Historic districts of Florence

San Giovanni, in the north-eastern quadrant of the city, includes the western side of Borgo Pinti, the northern part of Borgo degli Albizi, the Corso, the eastern part of the Mercato Vecchio, up to the north of Porta S. Gallo. Its color is  verde and takes its name from the Baptistery of San Giovanni. It is divided into the banners of: Leon d'Oro, Drago, Vaio, Chiavi.
In this small area you can admire masterpieces such as Piazza del Duomo with the Cathedral surmounted by the magnificent dome by Brunelleschi, Giotto's bell tower and the Baptistery with the Gates of Paradise by Ghiberti, the church and convent of San Marco and the Accademia della Gallery where the statue of David by Michelangelo is located.

There are four historic districts of Florence, which each take their name from a place of worship present on the  territorio. Each district in turn is divided into four zones, each with its own banner. The subdivision over time replaced that into sestieri in the fourteenth century. The four great districts compete in historic Florentine football: a discipline also known as "football in livery" or "football in costume", which takes up the lines of an ancient game which in Latin was called harpastum._cc781905-5cde-3194-bb3b -136bad5cf58d_
 

Santa Maria Novella, in the north-west quadrant of the city, includes the Arno, Ponte Vecchio, Porta al Prato up to the middle of the Fortezza da Basso. This district is characterized by its red color and takes its name from the basilica of Santa Maria Novella. Since the 15th century it has been divided into the banners of Leon Bianco, Leon Rosso, Unicorno, Vipera.
A few steps from the Santa Maria Novella train station and the Duomo is the San Lorenzo district, the main market area of the city.

Santa Croce, in the south-eastern quadrant of the city, includes from Porta a Pinti to the Arno on the Mint side, and to the west the streets of Calimara and Por S. Maria up to the Ponte Vecchio. Its color   is blue and takes its name from the Basilica of Santa Croce. Unlike the others, Santa Croce is the district that extends on both banks of the Arno: it is no coincidence that the area of the basilica also falls into it.It is divided into the banners of: Carro, Ruote, Bue, Leon Nero.

The Basilica of Santa Croce is commonly referred to as the "Temple of the Italian Glories" due to the great names that are buried within it, including Michelangelo, Machiavelli and Galileo. 

Home to famous frescoes by Giotto, Dante's honorary tomb, Donatello's Annunciation and other works of art, the Santa Croce complex is one of the must-see places for anyone coming to Florence. But beyond the well-known Basilica there is an entire neighborhood to discover.

The Santa Croce district hosts each year one of the  the city's most loved traditions , held right in its square: the Calcio Storico Fiorentino. A mix of rugby, football and wrestling, which takes place every year in June, comparing the teams of the four historic districts, with the final which takes place on 24 June for the feast of the patron saint of Florence, San Giovanni Battista.

Santo Spirito, in the south-western quadrant of the city (Oltrarno), is the district characterized by the white color and takes its name from the Basilica of Santo Spirito. It is divided into the banners of: Scala, Nicchio, Ferza, Drago.

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In 2018, the Oltrarno was elected as the coolest neighborhood in the world. The north of the river is known as "Di qua d'Arno", while the other side is known as "Di là d'Arno". More commonly known as Oltrarno.