by Louisa Loring
Florence’s
size has always been one of the reasons it has made the city a favorite for
tourists who can’t stay away for too long.
You can practically see the entire city on foot and never feel like you
have exhausted your options because every corner you turn around brings a new
surprise. Florence is a wonderful city
to celebrate the New Year or Capodanno
in Italian for just this reason. It is
small enough that you can make it to many different events and parties yet big
enough to be packed with an array of options to fit anyone’s likings. There is music of every type, bars and clubs
open late into the night, restaurants serving up their finest dishes and of
course, the star event of the night, the big countdown followed by a brindisi (toast) with a glass of
prosecco and good wishes to friends and family.
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| Cotechino e lenticchie |
To start
the evening off, many of Florence’s finest restaurants will be open to
celebrate the New Year. It is tradition
to serve what is called Cotechino e
Lenticchie, which is a savory pork sausage served in a bed of lentils. The sausage is meant to symbolize abundance
while the lentils are said to bring good luck and prosperity. The meal is then followed with dried fruits
and grapes because it is said that grapes will ensure that those at the table
will be wise spenders of their money in the year to come. Thus, it is only appropriate to do as the Italians
do and take part in this culinary tradition, whether you are dining out or
having your own New Year’s party with friends.
If you want to try your hand at this dish, try this recipe, which proves to be simply with few
ingredients but full of flavor.
Although
there are no official fireworks on New Years Eve, many venues and hotels will
set off their own at midnight to make for a brilliantly lit sky. Best places to
see these fireworks are any place Lungarno, Piazza del Duomo, Ponte Vecchio or
any of the other bridges. If you are
feeling adventuresome, gaining some height always helps so make the trek up to
Piazzale Michelangelo. Perhaps one of
the arguably best views in Florence is from the rooftop of the bar and
restaurant SE.STO atop Westin
Excelsoir hotel. Totally extravagant but with a fixed New
Year’s Menu and view that will not have you leaving disappointed.
Before you
put your dancing shoes on and head out to one of Florence’s many music venues
and dance clubs, you can ease into the night by stopping by to hear music from
one of the many performers in various piazzas throughout the city center such
as Piazza della Signoria or Piazza della Repubblica before the clock chimes
midnight. Piazza della Stazione is
probably the most popular of all; there have always been great musical
performers in the past and thus, it draws crowds of people so be sure to get
there early.
If you are
looking to have a late night out full of dancing, clubs and dance bars such as Tenax, which is the biggest of them all
with multiple floors, Tabasco Disco Bar, and Montecarla, are the places to check out but be sure to get tickets in advance
because they fill up quickly. On your
way home after a long evening, stop by one of the secret bakeries where you can get a slice of
freshly baked pizza or a steaming pastry to re-energize and get you home to
write that New Year’s resolution list.
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