When you walk around the historic center of Florence you can see strange little doors, they are tiny arched shaped windows that look like the large doors and windows on the buildings.They are the “buchette del vino” and have the dimension of a flask of wine, looking for them on the sides of the noble palaces. Many of the original wine doors are lost forever, but the city has now put them on protected status so you will still see some of them in their original form throughout the city. For us wine enthusiasts, these little holes in the wall had a higher calling all their own, the sale of wine to the public. The aristocratic, wealthy families of Florence who lived in these grand palazzos owned large areas of land and vineyards outside the city walls and were responsible for the production of wine, primarily for their private use. Excess wine was sold to the public through these small “porticine del vino” Later they were also used to sell oil, flour and other products of the Tuscan countryside. At the corner of Via delle Belle Donne at the corner of Via della Spada you will see a fine example of these wine doors complete with the original signage noting the selling time and the period “The cellar is open for sale from November 1 to all April, from 9 am to 2 pm and from 5 to 8 pm, from 1 May to the whole of October from 8 am to 3 pm and from 6 am to 9 pm to the sale until 3 o’clock in the afternoon “. Once you know what you are looking for, you’ll see them everywhere near Palazzo Strozzi, at Badia Fiorentina, from Santa Croce to the Arch of San Pierino, or even via del Giglio and via del Sole. It will be like an outdoor treasure hunting game in the center historical of Florence, a game that will make you exclaim: “Look! Another wine door!” Florence is full of curiosities to discover, do not miss the opportunity to come, Spring is at the door now and I am waiting for you  to let you discover the secrets of this beautiful city! see you soon Mariangela