April in Florence: Awakening Senses, Sacred Fire and Stories in Bloom
- Florence Attaché
- Apr 4
- 6 min read
Art that confronts. Gardens that soothe. A calendar filled with movement and meaning.
There are certain mornings in April when Florence feels like it is beginning to breathe differently. You open the shutters and the light starts to shift — softer, more golden. In the distance, the Duomo dome glows with a gentle haze. Below, delivery bikes dodge early market-goers, and flower sellers begin arranging bundles of lilac and tulips on worn wooden tables. The season does not arrive all at once here — it unfurls, slowly, like a letter you have been waiting to open.
The month begins, as many Aprils do, with rain. But already, colour is starting to emerge — magnolia trees preparing to bloom in quiet cloisters, wisteria curling over stone walls, and the unmistakable hum of anticipation in the air. It is the kind of month that teeters between calm and chaos, devotion and creativity — and this year, it promises all of that, and more.
Florence Attaché is also entering a new rhythm. Our calendar is filling with guests from all over the world, each carrying their own version of spring — from those seeking silence among the vines, to families preparing to celebrate Easter with chocolate eggs and cathedral bells, to couples ready to discover art that moves and surprises. Our notebooks are filling with names, requests, sketches of itineraries, and snippets of conversation that already make us smile.
This April, we find ourselves reflecting more than usual. Perhaps it is the art that awaits us. Perhaps it is the rituals — ancient and strange — that remind us why this city holds so many layers. Or maybe it is simply that Florence, in spring, invites you to feel more.
And feel, we will.
Tracey Emin at Palazzo Strozzi: An Exhibition that Stays With You
We begin at Palazzo Strozzi, where the new exhibition by Tracey Emin, Sex & Solitude, is casting a provocative shadow over the Renaissance courtyard. This is not an easy show — nor should it be. Emin’s work is raw, intimate, and deeply human. Through painting, sculpture, photography and film, she revisits her own body, her pain, her survival.
There is a sense of urgency in these rooms. The drawings are delicate yet unflinching. The bronze sculptures, such as Self Portrait: Bathing and The Mother, carry a weight that goes beyond material. This is a dialogue with mortality, with love, with trauma. And yet, it does not feel hopeless. It feels necessary.
Palazzo Strozzi has always had a way of shaking Florence awake, and this exhibition promises to do just that — daringly contemporary and striking against the backdrop of 15th-century stone. We are recommending it to many of our guests, especially those interested in the emotional power of contemporary art.
If you are curious to explore the exhibition with context and calm, we would be delighted to arrange a private visit with one of our expert guides. Simply write to us — we will take care of the rest.
A Holy Explosion: Easter in Florence
April also brings Pasqua, and with it, one of Florence’s most dramatic and beloved traditions: Scoppio del Carro, the explosion of the cart. On Easter morning, a towering, flower-draped cart is pulled by white oxen from Porta al Prato to the steps of the Duomo. After Mass begins, a mechanical dove — la colombina — flies down a wire from the cathedral’s altar and ignites a pyrotechnic display inside the cart.
The spectacle is loud, joyous, and surreal. But it is also deeply symbolic. The ritual dates back to the First Crusade and was originally intended to ensure a good harvest — today, it ensures something else: that Florence remembers who she is. Tradition is never ornamental here. It is rooted, repeated, lived.
Our guests will witness it with awe — some from the crowd, others from private terraces. And that, perhaps, is the essence of Easter in Florence: fire and faith, spectacle and spirit, history still breathing.
A New Stay Worth Writing About: Collegio alla Querce
A quieter kind of beauty is appearing on the northern hills of Florence in the form of Collegio alla Querce, a new hotel opening this spring. Once a convent, then a school, the building has been reimagined with elegance and restraint. Soft stone, vaulted ceilings, olive trees that nod to the wind — this is a place for those who seek peace without leaving beauty behind.
We are walking through its fragrant gardens and calm terraces with views over terracotta rooftops. The interiors speak softly: linen, travertine, aged wood. The experience is refined, never overdone. For our guests who want to stay somewhere that feels both rooted and rare, Collegio alla Querce is already high on our list.
If you are considering a stay, feel free to contact us directly — we are happy to share our insights and secure the best available rates on your behalf.
© Auberge Resorts Collection
Via Parione, Around Lunchtime: A Local Secret Worth Keeping
We hesitate to even write about this place — not because it is new or exclusive, but because it is real. And in Florence, that is sometimes harder to find than you might think.
Tucked quietly along Via Parione, just steps from the polished boutiques and gallery windows, Gastronomia Alimentare Mariano is where Florentines go when they want a quick proper lunch. No scene. No English menus. Just trays of food that look exactly how they taste — comforting, generous, and full of care.
There is no sign outside that shouts its name. Inside, there will be a counter lined with steaming pans of lasagne, slow-roasted vegetables, sformati made fresh each morning, and veal cutlets in a light lemon sauce. Someone in the back is always stirring. Someone at the front is always smiling.
We will be sending our clients here — carefully, quietly — with one piece of advice: let Mariano decide.
Skip the fuss, point to what looks good, and trust that it will be more than good. If you are lucky, he might tell you where the artichokes came from or why today’s ragù is a little different than usual.
It is not fancy, and that is the point. It is honest, delicious, and full of the kind of small, unrepeatable moments that make you feel less like a visitor and more like a guest of the city.
Just… do not tell too many people. Some things are best kept a little secret.
A Breath Outside the City: Gardens and Wine at Ruffino
And then, when the senses begin to fill and the city starts to hum a little too loudly, there is Poggio Casciano — Ruffino’s historic estate just twenty minutes from Florence. In April, it promises to feel like a dream: soft grass, wisteria in bloom, birdsong echoing between cypress trees.
We are arranging half-day escapes here, each one tailored to the guest. A walk through the vines, a guided tasting under the pergola, a long table lunch in the sunshine. This is Tuscany with breathing space.
A place where you arrive with questions and leave with wine, calm, and perspective.
You can now request our exclusive half-day itinerary at Ruffino directly on our website — visit our dedicated page and complete the form, or simply write to us and we will be in touch with all the details.
Thank You, April
And so — a sincere grazie. This month, our calendar is already alive with movement, colour, and anticipation. From early-morning gallery visits to golden-hour countryside escapes, from birthday brunches to last-minute massages arranged in the quiet of an apartment — our guests are keeping us smiling, thoughtful, and wonderfully busy.
And the best part? Much of it is still to come.
The books are filling with bespoke itineraries waiting to be lived — private art tours, hands-on cooking classes hosted by passionate chefs, intimate wine tastings under blooming pergolas, and quiet encounters with artisans who open the doors to centuries-old traditions. Each plan is being shaped with care, and always with the guest in mind — their rhythm, their curiosity, their story.
If you are dreaming of Florence this spring or summer — book with us. Whether it is a single afternoon or an entire itinerary, we would be honoured to help shape your time here.
To those who have already entrusted us with these moments: thank you. Florence Attaché has always been about connection — to place, to culture, to people — and this April, more than ever, we are feeling that connection deeply.
The season is just beginning. We are ready — and grateful — to walk into it with you.
Florence Attaché Team
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