Florence

Florence (Firenze in Italian) is a 544,086 inhabitants city by river Arno, capital and most populated city in Tuscany, in Italy. It is considered to have been the birthplace of the Renaissance and has been called "the Athens of the Middle Ages". It was ruled during many years by the powerful Medici family and from 1865 to 1871 the city served as the capital of the Kingdom of Italy and the Florentine dialect forms the base of Standard Italian. The city attracts millions of tourists each year and its Historic Centre was declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1982.

How do I arrive to Florence?

  Florencia has many different ways to arrive for being the capital and largest city in Tuscany and being one of the most important and touristic places in Italy. 

• Plane: there are many international flights to Florence International Airport, 5 km northeast from the center of the city. To go from the airport to the city there are buses (aprox. 25 minutes) every 30 minutes from Santa Maria Novella Station and taxis. But the busiest airport in whole Tuscany is located in Pisa, from where there are buses to Florence (aprox. 1 hour 20 minutes) every hour.
  
• Train: there are trains from Santa Maria Novella Station that link Florence to other places in Tuscany like Prato (aprox. 20 minutes), Pistoia (aprox. 40 minutes), Arezzo (aprox. 1 hour), Lucca (aprox. 1 hour 20 minutes), Pisa (aprox. 1 hour 30 minutes) or Siena (aprox. 1 hour 30 minutes). There are several trains to destinations in neighbouring regions, like Bologna (aprox. 40 minutes) in Emilia-Romagna, Perugia (aprox. 2 hours 10 minutes) in Umbria, Rome in Lazio, Milan (aprox. 2 hours 45 minutes) in Lombardy or Venice (aprox. 3 hours) in Veneto.
  
• Bus: most of the buses depart from Florence Bus Station, from where there are frequent buses to other locations in Florence such as Prato (aprox. ), Greve in Chianti (aprox. 1 hour; every hour), San Gimignano (aprox. 1 hour 15 minutes; 14 daily buses) or Siena (aprox. 1 hour 15 minutes; every hour).
• Car: if you rented a car in Florence you can reach many places in Tuscany like Fiesole (aprox. 20 minutes), Prato (aprox. 35 minutes), Pistoia (aprox. 45 minutes), Greve in Chianti (aprox. 45 minutes), Arezzo (aprox. 1 hour), San Gimignano (aprox. 1 hour), Siena (aprox. 1 hour 10 minutes), Lucca (aprox. 1 hour 15 minutes), Pisa (aprox. 1 hour 15 minutes), Foreste Casentinesi, Monte Falterona, Campigna National Park (aprox. 1 hour 30 minutes) or Grosseto (aprox. 1 hour 55 minutes). Florence can also be reached from other important cities in Italy like Bologna (aprox. 1 hour 35 minutes), Perugia (aprox. 2 hours 15 minutes), Genoa (aprox. 2 hours 50 minutes), Venice (aprox. 3 hours), Rome (aprox. 3 hours 10 minutes) or Milan (aprox. 3.5 hours).
  

Once in Florence it's highly recommended to use public transportation (buses) or simply riding a bike or walk.

History

Florence was a small peasant village under Etruscan control, being later part of a marquisate under the Roman Empire. When the Ostrogoths invaded Italy Florence was part of the warfare between them and the Byzantines. Florence was conquered by Charlemagne in 774 and became part of the Duchy of Tuscany (whose capital was Lucca), being part of the Holy Roman Empire. Around the year 1000 the margrave Hugo chose Florence as his residency and the Golden Age of Florentine art began around this time. Florence began to flourish due to Arno river (that provided access to Mediteranean sea for trade), the industrial merchant community and banking, helped with the decline of its former rival Pisa. The power of the mercantile elite resulted in the laws Ordinances of Justice. Black Dearth of 1348 reduced the population of Florence by over half and a brief revolt made Albizzi family came to power. In the 15th century Florence was among the largest cities in Europe and it was economically successful. Cosimo de' Medici was the first member of Medici family (a family of bankers who were bankers to the pope) to control the city, being succeeded by his son Piero and then by his grandson Lorenzo the Magnificent (great patron of arts, commissioning works by Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci or Botticelli). When Lorenzo died in 1492 he was succeeded by his son Piero II, who was humiliated by the French king Charles VIII when he invaded northern Italy, and was expelled by Florentines. In this period the Dominican friar Girolamo Savonarola gave famed penitential sermons and tried to achieve a more democratic rule but he accused Pope Alexander VI of corruption, with Florentines turning against him and burned at the stake. Restored twice with the support of both Emperor Charles V and Pope Clement VII, the Medici in 1532 became hereditary dukes of Florence and in 1569 Grand Dukes of Tuscany during two centuries (only the Republic of Lucca and the State of the Presidi were independent from Florence). The extinction of the Medici dynasty and the accession in 1737 of Francis Stephen, duke of Lorraine, led to Tuscany's temporary inclusion in the territories of the Austrian crown and then part of Habsburg-Lorraine dynasty. From 1801 to 1807 Florence was the capital of the Napoleonic client state Kingdom of Etruria. At the Congress of VIenna Habsburg-Lorraine dynasty was restored until they were deposed in 1859, being part of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861. Florence replaced Turin as the capital of Italy in 1865 until Rome was captured 6 years later. Florence was occupied by German under the Italian Social Republic and when British army was near, retreating Germans decided to demolish all the bridges along Arno (except famous Ponte Vecchio). Arno flooded in 1966 parts of the center and damaged many of its art treasures.

Florence's top 10

If you have little time, here's a list of the 10 things to do and places you can't miss in the city.

1. Florence Cathedral.
2. Cupola di Brunelleschi.
3. Ponte Vecchio.
4. Galleria degli Uffizi.
5. Galleria dell'Academia.
6. Palazzo Vecchio.
   
7. Museo del Bargello.
8. Museo Novecento.
   
9. Palazzo Pitti.
   
10. Museo di San Marco.
    

What can I visit in Florence?

  Florence is a quite compact town and there isn't much distance between the sightseeing points in the city. The city is the heart of Renaissance art and has very good museums about it, so it's highly recommended to get into them and admire some of the masterpieces of world art. Florence has many interesting squares like Piazza Santa Maria Novella Piazza Santa Trinita, Piazza Pitti or Piazzale Michelangelo. There's a card (Firenzecard) that allows you to get into most of the monuments and museums for free during 72 hours, including the fast-track option, that is quite recommended.

These are Florence's main attractions:

Basilica of St. Maria Novella


• Basilica of St. Maria Novella (10-17 Mon, Fri-Sat and 13-17 Sun; 7.50€/ 5€/ free  adults/ people under 18/ kids under 11): impressing basilica built between the 13th and 15th centuries that is part of a monastery that has Romanesque cloisters and a chapel with frescoes. Its façade is made of green and white marble, whose lower part is made in a trasition style between Romanesque and Gothic and the upper one was designed by Leon Battista Alberti. Inside the basilica it can be found a lot of works of arts, whose highlights are Holy Trinity by Masaccio (one of the first frecoes that used perspective technique), the Crucifix by Giotto and its chapels. The basilica has many interesting chapels: Filippo Strozzi Chapel (with nice frescoes by Filippino Lippi that show the lifes of  John the Evangelist and Philip the Apostle), Major Chapel (chapel with frescoes by Domenico Ghirlandaio painted in the 1480s that show the lifes of John the Evangelist, Virgin Mary and Florentine life during Renaissance), Strozzi di Mantova Chapel (with 14th century frescoes by Niccolò di Tommaso and Nardio di Cione and an altarpiece by Andrea Orcagna), Cappellone degli Spagnoli (former chapter house that was given to the Spaniards of Florence in 1566 that has awesome frecoes by Andrea di Bonaiuto) and Ubriachi Chapel (nice 14th century chapel). The complex has two nice cloisters: Chiostro Verde (very nice to be walked) and Chiostro dei Morti (former cemetery that existed before the construction of the monastery). Other interesting points of the basilica are the refectory with relics and L'Ultima Cena by Alessandro Allori.

  

  Exhibition at Museo Novecento
  

  
  
• Museo Novecento (15-20 from Apr to Sep; 11-19 Mon-Wed and Fri-Sun, 11-14 Thu from Oct to Mar; 9.50€/ 4.50€/ free  adults/ students and people under 25/ people under 18): museum that displays an important collection of Italian Contemporary art (from the beginning of the 20th century to the 1980s), whose seat is a 13th century palazzo that has been used as pilgrim hospital and school. Its exhibitions are organised in paiting and sculpture in the 1st floor, fashion and threater in the 2nd floor and films on the 3rd floor, reminding all the films that have been filmed in Florence. Some of its most important pieces are works by artists such as Giorgio de Chirico, Filippo de Piscis, Giorgio Morandi, Guttuso and the prestigious Alberto Della Ragione collection (241 paintings and sculptures donated to the city in 1969 and hidden for years in the warehouses of the city).

  

  Rucellai Chapel
  

• Marino Marini Museum (10-17 Wed-Sat and Mon; 6€/ 4€  adults/ reduced): small art museum, placed in the former St. Pancrazio Church, that is home of sculptures, drawings and portraits by Marino Martini, a 20th century Italian artist. But the main reason to visit this museum is visiting Rucellai Chapel, a small replica of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem made by Leon Battista Alberti. This Renaissance period work was built to bury Giovanni Ruccellai, a rich wool merchant.
• Sts. Michele e Gaetano Church (7-19; free): Baroque church built in the 17th century. Its façade has sculptural decorations (atypical for Florentine churches) and three portals while inside the church it's richly decorated with 14 cornices and statues depicting apostles and evangelist.
  
• Palazzo Strozzi (8-20): palace whose construction began in 1490 for Filippo Strozzi (wealthy merchant that was part of Strozzi family, one of the rivals of Medici family), that is regarded as a masterpiece of Florentine Renaissance civil architecture. It was voluntarily built larger than the Palazzo Medici and was finished in 1538. Outside there are torch holders, torches, flag holders and rings for horses in wrought iron, the best example of this artistic form and a masterpiece by Niccolò Grosso (the most famous ironmaker in Florence in the 15th century). It houses temporary exhibitions but having a look at the courtyard is free.

  

  Palazzo Strozzi
  

• Basilica of St. Trinita (8-12 and 16-17:45 Mon-Sat, 8-10:45 and 16-17:45 Sun): Gothic style basilica built in the 14th century. Its façade was done in Mannerist style. Inside it can be found some nice chapels: at Bartholini Salimbeni Chapel there's one of the best frescoes in Florence, Bartolini Salimbeni Annunciation by Lorenzo Monaco while at Sassetti Chapel it can be found the spectacular frescoes by Domenico Ghirlandaio that depict the life of St. Francis of Assisi. Both were painted in the late 15th century and some famous Florentines of that period appear on the frescoes as extras.

  

  Bartolini Salimbeni Annunciation
  by Lorenzo Monaco
  

• Ponte St. Trinita: bridge that was initially built in wood in 1252 but was rebuilt in stone. The third rebuilding was in 1571 by Bartolomeo Ammannati and designed by Michelangelo, thus creating the oldest elliptical arch bridge in the world (the statues were added at Cosimo II's wedding with Mary Magdalene of Austria). It was destroyed during WW2 and rebuilt for the 4th time in 1958, reusing the stones and statues found in the river bed.
  
• Palazzo Davanzati Museum (8:15-14; 6€/ 2€  adults/ people under 25): palace built by Davizzi family (a wealthy art merchants of Calimala) in the 1300s, considered an excellent example of Florentine residential architecture in those years. It was partially modified by Bernardo Davanzati in 1578 and it the early 20th its owner by then sold all the original furniture at an auction. When the Italian State became the owner it was filled with furniture, paintings and objects coming partly from other Florentine museums and partly from purchases and donations received.

  

  Ponte Vecchio
  

• Ponte Vecchio: bridge that dates back to 1345 and it's the only one that survived the destruction of retreating Germans during WW2 (according to the legent it was Adolf Hitler who prohibited to demolish it due to its beauty). The houses that are placed on the sides of the bridge used to be butcher's but with time they were removed from there (due to the bad smell) and current jeweries were placed. On its upper part there's the Corridoio Vasariano, a 16th passage built in Medici times to communicate the Galleria degli Uffizi and Palazzo Pitti.
• Museo Galileo (9:30-18 Wed-Mon; 10€/ 6€/ free  adults/ students and people under 18/ kids under 6): modern museum of science, located in the Palazzo Castellani from the 12th century, that has the name of the Pisan scientist Galileo Galilei (who was invited by Medici family to visit Florence in 1610). Two of his fingers and a teeth are exposed in the museum. Among the most interesting pieces of the museum are the armillary sphere Santucci (largest in the world) or one of the largest collections of scientific instruments and instrumental equipment from the 15th to the 19th century.

  

  Building of the Galleria degli Uffizi

  
  
• Galleria degli Uffizi (8:15-18:50 Tue-Sun; 20€/ 2€/ free  adults/ EU-citizens under 26/ students and people under 18): art gallery, located in the Palazzo degli Uffici (a 16th century palace that was home of the local government offices), that has one of the world's most impressing collection of Renaissance art, donated by Medici family to the city with the condition that it would never go outside Florence. The exhibitions have pieces from ancient Greece to 18th century Venetian paintings, as well as world masterpieces by Piero della Francesca or Sandro Botticelli. Its rooms are ordered chronologically. The first rooms (1-7) belong to Primo Corridoio and are focused on Tuscan art before Renaissance, with works such as altarpieces (La Madonna Rucellai by Duccio di Buoninsegna, Maestà di Santa Trinita by Cimabue or Maestà di Ognissanti by Giotto),

  

  The Birth of Venus by Botticelli
  

  Sienese paintings from the 14th century (like Annunciation with St. Margaret and St. Ansanus by Simeone Martini and Madonna by Pietro Lorenzetti) or Florentine paintins from the 14th century (such as Pietà of San Remigio by Giottino). In the following rooms (8-9) there are paintings of the first artists that painted in Renaissance style such as Diptych of Duke Federico da Montefeltro and Duchess Battista Sforza of Urbino by Piero della Francesca; Madonna and Child, Coronation of the Virgin by Filippo Lippi or Fortitude by Sandro Botticelli. The rooms 10-14 are one of the most popular of the museum and are focues in woks by Sandro Botticelli like The Birth of Venus, Primavera, Adoration of the Magi of 1475, Cestello Annunciation or Madonna of the Magnificat.

  

  Doni Tondo by Michelangelo
  

  In the rooms 15-17 there are works by Leonardo da Vinci (like Adoration of the Magi and Baptism of Christ) and room 18 was the one that used to keep Medici's most precious works, home of statues and paintings. Then the visit is continued at the Secondo Corridoio, with great views of Florence, and the Terzo Corridoio, with some very nice works of arts (although not as interesting as in previous rooms) from high Renaissance and Mannerism, having masterpieces like Doni Tondo by Michelangelo. Today there's a poject (Nuovi Uffizi) to increase the space to expose works and on the first floor there are rooms that display works of arts of foreign artists from the 16th to 18th centuries by Rembrandt, Rubes or Van Dyck, sculptures by Andrea del Sarto or Raphael (whose painting Madonna del cardellino is the most spectacular one) or works by Caravaggio like Sacrifice of Isaac or Medusa.
  



Piazza della Signoria and
Palazzo Vecchio

• Piazza della Signoria: square that was the center of the life in Florence from the 13th century, where locals usually meet and sit to have a coffee with friends. It's the most famous square in Florence, having popular buildings like Palazzo Vecchio (next to it there's a copy of David by Michelangelo, standing where the original was located until 1873). When Florence was suffering a crisis, all its inhabitants met here to celebrate a parlamento (kind of referendum) and some famous bonfires occurred here like the Bonfire of the vanities (burning of objects condemned by authorities as occasions of sin under Girolamo Savonarola) and Girolamo Savonarola's own death. Here it's also located the Loggia della Signoria, a 14th loggia that has an art gallery with famous sculptures such as The Rape of the Sabine Women by Giambologna, Perseus with the Head of Medusa by Benvenuto Cellini or the Four Cardinal Virtues by Agnolo Gaddi.

  

  Loggia della Signoria
  

  In the center it can be found the fountain Fontana de Nettuno and a equestrian estatue of Cosme I de' Medici by Giambologna. Other copies of the works of art that are located in the square are Marzocco and Judith and Holofernes by Donatello.
  
• Palazzo Vecchio (9-23 Fri-Wed, 9-14 Thu from Apr to Sep; 9-19 Fri-Wed, 9-14 Thu from Oct to Mar; 12.50€/ 10€/ free  adults/ students and people under 25/ people under 18): palace built in Arnolfo di Cambio times for the town council (signoria) that was the residence of the 9 priori during the Consiglio dei Cinquecento or the duchal residence under Cosimo I de' Medici. Cosimo I hired Giorgio Vasari to renovate it. It has many spectacular rooms like the following ones: Salone dei Cinquecento (hall with wonderful paintings that depict the military victories of Cosimo I against Pisa and Siena and an awesome ceiling), Sts. Cosma e Damiano Chapel (church with a nice triptych by Giorgio Vasari), Sala di Leo X (room that belonged to Giovanni de' Medici, son of Lorenzo de' Medici and future Pope Leo X),

  

  Salone dei Cinquecento, Palazzo Vecchio
  

  Camera Verde (whose ceiling by Ridolfo del Ghirlandaio was inspired in the designs of the palace of Emperor Nero, Domus Aurea, in Rome), Sala dei Gigli (room with a frieze full of fleurs de lis) or Sala delle Carte Geografiche (room with the collection of maps of Cosimo I, showing places like the poles or the Caribbean Sea).  Inside the palace there are many works of art such as Statue of Victory by Michelangelo, the original Judith and Holofernes by Donatello. From its tower, Torre d'Arnolfo, there are wonderful views of Florence. It was also known as Palazzo della Signoria at the times of the Florentine Republic and today it's still used as the town hall of Florence.
• Gucci Garden (10-20 Fri-Wed, 10-23 Thu; 7€/ free  adults/ kids): garden and museum that show the history of the brand Gucci, from its first grey suitcases to its newest designs. Probably its most spectacular piece is a Cadillac Seville (1979) with designed upholstery and the letters GC in the lids.

  

  Palazzo Gondi
  

  
  
• Palazzo Gondi: palace built by Giuliano da Sangallo for Giuliano da Sangallo the Elder in 1490, taking as an example other important masterpieces of Florence such as Palazzo Medici and Palazzo Strozzi (built over the place where the house of Leonardo da Vinci was). The works on the building stopped in 1501 and were completed only in 1870, when the Marquis Eugenio Gondi commissioned Giuseppe Poggi to finish it. The most innovative element of the palace is the design of the windows.



Church of Orsanmichele


• Badia Fiorentina-Monastery: Benedictine abbey was founded in 978 and rebuilt in Gothic style by Arnolfo di Cambio in 1285. Its interiors show different styles, with frescoes from the 114th century, paintings from the 15th century... One of its nicest places is the Chiostro degli Aranci, a 15th century cloister by Bernardo Rosellino with a cycle of frescoes on the upper floor. It's the place where Dante Alighieri saw Beatrice Portinari here for the first time.
• Church and Museum of Orsanmichele (10-17 church; 10-17 Mon museum; free): unusual church built when the arcs of an old grain market were closed and two floors were added in the 14th century. Its façade is full of niches and statues of the patron of guilds (who were in charge of decorating this church). It has a beautiful inside and a Gothic tabernacle by Andrea Orcagna. In the museum it can be seen the original statues that decorate the façade (the ones that are outside are copies) and other objects related to the church.

  

  David by Donatello
  

  
  
• Museo del Bargello (8:15-16:50 from Jun to Aug; 8:15-13:50 from Sep to May; 8€/ 2€  adults/ people under 25): museum located in Palazzo del Bargello that is home of the most complet collection of Renaissance Tuscan sculpture in Italy, with some of the best works of Michelangelo or Donatello. The museo has different rooms and among the best ones are the following ones: Sala di Michelangelo (room with his early masterpieces like Bacchus, Brutus, Apollo-David or Pitti Tondo) and Sala di Donatello (room with sculptures of artist form the first part of the 15th century, focused on the works by Donatello such as Saint George or the two sculptures of David). Other masterpieces of the museum are Adam and Eve by Baccio Bandinelli, Ganimede by Benvenuto Cellini, The Virgin adoring the Divine Child in the Crib by Andrea della Robbia and Pietà by Giovanni della Robbia. The 2nd floor is focused in the 16th century and is full of terracottas by members of della Robbia family. It's also worthy to visit Podestà Chapel, a chapel that was used to execute prisioners with wonderful frescoes by Giotto discovered when it began being used as a stoarge room.
  
• Dante Aligheri House-Museum (10-18 from Apr to Oct; 10-17 Tue-Fri, 10-18 Sat-Sun from Nov to Mar; 8€/ 5€  adults/ reduced): museum located in the place where Dante Aligheri is thought to have been born, with explanations on the Divine Comedy, Dante, his times and his characters. There are also reconstructions of furniture, clothing and other aspects of the daily life of medieval Florence, as well as some original objects like weapons, coins and ceramics.

  

  Façade of Palazzo Pazzi
  

  
  
• Palazzo Pazzi: palace commissioned by Jacopo de 'Pazzi in the mid-1400s that is the best examples of full Renaissance civil architecture. After Pazzi Conspiracy took place and Pazzi family were made exiled, the ownership of the building has passed under many hands including the Strozzi family. The façade has a lot of contrast between the rustic ashlar on the ground floor and the white plaster of the two upper floors. There are nice views from its roof terrace. It's also named as Palazzo della Congiura is due to the fact that the person in charge of the so-called Pazzi Conspiracy resided there, killing of Giuliano de 'Medici during the mass in Florence Cathedral and wounding his brother Lorenzo the Magnificent.
• Natural History Museum of Florence: Anthropology and Ethnology (10-18 Mon-Tue and Thu-Sun from Jun to Sep; 9-17 Mon-Tue and Thu-Fri, 10-17 Sat-Sun from Oct to May; 3€/ 1.50€  adults/ reduced): palace located in Palazzo Nonfinito, that became the first Italian museum dedicated to anthropology and ethnographic research, managed by the University of Florence. It has a huge heritage that covers most of the planet's populations. The finds began to converge from the time of the Medici Grand Dukes (attracted by any scientific curiosity) up to the numerous expeditions of the following centuries.



Façade of Florence Cathedral


• Florence Cathedral (10-17 Mon-Wed and Sat, 10-16:30 Thu, 13:30-16:45 Sun; free): duomo with a mixture of styles whose construction began in 1296 by Arnolfo di Cambio and lasted 150 years, today being one of the most famous monuments in Florence and in whole Italy. All the building is covered in green, pink and white marble. Its façade is Neo-Gothic and was designed by Emilio de Fabris to substitued the original, that was unfinished; in the southern part of the church there's its most Gothic part, around the 14th century Porta dei Canonici. Inside there are around 44 frescoes and stained glass windows by Giorgio Vasari and Federico Zuccari but its decoration is much more austere than the outter part. Some of its masterpieces are Equestrian Monument of Niccolò da Tolentino by Andrea del Castagno and Funerary Monument to Sir John Hawkwood by Paolo Uccello.

  

  Cupola dei Brunelleschi

  The most important parts of the cathedral are the Segrestia delle Messe (awesome wooden sacristy by Benedetto and Giuliano da Maiano with bronze doors by Luca della Robbia) and Cripta de Santa Reparata (a crypt in which remains of a 5th century church have been found). But without any kind of doubt the most important part of the duomo is the Cupola dei Brunelleschi (8:30-19:30; 20€/ 10€/ free  adults/ kids under 14/ kids under 6), a masterpiece of Renaissance art and a huge engineering work for the 15th century (using a concentric dome system to avoid using scaffolding). This cupola is 91m high and 45.5 wide, has more than 4 million bricks and was built between 1420 and 1436 following the design of Filippo Brunelleschi.

  

  Last Judgment at
  Cupola dei Brunelleschi

  The dome has on its inner part the beautiful fresco Last Judgment by Giorgio Vasari and Federico Zuccari and on its top there are 360 degree views. It can also be visited Terraze della Cattedrale (25€/ 10€/ free  adults/ kids under 14/ kids under 6). Another of the highlights of the cathedral is Giotto's Campanile (8:30-19:30; 15€/ 7€/ free  adults/ kids under 14/ kids under 6), a 85m high bell tower whose construction began with Giotto in 1334 (continued by Andrea Pisano and finished in 1359). The base of the bell tower is studded with bas-reliefs on religious, artistic and scientific themes (by Andrea Pisano's workshop) and it the upper part it can admired sculptures made by the Pisanos and by Donatello. From the top of it there are nice views of Florence and the cathedral.
  
• Battisterio di San Giovanni (8:15-10:15 and 11:15-19 Mon-Sat, 8:30-14 Sun; 5€/ 3€/ free  adults/ kids under 14/ kids under 6): 11th century baptistery with a Romanesque octogonal shape and whose façade is made in white and green marble.

  

  Battisterio di San Giovanni
  

  It has 3 golden bronze doors that explain the history of the human race and the most spectacular of them is the Porta del Paradiso by Lorenzo Ghiberti. There's a combined ticket for the baptistery and the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo (10€/ 5€/ free  adults/ kids under 14/ kids under 6).
  
• Museo dell'Opera del Duomo (9-19; included in the combined ticket with Battisterio di San Giovanni): museum that keeps all the treasures of the cathedral, the baptistery and the bell towers. Some of the highlights of the exhibition are the original doors of the baaptistery (including Porta del Paradiso) and the famous Pietà by Michelangelo, sculpted when he was 80 for his own tomb.
• Laurentian Medici Library (9:30-13:30 Mon-Fri; 3€): library located within the complex of the Basilica of St. Lorenzo that was comisioned by Giulio de' Medici (that would later be Pope Clement VII)

  

  Laurentian Medici Library
  

  to keep all the books that the Medici family owned (collection began by Cosimo de' Medici and enlarged by Lorenzo de' Medici). Its highlights are the magnificent Sala di Lettura and the stairs that reach it, built by Michelangelo.There's a combined ticket for the Laurentian Medici Library and the Basilica of St. Lorenzo (7€).
  
• Basilica of St. Lorenzo (10-17:30 Mon-Sat, 13:30-17:30 Sun; 4.50€): basilica that is said to be one of the oldest in Florence (having been first founded in the 4th century). It was the cathedral of Florence during 300 years and in the 15th century, the Medici commissioned Filippo Brunelleschi to renovate and expand it. Michelangelo was commissioned to complete the façade (which remained unfinished) and the Segrestia Vecchia (with sculptures by Donatello). The main works are the Marriage of the Virgin by Rosso Fiorentino, Annunciation Martelli by Filippo Lippi, the Martyrdom of San Lorenzo by Agnolo Bronzino and the pulpit of Donatello.
  

  

  Basilica of St. Lorenzo
  

• Museum of the Medici Chapel (8:15-16:50 from Jun to Aug; 8:15-13:50 from Sep to May; 9€/ 2€  adults/ people under 25): museum located in the burial place and church of the Medici family, located in the same building than the Basilica of St. Lorenzo. The vist consist consists on visiting the Segrestia Nuova (built by Michelangelo along the lines of that of Brunelleschi) and the Cappella dei Principi (completely covered with marble and semi-precious stones) where the Grand Dukes of Tuscany and their families are buried. It has some very interesting works by Michelangelo in the tombs of Lorenzo de' Medici and his son Giuliano de' Medici.
  

  

  Courtyard of Palazzo Medici-Ricardi
  

• Palazzo Medici-Ricardi (8:30-19 Thu-Tue; 7€/ 4€  adults/ people under 25 and students): palace comissioned by Cosme de' Medici to Michelozzo in 1444 to be the residence of Medici family. In 1494 the palace was sacked by the citizens who exiled the Medici, but the latter returned to the city in 1512 claiming their properties, including the palace (that was modified by Michelangelo). One of the most important rooms in the palace is Cappella dei Magi, a chapel covered in frescoes full of details by Benozzo Gozzoli, considered one of the most important ones on its age. Its design has influenced the palaces of other important families such as Pitti or Strozzi.
  

• 

  David by Michelangelo
  

  Galleria dell'Accademia (8:15-18:50 Tue-Sun; 8€/ 2€/ free  adults/ people under 25/ people under 18): art museum created to host the world's most famous sculpture and one of the masterpieces of Renaissance art, the original David by Michelangelo. This masterpiece full of details that represent the human body with reality, made in a faulty block of marble, used to be placed at the Piazza della Signoria and is a symbol of pride for the people of Florence. Although smaller and more specialized than the Uffizi (it's focused on Florentine artists between the 14th and 17th centuries), the museum also display other important sculptures by Michelangelo such as St. Mattew or four Prigioni. The rest of the museum has paintings by Andrea Orcagna, Taddeo Gaddi, Domenico Ghirlandaio, Filippino Lippi or Sandro Botticelli. The gallery houses the collection of Russian icons, assembled by the Grand Dukes of the House of Lorraine, too.
  
• Basilica of St. Annunziata (7:30-12:30 and 16-18:30; free): basilica that is the main Marian sanctuary in Florence, whose construction began in 1250 and finished in the early 1500s. Its external portico was inspired by the Brunelleschi's one of the Spedale degli Innocenti and above the central arch there are traces of frescoes by Pontormo while the central portal is surmounted by a mosaic of Annunciation by Davide Ghirlandaio. Inside the church has a beautiful Baroque decoration (visible in the Volterrano ceiling and in the profusion of marble, stucco and gilding), with numerous chapels (in one of them Giambologna is buried).

• 

  Chimera of Arezzo
  

  National Archaeological Museum of Florence (8:15-18:50 Tue-Sun; 8€/ 2€/ free  adults/ people under 25/ people under 18): museum located in the Palazzo della Crocetta (palace built in 1620 for princess Maria Maddalena de' Medici, daughter of Ferdinand I de Medici). The collection is based on the family collections of the Medici and Lorraine and is focused on Etruscan (whose main pieces are the Chimera of Arezzo, the statue of the Arringatore or the funerary statue Mater Matuta), Greek (outstanding the black figure krater Vase Francois and the sclupture Apollino Milani in Greek art), Roman and Egyptian pieces (being second largest collection of Egyptian artifacts in Italy).
• Museo di San Marco (8:15-14 Mon-Fri, 8:15-17 Sat-Sun; 6€/ 3€  adults/ reduced): museum placed by St. Marco Church and its monastery (both from the 15th century), where the painter Fra Angelico and the friar Savonarola lived. Today the complex houses an art museum focused on Fra Angelico, one of the most important Renaisssance artists that painted religious theme. One of the nicest rooms of the museums is Sala dell'Ospizio (where it can be seen with perspective technique and the interest in nature in works such as Deposition from the Cross). The museum has many masterpieces by Fra Angelico like The Annunciation (the most popular and important work by Fra Angelico), Crucifixion with Virgin and 20 saints.

  

  The Annunciation by Fra Angelico

  Fra Angelico and his assistants also painted some rooms that monks used (to help them to pray) and one of the most popular of them has the Adoration of the Magi. There are also works by other artists such as St. Dominic and his Friars fed by Angels by Giovanni Antonio Sogliani and in the upper part it can be seen the austere room, some objects that were used by Girolamo Savonarola. The complex has also other nice areas such as St. Antoninus Cloister.
  
• Natural History Museum of Florence: Geology and Paleontology (9-13 Mon-Tue and Thu-Fri, 9-17 Sat; 4€/ 2€  adults/ reduced): museum with about 200,000 specimens from the collections of noted geologists and paleontologists. Among the collection the vertebrate fossil collection is of particular interest, with mammal fossils from the Pliocene and Pleistocene (like anthropoid primates and early elephant skeletons) as well as the the paleobotany collection. There's a combined ticket to visit all the museums of the Natural History Museum of Florence and the Giardino dei Semplici (5€/ 2.5€  adults/ reduced).
  
• Giardino dei Semplici (10-18:30 Sat-Sun; 3€/ 1.5€  adults/ reduced): botanical garden maintained by the University of Florence, being Europe's third oldest botanical garden. It was established in 1545, by Cosimo I de' Medici and, as an early European botanical garden, its prime interest was in medicinal plants.

  

  Exhibition at Stibbert Museum
  

  The garden grounds opened to the public in the mid-19th century and today the garden contains some 9,000 plant specimens.
• Basso Fortress: 16th century fortification built by Alessandro de' Medici. Inside the fortress there is one of the offices of the Opificio delle Pietre Dure (with numerous scientific and restoration laboratories) and the Palazzo dei Congressi because it's home of the complex of Firenze Fiera, seat of numerous national and international conferences, concerts and initiatives.
• Stibbert Museum (10-14 Mon-Wed, 10-18 Fri-Sun; 8€/ 6€/ free  adults/ kids under 14/ kids under 4): museum located in the estate of Stibbert family (a family withe British origines who made weath thanks to Files Stibbert, commander in chief of the British East India Company). The museum was founded by Frederick Stibbert (he dedicated his life to collecting objects, antiques and artifacts) and donated to the city of Florence when he died.

  

  English Cemetery
  

  The museum has leather and tapestries, artifacts, paintings and also valuable furniture, porcelains, Tuscan crucifixes, Etruscan artifacts, and an outfit worn by Napoleon I of France. The most extensive collection is around 16,000 pieces of European, Oriental, Islamic, Japanese arms and armour from the 15th century through the 19th century.
  
• English Cemetery: Protestant cemetery built in 1827 by the Swiss Evangelical Reformed Church with the majority of burials were of Protestants from the British and American communities of Florence (holding the bodies of non-English speaking expatriates and Eastern Orthodox Christians too). The cemetery is still owned by the Swiss Evangelical Reformed Church, and is open for the interment of cremated ashes, but no longer for burials.  It has some very beautiful tombs.
• Great Synagogue and Jewish Museum of Florence (10-18:30 Sun-Thu, 10-17 Fri  from Jun to Sep; 10-17:30 Sun-Thu, 10-15 Fri  from from Oct to May; 6€/ 5€/ free  adults/ reduced): nice Moorish-Sefardic style synagogue built during the period of Jewish emancipation (in 1882), considered one of the largest synagogues in South-central Europe.

  

  Interior of the Great
  Synagogue of Florence
  

  During the German retreating explosives were laid to destroy the synagogue but Italian resistance fighters defused most of the explosives. Outside it has three domes and a colourful desgin while inside all the synagogue is covered with colored designs in Moorish patterns. It also has a museum with many artefacts and documentation of Florentine Jewish life many centuries back in time.
• Casa Buonarroti (10-16:30; 8€/ 5€/ free  adults/ reduced): house-museum dedicated to Michelangelo and his descendants who lived here, embellishing the house. The museum holds the richest collection in the world of sketches by Michelangelo and his school. The most important pieces is the River God Torso, Two Wrestlers or the Female Nude. The building was built the way it currently looks by Michelangelo the Younger (strangely its archive documentation remains) and its interior decoration pays tribute to his grandfather.

  

  Basilica of St. Croce
  

• Basilica of St. Croce (9:30-17:30 Mon-Sat, 14-17:30 Sun; 8€/ 6€/ free  adults/ people under 18/ kids under 12): Gothic Franciscan basilica (one of the oldest and the largest in the world) first built in the 14th century with the design of Arnolfo di Cambio. Its nice façade was done in Neo-Gothic style by Niccolò Matas in the mide-1800s and has marble of different colours. Its interior is quite austere but in some chapels there are spectacular frescoes from the 14th century by Giotto or terracottas by Luca della Robbia and by Brunelleschi; it also has a relic of the holy cross. The church is also known as the pantheon of artists because it has very importants tombs such as the ones of Michelangelo, Galileo Galileo, Niccolò Machiavelli or Lorenzo Ghiberti too.

  

  Room at Horne Museum
  

  
  
• Horne Museum (10-14 Thu-Tue; 7€/ 5€  adults/ retiree, students and people under 18): museum that displays a collection of art and furnishings of the 14th and 15th centuries owned by the art historian Herbert Percy Horne, located in the former Palazzo Corsi, a place from the 14th century. It has some interesting works such as Saint Stephen by Giotto, Allegory of Music by Dosso Dossi, or Queen Vashti Leaving the Royal Palace and Pietà by Filippino Lippi.
• Museum of Masonic Symbols (15-19 Mon-Fri, 10-13 and 15-19 Sat-Sun; 7€/ 5€  adults/ retiree and people under 18): museum that give the secular public a first point of interest and curiosity to the Masonic ideology and an in-depth knowledge of Masonic philosophy and ethics through the representation of symbols, which are the basis of the ritual and philosophic work. The first Italian Masonic Lodge was founded in Florence in 1731.

  

  Frescoes at Brancacci Chapel
  

  
  
• St. Maria del Carmine Church: church first built in the 13th century but partially burnt in a fire in the 18th century and its interior was restored in Rococo style (like many churches in Florence, its façade is unfinished too). The highlight of the church is the only original surviving chapel, Brancacci Chapel (10-17 Wed-Sat and Mon, 13-17 Sun; 6€/ 4.50€  adults/ retiree and people under 18). This beautiful chapel was paid by the merchant Felice Brancacci when he returnt from Egypt in 1423 and has frescoes and works by Masolino da Panicale, Masaccio and Filippino Lippi.
• Basilica of St. Spirito (9:30-12:30 and 16-17:30 Thu-Tue; free): basilica designed by Filippo Brunelleschi that is one of the preeminent examples of Renaissance architecture.

  

  Basilica of St. Spirito
  

  The church has 38 chapels with semicircle-shape and among the most important ones are Velutti Chapel (that has the important painting Madonna del Soccorso by Domenico di Zanobi), Nerli Chapel (with Madonna and Child with Saints and Nerli Family Donors by Filippino Lippi) or Segni Chapel (where there's a Crucifix attributed to Michelangelo). Another important highlight is the Baroque main altar, that makes a huge contrast with the austere interior design by Brunelleschi. In the square whe it's located there are open-air concerts in summer.
  
  St. Maria del Carmine Church
• Casa Guidi: museum set up in the 15th century house where the English poetess Elizabeth Barrett Browning lived between 1847 and 1861. It has about ten rooms and in some of them she composed her best poems. Today's museum is a reconstruction based on photographs and descriptions of the time.
• Natural History Museum of Florence-La Specola (10:30-17:30 Tue-Sun from Jun to Sep; 9:30-16:30 Tue-Sun from Oct to May; 6€/ 3€/ free  adults/ retiree and kids under 14/ kids under 6): museum that hosts a zoological collection with examples of animals preserved mainly through stuffing and the anatomical one, with wax models dating back mostly to the 18th century.

  

  Façade of Palazzo Pitti
  

  Its name refers to the astronomical observatory on the roof, used as a meteorological station too. Galileo's Tribune (hall with a large statue of Galileo, some paintings dedicated to scientific knowledge and some scientific instruments) is a rare example of Neoclassical style in the city.
• Palazzo Pitti (8:30-18:30 Tue-Sun; 16€/ 2€/ free  adults/ European citizens under 25/ students and people under 18): huge Renaissance style palace comissioned by the banker Luca Pitta to Brunelleschi and then bought by Medici family almost 100 years later, using it as residence during many centuries. It was also used as a residence by the rulers of the city until the Savoy family donated it in 1919. Nowdays it's the seat of some museums. One of the most important ones is the Galleria Palatina and the Royal and Imperial Apartments, museum that occupies the entire noble floor of the palace and has an extraordinary collection that belonged to Medici family, with the largest concentration of works by Raphael in the world, as well as paintings by Titian, Tintoretto, Caravaggio and Rubens.

  

  Rooms of Palazzo Pitti
  

  The paintings completely cover the walls of the rooms, enriched by the presence of sculptures, vases and furnishings. Another interesting one is the Museum of Costume and Fashion, the largest museum in Italy dedicated to fashion that houses a collection of clothes and fashion accessories from the 18th century to the present and a fascinating corpus of stage clothes of famous films, plays and opera worn by Italian and international stars of the cinema and entertainment. Among the ancient costumes are the 16th century funeral clothes of Cosimo I de 'Medici, Eleonor of Toledo and her son Garzia de' Medici. There are other two museums: the Modern Art Gallery (with paintings and sculptures from Neoclassicism to the 1930s like by the Macchiaioli) and Grand Duchy Treasury (collections of jewels and decorative arts in the sumptuous Medici summer apartment).
  

  

  Boboli Gardens
  

• Boboli Gardens (8:15-18:30 from Jun to Aug; 8:15-18:15 from Mar to May and from Sep to Oct; 8:15-16:30 from Nov to Feb; 10€/ 2€/ free  adults/ European citizens under 25/ students and people under 18): 16th century Italian style gardens located next to Palazzo Pitti and designed by Niccolò Pericoli. The gardens are like an open-air museum, populated with ancient and Renaissance statues, adorned with caves and with large fountains. They are considered to be among the largest of its kind and from its upper part there are nice views of the countryside that surrounds Florence.
• Belvedere Fortress (15-20 Tue-Sun; free): 16th century fortress built by Bernardo Buontalenti for the Grand Duke of Tuscany, Ferdinando I de' Medici, used to protect Palazzo Pitti and protect the centre of government in Florence and the Medici family if the city came under attack.

  

  St. Felicita Church
  

  It was also used by Galileo Galilei for his astronomical observations. Nowadays it's home of temporary exhibitions but it's worthy to be visited for its views of Florence too.
  
• St. Felicita Church: church that is one of the oldest churches in the city (built on the remains of a 4th century basilica) that was Gothic church and whose current appearance is from the 18th century. That only Gothic remains are part of frescoes by Niccolò di Pietro Gerini. Inside the church there are nice works of arts, including the beautiful altarpiece of the Deposition from the Cross and the Annunciation by Pontorno. Above the church passes the Vasari Corridor (used by the Grand Dukes to attend religious functions) and in the subsoil there are a series of tunnels (remains of the Roman Via Cassia).

  

  Bardini Gardens
  

  
  
• Villa Bardini: villa that the antiguarian Stefano Bardini bought and restored in 1913. In the second floor there's a museum with 20th century paintings of Pietro Annigoni, the third floor has a great terrace with views of Florence and on the fourth floor, the clothing designs of Roberto Capucci and temporary exhibitions.
• Bardini Gardens (10-19 Tue-Sun; entrance includedd with Boboli Gardens): gardens of Villa Bardini that has all the elements that make a it a traditional Tuscan garden (having its caves, statues, fountains). It has a very romantic restaurant, Leggenda Dei Frati.

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  Basilica of St. Miniato al Monte
  

  Stefano Bardini Museum (11-20 Fri-Mon): museum that houses more than 3600 works of art (including paintings, sculptures, armor, musical instruments, ceramics, coins, medals and antique furniture) coming mostly from the donation made to the municipality of Florence by the antiquarian Stefano Bardini. The most importants works are Carità by Tino di Camaino, the Madonna dei Cordai attributed to Donatello or to Luca Della Robbia, or Choice of Hercules by Domenico Beccafumi.
  
• Basilica of St. Miniato al Monte (9:30-13:00 and 15:00-19:00 Mon-Sat, 8:15-13:00 and 15:00-19:00 Sun; free): church whose construction began in the 11th century on the site of St. Miniato's hermitage.

  

  Views from Piazzale Michelangelo
  

  The façade is one of the masterpieces of Florentine Romanesque architecture and the inlaid floor dates is among the best in the city. The crypt (oldest part of the church) is surmounted by the high altar which is supposed to contain the bones of San Miniato and there are frescoes by Taddeo Gaddi too.
  depict the saints in the customary representative-type manner but introduced figures from the real life
  
  Read more at: https://travel2macedonia.com/tourist-attraction/saint-pantelejmon-monastery-skopje
  From the monastery there are awesome views. Before reaching the basilica it can be found Piazzale Michelangelo, a square that provides one of the most spectacular views of Florence (it's specially popular for the sunset).
  

 

Fiesole

Within the Metropolitan Area of Florence it can be enjoyed Fiesole (14,075 inhabitants). This town has always attracted visitors due to its olive trees, Renaissance villas and great views of the countryside. It can be a good idea to walk along the town and get off the beaten track. Fiesole was founded by Etruscans and was the most importat city in the north of Etruria. The remains of it can be visited at Fiesole Archaeological Site and Museum (9-19 from Apr to Sep; 10-18 in Mar and Oct; 10-15 Wed-Mon from Nov to Feb; 10€/ 6€  adults/ reduced), where finding the ruins of a Etruscan temple, Roman baths, a small archaeological museum with pieces found in Fiesole and a Roman amphitheater from the 1st century BC, seat of the festival Estate Fiesolana. Close to it there's Museum Bandini (9-19 Fri-Sun from Apr to Sep; 10-18 Fri-Sun in Mar and Oct; 10-15 Fri-Sun from Nov to Feb; 5€/ 3€  adults/ reduced), a museum with early Tuscan Renaissance works, among which the medallions by Giovanni della Robbia and the Annunciation by Tadeo Gaddi stand out. There's a combined ticket for this two places (12€/ 8€  adults/ reduced).

Villa Medicea at Cafaggiolo

Next to it is located Fiesole Cathedral (7:30-12 and 15-17; free), a Romanesque cathedral whose construction began in the 11th century, in the entrance has a terracotta by Giovanni della Robbia and inside the decoration is austere. Going on a walk on Via San Francesco, with excellent views, it can be reached the 15th century church, St. Francesco Church and Convent. In Fiesole there's also a house-museum, Primo Conti Foundation (9-14 Mon-Fri; 3€), where discovering this Futurist painter and enjoying his nice garden.
Around Florence, and some even all over Tuscany, it can be found the Medici villas, a series of rural building owned by members of the Medici family between the 15th century and the 17th century that are part of UNESCO World Heritage List. Now it will be mentioned some of the most important ones. Probably the most known is Villa Medicea at Cafaggiolo, 30 km far from Florence, one of the Medici villas most linked to the history of the Medici, renovated by Michelozzo and loved by Lorenzo de' Medici.

Villa Medicea del Trebbio

It keeps the original arrangement of the gardens, farms, streets, fountains and woods around the villa, used later as a hunting lodge. Another of the important ones is Villa Medicea del Trebbio, villa that already belonged to Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici and was renovated by Michelozzo like a fortified castle and that keeps its medieval scene. Closer to Florence, 10 km far, is located Villa Medici at Careggi, one of the oldest of the villas belonging to the Medici family used as a place of rest and peace but also a real economic center for agricultural activities. Other of the villas are Villa di Castello (8:30-13 and 15-18:30 Fri-Mon from Jun to Sep; 8:30-13 Tue-Thu from Oct to May; free), Villa Medicea at Fiesole, Villa di Pratolino (10-20 Fri-Sun from Jun to Sep; 10-18 Fri-Sun from Oct to May; free), Villa La Magia or Villa La Petraia. Most of the villas have private owners.

What can I do and buy in Florence?

Florence Opera House

The city is full of culture and not only on its museums. There are many places where listening to life music of different styles, from Florence Opera House (Piazza Vittorio Gui 1) to Jazz Club Firenze (Via Nuova de' Caccini 3) or La Cité (Borgo San Frediano 20/r).

Florence is the heart of Tuscan food and there are many places to learn about it. Some of the most recommended ones are Scuola di Cucina Lorenzo de' Medici (Mercato Centrale) or Desinare (Via dei Serragli 234R). There are also many places where taking Italian courses as Italian is mostly based on the Tuscan dialect.

Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica

Florence is full of places where finding souvenirs such as the Mercato Centrale (Piazza del Mercato Centrale) or Mercato Nuovo (Piazza del Mercato Nuovo). But this place is somewhere where good quality and special presents can be bought. In case you want to buy some artisan work the best ideas are the bookbinder Giulio Giannini e Figlio (Piazza de' Pitti 37), the puppet-shop Letizia Fiorini (Via del Parione 60), the novelty shop Marioluca Giusti (Via della Vigna Nuova 88), Scriptorium Atelier (Via de' Pucci 4) or the jewery Aprosio & Co (Via del Moro 75/77). As for scent the best idea is buying at Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella (Via della Scala 16) that opened in 1612. Some vintage objects can be purchased at Boutique Naddine (Lungarno degli Acciaiuoli 22). There are also many places where buying traditional Tuscan and Italian food like Il Teatro del Sale (Via dei Macci 111/r), La Bottega della Frutta (Via dei Federighi 31/r), Eataly (Via de' Martelli 22r) and Dolce Forte (Via della Scala 21) for products with chocolate.

Florence is also one of the fashion capital cities in Italy and Europe and there are many international brands with stores in the city but also other local businesses that are borth to have a look such as Mrs Macis (Borgo Pinti 38) or Grevi Mode Capelli (Via della Manifattura 10) for hats. On the outskirts of Florence there are outlets like Barberino Designer Outlet (Via Antonio Meucci 76 in Barberino di Mugello) or The Mall (Via Europa 8 in Leccio).

Where can I eat in Florence?

 

Bistecca alla fiorentina

Florence is one of the center of Tuscan food and the origin of the famous bistecca alla fiorentina (beefsteak thickly cut and very large grilled and then seasoned with salt and olive oil), as well as having other traditional dishes like crostini (appetizer made of small slices of grilled or toasted bread and toppings), ribollita (soup with bread and vegetables), pappa al pomodoro (thick Tuscan bread soup prepared with fresh tomatoes, olive oil, garlic and basil) or trippa alla fiorentina (fried with tomatoes and other vegetables). It has the largest culinary offer in Tuscany with different flavours, qualities and prices too. Some of the cheapest choices to eat in Florence are: the bakeries Pugi (Piazza San Marco 9B) and S. Forno (Via Santa Monaca 3r), the osteria All'Antico Vinaio (Via dei Neri 76r), the osteria Il Buongustaio (Borgo dei Greci 15), trattoria Marione (Via delle Belle Donne 47/49r), the trattoria Mario (Via Rosina 2r), the trattoria La Casalinga (Via dei Michelozzi 9/r), the Tuscan restaurtant Cantinetta dei Verrazzano (Via dei Tavolini 18/r), the Italian restaurant Tamerò (Piazza Santo Spirito 11r) or the places for sandwiches Mariano (Via del Parione 19), Ino (Via dei Georgofili 3r/7r), Semel (Piazza Lorenzo Ghiberti 44/r). It can also be a good idea to eat at Mercato Centrale (Piazza del Mercato Centrale), the oldest in Florence, to eat at any of its bars and shops such as Da Nerbone or at Mercato di Sant'Ambrogio (Piazza Lorenzo Ghiberti). For pizza lovers the best place to eat is Neapolitan pizza restaurant Il Pizzaiuolo (Via dei Macci 113r), Gustapizza (Via Maggio 46r) or Berberé (Piazza dei Nerli 1) and for hamburguers, the hamburguer restaurant Gnam (Via di Camaldoli 2r). Florence has an important offer of veggie and unexpensive restaurants Brac (Via dei Vagellai 18/r) or 5eCinque (Piazza della Passera 1).

 If you want to spend a bit more money the city has many good restaurants with medium price like the Italian restaurant Obicà (Via de' Tornabuoni 16), the Tuscan restaurants Il Teatro del Sale (Via dei Macci 111/r) and Il Santo Bevitore (Via Santo Spirito 64r), the trattoria Il Latini (Via dei Palchetti 6r), the trattoria Antica Trattoria da Tito (Via San Gallo 112/r), trattoria Cibrèo (Via dei Macci 122r), Culinaria Bistrot (Piazza Torquato Tasso 13rosso).

Tripa alla fiorentina

For those ones who would like to have a VIP experience and try excellent restaurants the best ones are the Tuscan restaurant L'Osteria di Giovanni (Via del Moro 22), La Bottega del Buon Caffè (Lungarno Benvenuto Cellini 69/r) or La Leggenda dei Fraiti (Costa San Giorgio 6/a), with one of the most romantic views of FLorence. 

The most recommended places to eat trippa and trippa alla fiorentina are the Mercato Nuovo (Piazza del Mercato Nuovo), L'Antico Trippaio (Piazza de Cimatori), Pollini (Piazza Sant'Ambrogio 2) or Da Vinattieri (Via Santa Margherita 4/6r). Florence has a wide offer of ice-creams and the most recommended ones are in Vivoli (Via Isola delle Stinche 7r), Grom (Via del Campanile 2), Gelateria La Carraia (Piazza Nazario Sauro 25/r) or Carabè (Via Ricasoli 60/r). 

 
Florence has an important offer of places to have a drink, the largest in Tuscany, focused on cafes, enoteche and bars. The top choices cafes are Rivoire (Piazza della Signoria 5/r), Gilli (Via Roma 1r), L'Arte del Sogno (Borgo la Croce 24/26r), Ditta Artigianale (Via dei Neri 30/32r), News Cafè (Via del Giglio 59), Le Murate (Piazza delle Murate), Amblé (Piazzetta dei Del Bene 7/A) and Shake Café (Via degli Avelli 2/rosso). The best places to drink wine are the enoteca Le Volpi e l'Uva (Piazza dei Rossi 1R), enoteca Coquinarius (Via delle Oche 11r), enoteca Il Santino (Via Santo Spirito 60/r), enoteca Sei Divino (Borgo Ognissanti 42r) enoteca Zeb (Via San Miniato 2r) or enoteca Procacci (Via de' Tornabuoni 64r). The most interesting choices as for bars are: the rooftop La Terrazza Continentale (Vicolo dell'Oro 6), the bar Volume (Piazza Santo Spirito 5/rosso), the pub Kitsch (Viale Antonio Gramsci 1/5r), the Irish pub Lion's Fountain (Borgo degli Albizi, 34r), the bar Drogheria (Largo Pietro Annigoni 22), Bamboo Lounge Bar (Via Giuseppe Verdi 57r), Flò Lounge Bar (Viale Michelangiolo 84) or the discos Space Club (Via Palazzuolo 37) and YAB (Via dei Sassetti 5/r).

 

In case of going on a day trip to Fiesole it's recommedned to eat at Vinandro (Piazza Mino da Fiesole 33) or La Reggia degli Etruschi (Via San Francesco 18).

Posted in: Europe,Italy,Tuscany