General info

CONGRESS VENUES

Palazzo dei Congressi is a historical venue hosted inside the 19th century Villa Vittoria.
This building boasts a prestigious congress hall, the Florence Auditorium, opened in 1969.

Palazzo degli Affari, located in front of Palazzo dei Congressi in Florence, and just a few steps away from the main railway station of Santa Maria Novella, faces a centuries-old park, with rare and original trees and plants.

Opened in 1974 and planned by architect Pierluigi Spadolini, Palazzo degli Affari is a modern, flexible, and multifunctional venue.

Educatorio di Fuligno
Via Faenza, 48
50123 Florence

The site of the Educatorio di Fuligno is located just a few steps away from Palazzo dei Congress. It is one of the many institutes that, in 14th century Florence, offered assistance and hospitality to those in need and it is now a cultural centre for formation and education.

ABOUT FLORENCE

Florence, one of the most beautiful and visited art cities in the world, is an open-air museum, placed in the UNESCO’s World Heritage List since 1982.
The Historic Centre of Florence attracts millions of tourists each year.
In the fifteenth-century Florence, a self-governed, independent city-state with a population of 60.000, became with its writers, painters, architects, and philosophers the cradle of Renaissance culture; Renaissance shifted mankind into the centre of the known cosmos and man became its measure. With such relevant philosophical and scientific inheritance, with its beautiful Mediterranean climate, good and healthy food and great shopping Florence it is the ideal place to host the 23rd Annual Conference of the European Society of Criminology.

Florence’s museums, palaces, and churches house some of the greatest artistic treasures in the world. The most popular and important sites in Florence to visit are: the Cathedral, the Baptistery, the Uffizi, the Bargello, the Accademia and the Opera del Duomo. The churches of Santa Maria Novella and Santa Croce are veritable art galleries, and the library of San Lorenzo is a magnificent exhibition of Michelangelo’s architectural genius. Here you can wander in some of the oldest streets in the city until you reach the Arno River, cross the Ponte Vecchio and experience the “newest” area of Florence, the Oltrarno. You can also spend a day at the Boboli Gardens or climb the hill to the church of San Miniato al Monte to experience an enchanting view of Florence.
Due to Florence’s artistic and architectural heritage, it has been ranked by Forbes as one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

ACCESS TO ITALY

To get the latest update regarding necessary documents to enter or depart from Italy check the Italian Government official website and Viaggiare Sicuri.

Nationals of some countries will need a travel-visa to enter Italy (and Schengen area).
Participants should contact the Italian Embassy or Consulate in their home country as soon as possible to confirm their travel-visa requirements. It is the sole responsibility of the participant to procure the necessary visa to attend the congress.
Participant should initiate the application process at least 1 to 3 months prior to departure. OIC Group is not able assist participants with their visa application and cannot intervene with Embassies or Consulates on behalf of any participant.
For additional details please visit the following websites:

Participants are invited to check with their local embassy regarding any Visa requirements to enter Italy.

TRAVEL INFORMATION TO FLORENCE

HOW TO GET THERE

By Air
The international Florence airport “Amerigo Vespucci” (IATA code – FLR) is only 4 km away from the Florence city centre and can be easily reached by taxi or with the ‘tramway”. From February 11th 2019 the new tramway connection T2 between the Florence airport and the City Centre is operational.
The new tramway service represents a comfortable and ecologic way of connection thanks to the stop close to the airport terminal, to the frequency and to the speed of the rides.
Thanks to the connections with Rome Fiumicino Airport, Milan Malpensa and the main European capitals, Florence is easily connected to the rest of the world. The main car rental companies have their desk inside the airport
The International Airport of Pisa “Galileo Galilei” (IATA code- PSA) is located 80 km from the city centre of Florence and is connected to the Tuscan capital by train (every hour) and by bus (full flight coverage with 18 journeys).
The International Airport of Bologna “Guglielmo Marconi” (IATA code – BLQ) is located 100 km. away from Florence. Bologna city centre is connected to Florence by fast train.

By Train
The main railway station of Santa Maria Novella is located five minutes away on foot from the entrance of the congress center Fortezza da Basso, The other two railway stations (Rifredi and Campo di Marte) are at a ten-minute distance from the central railway Station of Santa Maria Novella, or connected to it through local trains and city buses. The fast trains Freccia Rossa and Freccia Argento connect Florence with Rome in 1.30h, Milan in 1.40h, Venice in 2h, Turin in 3.30 h and many other important Italian cities.

By Car
Florence is well connected with the main Italian cities, thanks to the Italian motorway network, thus making it easier to get to the city centre, where the congress center is located.

LOCAL TRANSPORTATION

Florence is a relatively small city, everything is at walking distance in the city centre. However an extensive bus and tram transportation net is available.

Tramway

Both lines 1 and 2 stop at the Main Railway Station at a few steps from the congress venues.
Tram tickets can be bought at the tram stops throughout the city and need to be validated on board.
Trams run through Florence from 5:30 am to midnight; normally they run every three to four minutes during the day, or every twelve minutes at night.
You can see the kinds of tickets, and discounts available here: Florence tickets and travel passes.

Bus

Most buses stop at the main railway station and therefore near to the convention venue.
Bus tickets can be purchased at most coffee bars and kiosks.
Fares (update November 2022)
Tickets valid 90 minutes: 1,50 € – Tickets on board: 2 €
The tickets are not effective until they are validated into the yellow machines on the bus.
The single ticket is valid for 90 minutes from the moment it is validated.
Tickets can also be purchased on the app TABNET.

Taxis

Taxis in Florence can be ordered by phone or found at the official taxi stands but they can not be hailed on the street., taxis are instead “stationed” at special taxi parking stands in most of the major squares in the city and at the airport and they can be requested by phone.
The telephone numbers to dial for calling a taxi are:

Useful info

The currency in Italy is Euro.
Banks are open from Monday to Friday, generally from 08:30 to 17:00. ATMs (cash machines) can be accessed 24 hours a day. All banks are closed at weekends and on public holidays.
There are plenty of currency exchange offices, banks and cash machines throughout the city.

Electricity in Italy conforms to the European standard of 220V to 230V, with a frequency of 50Hz. Wall outlets typically accommodate plugs with two or three round pins (the latter grounded, the former not).

The Firenze Card includes tickets and priority access to museums, unlimited bus travel on AT (Autolinee Toscana) buses for the 72 hours the Firenze Card is active. Free admission for those under 18 years of age who are members of the same family unit of the Firenzecard holder and European Union citizens.

Florence is a shopping paradise, all famous fashion designer have their boutique in Via Tornabuoni or in the nearby streets. Business hours in Florence are from Monday to Saturday, usually from 9.30 am to 7.30 pm. Most shops in the city centre have longer opening hours and are usually open on Sundays.

The international dialing code from abroad is +39. For international calls, dial 00 + national code + area code + personal number.

Florence is in the Central European Time (CET) time zone.

USEFUL LINKS