Oltrarno

The Oltrarno is the historic quarter of Florence on the far side of the Arno, reached by crossing the Ponte Vecchio. Traditionally the district of craftsmen, it still shelters workshops of gilders, restorers and furniture makers behind unassuming doorways. The area contains the vast Pitti Palace and the Boboli Gardens, as well as quieter squares like Piazza Santo Spirito with its plain-fronted Brunelleschi church. Less polished than the museum district opposite, it keeps a working character, and visitors climb to the Piazzale Michelangelo.