Crossing the Arno, Florence changes pace. In the Oltrarno, and especially in San Frediano, the city becomes more everyday: artisan workshops, lively squares, honest trattorias and a contemporary energy that coexists with tradition.
Florence is a city that is often visited by following a precise route: the Duomo, the Uffizi, Ponte Vecchio, Piazza della Signoria, Santa Croce. It is a monumental Florence, essential, beautiful. But it is not the only Florence.
All it takes is crossing the Arno to realise it. On the other side of the river, the rhythm changes. The crowds thin out, the streets become more residential, the signs less predictable, and the city seems to return to a more human scale. Here you enter the Oltrarno, the “Diladdarno” or “other side” of the Florentines: a group of neighbourhoods that includes Santo Spirito, San Frediano and San Niccolò, historically linked to craftsmanship, working-class life and a Florence that is lived more than displayed.
San Frediano, in particular, is now one of the most interesting neighbourhoods for those who want to discover a different Florence: not forcibly alternative, but simply closer to everyday life. There are traditional workshops and contemporary venues, squares where people truly meet, trattorias, wine bars, studios, important churches and streets that are perfect for walking without too strict a plan.
It is the ideal Florence for those who have already been to the city and want to explore beyond the great museums. But also for those arriving for the first time who want to understand that Florence is not only about heritage to be admired: it is a city that continues to work, eat, go out and create.
Crossing the Arno: when Florence becomes everyday life
The best way to enter the Oltrarno is on foot. You can cross Ponte Vecchio, of course, but you can also choose Ponte Santa Trinita or Ponte alla Carraia, often better suited to sensing the change in atmosphere. Behind you remain the busiest streets of the historic centre; ahead of you awaits a Florence that may seem less scenic at first glance, but is far more interesting if you feel like stopping.
The Oltrarno is not lacking in major artistic sites. Quite the opposite: here you will find Palazzo Pitti, the Boboli Gardens, the Basilica of Santo Spirito, the Church of Santa Maria del Carmine and the Brancacci Chapel, one of the fundamental cycles of paintings of the Florentine Renaissance, linked to Masaccio and Masolino. But the neighbourhood’s charm does not depend only on its monuments. It depends above all on the way these coexist with normal city life.
One morning, you might see an exhibition or enter a church, and a few minutes later find yourself in front of a restorer’s window, a frame-making workshop or a small wine bar. Here, Florence does not clearly separate culture and everyday life: it places them side by side.
San Frediano: a working-class neighbourhood with a creative spirit
San Frediano has a strong identity. For a long time it was a working-class neighbourhood, inhabited by artisans, manual workers, Florentine families and small businesses. In recent years it has also become an area much sought after by travellers, creatives and young entrepreneurs, without completely losing its neighbourhood character.
The result is an interesting balance. Alongside traditional workshops, cocktail bars, small bistros, studios, independent shops and cultural spaces have appeared. The transformation can be felt, but it has not erased the link with the past. San Frediano remains a neighbourhood to be lived rather than photographed: you understand it by entering a bar in the morning, observing people sitting in the square, watching the shutters of workshops being raised.
Not surprisingly, over the years the neighbourhood has often been described as one of the liveliest and “coolest” areas of Florence. But the label only works up to a point. San Frediano is not interesting because it follows a trend: it is interesting because it has a recognisable personality. It has a direct way of being in the city, less perfect and more concrete than picture-postcard Florence.
Squares that tell the story of the neighbourhood
To understand the Oltrarno, you need to start with its squares. Piazza Santo Spirito is probably the most obvious heart of the area. By day, it is an open space with cafés, markets, students, residents, curious visitors and the sober façade of the basilica designed by Brunelleschi. In the evening, it becomes one of the neighbourhood’s liveliest meeting points. It is not an “orderly” square in the classic sense of the word: it is alive, sometimes chaotic, always crossed by people.
Not far away, Piazza del Carmine has a different tone. It is more intimate and less immediate, but it is home to one of the Oltrarno’s most important sites: the Church of Santa Maria del Carmine with the Brancacci Chapel, often described as a kind of school of the Renaissance because of the importance of the frescoes by Masaccio and Masolino. It is the perfect stop for those who want to include a strong cultural moment in an otherwise slow-paced day.
Then there is Piazza Tasso, more closely linked to San Frediano and neighbourhood life. Less monumental, more everyday, it is one of those places that helps you understand how the Oltrarno is not only an area to visit, but a lived-in part of the city. Around it are residential streets, cafés, workshops and corners to discover at your own pace.
Artisans and workshops: Florence still made by hand
One of the main reasons to cross the Arno is craftsmanship. The Oltrarno is still one of the best places to see the handmade Florence: goldsmiths, leather workshops, restoration studios, frame makers, engraving, wood, paper, glass, bookbinding and antiques. Between Santo Spirito and San Frediano, you come across workshops where techniques have been passed down through generations, as well as more contemporary ateliers that reinterpret Florentine know-how in the language of today.
The beauty is that there is no need to turn the visit into something too educational. Simply walk along streets such as Via Santo Spirito, Via dei Serragli, Borgo San Frediano or the streets around Piazza Santo Spirito and you will come across shop windows that tell the story of another city economy: slower, more precise, more material.
At a time when many historic cities risk becoming tourist backdrops, these workshops are important because they still have a real function. They are not just “atmosphere”: they are places of work. Entering, observing, buying a small object or simply asking questions respectfully is a way to discover a less consumed, more concrete Florence.
Eating in the Oltrarno: trattorias, wine and genuine cuisine
For a food break, the Oltrarno offers a wide range of venues. Those looking for a classic Florentine trattoria can stop at , near Santo Spirito, while for a more contemporary dinner that still remains connected to the territory there is Il Santo Bevitore, in Via di Santo Spirito. For a glass of wine before dinner, Il Santo Vino preserves the soul of a simple, local wine bar, ideal for an unhurried stop between Santo Spirito and Pitti.
Here, Florentine cuisine maintains a strong presence: trattorias, osterias, wine bars, close-set tables, simple dishes and clear flavours. Ribollita, pappa al pomodoro, crostini, pici, grilled meats, tripe and lampredotto for those who love the most traditional flavours, but also lighter and more contemporary options. The San Frediano and Santo Spirito area is known precisely for its mix of historic establishments and new venues.
A perfect afternoon walk
The best time to discover San Frediano and the Oltrarno is the afternoon, when the light lowers and the city becomes softer.
A simple itinerary can begin at Ponte Santa Trinita, crossing the Arno with one of the most beautiful views of Ponte Vecchio. From there, head towards Via Santo Spirito, stopping in front of workshops and ateliers. The first stop can be Piazza Santo Spirito, for a coffee, a visit to the basilica or simply to observe the life of the square.
From Santo Spirito, you can continue towards Piazza del Carmine and the Brancacci Chapel, if you want to include an art visit. Then enter more decisively into San Frediano, passing through Borgo San Frediano and the streets around Piazza Tasso. Here the neighbourhood becomes less monumental and more local: simple façades, workshops, bars, restaurants, doorways, bicycles, laundry hanging out, conversations.
For those who want to extend the walk, a detour towards Porta San Frediano helps reveal the medieval past of the area. Alternatively, you can go back towards the river and end the day with an aperitivo or dinner in the Oltrarno.
The secret is not to be in too much of a hurry. San Frediano does not work like a list of attractions to tick off. It works by accumulation: a square, a workshop, a glass of wine, a façade, the interior of a church, a side street, an outdoor table.
Crossing the Arno means discovering that Florence is not only the city of masterpieces, but also a city that lives well through its daily routines. The Oltrarno reveals a more contemporary and concrete Florence, capable of bringing together art, craftsmanship, food and neighbourhood life.
And perhaps this is precisely its value: reminding us that the beauty of Florence is not only in its museums, but also in the way the city continues to be inhabited. All you have to do is cross to the other side of the river and stay there a while.
