Open up the living room and kitchen doors to the sunny terrace to enjoy a private little retreat in the very heart of Florence.

The location of the Veronica apartment is a huge attraction of this small apartment. It is located in Florence's historic center near Piazza Santa Croce and just around the corner from the Sant'Ambrogio food market, which locals view as the best in Florence -- even better then the Mercato Centrale. The apartment is quiet and puts you in the heart of Florence with all the major sites within easy walking distance. Veronica is an ideal apartment for those who put a premium on location and budget but really want a terrace and a peaceful atmosphere, which can be hard to find in such a prime location.

The neighborhood abounds with good restaurants and excellent resources for daily living. The renowned Il Cibreo restaurant is on the same street as the Veronica apartment. In addition to the Sant'Ambrogio market, there are many interesting food shops, bakeries and small stores. Satisfy your sweet tooth at the world famous Vivoli's gelato just a few blocks away.

The Sant' Ambrogio di Pietro Piana is one of the oldest churches in Florence. Next store to the church is a convent, the first in all of Florence, which still houses nuns to this day. These nuns occupy their time doing needlework and making beautifully embroidered priests' robes. Just a few blocks away is the Piazza Santa Croce famous for its 14th century Franciscan church with impressive art and where you will find the tombs of Michelangelo, Galileo, Rossini and Machiavelli to name a few. Just a few blocks away is the National Library and Archives. The Uffizi, Bargello, Duomo are all within a 10-minute walk. If you like to walk, cross over the nearby Ponte alle Grazie to the Oltrarno side of Florence and take an invigorating walk up to Forte di Belvedere or Piazzale Michelangelo in 20 minutes where you can take in some of the finest views of the city.

Small apartment building dating to the 15th century. The apartment is in a second building located behind the one that faces the street, so is accessed by walking up one set of stairs (18 steps), through a small passage and then down a set of stairs (14 steps) to an open courtyard in the back.

The terrace and quiet of this apartment are its primary features. It is a small ground floor apartment. The courtyard leads to another small residence. The charming setting recalls the feeling of Gregory Peck's bachelor apartment in "Roman Holiday": the interesting private courtyard, little balconies, private staircases. Hearing the comings and goings of the neighbors' is part of everyday life. If you spot the friendly neighbor upstairs in her window she might ask you to retrieve an errant clothespin or article of clothing that has fallen to your terrace, aspects of daily life that few visitors to Florence get the opportunity to experience which we find quite delightful and make you feel like a local.

The feature that attracted up to this apartment is the outdoor patio. In pleasant weather this will be your outdoor living room, where you can sit out and enjoy meals under the stars while enjoying the fact that Florence is at your doorstep. The patio is furnished with a table with umbrella and patio chairs.

A small foyer greets you upon entering through the double patio doors that open into the apartment. The apartment has terra cotta tiles throughout. The narrow but fully equipped kitchen has a large window over the sink which overlooks the patio. The kitchen is older, appliances, cabinets are not new but are functional.

Proceed through the kitchen to the bedroom. The bedroom is small with a double bed, TV, a little table that can be opened up and can accommodate up to four chairs. At the end of the bedroom is a small dressing room with good closet space, which leads to the bathroom. The bed is a standard Italian "piazza a mezzo" mattress which does not have a box spring but sits on a frame. The dimensions are 1.20 meters x 1.90 meters, which converts to 47" x 75". This is slightly narrower then a U.S. double (full) which is 53" x 75". We recommend this bed for one person or two "friendly" people of smaller proportions. The living room upholstered chair opens out into a single bed which is convenient if two people do not want to share the double or for the occasional guest. Since it is a folding bed it is not as comfortable as a standard twin and moving it nightly to the small space in front of the seating area is awkward. Keep in mind that the small size of this apartment mean close quarters. The apartment is ideal for 1 person or 2 people for a short stay or who are looking for a good value and a terrace in a good location. It is not fancy and the furnishings are very modest and are older so if you are choosy about style and design this is not the apartment for you.

Double glass doors from the bedroom open to the living room so no real privacy between the two rooms since there is no curtain on the glass door.The living room has a small built-in loveseat and one the upholstered chair/bed that opens into a single bed. A glass door opens out onto the patio. The apartment has a fixed phone line and high speed WiFi Internet access.

The other end of the living room has a small internal window that opens to the bathroom so privacy is an issue for more than 1 person or a couple. At the other far corner of the living room is an enclosed area with the washing machine.

Because this is a modest apartment we recommend it for travelers who want a good location but are not expecting anything fancy or any special amenities. Because of its ground floor position there is some ambient dampness too, a dehumidifier is provided to help draw out the moisture. We recommend this apartment for students or people who desire a good location and a terrace but are not particular about having anything special regarding layout or furnishings.