Florence's very own Ferragamo and Gucci

Florence's chic townhouse hotel JK Place

Friday: 14:15
Gatwick to Florence with Air Meridiana (0845 355 5588, www. meridiana.it; from £64 return), arriving at 17.15. 18.00 Check in to JKPlace (two nights with Chic Retreats, 020 7978 7164, www. chicretreats.com, from £340), a discreet townhouse in the old town full of scented candles, cosy armchairs, cashmere throws, books and antique prints.
There are 20 rooms, all different, and the vibe is home-from-home. There's an honesty bar with cakes and nibbles, and a DVD library to choose from. 18.00 Take a walk and have aperitifs at Slowly (via Porta Rossa 63, 00 39 055 264 5354), a swanky bar with fun cocktails and delicious Tuscan snacks. 20.00 Have dinner at Angels (via del Proconsolo 29-31, 00 39 055 239 8762, www. ristoranteangels.it), an alternative to the traditional hams-hanging-from-beams tourist joint. Full of beautiful locals.
Try the monkfish with baked aubergines. The building is old, with a glorious painted wooden ceiling, but the interior is modern with low-level coloured lighting and a DJ. 22.00 The hottest nightclub is Universale (via Pisana 77, 00 39 055 221 122, www. universalefirenze.it), converted from an old cinema with typical Italian élan and a touch of Fifties glamour. For something quieter, try an amaretto at Café Gilli (piazza della Repubblica 3, 00 39 055 213 896, www.gilli.it).
Saturday: 09.00 Head to the piazza del Duomo and marvel at the fourth-largest cathedral in the world. Climb to the top and survey the city. Gawp at the awe-inspiring fresco of the Last Judgment on the underside of the cupola on the way. 09.30 Recharge with an espresso and people-watch at the traditional Café Rivoire in piazza della Signoria (No 5, 00 39 055 214 412). See the famous copy of Michelangelo's David (the original is in the Galleria dell'Accademia). 10.00 Beat the queues and head to the enormous Uffizi Gallery, with works by da Vinci and Botticelli (the hotel can arrange tickets in advance). 11.30 Visit the less well-known Palazzo Medici Riccardi. This beautiful chapel, with frescoes by Benozzo Gozzoli, is one of the most perfect rooms in the world. 12.30 Lunch in the sun at fashionable Capocaccia (lungarno Corsini 12, 00 39 055 210 751, www.capocaccia.com), a slick new café with views of the Arno. Go for the smoked tuna or carpaccio and the ultimate mozzarella and tomato salad. The crowd is designer-cool. 14:00 Shopping along via Tornabuoni is for Pucci, Prada and Armani, as well as Florence's very own Ferragamo and Gucci.