Maria’s Boarding house was a dream. Located in beautiful Campo di Marte, the spacious home is a short walk from Florence’s historic city center. Maria and Paolo are the kindest hosts you’ll ever meet and will welcome you with an infectious love for their city.Anyone staying here can expect lots of love, advice, and Italy’s best homemade gelato!
Tamara
In the morning breakfast is waiting on the tabel and in the evening we all meet for dinner , a delicious dinner ( i even got some recipes) we were talking and laughing. it was very interesting abd very helpful for my studying. To be in a foreign city and be part of a family is a very special experience! Maria helped me with everything i needed. The location of the house is excellent – a nice and safe neighborhood that has everything you need ,20 minutes walk from the center. I will never forget how they said goodbye to me ,early Sunday morning,it really excited me!! I thank Maria ,Paolo and Alesandra for their kindness ,help and being nice people!
Pedro from Maringà
Muito melhor que hostels, hotéis e apartamentos da cidade, visto que o preço é acessível e te garante diversas coisas, como: boas acomodações, uma família acolhedora (que te ajudará com o que for preciso durante sua estadia), ótimas refeições (pratos típicos italianos e feitos da melhor forma possível), Wifi muito bom (importante para estudantes), e uma das melhores localizações em Florença! O apartamento não fica muito longe do centro, o que facilita o acesso aos principais monumentos da cidade. E, de qualquer forma, existem pontos de ônibus na região que levam para o centro. Para aqueles que gostam de futebol, fica a duas quadras de distância do Stadio Artemio Franchi (Fiorentina). Definitivamente a melhor guesthouse de Florença!!
Mara from Bolzano
Ich hatte schon lange vor eine Oberschule in Florenz für ein Jahr zu besuchen um meine Spachkenntnisse zu verbessern. Mit der Planung habe ich auch schon einige Monate vorher begonnen doch die Suche nach einer Familie gestaltete sich nicht einfach. Durch Bekannte kamen wir zu Maria und ihrer Familie, einer wunderschönen, leidenschaftlichen und typisch italienischen Familie. Die Familie besteht aus Mama Maria, Papa Paolo und den Töchtern Daniela und Alessandra. Den Studenten wird ein liebliches Zuhause mit tollem Zusammenleben und wunderbarem, vielseitigem Essen geboten. Am Abend ist es selbstverständlich mit der ganzen Familie am Tisch die zahlreichen Erlebnisse des Tages zu teilen und das schmackhafte Essen zu verzehren. Die abendlichen Gespräche sind zudem immer sehr lehrreich da Maria und Paolo ein umfangreiches Wissen in jedem Lebensbereich besitzen. Natürlich geht der Humor dabei nie verloren. Auch bei sprachlichen Schwierigkeiten findet man bei ihnen trotzdem immer einen Weg sich zu verständigen, unter anderem da sie mehrere Sprachen sprechen. Sich in diesem Haus wohlzufühlen ist auf jeden Fall garantiert.
Già da tanto tempo volevo frequentare per un anno un liceo a Firenze per migliorare le mie competenze linguistiche. Quasi un anno prima avevo già iniziato ad organizzare tutto ma trovare una famiglia risultava essere abbastanza difficile. Grazie ad amici dei miei genitori abbiamo trovato Maria e la sua famiglia, che è una famiglia bellissima, appassionata e affettuosa; tipica italiana. La famiglia consiste di mamma Maria, papà Paolo, e le figlie Daniela e Alessandra. Agli studenti viene offerta una casa molto carina con una convivenza amorevole e cibo vario e veramente ottimo. La sera vengono condivisi i vari avvenimenti del giorno mentre si mangia il cibo buonissimo che mamma Maria ha preparato per ore e con tanto amore. Inoltre le conversazioni serali sono sempre molto istruttive dato che Maria e Paolo hanno una vasta conoscenza in tutti i campi della vita; ovviamente l’umorismo non viene mai lasciato nell‘ombra. E se qualcuno avesse difficoltà linguistiche trovano sempre un modo di comunicare, anche perché parlano più lingue. Sentirsi bene in questa casa e sentirsi parte di questa famiglia è garantito in ogni caso.
Michael from Germany
Meinen fantastischen Aufenthalt in Florenz verdanke ich nicht zuletzt der wundervollen, freundlichen und humorvollen Atmosphäre bei Maria und Paolo. Beide waren stets hilfsbereit und standen einem mit Rat und Tat zur Seite. Die Unterkunft befindet sich in einer sehr sicheren Gegend und kann als äußerst sauber bezeichnet werden – WLAN und einen Fernseher gibt’s oben drauf. Zum Duomo benötigt man unter 30 Minuten. Wenn einem dies zu lang erscheint, kann man zu einer Bushaltestelle “hüpfen” und mit einem Bus (10, 11 oder 17) zeitnah im Zentrum landen. Jeden Abend durfte ich Marias herausragendes Essen genießen. Darüber hinaus haben wir beim Abendessen unterhaltsame und spannende Gespräche geführt. Es war ein sehr familiäres Gefühl. Wer nach Florenz kommt, sollte unbedingt bei “Mama Maria” und Paolo wohnen. Alles andere wäre Quatsch!
Magdalena from Alto Adige
Meine Zeit in Florenz bei Maria und Paolo war wundervoll. Aufgrund ihrer Herzlichkeit habe ich mich schnell wohl-und wie zu Hause gefühlt. Die Wohnung liegt nur wenige Minuten vom Zentrum entfernt und ist somit der ideale Ausgangspunkt für einen Aufenthalt in Florenz. Hervorzuheben sind die exzellenten Kochkünste von Maria und das tägliche Abendessen, bei dem zusammen gegessen, diskutiert und gelacht wird. Mamma Maria kümmert sich einfach um alles und steht einem immer mit Rat und Tat zur Seite. Diese Gastfamilie ist wirklich ein Geheimtipp und ich kann sie jedem nur weiterempfehlen.
Sandra from Adelaide
I had the most wonderful stay with Maria and Paolo. It was a true Italian family atmosphere. Great dinners every night. I learnt more Italian in 4 days than in my 2 weeks in Italy. Conversation was mixed between English, Italian, some Swiss and Japanese (as she had other guests there – can accommodate 5 at a time). I give Maria 5 for each area. Ambience, Tidiness, Facilities, Location, Security and Value for money. Staying with Maria and Paolo was the highlight of my time in Italy.
Jakob from Südtirol
Wenn man auf der Suche nach einer studentenfreundlichen Bleibe in Florenz ist, dann bietet Marias geräumige Wohnung eine ideale Möglichkeit. Die neun Monate, die ich dort verbracht habe, waren neun schöne und lustige Monate, in denen ich mich bei Maria sehr wohl gefühlt habe. Ob es nun die familiäre Atmosphäre, das ausgezeichnete Essen oder der Austausch mit den anderen Studenten war: Dies alles hat dazu beigetragen, dass ich diese Zeit nie vergessen werde! Besonders das Abendessen war stets ein Höhepunkt des Tages, an dem sich die ganze “Familie” bei Tisch getroffen und sich – so gut es ging- auf Italienisch ausgetauscht hat.
Es sind nun schon zwei Jahre vergangen, seit ich dieses Haus zum ersten Mal betreten habe, aber noch immer bin ich mit ehemaligen Mitbewohnern und natürlich auch mit Maria und ihrer Familie und Kontakt! Ich kann diesen besonderen Fleck in Florenz allen weiter empfehlen, dort verbringt man wirklich eine gute Zeit!
James
As a base to explore the cultural riches of Florence, I could not imagine a better solution than a stay with ‘Mamma’ Maria and her friendly household. Whilst you can enjoy as much privacy as you would want using the beautifully furnished bedrooms and spotless modern bathroom, you would also be greatly missing out if you were not once to take advantage of the host’s splendid Italian cooking for the available dinners (a steal at the price), with the opportunity of lively conversation in Italian, though with plenty of English to help you out too. At the very least, you will very likely get to sample Maria’s delicious homemade bread and jams at breakfast. The home is situated just to the north-east of the historic city centre, in a safe and quiet street – so no noisy Vespas travelling past in early hours of the morning. It’s a modest stroll into all the action (20-25 minutes by foot right to the Duomo). The charismatic and tireless host has even had poems dedicated to her by her previous guests! Certainly, my week-long stay confirmed my faith in the warm and open-hearted nature of Italian families, and I’m sure future guests will have their expectations more than exceeded living with the Sabinos.
Laura from Columbia
I was supposed to stay at Maria’s and Paolo’s house only for a month, but luckily I realized that there really is no better place to stay than with them. They simply welcome you and treat you as a part of their family, just as if they had known you for years! Their house is big enough to take in a lot of students, which is a perfect opportunity to meet people from around the world, I made a lot of friends and we still stay in touch! I really recommend this as the better option in town, not to mention that Maria is really the best cook in the world! Seriously speaking, she has amazing cooking skills, EVERYTHING SHE COOKS IS DELICIOUS!!! And while you eat, there’s always room for conversation with other students, Maria and Paolo, which improves your italian really fast!
Ninet from Mexico
The family is very nice, I recommended completely. Really they are so kindly and they take care of you. This family is the best family that I could have in Florence.
Josè Xavier
If want to stay in Florence and study Italian, I recommend you to go to Maria’s. Amazing food (better than many restaurants in the area) and a wonderful family.
Anna from Machida
私はフィレンツェに来てこの家族の家にステイできたのが本当にラッキーでした。彼らは今までにも沢山の留学生を迎えていて、私のこともとっても暖かく迎えてくれました。マリアの作る料理はどれも美味しくイタリアマンマの味を体験することができます！この家族のおかげでよりいっそうフィレンツェが好きになりました！次回フィレンツェに行くときも彼らの家を訪れる予定です。
English translation: I was able to stay in the house of this family came to Florence was really lucky. Have welcomed many students in the past, they were also very welcoming of me. Dishes made of Maria will be able to experience a taste of Italy Mamma delicious any! Florence fell in love even more thanks to this family! I plan to visit their homes even when you go to Florence next time.
Sandra from Brazil
Fui para Firenze para aprender italiano e quando cheguei encontrei um lar cheio de alegria, regado ao melhor cafe´ e jantares inesqueci´veis! Foi a melhor experie^ncia da minha vida, com direito a uma fami´lia alegre, doce e muito carinhosa com todos os ho´spedes! Obrigada. Sono andato a Firenze per imparare l’italiano e quando sono arrivato ho trovato una casa piena di gioia, innaffiato il miglior caffe` e indimenticabili cene! E ‘stata la migliore esperienza della mia vita, con il diritto ad una famiglia allegra, dolce e molto affettuoso con tutti i suoi ospiti! Grazie. I went to Florence to learn Italian and when I arrived I found a home filled with joy, watered the best coffee and dinners unforgettable! It was the best experience of my life, with the right to a family cheerful, sweet and very affectionate with each guest! Thank you.
Oliver from France
Maria’s is the perfect way to become near-fluent in Italian whilst having a great time. I stayed at Maria’s for 6 weeks before starting my degree in Italian and Spanish at Oxford University then came back again for 5 months during my year abroad. Maria is a fantastic cook and the conversational Italian learnt around the dinner table with her and her lovely family are the essential building blocks for a competent grasp of the language; I went on to get a first in Italian and a distinction in Italian oral. Passer un séjour chez Maria est le moyen idéal pour parler presque couramment l’italien, tout en passant de bons moments. Je suis resté chez Maria pendant 6 semaines avant de commencer mes études d’Italien et d’Espagnol à l’Université d’Oxford en Angleterre puis, je suis revenu de nouveau pendant une période de 5 mois au cours de mon année d’études à l’étranger. Maria est une excellente cuisinière et les conversations en Italien autour de la table du dîner avec elle et sa belle famille sont les éléments essentiels pour une compréhension adéquate de la langue, j’ai obtenu mon diplôme en italien avec “mention”.
Peter from Bolzano
Florenz ist eine wundervolle Stadt. Es gibt unendlich viele Sehenswürdigkeiten zu bestaunen. Mein persönlicher Lieblingsort ist „Piazzale Michelangelo“ und die naheliegende Kirche „San Miniato al Monte“ mit einem wundervollen Ausblick über diese herrliche Stadt.
Ich war mit einem Freund für neun Monate bei Maria und ich kann wirklich sagen dass es richtig toll ist.
Das Abendessen bei Maria ist eine Attraktion, und sicherlich kein Muss. Sie bereitet es mit viel Freude und Liebe zu, und wenn alle zusammen am Tisch sitzen, werden sehr interessante Diskussionen geführt, bei denen man natürlich die italienische Sprache verbessern kann.
Die multikulturelle „Familie“ mit Studenten aus aller Welt kann einem die Horizonte erweitern. Man lernt andere Kulturen, Lebenseinstellungen und vor allem Sprachen kennen.
Jacob from Bolzano
Ein Freund und Ich wollten ein Jahr in Florenz verbringen und dort eine Oberschule besuchen. Mit der Organisation begannen wir einige Monate, oder besser fast ein Jahr vor der Abreise. Eine Schule war schnell gefunden, doch die Suche nach einer Unterkunft gestaltete sich äußerst schwierig. Über Umwegen und nach zahlreichen Telefonaten kamen wir zu Maria, eine wundervolle italienische Hausfrau die mit Leidenschaft Studenten aus aller Welt bei sich zu Hause aufnimmt. Zur Familie gehören auch ihr Mann Paolo, die beiden Töchter Alessandra und Daniela natürlich auch, allerdings leben sie nicht mehr zu Hause. Die Studenten leben in herzig eingerichteten Zimmern die für den Aufenthalt alles bieten. Die Badezimmer sind modern und erstrahlen zu jeder Zeit in perfekter Sauberkeit. Maria ist eine hervorragende Köchin, die es mit jedem spitzen Koch aus der Umgebung aufnehmen könnte. Täglich bereitet sie stundenlang das Abendessen für die ganze Familie vor, am Abend sitzen dann alle zusammen und genießen die zubereiteten regionalen Köstlichkeiten. Auch für die, die der italienischen Sprache nicht mächtig sind gibt es hier kein Problem. Paolo und Maria sprechen mehrere Sprachen und irgendwie verständigt man sich immer, im Land der Gestikulation.
Kristyna from Hamburg
Simply amazing! We really enjoyed our holiday. Maria and Paolo are really nice and very helpful. Especially since it was my first time in Italy, I had no clue about the totally necessary things to see in the region and they gave us great ideas as well as helped organising it a bit. Otherwise our room and the bathroom were great. The beds are comfy and nicely big which is quite important after a whole day of sightseeing. But my personal highlight were the dinners at Maria’s! A wonderful family atmosphere with delicious food (I’ve never eaten that good in my life). As a result I can really only recommend this hostfamily!
Anna from United States
“I stayed at Maria’s while I studied abroad in Florence. Not only is Maria a fantastic cook, but she was incredibly patient and helpful in helping my roommates and me learn Italian. She and her family had lively dinner-table conversations with us, and they went out of their way to teach us parts of the Italian language and culture that weren’t taught in class. Each evening, we had home-cooked Italian dinner, and each morning, Maria fed us freshly-baked bread that was the highlight of my day. Also, the location was perfect—right by the soccer stadium, and right by buses you could take either to the city center or up to the hills of Fiesole and Settignano. Staying at Maria’s was one of the major highlights of my time abroad, and I’d highly recommend it to anyone looking for an authentic Italian experience.”
Fionnan from Dublin
When I first came to stay with Maria and Paolo, I spoke little to no Italian and I am now finishing up a postgraduate thesis on Italian poetry. I thoroughly attribute that to the language I absorbed while sitting at Maria and Paolo’s dinner table and I would overwhelmingly recommend staying with them to anyone looking to study in Florence. On top of the immersive language experience itself, Maria and Paolo are two of the most genuinely caring, hospitable, affectionate and all around wonderful people I have ever met and the most incredible hosts you could dream of having. Maria’s cooking is also unbelievable. Really, it should be a tourist attraction of its own. For long-term students, I would emphatically recommend a home-stay with them over an apartment or dorm situation as, even among international student groups, English almost immediately becomes the de facto language used in the dorms. In my own experience, the constant conversation around Maria and Paolo’s dinner table also gave me a far more visceral, lasting, living and breathing relationship with the Italian language than anything I learned in a classroom. For more casual short-term visitors, a stay with Maria and Paolo (who speak a wide variety of languages if that is a problem) offers a wonderful chance to get outside Florence’s seemingly impenetrable tourist bubble, meet other visitors from around the world, and learn some handy tips about the city from two actual Florentines. Their home is ideally situated in the charming, tourist-free, Le Cure district for a more genuine feel for the real city but still close enough to the centre for easy ambles back and forth from Florence’s medieval heart.
Il nostro soggiorno è stato semplicement perfetto ! Un vero viaggio al cuore dell’Italia, tanto al livello culturale, liguistico, gastronomico e umano! Ho trovato una vera famiglia con Mamma Maria e Babbo Paolo, la mia mamma ed io ci siamo sentite a proprio agio all’instante perché hanno la capacità naturale di accogliere gli altri, facendoci dividere la loro vita quotidiana. E estremamente facile di parlare con tutta la famiglia e gli altri ospiti, anche la mamma che quasi non parlava italiano capiva perché tutti facevano degli sforzi per aiutarci a fare progressi e se l’italiano non bastava, l’inglese e anzi il francese venivano in aiuto. Mamma Maria è una cuoca eccezionale, la sua cucina è proprio una delizia… irresistible ! Maria e Paolo sono accoglienti, pieni di gentilezza e di piccoli attenzioni. Raccomando a tutti di andare da Mamma Maria e Babbo Paolo, tanto per la cucina eccezionale quanto per l’atmosfera famigliare, un vero piacere !
Louise from France
Notre séjour a été tout simplement parfait ! Un vrai voyage au cœur de l’Italie, tant sur le plan culturel, linguistique, gastronomique et humain! J’ai trouvé une vraie famille avec Mamma Maria e Babbo Paolo, ma mère et moi nous sommes tout de suite senties à l’aise car ils ont cette capacité naturelle d’accueillir les autres, en nous faisant partager leur vie quotidienne. Il est extrêmement facile de parler avec toute la famille et les autres hôtes, même ma mère qui ne parlait presque pas italien comprenait car tous faisaient des efforts pour nous aider à faire des progrès et si l’italien ne suffisait pas, alors l’anglais et même le français venaient à la rescousse. Mamma Maria est une cuisinière hors pair, sa cuisine est un délice … irrésistible! Maria et Paolo sont accueillants, pleins de gentillesse et de petites attentions. Je recommande à tous d’aller chez Mamma Maria et Babbo Paolo, tant pour la cuisine exceptionnelle que pour l’ambiance familiale, c’est un vrai bonheur !
Our stay has just been perfect ! ! A genuine journey into the heart of Italy, from a cultural, linguistic, gastronomic and human point of view! I have found a real family with Mamma Maria and Babbo Paolo, my mother and I felt at home immediately for they have this natural capacity of welcoming others, sharing with us their everyday life. It is extreemely easy to speak with all the family and the other guests, even my mother who hardly knew any Italian at all understood as they all made efforts to help us improve and if Italian wasn’t enough, English and even French came to rescue. Mamma Maria is an outstanding cook, her cooking is a delight … simply irresistible ! Maria and Paolo are very friendly, full of kindness and little attentions. I would recommend to go to Mamma Maria’s and Paolo’s to anyone, both for the cooking and for the family atmosphere, a real happiness !
Laura from Australia
Recently, I had the pleasure of staying with Maria and Paolo, my home away from home. Logistically well located within easy walk into the town center, bus stop 3mins away and train station, 5min walk. Clean, spacious and comfortable. Couldn’t ask for better hosts or food for that matter. This was not the first time I’d been in contact with Maria as my son stayed with them for a couple of months at the beginning of the year whilst studying in Italy. As the mother of a newly turned 17 year old who was about to live alone for the first time and let alone overseas where he spoke no Italian, to say I was a little concerned would be an understatement. One Skype call with Maria put everything to rest. Harrison was happy and gained 6 kgs whilst there.
For my own Eat , Pray, Love experience I decided to also stay with Maria and Paolo and I would not stay anywhere else. You become family and dinner times are an opportunity to come together and share your day with the family and other lodgers, in Italian of Course! It’s okay, you get plenty of help and they both speak English, but what a fabulous way of learning. That is of course if you decide to pause from eating the delicious food Maria prepares. My son will only eat Maria’s Tiramisu, so I got a quick lesson, hopefully mine will turn out as scrumptious. There is not much more I can add other than for someone like myself who is fussy, I couldn’t recommend it highly enough. The fact that students keep coming back, as I will if I’m back in Florence, is testament in itself. Grazie Mille Maria and Paolo!
Christina from Los Angeles
I had a wonderful experience at the home of “Mamma Maria” and Paulo! They were both kind and hospitable, and very helpful when it came to recommending places to visit in the beautiful city of Firenze. Maria’s cooking was delicious too!! I am grateful that I got to stay with such lovely people in an amazing part of Italia!
Jane Zalenko
Maria and Paolo have been a family to me since the day I got here three months ago. Both are kind, funny, intuitive, intelligent, and care a lot about me (and every other student/guest they’ve had while I’ve been here). Though Paolo, Maria, and both of their daughters (who stop by often to say “hello!”) speak English, I’ve felt really comfortable practicing my Italian; they provide a fantastic (encouraging) learning environment. My favorite part of each day is definitely sitting down to dinner over lively conversation; Maria’s cooking is SPECTACULAR (hands down some of the best food I’ve ever eaten). Their apartment is spacious, as are the bedrooms, and the bathrooms are spotless and modern. Maria’s home is located a three (3) minute walk from the nearest bus that takes you straight into the center, as well as to Santa Maria Novella Stazione (the main train station). It’s about a 15-20 minute walk to almost anywhere in the center. Additionally, Campo di Marte Stazione is a five (5) minute walk from here, and that connects to trains for most destinations going north of Florence (as well as Santa Maria Novella). The neighborhood is totally safe, well lit, and easily accessible!
Other Perks of the Neighborhood
-Badiani, one of Florence’s best gelato places is a block away!
-Campo di Marte, the main football (soccer) stadium is a five minute walk away.
-There is a movie theatre, several pharmacies, clothing shops, restaurants, barbers, etc. within a 5 block radius.
I look forward to returning for another stay with them!
Catherine and Andrea from Germany
Ich habe eine wunderschöne Zeit in Florenz erlebt. Maria und Paolo sind super nett und sehr gastfreundlich. Maria kocht exzellent und beim Abendessen sitzen wir alle gemeinsam am Tisch und führen tolle Gespräche. Zur Stadtmitte (Dom) braucht man ungefähr 20-25 Minuten zu Fuß. Restaurants und Bars gibt es aber auch in der Nähe. Ich empfehle wärmstens die Gastfamilie.
J’ai passé un séjour vraiment très agréable à Florence. Maria et Paolo sont super gentils et très accueillants. Les plats préparés par Maria sont excellents et le soir nous nous retrouvons tous autour d’une grande table pour le repas. Encore une bonne occasion pour perfectionner son italien. Il faut environ 20-25 minutes à pieds pour se rendre au centre ville (cathédrale) . Mais il y a aussi des restaurants et bars dans les environs. Je vous recommande vivement cette famille d’acceuil.