Florence is one of the most visited cities in Italy, but most people see about one square

kilometre of it. Today, Francesca, a Florentine guide, takes us across the river into the artisan

workshops and up to the hill where the city's Iris Garden opens for just a few weeks a year.

This is what a real day in Florence, one of the world's most beautiful cities looks like.

Ciao at all and benvenuti to Untold Italy, the travel podcast where you go to the towns and villages, mountains and lakes, hills and coastlines of Bella Italia.

Each week your host, Katie Clark, takes you on a journey in search of magical landscapes,

history, culture, wine, gelato, and of course, a whole lot of pasta.

If you're dreaming of Italy and planning future adventures there, you've come to the right place.

Ciao, all today and benvenuti. Welcome to episode 326 of the Untold Italy podcast. I'm Katie, your host and founder of Untold Italy.

Now, I know what you might be thinking. Oh, Florence, surely she's covered Florence before.

And yes, of course I have many times. But today we're doing something a little bit different

because as part of our Perfect Day series where I ask people who actually live in

these cities to map out how they would spend a glorious day in their city as a visitor.

It's not a press trip, it's not a standard tour, it's a real day the way someone who knows a

city deeply and who loves it would actually approach it if they were to show a friend around and give

them the very best of their city. And today's guest is Francesca Emini, a licensed

Florentine guide who, despite traveling the world and visiting many places, has an unshakable

love for her city. Francesca studied foreign languages, literature and cultural anthropology right in the heart of

Florence when she was growing up and she's worked on cruise ships with NGOs across the world,

but in the end she kept coming back to her own city because that is what Florence does to people.

If you know, you know.

Francesca has that beautiful,

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