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Palazzo Bardi is situated on the south side of the river Arno a few minutes walk from the Ponte Vecchio, the Pitti Palace, the Boboli Gardens and, right across the river, the Uffizi Gallery and the shopping district. On one side the apartment overlooks the medieval Via de’ Bardi, and on the other it enjoys spectacular views over the river and the city beyond, with its ancient towers and the cupola of the Cathedral. The building’s original structure dates back to the 15th century, when a myriad of little cobbled roads branched off from the Ponte Vecchio into the Oltrarno, (“The Other Side of The Arno” named thus to distinguish it from the original site of the town which was on “This Side of the Arno). Oltrarno is still one of the city’s most charming and characteristic neighborhoods. The river’s banks were flanked by impressive buildings, known as palazzi, belonging to wealthy aristocratic families ( e. g. the Bardi family). In the nineteenth century, the architect Enrico Poggi was chosen to draw up a plan to transform Florence into the worthy capital of the new state of Italy, unified in 1860, a role which Florence maintained for five years, from 1865 to 1870. Poggi’s plan was to give Florence a look of uniformity and subdued elegance without creating a violent contrast with its Renaissance architecture. He therefore decided to maintain the Renaissance color palette of cream plaster and grey pietra serena stone, visible in so many buildings throughout the city. Palazzo Bardi underwent some modifications to conform to his ideal. Lungarno Torrigiani and the other streets along the river, together with the tree lined avenues leading up to the Piazzale Michelangelo were designed by Poggi as places where Florentines could enjoy afternoon strolls and socialize in the open air.

One enters the apartment through a delightful square hallway with a pretty painted cupboard which conceals a specious closet for coats and luggage. In the center of the room there is a table which can also act as a dining table. The light colored parquet can be found throughout the whole apartment. To the left is the sitting room with its pretty furnishing fabrics, in tones of red, cream and navy. A three-seater sofa and two arm chairs and some extra chairs create a comfortable and relaxing atmosphere. Antique furniture around the room gives the impression of being in a private home. The walls are a pretty shade of china-blue for extra luminosity and charm. The view out of the window offers a stunning panorama over the Ponte Vecchio and the Uffizi Gallery, the Church of Santa Croce and indeed, most of the artistic beauties in the city. Across the hallway, the twin bedroom also painted china-blue looks over the terracotta roofs of Via de’Bardi, with its terraced gardens. A pretty solution of two cabinet cupboards, one on either side of the beds creates hanging and storing space for clothes. Pretty views of Italy adorn the walls. The acid-green and white bathroom with tub, hand-held shower, heated towel rail and hair-drier, lies between the twin bedroom and the newly fitted blue and terracotta colored kitchen, fully equipped with all modern appliances. Across the hallway, there is the second bedroom with a double bed. The room shares the same wonderful view as the sitting room. A delightful painted cupboard ingeniously conceals a bathroom divided into an ante-chamber with a washbasin and pretty antique mirror on the left and a spacious hanging closet on the right. The tiles and walls are a warm ochre yellow. Just beyond, is the second part of the bathroom with a shower-cabin and WC. The window looks onto a inner courtyard. The apartment has an armored door, central heating, air-conditioning, telephone (hi speed internet), satellite TV and buzzer, gas stove, oven, dishwasher and washing machine, hair dryer and comes supplied with two sets of linen and towels. There is a lift and day-time porter service.