Visit a church in a prison, learn how Florence became the centre of hermetism during the Renaissance and where you can still find traces of it today, escape from the crowds of tourists to visit little-known artistic masterpieces, head off to hunt for the 34 plaques displaying quotes from the "Divine Comedy", fill up your tank at a vintage service station, have your children count the number of bees sculpted on the monument to the glory of Ferdinand I, look for the last wine distributors of the Renaissance, notice the minuscule windows designed to let children look out quietly onto the street, visit superb private gardens that even the Florentines don't know about, learn how the purple colour of the Fiorentina football team is connected to the pee of a Florentine crusader in Palestine ? Far from the crowds and usual clichés, Florence holds many well-hidden treasures that are revealed only to the city's inhabitants or travellers who know how to step off the beaten track. An essential guide for those who think they know Florence well or for those looking to discover the hidden side of the city.

Commune with yourself in a prison church, learn how Florence became the capital of hermeticism during the Renaissance, escape the crowds of tourists to contemplate little-known artistic masterpieces, stroll through superb private gardens that even the Florentines are unaware of, marvel at an exceptional astronomical phenomenon, learn about the esoteric symbolism of the Boboli Gardens, get your children to count the number of bees carved on the monument to the glory of Ferdinand I, look out for medieval wine counters in the streets, admire one of the city’s most beautiful sculptures within a secret Templar church …