FLORENCE

lorence never changes — at least, so it seems to anyone who’s admired that timeless skyline, largely unchanged since its Renaissance heyday. But step further into the city and you’ll see things are modernising quickly. The Uffizi Gallery now has its first permanent work by a Black artist; hipster food markets are springing up; and a crop of trendy hotels has appeared within the past few years. As for where to stay, you’ll be right in the swing of things if you stick to the centre, but it’s not the only place simmering with post-lockdown vitality. Across the Arno river is the Oltrarno district, where you’ll find plenty of buzzing local life. The same goes for the area around the San Frediano neighbourhood,