Florence & the best of Tuscany Guide
Oltrarno
Visitors to Florence might perceive the River Arno as a simple interruption in the urban fabric, but some Florentines still talk as though a ravine runs through their city. North of the river is known as Arno di quà ("over here"), while the other side, hemmed in by a ridge of hills that rises a short distance from the river, is Arno di là ("over there"). More formally, it's known as the Oltrarno – literally "beyond the Arno" – a terminology that has its roots in medieval times, when the district was not as accessible as the numerous bridges now make it.
Traditionally an artisans' quarter, the Oltrarno is still home to plenty of small workshops (particularly furniture restorers and leather-workers), and Via Maggio remains the focus of Florence's thriving antiques trade. The ambience is distinctly less tourist-centred here than in the zone immediately across the water, and though the bars and restaurants around Piazza Santo Spirito and Piazza del Carmine attract their share of outsiders, the conversations you'll overhear are more likely to be in Italian than any other language. Which is not to say that the Oltrarno doesn't have major sights – Palazzo Pitti, Santa Maria del Carmine, San Miniatoand Santo Spirito are all essential visits.