Inspiring Hidden place in the Hearth of Florence. 

In 2011, the Caffē Letterario Le Murate was born in Florence, in one of the oldest districts of the historic center of Florence. Located within the complex of the Murate, the former old prison of Florence and former convent, returned to the city after a restoration whose guidelines were traced by Renzo Piano. The Caffè Letterario is first of all a place of aggregation (especially during summer) which serves as a space for multiple cultural initiatives. For everybody and for the families living in the area, it offers a calendar full of literary, artistic, musical and gastronomic activities.

My favourite café in Florence, where you can not only drink coffee (if you lucky enough, you'll get it in ToiletPaper mug), but also buy some designer objects (including ToiletPaper gems) or flowers and plants, and, in the evening, listen to live piano music, sitting at the loooong wooden table. Everything five minutes from the Santa Maria del Fiore.

The Museum takes its name from its creator, one of the most famous Italian antiquarian of the late nineteenth century, who after years of intense commercial activity, decided to transform his collection into a museum and donate it to the City of Florence in 1922. Stefano Bardini was a famous art dealer who collected objects of different periods and of high quality. Bardini contributed to spreading the myth of the Italian Renaissance throughout the world and showed great interest in all forms of art, which is one of the reasons to visit the collections: over 2000 pieces including sculptures, paintings, furniture pieces, ceramic pieces, tapestries and objects from ancient art to the eighteenth century. It's also possible to admire some fragments of the old centre of Florence, salvaged before destruction. Inside the museum, everything is on display as it was at the time when Stefano Bardini worked as an antique dealer. The pieces are not grouped by historical period, but are put on display according to the taste of Bardini, so as to better accentuate the beauty of the pieces. Even the building itself is remarkable for its use of doors, windows and the fact that many of the room are painted in a bright electric blue. It doesn't usually appear in the guides (so it's not crowded) and you'll never find it on the MUST VISIT museum list, but it's worth a visit. The visit (depending on whether you are running or deciding to take it easy) takes approximately between 1h and 2:30.

Florence may be beautiful, but with the amount of tourists it can get quite overwhelming. Todo Modo is a wonderful escape located near the centre that provides a space to sit, sip, read, and reflect. A quaint bookstore in the front, with a bar/café in the back, Todo Modo is one of my favourites in Florence. The hanging plants, the smell of books, the wood covered interior, all provide a cosy nook to sink into. Recommendations: a glass of chianti classico + a pen and journal.