This is a lovely, elegant and quiet apartment, totally renovated with central heating, central AC (a $10,000 system!) and with new appliances, in the heart of Florence. Yes, 7 min. walk from the Ponte Vecchio on the Arno River, and you will be so, so, so happy not to be living in the middle of the mobs of tourists and selfie-stick vendors. Oltrarno is by far the best, least touristy neighbourhood. We are at Via Romana 29, 50 meters from the entrance to the Boboli Gardens, next door to the Pitti Palace. You will find a magnificent Yamaha C3 piano, the fastest wi-fi internet in Italy (1 GB speed!), a new SMART TV with DVD and VHS player and a new SONY audio system that will permit you to play your own music via Bluetooth from you cell phone or a USB plug. Oh, the Wi-Fi is free! Oh, and there's a yoga mat for yoga enthusiasts!

This is not your usual bare and spartan rental. It is a real home with books (an entire shelf of guide books), music, antique furniture, good reading lights and original art on the walls by artists such as Piero Dorazio, Brian O'Doherty, Patrick Ireland and Arnaldo Pomodoro. It consists of an entrance and living room, a fully equipped kitchen with a table for four, two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a closet room, central heating, telephone, washer, dishwasher, microwave, and insect screens on the windows! You will find a folder in the apartment with loads of suggestions of things to see, places to eat and lesser-known attractions. The apartment is on the second floor of our building.

My wife and I came to Italy in 1973, when I began work as a photographer. You can find me on my website: www.georgetatge.com. Our pianist/composer son, William, who was born and raised in Italy, lived in this flat a couple of years before deciding to seek his fortune back in the U.S.A.

Florence needs no introduction. Suffice it to say that Unesco (the cultural branch of the United Nations) did a study 15 years ago which declared that 60% of the world's artistic heritage is on Italian soil. 30% of that is in Florence alone. But if that isn't enough to tickle your fancy, remember the Chianti vineyards within 30 min. drive, the towns of Lucca, Siena, San Gimignano, Arezzo and Pisa, the beaches of Viareggio and the Maremma, all easy drives on excellent roads. Florence is only a 90 min. train ride from Rome on the high-speed trains and Umbria is the region just south of Tuscany. So within two hours you can reach Perugia, Spoleto, Assisi and that magical town Todi, where we also rent a home (see Listing 247510).

We ask that you reimburse us for the gas and electricity during the cold months. During summer rentals only the electricity will be charged. Both are metered. The City of Florence levies a tourist tax of €6 per person for a maximum of 7 nights. Children under 12 are exempt. We will collect this at the end of your stay.

If there is no road work taking place in our neighborhood we can provide free parking in public spots that are not checked on by the municipal police. I can park one of our cars there and let you take the spot when you arrive.