library of the 

Dutch Ins! tute (see below), this famous 

library is part of the IRIS consor! um of 

Florence libraries. Located on the “noble 

oor” of the magni cent Palazzo Strozzi, 

it specializes in the Renaissance. It houses 

a great number of books in English. Open 

Monday-Friday, 9:00am-5:15pm. Le" er of 

reference required. 

Biblioteca del Gabine$ o Vieusseux 

Palazzo Strozzi, Piazza Strozzi 1 (ground 

oor), tel. 055 288342. (Located in the 

42 43

same palazzo as the Renaissance Ins! tute). 

The Vieusseux Library has a great collec! on 

of books as well as periodicals and 

newspapers. Open Monday, Wednesday, 

and Friday, 9:00am-1:30pm; Tuesday and 

Thursday, 9:00am-6:00pm. 

Library of the Is! tuto Universitario 

Olandese (“Dutch Ins! tute”) 

Viale Torricelli 5, tel. 055 221612. 

www.iris. renze.it; iuo@iuo.iris. renze.it 

Specializes in European art history (not just 

Dutch!); it is located in a beau! ful villa on 

a hill. It has a sculpture garden and hosts 

temporary exhibi! ons. Open Monday-Friday, 

9:00am-1:00pm and 2:00pm-5:30pm. 

Bri! sh Ins! tute Library 

Lungarno Guicciardini 9, tel. 055 26778270. 

www.bri! shins! tute.it 

Reading room overlooking the Arno! 

Excellent for literature and history. 

Open Monday-Friday, 10:00am-6:30pm. 

Check-out privileges for members only 

(membership is rela! vely inexpensive and 

lasts a year). Le" er of reference required. 

Biblioteca dell’Opi cio delle Pietre Dure 

Via degli Alfani 78, tel. 055 2651345; www. 

opi ciodellepietredure. renze.it 

This ne library specializes in restora! on 

and conserva! on. It is therefore especially 

valuable to Pain! ng Conserva! on 

students. Also open to the public are the 

Archivio dei Restauri, Archivio Fotogra co, 

and Archivio Storico. Only by appointment. 

Le" er of reference required. 

Biblioteca Marucelliana 

Via Cavour 43, tel. 055 210602. 

Well worth a visit for its collec! on of books 

on art, literature, and opera – its reading 

room is beau! ful and inspiring. Open 

Monday-Friday, 9:00am-5:00pm; Saturday, 

8:30am-1:45pm. 

Library of North American History and 

Literature 

Via San Gallo 10, tel. 055 2757940 or 055 

2757942. 

Part of the Biblioteca Umanis! ca of the 

University of Florence, it has a beau! ful 

reading room, where you can access the 

40,000 ! tles donated by the United States 

Informa! on Service. Although it has no art 

books, it has a rich variety of English texts 

available, especially on Italian literature. 

Open Monday-Friday, 9:00am-1:00pm. 

Closed Saturday. Le" er of reference 

required. 

CID (Centro di Informazione e Documentazione/Ar! 

Visive) 

Library of the Fondazione Luigi Pecci, Viale 

della Repubblica 277, Prato, tel. 0574 

531836/531840/531842. 

http//catalogo.ponet.prato.it/cid/campi. 

htm 

A great center for contemporary art, this 

library hosts one of the most important 

periodical collec! ons of contemporary art 

in Italy (and the largest one in Tuscany). 

Monday and Friday, 10:00am-2:00pm; 

Wednesday and Thursday, 10:00am- 

6:00pm. Closed Tuesday and weekends. 

Bookstores 

In Florence there are bookstores for 

everyone in every language. 

Paperback Exchange 

Via delle Oche 4/r, tel. 055 293460, fax 055 

2658395; www.papex.it 

A haven for English-speaking foreigners 

who have made Florence their permanent 

home. You can exchange your used books 

for store credit or cash. Useful informa! on 

bulle! n board and good new book 

selec! on. 

Libreria Edison 

Piazza della Repubblica 27/r, tel. 055 

213110. 

The closest you can come to a Borders! This 

American-style bookstore has guidebooks, 

gree! ng cards, calendars, and a café and 

reading room upstairs. Plus, it’s open ! ll 

late at night! Open Monday-Saturday, 

9:00am-midnight; Sunday, 10:00ammidnight. 

Libreria Feltrinelli 

Via Cerretani 30/r, tel. 055 2382652. 

One of the largest bookstores in Florence. 

Libreria Feltrinelli Interna! onal 

Via Cavour 12/20/r, tel. 055 219524. 

This store houses a large selec! on of the 

latest books printed in English. 

Libreria Martelli 

Via Martelli 22/r, tel. 055 2657603. 

Martelli features a futuris! c style reading 

room and an upstairs café. 

Libreria Rossi 

Via Sant’Egidio 28/r. 

Small bookstore with lots of used Italian 

books that’s just down the block from 

SACI’s Jules Maido# Palazzo for the Visual 

Arts. 

Libreria Salimbeni 

Via Palmieri 14/r, tel. 055 2340904. 

This beau! ful old-fashioned bookstore is a 

special haven for ancient to contemporary 

books. The best book an! quarian in town. 

Libreria Art & Libri 

Via dei Fossi 32/r, tel. 055 264186. 

This charming bookstore specializes in art 

books in all major European languages. 

B.M. Bookshop 

Borgo Ognissan! 4/r, tel. 055 294575. 

Books in English, guidebooks, catalogs of 

exhibi! ons, beau! ful co# ee-table books. 

Libreria delle Donne 

Via Fiesolana 2/b, tel. 055 240384. 

A woman’s bookstore, mostly in Italian. 

Useful no! ce board for feminist scenes in 

the city. 

44 45

Museums 

We encourage you to visit as many of 

these collec! ons as you can since most of 

these masterpieces can only be viewed in 

Florence. Although we can’t fully describe 

all of the marvelous museums, we have 

listed the ones that are excep! onal and 

de nitely worth visi! ng. Exhibi! ons of art 

are held con! nuously in Florence, since 

it is one of the great art centers of the 

world. Look on the SACI bulle! n boards, in 

local Italian newspapers, or in publica! ons 

like Firenze Spe" acolo or The Floren! ne 

for current informa! on on exhibi! ons. 

Also keep an eye out for special “culture 

weeks,” when city and state museums are 

open for free! A word to the wise: museum 

hours can be confusing! Hours are o& en 

extended during high tourist season but can 

change for a variety of reasons (holidays, 

restora! on, worker strikes, etc.). Use this 

list as a rough guide, but you might want 

to double check before you go, especially 

if you plan on going on a Monday. (Try the 

APT tourist informa! on web site www. 

renzeturismo.it, www. renze.net, or 

www. renzemusei.it. All three sites have 

English versions lis! ng museum hours and 

! cket prices.) 

Remember that most ! cket o% ces close 

a half hour before museum closing ! me. 

It is a good idea to make reserva! ons, 

especially in high tourist season when 

lines are long. For reserva! ons, call 055 

294883. 

L’Accademia - Via Ricasoli 60, tel. 055 

2388609. Hours: 8:15am-6:50pm. Closed 

Monday. Gallery of major works including 

Michelangelo’s “David” and his powerful 

statues, the “Slaves.” 

Anthropology Museum - Via del 

Proconsolo 12, tel. 055 2396449. Open 

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, 

and Sunday, 9:00am-1:00pm, Saturday, 

9:00am-5:00pm. Closed Wednesday. 

Extraordinary collec! on of Nile basket 

weaving and Japanese art. A rich source of 

visual ideas from around the world. 

Archaeological Museum - Via della 

Colonna 38, tel. 055 23575. Hours: Monday, 

2:00pm-7:00pm, Tuesday and Thursday, 

8:30am-7:00pm, Wednesday, Friday, 

Saturday, and Sunday, 8:30am-2:00pm. 

Houses a great collec! on of Etruscan, 

Egyp! an, Greek, and Roman works. Don’t 

miss this rich warehouse of the past. 

Bardini Museum - Piazza dei Mozzi 1, tel. 

055 2342427. Hours: Monday, Tuesday, 

Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, 9:00am- 

2:00pm. Closed Wednesday and Sunday. 

A museum with varied an! quarian items 

created from 1500 years of a family’s 

personal collec! on, re ec! ng its taste 

over the centuries. 

Bargello Museum - Via del Proconsolo 

4, tel. 055 2388606. Hours: 8:15am- 

1:50pm. Closed January 1, May 1, and 

December 25. You’ll recognize all the great 

sculpture you ever studied in a textbook, 

housed in what used to be a prison. Along 

with the sculptures of Giambologna, 

Donatello, Verrocchio, della Robbia, and 

Michelangelo, you will see the compe! ng 

projects for the Bap! stry doors. 

Botanical Gardens - Via Micheli 3, tel. 

055 2757402. Hours: Monday, Tuesday, 

Thursday, Friday, and Sunday, 9:00am- 

1:00pm, Saturday, 9:00am-5:00pm. Closed 

Wednesday. Houses a small museum. Fine 

collec! on of citrus and other exo! c plants, 

and a peaceful place to draw. 

Brancacci Chapel - Piazza del Carmine, tel. 

055 2382195. Hours: 10:00am-5:00pm; 

Sunday & holidays, 1:00pm-5:00pm. Closed 

Tuesdays. The place where Michelangelo 

got his nose broken, this chapel houses 

the great Masaccio frescoes. 

Casa Buonarro! - Via Ghibellina 70, tel. 055 

241752. Hours: 9:30am-2:00pm, Sunday & 

holidays, 9:30am-2:00pm. Closed Tuesday. 

Personal home of the Buonarro! family 

with some major Michelangelo works (and 

memorabilia) such as “Madonna of the 

Stairs.” A shrine for any sculptor. 

Casa di Dante - Via S. Margherita 1. 

Summer: 10:00am-6:00pm. Winter: 

10:00am-5:00pm. Closed Monday. This 

was supposedly Dante Alighieri’s house. 

The Duomo (Santa Maria del Fiore) 

Piazza del Duomo, tel. 055 2302885. 

• The Cathedral - Hours: Monday, Tuesday, 

Wednesday, and Friday, 10:00am-5:00pm 

(Thursday and Saturday, closes at 4:30pm); 

Sunday, 1:30pm-4:45pm. 

• Museum of the Crypt of Santa Reparata 

- Hours: 10:00am-5:00pm. Closed Sunday. 

Archaeological site under the Duomo. 

Shows Florence in layers going back to 

Roman ! mes. 

• The Bap! stry - Hours: 12:00pm- 7:00pm, 

Sunday & holidays, 8:30am-2:00pm. A 

major work of the Early Romanesque 

period situated opposite the Duomo. 

Famous for its Byzan! ne mosaics and 

Donatello’s Papal tomb. 

• Cupola of the Duomo - Hours: Monday- 

Friday 8:30am-7:00pm; Saturday, 8:30am- 

5:40pm (1st Saturday of the month un! l 

4:00pm). Closed Sunday. Tour Brunelleschi’s 

structure and work rooms. This has been 

considered a miracle of architecture and 

engineering up to recent ! mes. From the 

top you will have an excellent view of 

Florence, and will have go$ en some good 

exercise (there’s no elevator!). You can also 

have a closer look at the restored frescoes 

on the inside of the cupola: a real feast for 

the eyes! 

• Gio$ o’s Bell Tower - Hours: 8:30am- 

7:30pm. Incredible view and a great work 

of architecture. 

• Museo dell’Opera del Duomo - Behind 

the Cathedral, Piazza del Duomo 9, tel. 

055 2302885. Hours: Monday-Saturday, 

9:00am-7:30pm. Sunday & holidays, 9am- 

1:40pm. Masterpieces by Donatello, Gio$ o, 

Michelangelo, and Ghiber! . Includes an 

exhibit on the architectural development 

of the Dome and facade. 

Casa Martelli Museum - Via Zanne" 8, 

tel. 055 216725. Visi! ng hours: Thursday, 

2:00pm, 3:30pm, 5:00pm; Saturday, 

9:00am, 10:30am, noon; closed Monday, 

Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. 

Reserva! on required. For reserva! on, 

phone: 055 294883. 

Museum of Prehistory - Via Sant’Egidio 24, 

tel. 055 295159. Hours: Monday, 2:00pm- 

5:00pm, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, 

9:30am-12:30pm; Tuesday, Thursday, 

9:30am-4:30pm; closed Sunday. A few 

steps from SACI’s Jules Maido# Palazzo for 

the Visual Arts. 

Fiesole Roman Amphitheatre and 

Archaeological Museum - Via Por! giani 1, 

Fiesole, tel. 055 59477. Winter: 10:00am- 

5:00pm. Summer: 9:30am-7:00pm. Closed 

Tuesday in the winter. 

46 47

Horne Museum - Via de’ Benci 6, tel. 055 

244661. Hours: 9:00am-1:00pm. Closed 

Sunday & holidays. Private an! quarian 

collec! on. 

Jewish Synagogue and Museum - Via 

Farini 4, tel. 055 245252. Hours: 10:00am- 

3:00pm, Friday, 10:00am-2:00pm. Closed 

Saturday. Guided tours on the hour in 

English. Holds Jewish art and objects of 

the synagogue. 

Marino Marini Museum - Piazza San 

Pancrazio, tel. 055 219432. Hours: 10:00- 

5:00pm. Closed Tuesday, Sunday, and 

January 1, May 1, and December 25. This 

museum holds a permanent collec! on of 

this ar! st’s works with changing exhibits. 

A good place to draw. 

Medici Chapels - Piazza Madonna degli 

Aldobrandini, tel. 055 2388602. Hours: 

8:15am-4:50pm. Closed January 1, May 

1, and December 25. The famed Medici 

tombs by Michelangelo. 

Museo “Firenze Com’era” (Florence As 

It Was) - Via dell’Oriuolo 24, tel. 055 

2616545. Hours: Summer (June 1 - Sept. 

30): Monday and Tuesday, 9:00am- 

1:30pm, Saturday, 9:00am-6:30pm; 

Winter: same as above and addi! onally 

Wednesday, 9:00am-1:30pm. Closed 

Thursday, Friday, and Sunday. Maps and 

pain! ngs of old Florence. Also houses the 

modern art collec! on La Raccolta Alberto 

Della Ragione. 

Museo Galileo - Piazza dei Giudici 1, tel. 

055 293493. Hours: 9:30am-5:00pm. 

Closed Tuesday a& ernoons, some Sundays, 

holidays, and Saturday a& ernoons in 

winter. This fascina! ng collec! on includes 

Galileo’s telescopes and the rst robot! 

Museo Nazionale Alinari della Fotogra a 

- Piazza Santa Maria Novella 14a/r, tel. 055 

216310. Hours: 9:30am-7:30pm. Saturday 

open un! l 11:30 pm. Closed Wednesday. 

Museum dedicated to the history and 

technique of photography. 

Museo dell’Opi cio delle Pietre Dure - Via 

degli Alfani 78, tel. 055 265111. Visi! ng 

hours: Monday-Saturday, 8:30am, 9:50am, 

11:10am, 12:30pm. Closed Sunday. An 

excellent museum dedicated to the 

Floren! ne art of stone mosaic inlay. 

Ospedale degli Innocen! - Piazza San! ssima 

Annunziata 12, tel. 055 203711. Hours: 

8:30am-2:00pm. Closed Wednesday. Paintings 

by Ghirlandaio and other masters in 

one of the world’s rst orphanages. 

Palazzo Davanza! - Museum of the 

Floren! ne House - Via Porta Rossa 13, tel. 

055 23885. Call for hours. Superb museum 

of a tradi! onal Floren! ne palace. It gives 

a realis! c idea of what life was like in the 

early Renaissance. 

Palazzo Medici Riccardi - Via Cavour 3, 

tel. 055 2760340. Hours: 9:00am-7:00pm. 

Medici Chapel fresco “Adora! on of the 

Magi” by Benozzo Gozzoli. Closed on 

Wednesday. 

Palazzo Vecchio - Piazza Signoria, tel. 

055 2768465; ! cket o% ce 055 2768325. 

Hours: 9:00am-7:00pm (except Thursday, 

9:00am-2:00pm). The remarkable Medici 

apartments and state rooms. Holds 

Donatello’s original “Judith.” 

The Pecci Founda! on: Museum of 

Contemporary Art of Prato - h$ p://www. 

centropecci.it - Viale della Repubblica 277, 

Prato, tel. 0574 5317. Hours: 12:00pm- 

9:00pm, Saturday & Sunday, 10:00am- 

7:00pm. Closed Tuesdays. 25 minutes 

outside of Florence in Prato. Take the CAP 

bus to Prato from Largo Alinari 10 (across 

the street from the Santa Maria Novella 

train sta! on). Near Florence, this is the 

most important museum of contemporary 

art in Italy. The museum is dedicated to the 

study and collec! on of trends emerging 

in the interna! onal art scene. The huge 

complex, designed by the architect Italo 

Gambrini, regularly presents exhibits of 

recent Italian and interna! onal ar! sts. 

It is also the site of mul! media events, 

lms, concerts, and ar! s! c performances. 

Its library is linked to an ever-growing 

database of interna! onal contemporary 

and modern art history and is open to SACI 

students. 

Pi& Museums - The Pi" Palace, Piazza Pit- 

! . Apart from great art galleries and state 

apartments, this complex also features a 

modern art gallery, a museum of jewelry, 

a costume museum, the famous Pala! ne 

Gallery, and the peaceful Boboli Gardens. 

• Pala! ne Gallery - Tel. 055 2388614. 

Hours: 8:15am-6:50pm. Closed Monday 

and January 1, May 1, and December 

25. Medici and Lorraine Grand Dukes 

collec! on of art which includes Raphael, 

Ti! an, Rubens – also note the splendid 

frames around the pain! ngs. 

• Modern Art Gallery - Tel. 055 2388616. 

Hours: 8:15am-6:50pm. Closed Monday 

and January 1, May 1, and December 25. 

Artwork from the 1700’s on. 

• Costume Gallery - Tel. 055 2288713. 

Hours: 8:15am-4:30pm. Closed the 1st 

and last Monday of the month. A beau! ful 

collec! on of an! que clothing, including 

restored burial a" re of the Medici. 

• Museum of Argen! - Tel. 055 2388709. 

See Boboli Gardens hours. Jewelry and 

treasures of the Medici Grand Dukes. 

• Boboli Gardens - Tel. 055 2651816. Hours 

are seasonal. Open: 8:15am un! l about a 

half hour before sunset. 

Primo Con! Museum - Via Dupré 18, 

Fiesole, tel. 055 597095. Hours: 9:00am- 

1:00pm. Closed Monday and Sunday. 

Futurist collec! on of this ar! st with 

archives of his personal documents. 

San Marco Museum - Piazza San Marco, 

tel. 055 2388608. Hours: 8:15am-1:50pm, 

Saturday, 8:15am-6:50pm, and Sunday, 

8:15am-4:50pm. Closed January 1, May 

1, and December 25. See Fra Angelico’s 

frescos and visit the monks’ cells, 

including those of Cosimo di Medici and 

Savanarola. 

Santa Croce Opera di Santa Croce - Piazza 

Santa Croce 16, tel. 055 2466105. Hours: 

9:00am-5:00pm. Sunday & holidays, 

1:00pm-5:00pm See the Cimabue cruci x 

and Brunelleschi’s Pazzi Chapel. 

Santa Maria Novella Cloisters and 

Museum - Piazza Santa Maria Novella, 

tel. 055 282187. Hours: 9:00am-2:00pm. 

Closed Friday and Sunday. Includes 

Uccello’s frescoes and the Spanish chapel. 

La Specola Zoological Museum - Via 

Romana 17, tel. 055 228825. Hours: 

Tuesday-Saturday, 9:30am-4:30pm, Sunday, 

9:30am-6:00pm. Closed Monday. The 

museum holds a collec! on of anatomical 

wax gures of the human body da! ng back 

to the 18th century and an impressive 

collec! on of embalmed animals, making it 

the only natural history museum in town. 

S! bbert Museum - Via S! bbert 26, tel. 

055 475520. Hours: Monday-Wednesday, 

48 49

10:00am-2:00pm; Friday-Sunday, 10:00- 

6:00pm. Closed Thursday. This museum 

contains an eclec! c collec! on of art, 

ar! facts, and weapons from Europe, 

the Near East, and India. One of the key 

museums of armor in the world. 

U" zi Gallery - Piazzale degli U% zi 6, tel. 

055 2388651 (or call 055 294883 to book 

a reserva! on). Open Tuesday-Sunday, 

8:15am-6.50pm. Closed Monday and 

January 1, May 1, and December 25. 

One of the great picture galleries of the 

world, including works such as Bo" celli’s 

“Primavera” and “Birth of Venus.” 

Vasari Corridor - Over the Ponte Vecchio, 

tel. 055 2654321. Reserva! on required. To 

make a reserva! on, call 055 294883 well 

in advance! 

Places to Draw 

Cenacolo di Santo Spirito - Piazza Santo 

Spirito. 

La Specola Museum - Via Romana 17. 

Anatomical wax gures and objects, as 

well as hundreds of examples of embalmed 

animals. A very interes! ng place. 

Botanical Gardens - Giardino dei Semplici, 

Via Micheli 3. Greenhouses and citrus 

trees. 

Museo Marino Marini - Piazza San 

Pancrazio. Sculptures. 

Cenacolo di S. Apollonia - Via XXVII Aprile 

1. Works of Andrea del Castagno. 

Boboli Gardens - Behind Pi" Palace. 

Forte di Belvedere - Via S. Leonardo, tel. 

055 2768814. Above the Boboli gardens. 

Undoubtedly one of the best views of 

Florence. A beau! ful se" ng to lounge or 

check out the latest art exhibi! on. In the 

summer, there are also live performances, 

an outdoor movie theater, and co# ee bar. 

Churches 

Florence’s many churches, from the small 

and humble to the elegant and inspiring, are 

all func! onal houses of worship. Churches 

are o& en closed to tourists during religious 

services; please be respec' ul of others. 

Church Opening Hours 

Santa Maria del Fiore (the Duomo) 

Tel. 055 2302885. Hours: 10:00am 5:00pm. 

Thursday un! l 3:30pm, Saturday, un! l 

4:45pm, and Sunday, 1:30pm-4:45pm. 

Mass Saturday at 5:00pm (in English); 

Sunday at 7:30am, 9:00am, 10:30am, 

12:00pm, 6:00pm. 

Orsanmichele 

Tel. 055 284944. Open Tuesday-Sunday, 

10:00am-5:00pm. Closed Monday. 

Santa Croce (entrance fee for tourist visits, 

not for mass) 

Tel. 055 2466105. Open 9:30am-5:30pm. 

Sunday & holidays, 1:00am-5:30pm. 

Mass Saturday at 6:00pm; Sunday at 

8:00am, 9:30am, 11:00am, 12:00pm, 

6:00pm. 

San Lorenzo (entrance fee for tourist visits, 

not for mass) 

Tel. 055 216634. Hours: 10:00am-5:00pm. 

Closed Sunday. 


8:00am, 9:30am, 11:00am, 6:00pm. 

Santa Maria Novella (entrance fee for 

tourist visits, not for mass) 

Tel. 055 215918. Hours 9:30am-5:00pm; 

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, 1:00pm- 

5:00pm. 


8:30am, 10:30am, 12:00pm, 6:00pm. 

Sant’Ambrogio 

Piazza Sant’Ambrogio 

Tel. 055 240104 

Mass Monday-Saturday, 8:00am and 

6:00pm; Sunday, 8:30am, 10:00am, 

11:30am, and 6:00pm. 

Santa Trinità 

Tel. 055 216912. Open daily 8:00am- 

12:00pm, 4:00pm-6:00pm. Sunday and 

holidays, 4pm-6pm. 


7:30am, 9:45am, 10:30am, 11:00am, 

6:30pm. 

San Miniato al Monte 

Via Monte alle Croci. tel. 055 2342731. 

Summer hours: 8:00am-7:30pm; winter 

hours: 8:00am-12:00pm, 3:00pm-6:00pm. 

Mass: Sunday, 8:30am, 10:00am, & 

11:30am. Monday-Saturday, 8:30am & 

5:30pm. The monks sing evening vespers 

in the crypt. 

San! ssima Annunziata 

Piazza SS. Annunziata, tel. 055 266181. 

Open 7:30am-12:30pm, 4:00pm-6:30pm. 


7:00am, 8:30am, 10:00am, 11:30am, 

1:00pm, 6:00pm, 9:00pm. 

Santo Spirito 

Piazza S. Spirito, tel. 055 210030. Open 

Monday-Friday, 8:30am-12:00pm, 3:45pm- 

6:00pm. Saturday & Sunday, 8:30am- 

12:00pm 3:45pm-5:00pm. 


7:00am, 8:30am, 10:00am, 11:30am, 

1:00pm, 6:00pm, 9:00pm. 

50 51

Non-Catholic Churches & 

Houses of Worship 

St. James Episcopal Church 

(the “American” church) 

Via B. Rucellai 9, tel. 055 294417. 

stjames@dinonet.it 

Main service in English on Sunday at 

11:00am. 

This church also serves the community 

through student dinners on Wednesday 

evenings, AA mee! ngs (see Medical 

Informa! on sec! on of handbook), a thri& 

shop, food bank, Bible study, conversa! on 

exchange, and other community service 

events. Check out its bulle! n board for 

jobs, apartments, and other helpful 

informa! on. 

Church of England - Saint Mark’s Church 

Via Maggio 16, tel. 055 294764. 

www.stmarks.it. 

Services in English on Sunday at 9:00am, 

10:30am. 

Comunità Ebraica 

(The Jewish Synagogue) 

Via L. Farini 4, tel. 055 245252. 

Services on Saturday at 8:45am, 12:00pm. 

Other services o# ered, but ! mes change – 

call to con rm. 

Chiesa Ortodossa Russa 

(Russian Orthodox) 

Via Leone X 8, tel. 055 490148. 

Services on the third Sunday of the month 

and on principal liturgical fes! vals at 

10:30am (in Russian). 

Chiesa Cris! ana Avven! sta 

Evangelista Ba& sta (Bap! st) 

Borgo Ognissan! 6, tel. 055 210537. 

Services on Sunday at 10:30am. 

Evangelica Luterana (Lutheran) 

Lungarno Torrigiani 11, tel. 055 2342775. 

Services on Sunday at 10:00am. 

Evangelica Metodista (Methodist) 

Via dei Benci 9, tel. 055 288143. Call for 

hours. 

Prima Chiesa del Cristo Scien! sta 

(Chris! an Scien! st) 

Via dei Servi 38, tel. 055 211694. Call for 

hours. 

Tes! moni di Geova (Jehovah’s Witness) 

Borgo degli Albizi 26, tel. 055 2346843. 

Services in English on Sunday at 10:00am. 

Buddhist Center 

Soka Gakkai 

Via di Beggagio 2/E, tel. 055 426971. 

Measuring Di# erences 

In addi! on to the various cultural and 

linguis! c di# erences you will encounter in 

Italy, you will nd some basic di# erences 

in the way things are measured. We have 

provided the following conversion factors 

to help you calculate these di# erences. 

Temperature 

In Europe the temperatures are measured 

in degrees Celsius (or Cen! grade). Thus, 

when Floren! nes complain about 40° 

weather, they don’t mean it’s cold! 

Knowing what the temperature is in Celsius 

can be useful for a variety of reasons... 

you’ll be able to understand the weather 

forecasts, you’ll be able to use an Italian 

thermometer, and you’ll be able to set the 

temperature on your oven. 

Fahrenheit to Celsius 

Subtract 32 from the Fahrenheit gure, 

mul! ply by 5, then divide by 9 to get the 

Celsius gure. 

Celsius to Fahrenheit 

Mul! ply the Celsius gure by 9, divide by 5, 

then add 32 to get the Fahrenheit gure. 

Weight 

In Italy you will discover that all things are 

weighed according to grams (grammi) and 

kilograms (kilogrammi). 

Another unit of measure you should 

become familiar with is the e" o (the 

shortened version of e" ogrammo, or 

100 grams). Usually, in grocery stores you 

can ask for due “e% di pane” (prosciu" o, 

formaggio, etc.), which is just another way 

of asking for 200 grams. 

Ounces to Grams 

Mul! ply the ounce gure by 28.3 to get 

the number of grams. 

Grams to Ounces 

Mul! ply the gram gure by .0353 to get 

the number of ounces. 

Pounds to Kilograms 

Mul! ply the pound gure by 0.45 to get 

the number of kilograms. (A kilo is about 

2 pounds). 

Kilograms to Pounds 

Mul! ply the kilogram gure by 2.21 to get 

the number of pounds. 

Distance 

All distances in Italy are measured 

according the metric system (millimeters, 

cen! meters, meters, and kilometers). 

Inches to Cen! meters 

Mul! ply the inch gure by 2.54 to get the 

number of cen! meters. 

Cen! meters to Inches 

Mul! ply the cen! meter gure by .39 to 

get the number of inches. 

Miles to Kilometers 

Mul! ply the mile gure by 1.61 to get 

the number of kilometers. (About 1.5 

kilometers to the mile.) 

Kilometers to Miles 

Mul! ply the kilometer gure by .62 to get 

the number of miles. 

Quan! ty 

Liters to Gallons 

Mul! ply the liter gure by .22 to get the 

number of gallons. 

52 53

Markets and Shopping 

Italy is famous for a variety of goods, and 

Florence is a window-shopper’s paradise: 

the center is full of elegant stores 

displaying fabulous merchandise. But if 

you want to get away from the consumer 

blare and nd some authen! c bargains, 

try one of Florence’s open markets. Not 

only are they some of the best places to 

nd good prices, but these are where the 

Italians come to shop. 

Florence is famous for the produc! on of 

leather goods (gloves, jackets, shoes, belts, 

and leather-bound books). You can nd 

leather shops all around the city (especially 

around Santa Croce) and leather stalls in 

the San Lorenzo market where you may be 

able to bargain the price. Shop around for 

di# erences in quality and price. 

Markets 

Mercato delle Cascine 

Parco delle Cascine: Open Tuesdays only. 

From April-September, 7:00am-2:00pm 

and from September-April, 8:00am- 

2:00pm. Follow the Arno or take bus 

#17C or #1. The biggest open-air market 

in Florence, this enormous spread of 

li$ le stands is where Floren! nes shop 

for everything from food and clothing to 

household goods. 

Merca! no delle Pulci 

Piazza dei Ciompi. Closed Sunday (except 

for the last Sunday of the month). This 

an! que/ ea market tradi! onally has the 

best goods on the last Sunday of each 

month, when the market sprawls out onto 

the streets leading up to the piazza. 

Mercato di San Lorenzo 

Open daily. Closed rst Monday of every 

month. Clothes, accessories, and leather 

goods on display for a mainly tourist 

crowd. 

Mercato Centrale 

Via dell’Ariento. Open daily un! l 2pm. 

Closed Sunday. See Buying Food sec! on. 

Mercato di Piazza Santo Spirito 

Monday-Saturday, 8:00am-1:00pm, features 

a small fresh fruit and vegetable market. 

On the second Sunday of the month, 

the piazza holds a ea market with an interes! 

ng mix of an! ques and handmade 

cra& s, running all day long. Every third 

Sunday, there is a farmer’s market. 

Mercato del Porcellino 

Logge del Mercato Nuovo. Open daily, 

all day, except Monday. Mostly cloth and 

leather goods, as well as lace and things 

made from woven straw (hence, it is also 

called the “Straw Market”). 

Mercato di Sant’Ambrogio 

Piazza Ghiber! . Open daily un! l 2:00pm, 

except Sunday. Mainly food; some retail. 

Cheapest market in Florence, and the 

oldest! 

Other Markets in Tuscany 

Most of the ci! es and towns in Tuscany 

have weekly markets in their central 

piazzas. 

Arezzo 

On the rst weekend of every month, the 

whole historic center of Arezzo is taken 

over by a sprawling an! que market. The 

goods range from an! que furniture, 

collec! bles, books, jewelry, and more. This 

is Tuscany’s largest an! que market. 

Lucca 

On the third weekend of every month, an 

an! que market springs up in Piazza San 

Mar! no and the surrounding streets. A 

cra& market sets up in Piazza San Giusto 

on the last weekend of the month. 

Pisa 

On the second weekend of each month 

(with the excep! on of July and August), you 

will nd an an! que market in the piazza 

and streets near the Ponte di Mezzo. 

Siena 

Every Wednesday a large market covers 

the whole area from Piazza La Lizza to the 

Fortezza. It is open from 8:00am-1:00pm, 

but the best deals are found early. Mostly 

clothes and household goods, you can nd 

great bargains at this market. 

Houseware Stores 

Need to buy toilet paper? Try your nearest 

mes! cheria. These shops carry a wide 

array of household goods such as cleaning 

supplies, dish soap, toilet paper, etc. 

Il Civaiolo 

Via Taddea 5/r, tel. 055 2398372. 

Household goods and barrels of beans! 

Tucci Mes! cheria 

Via dei Servi 76/r, tel. 055 2381600. 

Household supply store near SACI’s Jules 

Maido# Palazzo for the Visual Arts. 

Department Stores 

If you’re looking for household goods and 

sundries or just want to do your shopping 

all in one place, try one of Florence’s 

department stores. There’s one for every 

price range; there may also be other 

branches of these chains around suburban 

Florence, so check your phone books. 

Coin 

Via dei Calzaiuoli, between Piazza del 

Duomo and Piazza della Signoria. Midrange 

department store for prac! cal 

shopping. 

Oviesse 

Via Nazionale and Via Panzani, near the 

train sta! on. A lower-end department 

store. 

Rinascente 

Piazza della Repubblica, on the corner 

of Via degli Speziali. Florence’s high-end 

department store with perfume and 

cosme! cs, clothing, and houseware. 

Shopping Centers 

I Gigli 

The only “mall” in Tuscany. 30 minutes 

outside Florence in Campi Bisenzio – 

you can get there by CAP bus from the 

Florence train sta! on. Visit the CAP o% ce 

on Via Nazionale 13/15, tel. 055 214637, 

for current schedule. 

Outlets 

Together the outlets listed below have well 

over 100 bou! ques. Many o# er incredible 

bargains on all major fashion brands. Both 

outlets are approximately half an hour 

from Florence. 

Barberino Designer Outlet 

Via Meucci, Località Scopicci, Barberino 

di Mugello. Tel. 055 842161, www. 

54 55

mcarthurglen.it. Tuesday-Friday, 10:00am- 

8:00 pm, Saturday-Sunday, 10:00am- 

9:00pm. Open Monday, 2:00pm-8:00pm, 

in January, June, July, August, September, 

and December. Closed Monday in February, 

March, April, May, October, and November. 

Shu$ le buses leaving from Florence’s SITA 

sta! on (tel. 800 373768) can be taken at 

10:00am and 2:30pm. Shu$ le buses leave 

Outlet Barberino for Florence at 1:30pm 

and 6:00pm. 

Size Conversions 

The Mall 

Via Europa, Località Leccio, Incisa 

Valdarno. Tel. 055 8657775, www.themall. 

it. Monday-Sunday, 10:00am-7:00 pm. 

Shu$ le buses leaving from Florence’s SITA 

sta! on (tel. 800 373768) can be taken at 

9:00am, 11:00am, and 3:00pm. Shu$ le 

buses leave The Mall for Florence at 

12:30pm, 4:00pm, and 7:00pm. 

CLOTHING SIZE CHART XXS XS S M L XL XXL 

ITALY - 38 40 42/44 46 48 50 

US 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 

SHOE SIZE CHART 

ITALY 36 36.5 37 37.5 38 38.5 39 39.5 40 

US 6 6.5 7 7.5 8 8.5 9 9.5 10 

Buying Food 

If you’re ever in doubt that you’re in a 

di# erent culture, all you’ll need to do is 

go shopping for food. It can be a social 

experience, a visual experience, and an 

adventure all wrapped up in one. It can 

also be quite a trip; you may wind up 

visi! ng at least three di# erent shops on 

one shopping expedi! on – going to the 

pani cio to buy fresh bread, the la" eria 

for milk and cheese, and so on. If you 

live in the center of town, you’ll probably 

wind up frequen! ng li$ le corner shops 

where the owners will quickly learn your 

name and what you like to buy. Introduce 

yourself and smile, try to communicate, 

and they’ll be happy to help you with 

anything you don’t understand. One rule of 

thumb: don’t touch the food – it’s against 

the health law, and Italian vendors may 

get angry if you handle their merchandise. 

Some will let you, but ask rst. You may 

want to do some compara! ve shopping 

at the beginning because prices can vary 

widely from store to store. 

You’ll really no! ce the di# erence between 

the food seasons in Italy, as the only foods 

available are those in season. This means 

that you probably won’t nd out-of-season 

watermelons like you could at home at 

any ! me, but you WILL nd avorful 

porcini mushrooms in fall, incredible blood 

oranges from Sicily (tarocco) in winter, the 

sweetest of strawberries in the spring, 

and wonderful white peaches in the 

summer! Open yourself to new culinary 

and shopping experiences! 

Markets 

Without ques! on, open-air markets 

are some of the best places to get fresh 

vegetables, fruits, and cheeses, and you 

are suppor! ng the local farmers too. 

Compare prices from stand to stand, and 

make friends with your favorite vendors so 

they’ll pick you the freshest produce and 

give you recipe ! ps! 

Mercato Centrale 

Via dell’Ariento, in the center of the San 

Lorenzo leather market. Open Monday- 

Saturday, 7:00am-2:00pm. Closed Sundays. 

Going to the enormous Central Market 

becomes a weekly expedi! on for many 

SACI students. While some people may not 

appreciate the ground oor’s huge spread 

of raw meats, this is de nitely the place 

to get the highest quality fresh foods at 

the lowest prices. Housed in an enormous 

two-story, Liberty-style art nouveau 

building, the lower oor is dedicated to 

meat, cheeses, and dry goods, while the 

upper oor is devoted to vegetables and 

fruits. This market also has some excellent 

cheap lunch places. 

Mercato di Sant’ Ambrogio 

Piazza Ghiber! . Open Monday-Saturday, 

7:00am-2:00pm. Closed Sunday. Near 

Santa Croce church, this is Florence’s 

oldest market, where you can nd fresh 

fruit, vegetables, household goods, meat, 

sh, owers, used clothing, etc. You can 

also nd kosher meats inside at Bruno 

False" ni’s macelleria. 

Supermarkets 

Found throughout Florence, these are 

supermarkets in the American sense of 

the word with their packaged, frozen, or 

canned goods and legions of household 

supplies. Aisles are crowded, though, and 

56 57

lines can be long. You may want to buy an 

environmentally-correct, old-fashioned net 

or cloth bag to go shopping at these places 

because the plas! c bags they provide cost 

extra. 

ESSELUNGA (a li$ le outside the city center 

but it’s worth it) 

Via Pisana 130 (take bus #12) 

Via Masaccio 274 (take bus #17) 

BILLA 

Via Pietrapiana, 42/44 

CONAD/MARGHERITA (open Sundays) 

Largo Alinari 6-7 (near SMN train sta! on) 

Via dei Servi 56/r 

Via Melarancio 7-9/r 

IL CENTRO (open Sundays) 

Via de’ Ginori 29/r 

Borgo degli Albizi 20 

Via delle Ruote 42/r 

Via E. Carducci 10/r 

(behind the synagogue) 

Specialty Stores 

Here is a quick list of some of the places you 

can try for foods not ordinarily stocked at 

basic food stores or in the open markets: 

Il Civaiolo 

Via Taddea 5/r, tel. 055 2398372. 

A macrobio! c food store, with dried foods 

galore. Beans, peas, and seeds jostle for 

room with household goods. Try their 

pre-mixed combina! on of legumes for a 

delicious bean soup. 

Pegna 

Via dello Studio 8, tel. 055 282701. 

Gourmet deli where you can nd a variety 

of products, from cheddar cheese to 

Bisquick and Haagen-Dazs ice cream. 

Sugar Blues 

Via dei Serragli 57/r, tel. 055 268378. Here 

you can nd natural foods gathered from 

all over the world. 

Troponais 

Via San Gallo 92/r, tel. 055 483017. A 

health-oriented bakery that makes their 

natural-ingredient pastries without milk, 

bu$ er, or eggs. As you might expect, it is 

also more expensive than your average 

corner bakery. 

Vivi Market 

Via del Giglio 20/22/r, tel. 055 294911. 

Their shelves are stocked with a wide 

selec! on of ethnic foods from all over the 

world, including American peanut bu$ er, 

Jell-O, and brownie mix! 

La Dolciaria 

Via de’ Ginori 24/r, tel. 055 214646. A wine 

and chocolate shop that o# ers a discount 

to SACI students. 

Buying Bread 

There is a huge selec! on of bread in 

most pani ci. If you’re looking for white 

bread, remember that most Tuscan bread 

is made without salt and is great with 

salty prosciu" o or as toasted cros! ni. A 

salty favorite is focaccia or schiacciata, a 

delicious olive-oiled and salted at bread. 

Also try the pane integrale (whole wheat 

bread), which is usually salted and is 

delicious crunchy. 

Another kind of bread that is quite tasty is 

pane pugliese (which comes from Puglia, 

in southern Italy) – this large, so& , round 

bread is salted and can be found in most 

bakeries. You can also simply ask if the 

baker has pane salato, which means bread 

with salt added. 

If you don’t want the whole loaf, ask the 

baker for un pezzo di pane (“a piece of 

bread”), and he or she will usually be happy 

to cut the bread to the size you want. 

Buying Olive Oil 

The high end, really good olive oil is Extra 

Virgin, which means that it comes from 

the rst press of the olives. The second 

and third presses make Virgin olive oil 

and olive oil, respec! vely. Freshly pressed 

olive oil has a bite to it, and is a thick green 

color. 

Bo$ le Opener 

Bowl 

Carving Board 

Co# ee Machine 

Cork 

Corkscrew 

Dish 

Espresso Cup 

Flask 

Fork 

Funnel 

Glass 

Knife 

Ladle 

Table Manners in Italian 

Apribo% glie 

Scodella 

Tagliere 

Ca# e% era 

Tappo 

Cavatappi 

Pia" o 

Tazzina 

Fiasco 

Forche" a 

Imbuto 

Bicchiere 

Coltello 

Romaiolo 

Delicious Italian Special! es 

Bresaola – Salt-cured beef. 

Fe! unta or Brusche! a – A toasted 

slice of Tuscan bread with garlic 

scraped onto the surface, coarse salt, 

and a generous adornment of Tuscan 

virgin olive oil. 

Mozzarella Fresca – Made from either 

cow’s milk or from bu# alo milk (mozzarella 

di bufala). 

Prosciu! o Crudo – Salt-cured ham. 

Ribollita – A soup made of dry bread, 

beans, and black cabbage. Ribollita 

means “re-boiled” and is made by 

slowly boiling the ingredients for two 

days. 

Schiacciata or Foccaccia – (Pronounced 

“skeeatchata.”) A at bread 

made with olive oil. It comes so& or 

crunchy and is some! mes topped or 

stu# ed. 

Napkin 

Oil & Vinegar Set 

Pasta Drainer 

Salt & Pepper Set 

Saucer 

Sieve 

Spoon 

Sugar Bowl 

Tablecloth 

Teacup 

Teaspoon 

Toothpick 

Tray 

Wooden Spoon 

Tovagliolo 

Oliera 

Scolapasta 

Saliera 

Pia% no 

Colino 

Cucchiaio 

Zuccheriera 

Tovaglia 

Tazza 

Cucchiaino 

Stecchino 

Vassoio 

Mestolo 

58 59

How to Shop Around in Italian 

Alimentari Grocery (all foods) 

Bar/Ca" e’ Bar (for drinks, cof- 

fee, nibbles) 

Birreria Pub (beer hall) 

Bo# glieria Wine and liquor store 

Enoteca Winery 

Erboristeria Herb shop 

Focacceria Sells schiacciate (also 

called focaccia), 

stu# ed schiacciate, 

and pizza-to-go. 

Forno/Fornaio Bakery 

Friggitoria Fried food shop 

selling fried polenta, 

bomboloni (doughnuts), 

coccoli, 

roven! ni, apple and 

rice fri$ ers, and 

french fries. 

Fru! a e Verdura Greengrocer (also 

called ortolano or 

fru% vendolo) 

Gelateria Ice-creamery 

La! eria Dairy goods 

Macelleria Butcher 

Osteria Less expensive 

restaurant 

Pani cio Bakery 

Paninoteca Sandwich shop 

Basil Basilico 

Chili pepper Peperoncino 

Cinnamon Cannella 

Curry Curry 

Garlic Aglio 

Ginger Zenzero 

Mint Menta 

Nutmeg Noce Moscata 

Spice Up Your Life in Italian 

Pasta Fresca Fresh pasta 

Pas$ cceria Pastry shop 

Pescheria Fish shop 

Pizzeria Pizza shop 

Pizzicheria Delicatessen 

Polleria Poultry shop 

Ristorante Restaurant 

Ros$ cceria Sells true Italian fast 

food: heavy and rich 

pre-prepared dishes 

such as roast chicken, 

pork, and french fries 

as well as bread, 

salami, sausages, 

ham, pork products, 

and side dishes. 

Salumeria Delicatessen 

Cafeteria Self-service 

Spaghe! eria Spaghe" house 

Tavola Calda A quick, less 

expensive restaurant 

Torrefazione Co# ee roastery 

Tra! oria A family-run, less 

expensive restaurant 

Tripperia Sells cooked or raw 

tripe, the delicious 

but weird-looking 

lining of a cow’s 

stomach. 

Oregano Origano 

Paprika Paprica 

Parsley Prezzemolo 

Pepper Pepe 

Rosemary Rosmarino 

Sage Salvia 

Salt Sale 

Thyme Timo 

Ea! ng Out 

Good food is one of life’s greatest delights, 

and Florence makes it even more of a 

pleasure. Incredible regional Italian – and 

other – cuisine can be found in prices 

ranging from the inexpensive to the budgetbending; 

it all depends on your wallet and 

your sense of adventure. Don’t be ! mid 

about exploring those li$ le neighborhood 

tra" orie – some! mes the best food is 

found in these li$ le corner restaurants, 

and it’s a great way to rub shoulders with 

Floren! nes. O& en, restaurants will have 

a tourist menu, or a xed-price, “prezzo 

sso.” This meal usually includes a rst and 

second course. Drinks are extra. 

A formal meal in Italy is a succession of 

courses: an! pasto (appe! zer): a smaller 

course that precedes the main course; 

primo ( rst course): either pasta, riso$ o, 

or soup; secondo (second course): meat, 

poultry, or sh accompanied by vegetable 

side dishes and/or cheese; dolce (dessert) 

baked goods or fruit. 

At a restaurant you can decide to get all 

the courses or just what you want. At the 

family table, it is not common to eat all 

courses at every meal! Cultural note: in 

Italy, it is not a habit to order a cappuccino 

a& er a meal (only at breakfast ! me). It is 

more customary to order a simple ca# è 

(espresso) a& er a meal. 

Nowadays it is fashionable in Italy to get 

an aperi! vo (snack and light drink) in some 

ca# és before dinner. Some places o# er a 

fairly adequate bu# et, but this “happy 

hour” is not normally considered a dinner 

subs! tute. 

One thing that di# ers between the 

American and Italian dining experience 

is that here you will not need to leave a 

! p. Your restaurant bill may include a 

cover-charge per person, or “coperto,” 

which does not cons! tute a ! p. However, 

you may also be charged a “servizio,” or a 

service charge. This charge will be added 

wherever you are served, even in cafés, 

sandwich places, and bars – which means 

the price di# ers if you take a seat instead 

of standing at the bar. If charged the 

servizio, you do not need to ! p, but if you 

really like the service, you’re welcome to 

leave one. The general rule of thumb for 

! pping is just to round up. (They do not 

expect 15-20%.) 

There are so many good places to eat in 

Florence that it would be impossible to list 

them all. Below are some places that have 

proved perennial favorites of students and 

sta# alike. 

Pizza Delivery 

Pizza Okey – Tel. 055 288 888 

Pizza Taxi – Tel. 055 434 343 

Runner Pizza – Tel. 055 333 333 

Restaurants 

Acqua al 2 

Via della Vigna Vecchia 40/r, tel. 055 

284170, www.acquaal2.it. A very popular 

place specializing in an “Asaggi di primi”- 

a sampling of ve di# erent pastas. 

Reserva! ons are suggested. 

An! co Noè 

Volta San Piero 6/r (under the San Pierino 

arch), tel. 055 2340838. Serves the closest 

thing to a stu# ed sub sandwich. 

60 61

Baldovino 

Via S. Giuseppe 22/r, tel. 055 241773. 

There are two parts to Baldovino: one is the 

restaurant where you can get tradi! onal 

tra$ oria fare (pizza and pasta). Opposite 

is the enoteca/wine bar which serves 

cheeses, cros! ni, and less tradi! onal fare 

like cous cous and chicken salad. Each 

o# ers gourmet vegetarian and meat-lover 

dishes. 

Becco no 

Piazza degli Scarla" 1/r (Lungarno 

Guicciardini), tel. 055 290076. Upscale. 

Italian food with a good eye for service 

and ambiance. The bar serves appe! zers 

and simple rst courses without the price 

the dining room would set you back. And 

the wine list is the same. A good place to 

go when the folks are in town. 

Borgo An! co 

Piazza Santo Spirito 6/r, tel. 055 210437. 

The menu includes excellent pizzas and 

salads, as well as huge plates of delicious 

pasta! Outdoor sea! ng in the summer and 

its loca! on make this a popular place! 

Ca# è Guidi (in Teatro la Pergola) 

Via della Pergola 12/32, tel. 055 2264336. 

Hours: Monday-Friday, 9:30am-noon. On 

Monday-Sunday nights when there are 

performances at the theater, 9:30am- 

11:00pm. A ca# è in one of Florence’s most 

elegant theaters, just around the corner 

from SACI’s Jules Maido# Palazzo for the 

Visual Arts. 

Ca# e$ eria delle Oblate (in the Oblate 

Library) Via Sant’Egidio 21, tel. 055 

2639685. Hours: Monday, 2:00pm-midnight; 

Tuesday-Saturday, 9:00am-noon. 

Down the block from SACI’s Jules Maido# 

Palazzo for the Visual Arts. A great place 

to have a co# ee, relax, and meet Italian 

university students and others using the 

Oblate Library. 

Canapone Club 

Via Mazze$ a 5/a, tel. 055 2381729. Near 

Santo Spirito. In addi! on to the lunch and 

dinner menus, they also serve an American 

brunch on Sundays from 12:00pm-3:00pm! 

Closed Tuesday. 

Can! na Barbagiani 

Via Sant’Egidio 13/r, tel. 055 2480508, 

www.can! nabarbagiani.it. Great for a 

quick lunch. A few steps away from SACI’s 

Jules Maido# Piazza for the Visual Arts. 

Casa del Vino 

Via dell’Ariento 16/r, tel. 055 215609. The 

oldest wine bar in Florence. Tasty toasted 

sandwiches and “schiacciatè.” 

A Casa Mia 

Piazza Ghiber! , 5-6/r, tel. 055 2638223, 

www.pizzaecarboneacasamia.it. Pizza Neapolitan. 

Delicious meals and a# ordable. 

La Casalinga 

Via Michelozzi 9/r, tel. 055 218624. Classic 

Tuscan mom-&-pop tra$ oria. 

Cibrèo 

Via dei Macci 118/r, tel. 055 2341100. 

Upscale. This three-part establishment 

has the reputa! on of being one of the 

best places in town. If someone else is 

paying, try the restaurant, it is expensive. 

Otherwise, the tra$ oria (122/r) serves the 

same rst courses. For an aperi! vo while 

you wait for a table, the café bar is on the 

corner. 

Coquinarius 

Via delle Oche 15/r, tel. 055 2302153, 

coquinarius@! n.it. A cozy restaurant 

tucked next to the Duomo that serves 

good salads and wine. Ask about the 

brunches, try the hot chocolate, and don’t 

forget dessert! 

Funiculi 

Via Il Prato 81/r, tel. 055 2657857. This a 

great Napoli-type pizzeria also specializing 

in seafood. Be sure to order Babà for 

dessert! 

Fuori Porta 

Via Monte alle Croci 10/r, tel. 055 2342483 

Just outside Porta San Niccolò. Great 

atmosphere. Scrumptuous pasta dishes, 

crostoni, and wines. 

Il La! ni 

Via Palche" 6/r, tel. 055 210916. Perhaps 

one of the best-known places in Florence, 

La! ni’s Tuscan food is de nitely something 

to write home about. And the experience – 

they just keep bringing food! Be prepared 

to wait: they don’t accept reserva! ons, 

and there is usually a long line outside the 

door. Closed Monday. 

Lungarno 23 

Lungarno Torrigiani 23, tel. 055 2345957, 

www.lungarno23.it. The best hamburgers 

in Florence. 

Mamma Gina 

Borgo San Jacopo 37/r, tel. 055 2396009. A 

li$ le on the expensive side, but nonetheless 

very quaint and very delicious. Awarded 

the best ribollita (tradi! onal bread and 

vegetable soup) in town, which is no small 

compliment. 

Mario’s 

Via Rosina 2/r (in the Piazza del Mercato 

Centrale), tel. 055 218550. Rub shoulders 

with crowds of hungry locals who come 

here to take in some of the best inexpensive 

sit-down meals in town. The menu changes 

daily. Open for lunch only. 

Osteria Pepò 

Via Rosina 4-6/r, tel. 055 283259, www. 

pepo.it. Tradi! onal Tuscan cuisine, 

including a good selec! on of vegetarian 

dishes. 

The Oil Shoppe 

Via Sant’Egidio, 22/r. Down the block 


Visual Arts. Delicious and inexpensive 

sandwiches, focaccia, and subs. 

Il Pizzaiuolo 

Via de’ Macci 113/r, tel. 055 241171. 

Excellent, thick-crust Neapolitan pizza 

makes this a very popular place. (Try the 

pizza with friarelli and salsiccia!) There’s 

usually a crowd, so try to reserve! 

Pizzeria Spera 

Via della Cernaia 9/r, tel. 055 495286. 

This small pizzeria o# ers what some say 

is the best pizza in all of Tuscany – maybe 

because it’s made by a Neapolitan! 

Qua$ ro Leoni 

Via Vellu! ni 1/r, tel. 055 218562. Mediumpriced 

Tuscan food in a tucked away corner 

of the Oltrarno. 

Snack Bar Anna 

Via de’ Ginori 26/r, tel. 055 213623. 

The friendly proprietors Anna and Ugo 

speak English and can whip up almost 

any sandwich you wish. The vegetarian 

sandwich is highly recommended, and the 

bagels are always popular. 

Tra$ oria Palle d’ Oro 

Via S. Antonio 43-45/r, tel. 055 288383. A 

tradi! onal Floren! ne tra$ oria where you 

will nd classic Tuscan dishes on the menu. 

62 63

Very popular for the cheap pasta you can 

eat at the stand-up bar at lunch. 

Il Vegetariano 

Via delle Ruote 30/r, tel. 055 475030. 

Florence’s main vegetarian restaurant. 

Good food, reasonably priced. 

Zà-Zà 

Piazza del Mercato Centrale 26/r (near 

Mario’s), tel. 055215411. The food is just 

as good as Mario’s but just a tad more 

expensive at this family-run tra$ oria. 

Open for both lunch and dinner. Good big 

salads. 

Ethnic Restaurants 

Not in the mood for Italian food tonight? 

Here’s a list of good alterna! ves that we 

recommend: 

Amon 

Via Palazzuolo 28/r; near Piazza Santa Maria 

Novella. Called by many “the Egyp! an 

place,” this stand-up sandwich shop o# ers 

some of the best falafels and kebabs in 

Florence. Some consider the cuisine more 

Greek or Middle Eastern than Egyp! an, 

but no ma$ er what you call it, it’s cheap, 

delicious, and good for you. 

Ristorante Greco Dionisio 

Via S. Gallo 16/r, tel. 055 217882. Greek 

special! es. 

India 

Via Gramsci 43/a Fiesole, tel. 055 599900. 

Great Indian food and good prices. The 

rst Indian restaurant in the area, and a 

hit ever since it started. A bit far, but good. 

(Take the #7 bus from Piazza San Marco 

to go up to Fiesole.) Reserva! ons are 

recommended. 

Kome 

Via dei Benci 41/r, tel. 055 2008009, 

www.kome renze.it. Delicious Japanese 

cuisine. 

Momoyama 

Borgo S. Frediano 10/r, tel. 055 291840. 

Japanese sushi and noodle bar. A pre$ y 

penny though. 

Peking Chinese Restaurant 

Via Melarancio 21/r, tel. 055 219828. 

Near the school and not bad. Like most 

anywhere, cheap and good. 

Ruth’s 

Via Farini 2/a, tel. 055 2480888. Next to 

the Synagogue. Tradi! onal Jewish cooking 

and vegetarian food, all kosher, of course. 

Salamanca 

Via Ghibellina 80/r, tel. 055 2345452, 

www.salamanca.it (has a live web-cam!). 

A Spanish restaurant and bar that on 

certain nights turns into a La! n disco. 

Sushi Nami 

Via Ma$ eo Palmieri 9/r, tel. 055 2466692, 

www.sushinami.it. Japanese restaurant 

that also has take out and delivers. 

Tijuana 

Via Ghibellina 156-8/r, tel. 055 2341330. 

Mexican cuisine. 

And for dessert… 

Florence probably has as many good gelato 

(ice cream) places as it does good pizzerias 

– in other words: a lot (not to men! on the 

incredible array of bakeries across town!). 

To make sure you’re ge" ng the genuine 

item, look for a sign saying “Produzione 

Propria” in the establishment’s window. 

That means they make their own goods 

on the premises, instead of dishing up 

a pre-made commercial product. Most 

restaurants will have fresh desserts 

available for consump! on – such as 

delicious creamy ! ramisu or custardy torta 

della nonna – but there are also plenty of 

places to go just for dessert. The few listed 

here are just the beginning. 

Gelateria Carabé 

Via Ricasoli 60/r, tel. 055 289476. Near 

the Accademia, you will nd this small 

gelateria run by a nice Sicilian couple. 

Their gelato and granite are among the 

best in Florence! 

Hemingway 

Piazza Pia$ ellina 9/r (just a& er Piazza 

della Carmine), tel. 055 284781. A café 

that serves the thickest hot chocolate 

imaginable on a dreary winter’s day – ask 

for a chocolate spoon. This spot is popular 

a& er dinner for its designer chocolates and 

special co# ees. They also serve English and 

Irish cheeses, and do brunch on Sundays. 

Mama’s Bakery 

Via della Chiesa 34/r, tel. 055 219214. On 

the other side of the Arno. An American 

bakery with brownies, mu% ns, cheese 

cake, and apple pies just like home. Plenty 

of space to sit and enjoy your dolce! 

Patrizio Cosi 

Borgo degli Albizi 15/r, tel. 055 2480367. 

Cappuccino and pastries that melt in your 

mouth – very popular with the locals. 

Try their brioche with chocolate nutella… 

mmm. 

Perché No? Gelateria 

Via dei Tavolini 19/r, tel. 055 2398969. This 

is Florence’s oldest gelateria, and is also a 

strong contender for best gelato prize! 

Robiglio 

Via dei Servi 112/r (near Piazza San! ssima 

Annunziata), tel. 055 214501, www. 

robiglio.it. Yet another sweet-shop where 

you can’t go wrong. Pastries and candies 

are made on site. 

Scudieri 

Piazza del Duomo 19/r (opposite the 

Bap! stry), tel. 055 210733. Another good 

place for choice pastries and sweets. With 

fresh baking on the premises, the place 

smells of bu$ er, cream, and chocolate! 

Sugar and Spice Bakery 

Via dei Servi 43/r, tel. 055 290263. 

Borgo la Croce 15/r, tel 055 499503 

www.sugar-spice.it 

Two venues, both with an assortment of 

scrump! ous baked goods. 

Vestri Cioccolato d’Autore 

Borgo degli Albizi 11/r, tel. 055 2340374, 

www.vestri.it. Best chocolate shop in 

Florence. Also serves hot chocolate and ice 

cream. Near SACI’s Jules Maido# Palazzo 

for the Visual Arts. 

Vivoli 

Via Isola delle S! nche 7/r (by Piazza Santa 

Croce, in front of Piazza San Simone), tel. 

055 292334. Considered to be the best 

(and certainly the most famous) gelato in 

Florence. Closed Monday. 

When invited to dinner 

If you are lucky enough to be invited to 

dinner at an Italian home, it is customary 

to bring a present to the person or to the 

family that invited you. Good ideas are 

chocolates, specialty food items, owers, 

plants, or a bo$ le of wine. There aren’t 

really any rules and it depends on the 

individual taste. 

64 65

It is very common for Italians to go out to 

restaurants in large groups. A great way to 

experience Italian culture is to be invited 

to one of these social dinners. But note: 

it is customary to divide the bill evenly, no 

ma$ er what each person ordered, so don’t 

expect to pay less if you just ate a small 

salad and water! Take note what others 

are ordering and get something similar. 

The theory is, if everyone is content with 

what they ordered, the price for happiness 

is equal! 

Ca# eine Culture 

Having a co# ee in Italy is one of the 

most common experiences and can be 

enjoyed numerous ! mes daily. Most 

Italians drink their own personal favorite 

co# ee drink quickly while standing at the 

“bar,” leaving the tables to the tourists 

(where table service is usually required 

with higher prices, especially if seated in 

any of the major piazze in most ci! es). In 

most cases, you must go to the cash (the 

cassa) register to pay rst and then hand 

your receipt to the barista (bar tender). 

The most commonly ordered co# ee is a 

simple and small ca# è (espresso). To avoid 

laughs of disapproval, a cappuccino or 

other milky drink is generally only ordered 

before 11am. 

At the Co# ee Bar 

ca" è (espresso) – a small cup of very 

strong co# ee 

ca" è Americano – American-style 

co# ee, but stronger; espresso plus 

hot water, served in a large cup 

ca" è corre! o – co# ee "corrected" 

with a shot of grappa or cognac cognac 

ca" è doppio – double espresso 

ca# è d’orzo – Espresso made from 

barley, no ca# eine. It can be ordered 

as a single, doppio (double) or mac- mac- 

chiato like a normal ca# è. 

ca" è freddo – iced co# ee 

ca" è deca% nato – deca# einated 

ca# è la$ e – hot milk and co# ee, 

served in a glass for breakfast 

ca" è lungo – espresso with more 

water resul! ng in a “longer” co# ee. 

Less strong than espresso. 

ca" è macchiato – espresso "stained" 

with a drop of steamed milk 

ca" è marocchino – espresso with a 

dash of hot milk and cacao powder 

ca" è stre! o or ristre! o – espresso 

with less water; super strong! 

cappuccino – espresso infused with 

steamed milk and drunk in the morning, 

but never a& er lunch or dinner 

granita di ca" è con panna – frozen, 

iced beverage with whipped cream 

Ca# eine-free drinks: 

la! e – glass of (usually) hot milk 

cioccolato caldo – hot chocolate. Be 

sure to try this pudding-like treat in 

the colder season. 

te’ – black tea. Note: It is not looked 

upon favorably to order hot water 

and make tea with your own bags. 

$ sana – herbal tea selec! on with no 

ca# eine. Camomille is popular. 

Sweetening your beverage: 

zucchero – plain white, re ned sugar 

zucchero di canna – unre ned, cane 

sugar 

Dietor – sweetener made with saccharin 

(similar to Sweet ‘n’ Low) 

miele – honey 

cacao – unsweetened cacao powder, 

many bartenders will ask if you want 

cacao on top of your cappuccino. 

Some will leave a li$ le shaker on the 

counter for self-service. 

Nightlife 

Nightlife in Florence o# ers dozens of 

op! ons. You can a$ end movies in English 

or Italian, take in a play, or relax with 

your pals. Firenze Spe" acolo (an Italianlanguage 

magazine) lists all of the events 

in Tuscany, and can be found in the SACI 

library or bought at any newsstand, or 

visit www. renze.net. The Floren! ne (an 

English-language newspaper), which lists 

most events in Florence, is free and can be 

found in both the SACI library and student 

lounge. 

Florence is a university town, and the 

students ock to discos and pubs at night. 

Some of these are places where Italians go 

to meet with foreigners, but others are the 

real item: places where Italians go just to 

have a good ! me. Whenever possible, try 

to visit the Italian spots and learn as much 

as possible about the culture you are in. 

You may have to explore to nd a place 

where you feel comfortable, but a& er a 

while you’ll know where your kind of fun 

can be found. 

Florence is like everywhere else: the “in” 

spots change almost from week to week. 

The places below, recommended by 

previous students, are good places to try. 

Ask your Italian friends or conversa! on 

partners where the current hot spots are 

for the latest update. The following list 

gives some indica! ons. 

Discos & Clubs 

Discos, especially the more popular ones 

around town, may charge a high entrance 

fee. A good way to avoid the price – and 

try new places – is to keep an eye out for 

the free entrance iers sca$ ered around 

town. Many places let those with student 

I.D.s in free. 

Advice to help you maneuver the scene: 

many clubs, such as the Jazz Club or the 

Teatro del Sale, are exactly that – social 

clubs that you have to join as a member 

to frequent. This means that the rst ! me 

you go, you get a membership card that 

en! tles you to enter and, o& en, a free 

rst drink. Almost always, consump! on 

in dance clubs is obligatory – you can’t 

just go to hang out. If you are given a card 

upon entering, they will stamp it once you 

buy a drink. If you don’t buy anything, you 

s! ll will have to pay before leaving. And do 

not lose this punch card or you will have to 

pay full value. Be sensible when you go to 

a disco and don’t take any risks. 

Mee! ng Place for University 

Students 

Casa della Crea! vità 

Vicolo Santa Maria Maggiore 1 

Tel. 055 218310, www.portalegiovani.it 

Open: Monday-Friday, 6:00pm-midnight 

Free Wi-Fi. 

Near the Duomo. Students have the 

opportunity to mix with other students 

from Italy and elsewhere by making use of 

the Casa della Crea! vità, a mee! ng point/ 

study area/ca# è for university students. 

On the premises, there is also an o% ce 

run by the City Hall called Informagiovani, 

which keeps students up-to-date on the 

latest happenings and opportuni! es in 

Florence. 

Movies in English 

Foreign lms released in Italy are almost 

always dubbed, which makes it intriguing 

to go to a lm and see your favorite actors 

66 67

speaking in a foreign tongue. However, if 

you want to hear Johnny Depp speaking 

in his usual tones, try the “original-sound” 

theaters below. Current lis! ngs are usually 

posted on the SACI bulle! n boards and in 

The Floren! ne. 

Odeon Cinema 

Via Sasse" 1 (Piazza Strozzi), tel. 055 

214068, www.cinehall.it. 

This beau! ful cinema, which collaborates 

with Mediateca Regionale Toscana to 

screen lms from many di# erent cultures, 

shows movies in the original language on 

Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday nights and 

some weekends. The reduced price for 

SACI students is 6 euros. Some! mes in the 

Italian newspapers you can nd discount 

coupons, and movie passes are available. 

Fulgor Cinema 

Via Maso Finigurerra, tel. 055 2381881. 

Movies in English on Thursday. 

Bri! sh Ins! tute 

Lungarno Guicciardini 9, tel. 055 26778270. 

www.bri! shins! tute.it. 

Movies on video casse$ e in English on 

Wednesdays at 8:30pm. There are also 

conferences, lectures, and concerts on 

Wednesdays at 6:00pm. 

Concerts, Plays, Musical Events 

Florence is full of live events, so keep your 

eyes open for lis! ngs on the SACI no! ce 

boards. For example, free classical concerts 

are held during the school year at the 

Conservatorio in Piazza delle Belle Ar! , 2. 

Firenze Spe" acolo magazine will give 

you the info (mostly in Italian) on what’s 

happening in and around town (in the 

SACI library, at newsstands, or www. 

renzespe$ acolo.it). The Floren! ne newspaper, 

which is in English and can be found 

in the SACI library and student lounge, is 

another good source of informa! on about 

cultural events in and around Florence. 

You also might try stopping by the “Box 

O% ce,” where you can purchase ! ckets 

for most concerts and shows in Florence 

and other ci! es (Via Alamani 39, tel. 055 

210804, www.boxo% ce.it). The web site 

www.promart.it is an excellent resource 

for music lovers. It lists musical events 

day by day in all of Italy. Check out www. 

renze.net (there is an English link) for 

daily concert, theater, art exhibi! on, 

etc., lis! ngs. An events calendar for 

Florence theaters is available at www. 

renzedeiteatri.it. 

Theaters 

Teatro Comunale 

Corso Italia 16 

Tel. 055 211158 – 213535 

h$ p://www.maggio oren! no.com 

Teatro della Pergola (around the corner 


Visual Arts) 

Via della Pergola 12 

Tel. 055 2264335 

h$ p://www.teatrodellapergola.it 

Teatro Puccini 

Via delle Cascine 41 

Tel. 055 362067 – 331666 

h$ p://www.teatropuccini.it 

Teatro del Sale 

Via de’Macci 111/r 

Tel. 055 2001492 

h$ p://www.edizioniteatrosalecibreo renze.it 

Teatro Verdi 

Via Ghibellina 99 

Tel. 055 212320 

h$ p://www.teatroverdi renze.it 

Travel 

SACI has a number of resources for students 

planning a trip – in addi! on to travel books 

and transporta! on informa! on, you can 

also ask for advice from any of the sta# . 

Transporta! on info can be found on the 

city’s web page: www.comune. renze.it/ 

inglese. 

If you are traveling to another country, it 

is advisable to check the U.S. Department 

of State web site www.travel.state.gov for 

updated travel warnings and advisories. 

It’s highly recommended that you no! fy 

the U.S. Department of State of your 

planned i! nerary by registering at: travel 

registry: h$ ps://travelregistra! on.state. 

gov/ibrs/ui/ 

Travel registra! on is a free service provided 

by the U.S. Government to U.S. ci! zens 

who are traveling to, or living in, a foreign 

country. Registra! on allows you to record 

informa! on about your upcoming trip 

abroad that the Department of State can 

use to assist you in case of an emergency. 

Americans residing abroad can also get 

rou! ne informa! on from the nearest U.S. 

embassy or consulate. 

If you are traveling within Italy, check out 

the Italian State Tourist Board web site 

www.enit.it. 

When you leave for any trip, don’t forget to 

TAKE YOUR PASSPORT with you because all 

hotels and hostels require them, and tell 

us where you’re going before you leave! 

Travel Agencies 

C.T.S. - Borgo la Croce 42/r, tel. 055 289721. 

Open Monday-Friday, 9:30am-1:30pm, 

2:30pm-6:00pm. Saturday, 9:30am- 

1:30pm. They specialize in student travel 

and can issue ISIC cards. English spoken. 

Turishav – Piazza San Giovanni 4, tel. 055 

292237, www.turishav.it. They assist SACI 

with eld trip arrangements and can book 

reserva! ons on planes, trains, boats, etc. 

English spoken. 

Traveling by Air 

Florence’s Amerigo Vespucci (Peretola) 

airport is about 20 minutes from the 

center of town and is easily reached by taxi 

or shu$ le bus (tel. 055 30615). The “Vola 

in Bus” costs only 4 euros! The airport 

informa! on desk number is 055 3061300. 

Lost luggage is 055 3061302. 

Other airports o& en used are Pisa (70 

minutes in train), Bologna (40 minutes in 

train plus 20-minute shu$ le bus), Rome 

(an hour and a half in train plus half-hour 

airport shu$ le train), and Milan (1 hour 

45 minutes in train plus 45-minute shu$ le 

bus). 

Airport websites: 

Florence (A. Vespucci) 

www.aeroporto. renze.it 

Bologna (G. Marconi) 

www.bologna-airport.it 

Rome (Fiumicino and Ciampino) 

www.adr.it 

Milan (Linate and Malpensa) 

www.aeropor! milano.it 

Pisa (Galileo Galilei) 

www.pisa-airport.com 

68 69

Cheap ights can some! mes by booked via 

easyJet (www.easyJet.com/it) or Ryanair 

(www.ryanair.com). 

Traveling by Train 

Trains will take you just about anywhere in 

Italy and beyond. There are 4 train sta! ons 

in Florence. The main one is Santa Maria 

Novella (SMN or stazione centrale), and 

three smaller ones are Rifredi, Campo 

di Marte, and Statuto. You can by your 

! cket at the ! cket windows where there 

is usually a long line and the agents don’t 

always speak English. Or, you can use the 

numerous automa! c ! cket machines 

inside the sta! ons, but only for na! onal 

! ckets. They operate in English and 

usually take credit cards. Alterna! vely, 

you can buy ! ckets online at h$ p://www. 

ferroviedellostato.it/homepage_en.html 

or at numerous travel agencies. 

There are slow trains - Regionale (R), 

for short distance; Espresso (E), for long 

distance - which will get you where you 

want to go, but you may stop many ! mes 

before you get there. The Inter-city (IC) 

trains are normal-speed trains. The fastest 

trains are the Alta Velocità (AV). Next 

fast are the Eurostar (ES). For the E, IC, 

ES, and AV trains, you will have to pay a 

supplemental fee and reserve your seat 

ahead of ! me. Once you have your ! cket, 

you must remember to validate it in one of 

the yellow boxes at the beginning of the 

pla' orm BEFORE you get on the train. If 

you forget to do this, the ! cket controller 

may ne you. For train schedules, use the 

web site www.trenitalia.it. For lost and 

found, call 055 2352190. 

Traveling by Car 

You can rent within Italy or interna! onally, 

round-trip or one-way. All the major 

car rental companies are located here, 

including Hertz (Via Maso niguerra 33, tel. 

055 282260, www.hertzlease.com), Avis 

(Borgo Ognissan! 128/r, tel. 055 2398826, 

www.avisautonoleggio.it), and Europcar 

(Borgo Ognissan! 53, tel. 199 307030, 

www.europcar.it). Look in the phone book 

under “Autonoleggio” and shop prices. 

If you’re planning to drive a car in Italy, 

including a rented car, you should do so 

only if you have an Interna! onal Driving 

Permit. In some areas in Italy, police require 

all non-Italians to have an Interna! onal 

Driving Permit in order to drive a car. You 

can obtain an Interna! onal Driving Permit 

in person (if you’re in the U.S.) or by mail 

(from anywhere) for $10 from either the 

American Automobile Associa! on (www. 

aaa.com) or the American Automobile 

Touring Alliance (www.na! onalautoclub. 

com). These are the only two U.S. agencies 

authorized to issue the Interna! onal 

Driving Permit. Do NOT apply for an 

Interna! onal Driver’s LICENSE. There’s 

really no such thing, though people will 

take your money and issue you a worthless 

document. If you’re planning to drive a car 

while in Italy, apply either to AAA or AATA 

for an Interna! onal Driving PERMIT. 

Traveling by Bus (within Tuscany) 

This can be a highly economical and 

e% cient way to get to great towns. Not 

only are buses convenient, they o& en 

follow lovely roads through spectacular 

countryside. 

ATAF (Florence city buses) - www. ataf. 

net, Tel. 800 424500. To Fiesole: Bus #7, 

20 minutes. To Se" gnano: Bus #10, 15 

minutes. 

SITA - www.sitabus.it, Via Santa Caterina 

da Siena 15/r, tel. 055 47821, 800 373760. 

Southwest of the Santa Maria Novella train 

sta! on. Buses to Siena, San Gimignano, 

Volterra, Arezzo. 

LAZZI - www.lazzi.it, Piazza Stazione, 3/r, 

on the corner of Piazza Adua, tel. 055 

215155. Hours: Monday to Saturday, 

6:10am-8:15pm. Buses to Prato, Pisa, 

Lucca, and Viarreggio. 

CAP - www.capautolinee.it, Via Nazionale 

15, tel: 055 214637. Buses to Impruneta, 

Prato, and I Gigli mall. 

Ge& ng to the Beach 

When the weather gets nice, you might 

like to take a weekend trip to the seaside. 

Cinque Terre - Picturesque hill towns, 

beau! ful hikes, and the sea, the ve 

villages of the Cinque Terre – Monterosso, 

Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and 

Riomaggiore – are not to be missed! 

To get there, you must take a train to La 

Spezia (there are some direct trains from 

Florence, but in most cases you will have 

to take the train to Pisa, where you change 

for Torino Porta Nuova). From La Spezia, 

you can take a train to either Monterosso 

or Riomaggiore. A train connects the ve 

towns; it passes every 50 minutes. 

train treno 

carriage carrozza 

seat posto 

occupied occupato 

rst class prima classe 

second class seconda classe 

compartment compar! mento 

train conductor capotreno 

Useful Train Vocab 

Isola d’Elba - The wonderfully beau! ful 

island of Elba is a favorite trip for SACI 

students. To get there, take the train 

from Florence to Piombino Mari" ma. 

From the port, take a Toremar or Moby 

ferry, which takes you to the Elban port of 

Portoferraio. For complete details, check 

the train schedule online (www.trenitalia. 

it), and use www.traghe" elba.it for ferry 

schedules. A helpful web site for all of Elba 

is www.elbalink.it. Some students have 

done this trip in a day, but we recommend 

you relax, enjoy, and stay at least one 

night. 

Viareggio - One of the popular beach 

towns, it is easy to get to from Florence. 

Trains to Viareggio leave every couple of 

hours. The trip takes between 1 hour 20 

minutes and 1 hour 45 minutes. 

Quercianella - This is a beau! ful rocky 

beach about 15 minutes south of Livorno. 

Take the train to Livorno, change, and 

take the local train to Grosseto. Get o# 

at Quercianella-Sonnino. It takes about 1 

hour 45 minutes. 

departures partenze 

arrivals arrivi 

late in ritardo 

pla' orm binario 

underpass so" opassaggio 

! cket biglie" o (2+: biglie% ) 

one-way ! cket biglie" o di andata 

round trip ! cket andata e ritorno 

70 71

Mailing and Shipping 

You know you love ge" ng mail, but remember, 

you have to write it to get it! If 

you’re sending home postcards and regular-sized 

envelopes, then you can purchase 

stamps at most Tabacchi. If your 

mail is a li$ le bulky or heavy, you’ll need to 

go to the post o% ce and buy your stamps 

for each le$ er individually (this can be rather 

fun to watch, as each teller has a huge 

book of stamps he/she has to ip through 

to get just the right amount to send your 

post). Le$ ers and postcards should reach 

their des! na! ons within six days. 

There are two basic ways to send packages: 

through the post o% ce or through private 

shippers. Private shipping companies 

o& en provide faster service, but charge 

for the convenience. Interna! onal Express 

Courier Mail (paccocelere internazionale) 

and Priority Mail (posta prioritaria) are 

usually quite expensive, but packages will 

arrive at the des! na! on in one to three 

weeks. Shipping by sea is substan! ally 

cheaper, but will take at least two to three 

months. 

Post O" ces 

The main post o% ce is in Via Pellicceria 3 

(under the loggia near Piazza Repubblica), 

open Monday-Friday, 8:15am-7:00pm, 

Saturday, 8:15am-1:30pm. Branch post 

o% ces (open weekdays, 8:15am-7:00pm, 

Saturday, 8:15am-12:30pm) may have 

shorter lines and nicer service. You can 

usually spot them from some distance – 

look for the li$ le round yellow sign with 

PT marked on it. Two are located at: Via 

Alamanni 1 (Piazza Stazione) and Via Pietrapiana 

53 (across from the Billa supermarket). 

At the entrance most post o% ces have 

a ! cket machine. Press the bu$ on with 

the green envelope symbol next to it for 

buying stamps and mailing items. Or, if 

you only have to pay a fee or bill (bolle" a), 

press the bu$ on for the nanziari opera- 

! ons. Then wait for your number to tell 

you what window will serve you. 

Private Shippers 

Fracassi 

Via Santo Spirito 11, tel. 055 283597. Open 

weekdays, 8:30am-12:30pm, 2:30pm- 

6:00pm. They will also pick things up at 

your home. Give them the exact dimensions 

of your work for a price quote. Massimo 

speaks English. 

SDA - Express Courier 

Piazza Beccaria 19/r, 199 113366. Sends 

packages and envelopes Federal Express. 

FED-EX Ship Center 

Informa! on about Fed Ex shipping: tel. 

800 123800. 

Albini and Pi! gliani 

Lungarno A. Vespucci 58, tel. 055 27891. 

For Fed Ex shipping. 

Mail Boxes Etc. 

A one-stop packing and shipping center. 

Not the cheapest, but you’re paying for 

the convenience. Mul! ple loca! ons: Via 

San Gallo 61/r, tel. 055 4630418; Via della 

Scala 13/r, tel. 055 268173; Corso Tintori 

39/r, tel. 055 2466660. 

Some Internet points also o# er shipping 

services. 

Packing Personal Items 

If you aren’t using a private shipper, post 

o% ces are very strict about the types of 

packages they will accept for shipping, 

and you will need to follow very speci c 

guidelines to get your things home. The post 

o% ce requires that you pack your items 

in a sturdy cardboard box. They will NOT 

accept anything sized, wrapped, or labeled 

in another manner. Package weight limit 

for interna! onal priority mail shipping is 

20 kilograms and for interna! onal express 

courier mail (paccocelere internazionale) 

is 30 kilograms. 

Some post o% ces sell boxes in di# erent 

sizes which meet requirements. Pack the 

items so they don’t ra$ le around, and seal 

the box with tape. 

Very useful sugges! on: some sta! onery 

stores (cartolerie) will do this packing for 

you. Just bring them whatever you want 

to send and they will pack it for you. They 

will charge a small fee, but it is worth the 

hassle to do it right. Then you can take the 

package to the post o% ce. 

Some package and paper stores: 

Baldacci 

Piazza del Mercato Centrale 5/r, tel. 

055292065. A good place to get shipping 

supplies. 

Poggi 

Via Porcellana 35/r, tel. 055 283297. They 

have large shipping tubes which they will 

cut to size. 

Sending Your Package 

Once your packages are o% cially wrapped 

and ready to go, take them to the Prodo% 

Postali window of the post o% ce. You will 

need to ll out a form detailing the contents 

and value of your packages. One way 

to avoid extra charges is to iden! fy your 

package as ar! coli personali usa! (used 

personal items) and give it a low value. Remember 

to specify how you would like to 

send your package: interna! onal express 

courier (paccocelere internazionale), priority 

mail (posta prioritaria), or by ship 

(via nave). 

Packing Artwork 

At the end of each term, if there are enough 

interested students, SACI arranges for a 

shipper to come to the school to pack and 

ship your artwork and belongings home. 

You can also use one of our recommended 

shippers and that rm will do it for you 

(just get an o% cial le$ er from the Front 

Desk that states that the artwork you are 

shipping is yours). Remember to plan at 

the beginning of the semester so that you 

do not run into a big cost at the end. 

Hand-Carried Artwork 

Ask at the Front Desk for an o% cial le$ er 

that states that you are a student and 

that the artwork you are carrying is your 

own work. This le$ er will prove that your 

work is really yours (and not historic Italian 

treasures) if you get stopped at customs. 

72 73

Aerogram Aerogramma 

Air Mail Via Aerea 

Books Libri 

Box Scatola 

Bubble Wrap Pluribol 

Contents Contenuto 

Envelope Busta 

Express Espresso 

Glue Colla 

Gram Grammo 

Kilogram Chilogrammo 

Lead Weight Piombino 

Le$ er Le" era 

Marker Pennarello 

Package Pacco 

Mail it Home in Italian 

Italian Holidays 

Package (small) Pacche" o 

Packing Tape Scotch da pacchi 

Pen Penna 

Postcard Cartolina 

Poster Tube Tubo per manifes! 

Postman Pos! no 

Post O% ce U$ cio Postale 

Printed Ma$ er Stampe 

Stamp Francobollo 

String Corda 

Surface Mail Via Mare/ 

Via Super cie 

Urgent Urgente 

Value Valore 

Wrapping Paper Carta da pacchi 

1 January New Years Day Capodanno 

6 January Epiphany Epifania 

8 March Women’s Day Festa della Donna 

25 April Anniversary of Italian Libera! on Anniversario della Liberazione 

1 May Labor Day Festa dei Lavoratori 

2 June Republic Day Festa della Repubblica 

15 August Ferragosto/Assump! on Day Ferragosto / Assunzione 

1 November All Saints Ognissan! or Tu% i san! 

8 December Immaculate Concep! on Immacolata Concezione 

25 December Christmas Day Natale 

26 December St Stephen’s Day Santo Stefano 

Most shops, banks, and o% ces will be closed on the above dates (except March 8). 

In addi! on, local feast days are held in honor of town patron saints, usually without 

closure of shops and o% ces: 

Turin/Genoa/Florence: 24 June (St John the Bap! st) 

Milan: 7 December (St Ambrose) 

Siena: 2 July & 16 August, Palio horserace 

Venice: 25 April (St Mark) 

Bologna: 4 October (St Petronius) 

Naples: 19 September (St Gennaro) 

Bari: 6 December (St Nichola) 

Palermo: 15 July (St Rosalia) 

Rome: 29 June (St Peter) 

Ge& ng Home 

When the sad ! me comes to say farewell 

to SACI and your Floren! ne friends, your 

mind may be more on how to get you and 

your stu# home than on tearful farewells. 

There’s no doubt it can be a hassle, but 

here are some guidelines to make your 

journey home a li$ le less stressful. 

If you have an open-ended ! cket home, 

don’t wait too long to make your reserva! on 

for the trip home because seats ll up very 

fast, especially in the Spring term. If you 

arranged your ight with one of the SACI 

group ights, you may need to con rm 

your trip home before leaving. 

If you are carrying artwork with you, so 

you won’t get stopped at customs, don’t 

forget to ask at the Front Desk for an 

o% cial le$ er that states that the artwork 

you are carrying is your own work. And 

before heading to the airport, don’t forget 

to leave us the keys to your Florence 

apartment! 

Luggage Storage Facili! es 

If you are planning on traveling before 

going home, there are several loca! ons in 

Florence that o# er luggage storage. 

Mailboxes Etc. o# ers a# ordable rates. 

Via San Gallo 61/r, tel. 055 4630418; Via 

della Scala 13/r, tel. 055 268173; Corso dei 

Tintori 39/r, tel. 055 2466660. 

Santa Maria Novella Train Sta! on Luggage 

Deposit (Deposito Bagagli). tel. 055 

2352190. The advantage of leaving your 

belongings at the train sta! on is that you 

can drop o# or pick up your bags on Sun- 

days and holidays. Open 7:00am-midnight. 

Maximum storage ! me: 3 months. 

Ge& ng to the Florence Airport 

For early morning ights, it is a good idea 

to reserve a taxi the night before. The 

Recep! onist at the Front Desk will be glad 

to call a taxi to pick you up at the school 

the day of your ight. If you want to be 

picked up at your apartment, call 055 

4798, 055 4242, or 055 4390. Taxis usually 

arrive quickly, but give yourself extra ! me 

just in case, especially if it’s raining. To 

save money, you may want to share the 

taxi fare with other students. You should 

plan on arriving at the airport at least two 

hours before an interna! onal ight, and 

it takes about 20 minutes to get there in 

normal tra% c. 

There is a shu$ le bus (“Vola in Bus”) that 

from 5:30am-11:00pm leaves every half 

hour from the Santa Maria Novella train 

sta! on and is cheaper than a cab, but you 

have to haul your suitcases over there. 

Tickets can be purchased on board for 5 

euro. 

Ge& ng to the Other Airports by 

Train 

It is compulsory to reserve a seat on the 

Eurostar, Espresso, Intercity, and Alta 

Velocità trains. So make sure you book 

your seat in advance or you may not be let 

on the train. You do not need a reserved 

seat on regional trains, but remember to 

stamp your ! cket before you get on the 

train. There are yellow ! cket valida! on 

machines located at the beginning of each 

pla' orm. 

74 75

Ge& ng to the Milan Airports 

If your ight leaves early in the morning, 

you might consider taking a late a& ernoon 

train to Milan the day before your 

departure and staying there overnight. 

Otherwise, you will have to take an early 

morning train (around 2:00-3:00am) to 

Milan, providing one exists. 

Once you arrive at the Milan central train 

sta! on, you will need to take a shu$ le 

from the sta! on to the Malpensa or Linate 

Airport (see www.sea-aeropor! milano.it). 

The shu$ les are right outside the sta! on 

and depart frequently. The shu$ le costs 

a minimum amount, and takes about an 

hour. Please remember that you need to 

check-in at least two hours before your 

departure. Don’t cut it too close! 

Ge& ng to the Rome Airport 

If your ight leaves early in the morning, 

you may want to consider arriving in Rome 

the day before you are scheduled to leave. 

But if your ight leaves from Rome mid-day 

or a& er, you can take a Eurostar, Intercity, 

or Alta Velocità train directly to Rome’s 

Stazione Termini from Florence’s Santa 

Maria Novella train sta! on. From Stazione 

Termini, trains run every half hour or so to 

Leonardo da Vinci (Fiumicino) Airport and 

Ciampino Airport (see www.adr.it). 

Ge& ng to the Pisa Airport 

The Pisa Interna! onal Galileo Galilei 

airport is the next closest to Florence. 

Terravision buses leaving from Florence’s 

Santa Maria Novella train sta! on can get 

you to the Pisa airport in approximately 70 

minutes (cost: 8 euros). For informa! on 

about these buses, see www.terravision. 

eu. There are also frequent trains that take 

you directly to the airport from Florence. 

It takes between one and two hours to 

get there, depending on the train. tel. 050 

500707, www.pisa-airport.com 

Ge& ng to the Bologna Airport 

Bologna is about 40 minutes from Florence, 

and it is easy to catch a taxi or the “Aerobus” 

shu$ le-bus to the G. Marconi airport from 

the train sta! on - the bus stop is in front 

of the sta! on. Tickets can be bought inside 

the sta! on at the bar, and the ride takes 

about a half hour, depending on the tra% c. 

tel. 051 6479615, www.bologna-airport.it 

Shipping 

Why lug stu# home when you can have 

it shipped? Shipping can be expensive, 

but some! mes it is worth the cost. (See 

the Mailing and Shipping sec! on of this 

handbook.) 

Packing 

If you choose to mail your things home 

through the post o% ce, be sure to pack 

them correctly. The Italian post o% ce 

is strict about how your packages are 

wrapped, and you don’t want your boxes 

rejected a& er having lugged them to the 

post o% ce. (See the Mailing and Shipping 

sec! on of this handbook.) 

Going through US Customs 

In most cases, you will not need to pay 

du! es on the goods you bring back to 

the US because “goods” do not include 

items such as clothing that you use on 

an everyday basis – they usually refer 

to things that could be considered gi& s, 

such as glassware or an! ques. If you have 

ques! ons about what you are taking back 

with you, see www.customs.ustreas.gov. 

Students from other na! ons should check 

with their own embassies. 

Appendix of Helpful Info 

How to Be Sick in Italian................27 

Emergency Phone Numbers.............30 

Ar! st’s Verbs...................................41 

How to be Ar! s! c in Italian.............42 

Size Conversions..............................56 

Delicious Italian Special! es............59 

Table Manners in Italian...................59 

How to Shop Around in Italian........60 

Spice Up Your Life in Italian.............60 

At the Co# ee Bar..............................66 

Useful Train Vocab...........................71 

Mail it Home in Italian.....................74 

Italian Holidays................................74 

76 77

Notes 

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50123 Florence - ITALY 

T (+39) 011 055 289948 

F (+39) 011 055 2776408 

info@saci- orence.edu 

www.saci-fl orence.edu 

08/2010_2000

SACI STUDENT HANDBOOK - UW Study Abroad

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