The ancient Ponte Vecchio bridge is an attraction in itself.  Photo: Jeff Miller

If the stones of Florence could talk, they would speak of love affairs and murderous plots, jealousy and treacherous consequences. The narrow, bricked streets would still echo with the footsteps of the famous artists who once called Florence home, for it was here that creative masters like Michelangelo, Donatello and Brunelleschi gave birth to the Renaissance.

Thousands of visitors crowd into the medieval center of Florence each year, hoping to glimpse the work of these artisans. Yet there is much more to see in Italy's former capital. Just across the river Arno, on the city's left bank, lies the other side of Florence—the Oltrarno.

With its winding streets lined with bakeries, barbershops and apartments, the Oltrarno offers a glimpse at the Florence of the past. Some streets, such as Via Toscanella, have not changed much in the last 500 years.

"The Oltrarno is off the beaten track of mass tourism, and it's my favorite neighborhood in Florence," says Eve Borsook, an American who came to Florence 50 years ago and never left.

"The area presents Florence at its best: a classless society where artisans and patricians still live and work side by side," says Borsook, who wrote the book, A Companion's Guide to Florence.

In order to go beyond the city's touristy surface, it helps to step into the past. The Oltrarno first came into fashion in the 12th and 13th centuries, when noble families and wealthy merchants built family palazzi (palaces) in the area. For all that trendiness, though, it took a 15th-century murder to get the Medici, the ruling family at the time, to move into the neighborhood.

Duke Alessandro de Medici, who ruled Florence and made his home at the Palazzo Medici-Riccardi in West Florence, had a known weakness for women. His jealous rivals put that to use in 1537. While the duke waited in bed for one of his secret trysts, an assassin arrived instead of a lover. The amorous duke was stabbed to death, and his 18-year-old cousin Cosimo de Medici was named leader of the city.

Unlike Alessandro, the young Cosimo was faithful to the woman he loved. His wife, Eleanor of Toledo, was beautiful, but in constant frail health. Hoping that more sun and fresh air would heal her, she convinced her husband to move into the Palazzo Pitti in the Oltrarno. The couple and their 11 children eventually made the palace their home, expanding and improving the grounds.

Today, Palazzo Pitti, with its sweeping approach and awesome size, is undoubtedly Florence's most "palatial" palace. The residence, with its eight museums, is the largest museum complex in the city, and one could easily spend days there. The most unique Pitti museum is the Galleria Palatina. With its intimate feel, it houses works by Raphael and Titian as well as interesting exhibits such as the Sala di Bani, the lavish bathroom designed by Elisa Baciocchi, Napoleon's sister.

Although the move to Palazzo Pitti did improve Eleanor's health, it meant that the duke had to commute to his offices at the Uffizi (originally built as government offices, but now home to works of Rembrandt, Raphael and others). Like his dead cousin, Duke Cosimo had enemies and he was always looking over his shoulder. Someone had already placed barbed spears in the water near his favorite diving spot, so the duke wasn't taking any chances. He asked his court architect, Giorgio Vasari, to come up with a covert passageway into town.

Vasari designed a covered walk and a series of secret tunnels on top of the Ponte Vecchio, Florence's most famous bridge. At the time, Ponte Vecchio was home to several hog butchers, and the smell offended the duke's fine nose. The solution? The hog vendors were tossed out, and jewelers invited in their place. Today, the bridge remains filled with jewelry vendors and only the stones remember the hogs.

During WWII, fleeing Germans blocked access to Ponte Vecchio by bombing nearby buildings, but the bridge itself survived. With its picturesque location across the River Arno, Ponte Vecchio is the perfect place for a dreamy afternoon stroll and attracts many romantic couples.

Romance is as much a part of Florence's Oltrarno as the stones that line its streets. Nineteenth-century English poets Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning were no exception. Although Barrett's father disapproved, the secret lovers spirited off to Florence, where they settled in the Oltrarno at the Casa Guidi. Their home, which is now a museum at Via Maggio n 9, contains original furnishings, love letters and an extensive collection of their books and writings.

One of the most romantic spots in Oltrarno is the scenic Boboli Gardens behind the Palazzo Pitti. With its fountains, lush greenery and lovely flower gardens, the Boboli was—and still is—an island of tranquility. The gardens' beauty is a direct result of Duke Cosimo and his frail wife, Eleanor. The couple spent hours with the famous architect Tribolo selecting fountains, gardens and statues; they did such a good job, that the Boboli design eventually became the basis for royal gardens all over Europe.

The multitude of statues in the Boboli and the rest of Florence is no coincidence. The Florentines of the Middle Ages and Renaissance carried statuary into battle, and until the last century, many believed that spirits were imprisoned in uncarved stone. The only way to free the spirits was to sculpt the stone into statues.

Michelangelo was taught Neo-platonism—a philosophy that regards the body as a trap for souls longing to return to God. Many believe his works demonstrate this idea, with human figures longing to break free from the stone that imprisons them.

Although known for his sculpture, Michelangelo was also a poet, painter and architect whose legacy can still be seen in Oltrarno. As a teen, he spent hours in Oltrarno's Santa Maria del Carmine's Brancacci Chapel drawing the frescoes of Masaccio, a master of Renaissance painting. In nearby Santo Spirito (Holy Spirit) Church, a mysterious crucifix—a wooden sculpture featuring a nude Christ—was discovered in 1963. Experts debated its origins for 38 years, until July 2001 when they determined it was the work of the then 18-year-old Michelangelo. The muscular detail (the artist was allowed to study anatomy on corpses exhumed from the church cemetery) was a signature of the artist's work.

Such treasures are not surprising in a city like Florence, where the world's top artists once lived. The streets of the city ring with the constant footsteps of visitors from all over the world hoping to experience the work of these masters.

Remember, though, not to be afraid to leave the crowds behind to see the Florence that is off the beaten path. After viewing the artistic treasures of the central city, make your way to the sultry Arno River. Follow the footsteps of Duke Cosimo as he stole over the Ponte Vecchio into the Oltarno, never once imagining how the Florence of his lifetime would forever change history.

A piece of that extraordinary era can still be found in the Oltrarno, for it is here-in this quiet neighborhood of window boxes, cobblestone streets, tower houses and medieval churches—that the stones of the past are still waiting to reveal their hidden stories.

Janna Graber is a Colorado-based journalist who has a passion for discovering the remote corners of the world—even in the middle of Florence.

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