For many, without beating around the bush, Florence is the most beautiful city in Italy. And objectively speaking, it has a great deal in its favour: wandering aimlessly through the streets of the historic centre, you’ll find art and culture at every turn, from Renaissance palaces to elegant nineteenth-century residences, not to mention the seemingly endless array of churches, museums and sculptures. And it’s all, it must be said, strictly within the centre, which whilst not small is compact enough to explore comfortably on foot.
There are so many things to see in Florence, taking in both the absolutely unmissable attractions and those known only to a few, perhaps by locals or city enthusiasts. Of course, the first time you visit Florence you’ll want to start with the main attractions, which is why we’ve put together a list of must-see attractions to fall head over heels in love with Tuscany’s capital from the start; if that’s not enough, do also take a look at the unusual places and curiosities to see in Florence.
In any case, give yourself some time to wander the streets of the centre, enjoying a drink in the open air or indulging in some shopping: between traditional artisan shops and luxury boutiques, there’s no shortage of opportunities to shop in the city.
Visiting the entire complex of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, more commonly known as the Florence Duomo, allows you to tick off no fewer than 4 attractions in one go: the complex includes the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore itself, its iconic dome a masterpiece by Brunelleschi, the Campanile of Giotto and the Baptistry of San Giovanni. Take time to climb to the top of the dome or campanile, depending on where you find the shortest queue, to enjoy a spectacular panorama of the city centre; once you’ve come back down, brave the crowds and visit the sumptuous interiors of the church.
For art lovers, in front of the cathedral you’ll find the Opera Museum of the Duomo, which houses works removed from the piazza and the cathedral, including the original Gates of Paradise by Lorenzo Ghiberti taken from the baptistry (the door that now serves as the baptistry entrance is a copy), the choir lofts by Donatello and Luca della Robbia, a Pietà by Michelangelo from inside the duomo and much more besides.
After visiting the Duomo, head down via Calzaiuoli, Florence’s premier shopping street. It connects Piazza del Duomo with another square fundamental to Florence’s historical and social fabric: Piazza della Signoria. Here the undisputed star is Palazzo Vecchio, now home to Florence’s city council, formerly the seat of the Florentine Republic and from 1865 to 1871 home to the Chamber of Deputies of the Kingdom of Italy.
You can visit Palazzo Vecchio free of charge for the ground floor and the beautiful internal courtyard, whilst some rooms are only accessible for a fee, by purchasing a ticket for the Palazzo Vecchio Museum. Among them stands out the magnificent Hall of the Five Hundred, the largest hall in Italy built for the management of civic power.
Palazzo Vecchio is a splendid example of fourteenth-century Florentine architecture, found in many other historic buildings across Tuscany, take for instance the Torre del Mangia in Siena’s Piazza del Campo. Beside it stands the magnificent Loggia dei Lanzi, a veritable open-air museum, completely free to enter, where you can admire some splendid statues, including Perseus with the Head of Medusa by Benvenuto Cellini and the Rape of the Sabines by Giambologna.
Finally, among the many splendours of Piazza della Signoria, we should mention some statues, including the Fountain of Neptune by Bartolomeo Ammannati and the world-famous David by Michelangelo, which is actually a copy: the original is displayed in the nearby Gallery of the Academy.
Among the 4 bridges that cross the historic centre of Florence, the most famous, photographed, distinctive and certainly most beautiful is undoubtedly Ponte Vecchio. Its iconic form has made it one of the city’s undisputed symbols. Walk back and forth across it, and stop to admire the shops and jewellery studios of the goldsmiths, still thriving to this day. Halfway across the bridge there’s a lovely spot where you can pause to take the perfect souvenir photo of Florence.
Not many know that Ponte Vecchio is crowned by one of the city’s most distinctive attractions: the Vasarian Corridor, a corridor stretching almost 800 metres, built by architect Giorgio Vasari in 1565 at the behest of Cosimo I de’ Medici, to connect Palazzo Vecchio, the political and administrative centre of the city, with Palazzo Pitti, the private residence of the Medici family.
Piazza di Santa Croce in Florence is a veritable institution: it is indeed one of the most beloved squares among Florentines, especially because every June it is set up with stands and a huge sandy pitch to play the much-anticipated calcio storico fiorentino, or historical football in costume, a sporting event that pits the 4 quarters of the historic centre against each other in one-on-one knockout challenges. The final is played on St John’s Day, 24 June, in a Piazza Santa Croce packed to the rafters.
But even on other days of the year, Piazza Santa Croce is an unmissable destination, thanks above all to the presence of the lovely Basilica of Santa Croce, with its magnificent neo-Gothic facade. To the left of the basilica stands the statue of Dante, erected in 1865.
Piazza Santa Croce is also home to the typical Christmas market that takes place during the festive season in the city, and it is also one of the beating hearts of Florence’s nightlife, as the side streets surrounding it are home to a large number of nightclubs.
It’s impossible to leave Florence without having first visited the Uffizi Gallery, the most visited museum in the city and certainly one of the most famous in the world. Inside you can admire truly unique masterpieces, including the Birth of Venus and Spring by Sandro Botticelli, Michelangelo’s Tondo Doni, Piero della Francesca’s double portrait of the Dukes of Urbino, Giotto’s Majesty of All Saints, Leonardo da Vinci’s Adoration of the Magi, Titian’s Venus of Urbino and many, many others.
A visit to the Uffizi can take anywhere from a few hours to a whole day, depending of course on how thoroughly you want to view and study the individual works. In some parts of the gallery you can also enjoy a splendid panorama of Florence, both from the Piazza della Signoria side and from the Arno side, with a magnificent view of Ponte Vecchio. Before leaving, a lovely outdoor terrace allows you to get very close to Palazzo Vecchio, and you’ll feel as though you could almost touch it.
For many, the Gallery of the Academy is “merely” the museum housing the original statue of Michelangelo’s David. Of course it’s the absolute star of the museum, but beyond it there’s much more to see. For a start, it’s the museum that houses more statues by Michelangelo than any other in the world: in addition to the David there are 6 others. Moreover, you can admire the world’s largest collection of gold-background paintings, along with other ancient works of inestimable value.
The Gallery of the Academy comprises 12 halls: among these, don’t miss the Hall of the Colossus, where you can admire over 100 works, including the original plaster model of Giambologna’s Rape of the Sabines, and the Prisoners Gallery, which in addition to the 4 statues by Michelangelo “the Prisoners”, depicting male nudes, also features masterpieces by Andrea del Sarto, Ridolfo del Ghirlandaio and Pontormo.
The Gallery of the Academy is located on Via Ricasoli, an elegant street in the centre of Florence connecting Piazza San Marco to Piazza del Duomo. It is open Tuesday to Sunday from 8:15 to 18:50 and is closed on Mondays. Before arriving at the entrance, always check the updated opening times on the official website, as they may vary depending on the season.
You can’t leave Florence without having first visited a museum dedicated to one of its most illustrious citizens. We’re talking of course about Leonardo da Vinci, who spent much of his training and most productive years in Tuscany’s capital.
There are actually two museums dedicated to Leonardo in the city, which are quite close to each other, but our favourite is undoubtedly the Leonardo da Vinci Interactive Museum. As you might imagine from the name, it’s a completely interactive museum, which allows visitors to experience something entirely new, learning to understand and use the machines designed by Leonardo. You can try out as many as 50 machines, all fully functional, reconstructed according to the drawings of the multitalented genius.
Furthermore, ample space is dedicated to his most famous works, such as the Mona Lisa, the Last Supper and the Lady with an Ermine. There is indeed a room, called the painting hall, which showcases faithful digital reproductions, displayed at real size and in the highest resolution. In this way, you can admire these masterpieces up close and appreciate their countless details.
The Leonardo da Vinci Interactive Museum is open every day of the week from 10:00 to 18:00. It’s located at via dei Servi 66/R, not far from Florence’s Duomo. Discounts are available for young people and students, while children under 5 are entitled to free admission.
The Basilica of Santa Maria Novella is located in the piazza of the same name, behind Florence’s main railway station. It’s practically the first attraction in the city centre you can see once you step off the train, although the facade, by far the most aesthetically beautiful part of the church, faces the opposite side, the one overlooking the piazza. The facade is in white and green marble and can be counted among the most important works of the Florentine Renaissance: designed by Leon Battista Alberti, it was completed around 1470.
The rest of the piazza is occupied by a series of outdoor cafés and restaurants, a beautiful well-maintained flowerbed with a pristine lawn and splendid flowers, and the Spedale delle Leopoldine, whose 15 rooms today host the Novecento Museum, dedicated to twentieth-century Italian art, with over 300 works on permanent display and numerous temporary exhibitions and installations.
The magnificent former private residence of the Medici family takes pride of place in Piazza Pitti. We’re talking, of course, about Palazzo Pitti, an enormous building located in the Oltrarno district. Built in 1458 as the residence of banker Luca Pitti, it was purchased by the Medici around a century later and was donated to the State in 1919 by Vittorio Emanuele III. From that day forward, Palazzo Pitti has been a state museum complex, housing numerous museums within its walls.
The most important of these is the Palatine Gallery, comprising 28 rooms displaying masterpieces of exceptional importance, particularly from the 17th century. Alongside it are the Monumental Apartments, where you can admire 14 rooms that formed part of the ancient royal quarters and 6 rooms from the Tapestry Apartment, plus other museums within the complex: the Gallery of Modern Art, the Porcelain Museum, the Treasure of the Grand Dukes, the Fashion and Costume Museum and the Carriages Museum.
The sprawling Boboli Garden was originally the private garden of Palazzo Pitti. Today you can visit it independently, and it’s one of the world’s finest examples of an Italian-style garden. With its numerous statues and sculptures and impressive architectural design, it’s a genuine open-air museum, attracting over 800,000 visitors each year.
Among these, many visitors are Florentines themselves, who not only enjoy free entry but love to sprawl across the garden lawns, relaxing in the sunshine and enjoying magnificent views of the city from above.
Boboli Garden dates back to the 16th century and covers an area of over 45,000 square metres. In 2013, it was inscribed by UNESCO as part of the World Heritage list, within the serial site Medici Villas and Gardens in Tuscany.
Before leaving Florence, venture outside the historic centre for one last glimpse of the city from above at Piazzale Michelangelo. You can reach it on foot in roughly 35 minutes from Santa Maria Novella station, passing through the picturesque San Niccolò neighbourhood and then climbing the steps of Monte alle Croci, or you can take one of the Autolinee Toscane buses heading to the Piazzale (check the current route on the Autolinee Toscane website, as route numbers have changed). Once you’ve arrived at the top, all that effort will be thoroughly rewarded: the view of Florence from Piazzale Michelangelo — simply “the Piazzale” to Florentines — is truly incomparable.
Truth be told, it’s not entirely unique, as it may feel familiar to you: yes, because this magnificent panorama of Florence’s historic centre appears on practically every postcard, every mug, every keychain and everything else you might buy at a souvenir shop! But being there in person is quite another experience: take as much time as you need, snap all the photos you like, and then bid farewell to Florence, with a promise to return at the earliest opportunity.
Back to the heart of the historic centre: alongside the Basilica of San Lorenzo stretches the open-air San Lorenzo Market, where for centuries it’s been possible to purchase goods, accessories and clothes, mainly leather items. Of course, with the arrival of mass tourism, San Lorenzo Market has transformed, and nowadays there are plenty of stalls dedicated to souvenirs as well. Visit with the intention of picking up a nice memento to take home, and you won’t regret it. If you’re up for it, haggle over the price to clinch some excellent deals.
As you wander through the streets of San Lorenzo Market, you’ll inevitably spot an impressive iron and glass structure, designed by architect Giuseppe Mengoni and opened in 1874. Inside is Mercato Centrale, divided into two levels. The lower floor houses the food stalls: fruit, vegetables, meat and fish, plus some stands selling typical Tuscan products available as souvenirs.
The first floor was completely refurbished in 2014, marking the building’s 140th anniversary, and now houses over 20 shops run by artisan food producers, each cooking specialities of Tuscan or Italian gastronomy on the premises. You can sample them standing up or taking advantage of the numerous seating areas available. The upper floor of Mercato Centrale is open 7 days a week, from 9:00 am to midnight.
Discover Firenze through the eyes of expert guides who will take you on a tour of the city's hidden treasures. Participating in a guided visit or a free tour will allow you to capture the true essence of Firenze.
The free tours are a viable alternative to traditional guided tours. They work like this: participation is free and at the end of the visit you can leave a tip at your discretion. Below you will find our favourite free tour, otherwise you can see the full list by visiting this page.
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