Firenze
Map: Oltrarno Hotels & Restaurants
BETWEEN THE PALAZZO VECCHIO AND SANTA CROCE CHURCH
NEAR THE CHURCH OF SANTA MARIA NOVELLA
Florence, the home of the Renaissance and birthplace of our modern world, has the best Renaissance art in Europe. In a single day, you could look Michelangelo’s David in the eyes, fall under the seductive sway of Botticelli’s Birth of Venus, and climb the modern world’s first dome, which still dominates the skyline.
Get your bearings with a Renaissance walk. Florentine art goes beyond paintings and statues—enjoy the food, fashion, and street markets. You can lick Italy’s best gelato while enjoying some of Europe’s best people-watching.
Florence deserves at least one well-organized day: see the Accademia (David), tour the Uffizi Gallery (Renaissance art), visit the Duomo Museum (great bronze work) or underrated Bargello (best statues), and do my “Renaissance Walk” (see here; to avoid heat and crowds, do this walk in the morning or late afternoon). Art lovers will want to chisel out another day of their itinerary for the many other Florentine cultural treasures. Shoppers and ice-cream lovers may need to do the same.
Use my strategies to avoid wasting hours in long lines. This is especially true for peak season (April-Oct), holidays and weekends, and for the big attractions—the Uffizi Gallery and Accademia (starring Michelangelo’s David). To avoid these lines, either buy a skip-the-line Firenze Card (see here) or make reservations (see here).
Connoisseurs of smaller towns should consider taking the bus to Siena for a day or evening trip (1.5 hours one-way, confirm when last bus returns). Siena is magic after dark. For more information, see the Siena chapter.
The best of Florence lies on the north bank of the Arno River. The main historical sights cluster around the venerable dome of the cathedral (Duomo). Everything is within a 30-minute walk of the train station, cathedral, or Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge). The less famous but more characteristic Oltrarno area (south bank) is just over the bridge.
Though small, Florence is intense. Prepare for scorching summer heat, crowded narrow lanes and sidewalks, slick pickpockets, few WCs, steep prices, and long lines. Easy tourist money has corrupted some locals, making them greedy and dishonest (check your bill carefully).
Florence (pop. 360,000) is remarkably compact and easy to navigate. Everything mentioned below is within about a 30-minute walk of the Duomo. Here’s a neighborhood-by-neighborhood rundown:
Historic Core: The Duomo—with its iconic, towering dome—is the visual, geographical, and historical center of Florence. A 10-minute walk away is the Palazzo Vecchio (city hall), with its skyscraping medieval spire. Connecting these two landmarks is the north-south pedestrian street called Via de’ Calzaiuoli. This central axis—Duomo to the Palazzo Vecchio to the Arno River—is the spine for Florentine sightseeing and the route of my self-guided “Renaissance Walk.” Via de’ Calzaiuoli also links two central piazzas—Piazza della Repubblica and Piazza della Signoria (fronting the Uffizi Gallery). To the west of this axis is a glitzy shopping zone, and to the east is a characteristic web of narrow lanes.
Accademia/San Lorenzo (North of the Duomo): The area north of the Duomo is less atmospheric but has several crucial sights. From the Duomo, Via Cavour runs north, bisecting the neighborhood. To the east lies the Accademia (Michelangelo’s David) and the Museum of San Marco. The western part clusters around the Basilica of San Lorenzo, with its Medici Chapels. The area near San Lorenzo teems with tourists: There are the vendor stalls of San Lorenzo Market, the lively Mercato Centrale, and many hotels and trattorias.
Train Station/Santa Maria Novella (West of the Duomo): The area near the train station and Church of Santa Maria Novella is somewhat urban and dreary, but has inexpensive hotels and characteristic eateries. Closer to the river (near Palazzo Strozzi) is a posh shopping zone, with a more affordable mix of shops lining Via del Parione and Borgo Ognissanti.
Santa Croce (East of the Duomo): A 10-minute walk east from the Palazzo Vecchio leads to the neighborhood’s main landmark, the Church of Santa Croce. Along the way is the Bargello sculpture museum. The area stretching north and west from Santa Croce is increasingly authentic and workaday, offering a glimpse at untouristy Florence.
Oltrarno (South of the River): Literally the “Other Side of the Arno River,” this neighborhood reveals a Florence from a time before tourism. Many artisans still have workshops here, and open their doors to passing visitors. The Oltrarno starts just across Ponte Vecchio (jammed with tourists and tackiness) and stretches south to the giant Pitti Palace and surrounding gardens (Boboli and Bardini). To the west is the rough-but-bohemian Piazza di Santo Spirito (with its namesake church) and the lavishly frescoed Brancacci Chapel. To the east of Pitti, perched high on the hill, is Piazzale Michelangelo, with Florence’s most popular viewpoint. Tucked between there and the river is the funky little San Niccolò neighborhood, with its lively bars and eateries.
The city TI’s crowded main branch is across the square from the train station (Mon-Sat 9:00-19:00, Sun until 14:00; at the back corner of the Church of Santa Maria Novella at Piazza della Stazione 4; tel. 055-212-245, www.firenzeturismo.it). For help you’ll need to take a number from the touch-screen computer by the door. Upstairs, the “Experience Florence” visitors center has big touch screens to virtually explore the city, and a well-produced 3-D movie of the big landmarks (free, 13 minutes, English subtitles).
A smaller branch is centrally located next to the Duomo, at the west corner of Via de’ Calzaiuoli (inside the Loggia, same hours as train station branch, tel. 055-288-496).
The least crowded and most helpful TI (covering both the city and the greater province of Florence) is a couple of blocks north of the Duomo, just past the Medici-Riccardi Palace (Mon-Fri 9:00-13:00, closed Sat-Sun, Via Cavour 1 red, tel. 055-290-832). There’s also a TI at the airport.
Most TIs sell the Firenze Card, an expensive but handy sightseeing pass that allows you to skip the lines at top museums (see here).
At any TI, you can pick up a city map and handout with the latest opening hours. For information on goings-on around town, pick up the monthly Florence & Tuscany News, and check The Florentine newspaper, which has great articles with cultural insights (in English, published monthly and updated online every other Thu at www.theflorentine.net), along with the similar Florence Is You (www.florenceisyou.com).
Florence’s main train station is called Santa Maria Novella (Firenze S.M.N. on schedules and signs). The city also has two suburban train stations: Firenze Rifredi and Firenze Campo di Marte. Note that some trains don’t stop at the main station—before boarding, confirm that you’re heading for S.M.N., or you may overshoot the city. (If this happens, don’t panic; the other stations are a short taxi ride from the center.)
For general information on train travel in Italy—including ticket-buying options—see here.
As at any busy train station, be on guard: Don’t trust “porters” who want to help you find your train or carry your bags (they’re not official), and politely decline offers of help using the ticket machines by anyone other than uniformed staff.
To orient yourself to Santa Maria Novella station, stand with your back to the tracks. Look left to see the green cross of a 24-hour pharmacy (farmacia) and the exit to the taxi queue. Baggage storage (deposito bagagli) is also to the left, halfway down track 16 (long hours daily, passport required). Fast-food outlets and a bank are also along track 16. Directly ahead of you is the main hall (salone biglietti), where you can buy train and bus tickets. Pay WCs are to the right, near the head of track 5.
To reach the TI, walk away from the tracks and exit the station; it’s straight across the square, 100 yards away, by the stone church.
Buying Tickets: Be aware that there are two train companies: Trenitalia, with most connections (toll tel. 892-021, www.trenitalia.it), and Italo, with high-speed routes between larger cities (no rail passes accepted, tel. 06-0708, www.italotreno.it).
For travel within Italy, there’s no reason to stand in line at a ticket window. It’s quickest and easiest to buy tickets online; with a smartphone, you can even purchase them minutes before the train departs. If you decide to buy tickets at the station, take advantage of the ticket (biglietti) machines that display schedules, issue tickets, and even make reservations for rail-pass holders. Some take only credit cards; others take cards and cash. Using them is easy—just select “English.” Both companies have bright-red machines, so be sure you use the right one.
For most international tickets, you’ll need to either go to a Trenitalia ticket window (in the main hall) or a travel agency (ask at your hotel for the nearest one). For Trenitalia information, use window #18 or #19 (take a number). For Italo tickets and information, use window #10 or #11, or visit their main office, opposite track 5, near the exit. Also near track 5, you’ll find the Trenitalia Frecciaclub (first-class lounge).
To buy ATAF city bus tickets, stop at windows #8-9 in the main hall—and ask for a transit map while you’re there (TIs do not have them).
Eating: $ VyTA, across from track 13, has good sandwiches, snacks, and pastries. Modern and refined $$ Reale serves drinks, salads, and other goodies and offers perhaps the best seats in the station (daily 8:00-24:00, 100 yards down track 16, just beyond baggage storage, tel. 055-264-5114). A food court is near track 16. The handiest supermarket is the classy Sapori & Dintorni Conad, across the busy street toward the Duomo (daily until 21:00, Largo Alinari 6).
Services: Feltrinelli has English-language books and magazines and a café (across from track 14) while a modern shopping gallery with clothing stores and another café is down the escalator, across from tracks 11-12.
The Duomo and town center are to your left (with your back to the tracks). Out the doorway to the left, you’ll find city buses and the taxi stand. Taxis cost about €6-8 to the Duomo, and the line moves fast, except on holidays. To walk into town (10-15 minutes), exit the station straight ahead (with your back to the tracks) through the main hall and head straight across the square outside (toward the Church of Santa Maria Novella). On the far side of the square, keep left and head down the main Via dei Panzani, which leads directly to the Duomo.
The BusItalia Station is 100 yards west of the train station on Via Santa Caterina da Siena. Exit the station through the main door, and turn left along the busy street toward the brick dome. Downtown Florence is straight ahead and a bit to the right.
Don’t even attempt driving into the city center. The autostrada has several exits for Florence. Get off at the Nord, Scandicci, Impruneta (formerly Certosa), or Sud exits and follow signs toward—but not into—the Centro. Park on the outskirts—see the next section—and take a bus, tram, or taxi in.
Florence has a traffic-reduction system that’s complicated and confusing even to locals. Every car passing into the “limited traffic zone” (Zona Traffico Limitato, or ZTL) is photographed; those who haven’t jumped through bureaucratic hoops to get a permit can expect a €100 ticket in the mail (and an “administrative” fee from the rental company). If you have a reservation at a hotel within the ZTL area—and it has parking—ask in advance if they can get you permission to enter town.
Another potentially expensive mistake drivers make in Florence is using the lanes designated for buses only (usually marked with yellow stripes). Driving in these lanes can also result in a ticket in the mail. Pay careful attention to signs.
Parking in Florence: The city center is ringed with big, efficient parking lots (signposted with a big P). From these, you can ride into the center (via taxi, bus, or possibly tram). Check www.firenzeparcheggi.it for details on parking lots, availability, and prices. From the freeway, follow the signs to Centro, then Stadio, then P.
I usually head for Parcheggio del Parterre, just beyond Piazza della Libertà (€2/hour, €10/day, €70/week, open 24 hours daily, tel. 055-500-1994, 650 spots, automated, pay with cash or credit card, never fills up completely). To get into town, find the taxi stand at the elevator exit, or ride one of the minibuses that connect major parking lots with the city center (see www.ataf.net for routes).
Parcheggio Sansovino, a convenient lot for drivers coming from the south, is on the Oltrarno side of the river, right at a tram stop. Park, then ride four quick stops to Santa Maria Novella Station (€1/hour, €12/day, open 24 hours daily, Via Sansovino 53—from A-1 take the Firenze Scandicci exit, tel. 055-363-362, www.scaf.fi.it).
You can park for free along any suburban curb that feels safe; pick a place near a bus stop and bus into the city center. Check for signs that indicate parking restrictions—for example, a circle with a slash through it and “giovedi dispari, 0,00-06,00” means “don’t park on Thursdays between midnight and six in the morning.”
Amerigo Vespucci Airport, also called Peretola Airport, is about five miles northwest of the city (open 4:00-24:30, no overnighting allowed, TI, airport code: FLR, tel. 055-306-1830, www.aeroporto.firenze.it).
Shuttle buses (to the far right as you exit the arrivals hall) connect the airport with Florence’s train and bus stations (2/hour until 22:00, 1/hour until 00:30, 30 minutes, runs 5:00-00:30, €6 one-way—buy ticket on board and validate immediately). If you’re changing to a different intercity bus in Florence (for instance, one bound for Siena), stay on the bus through the first stop (at the train station); it will continue on to the bus station nearby. Allow about €25 and 30 minutes for a taxi.
Car Rental: The airport’s rental-car offices share one big parking lot that’s a three-minute drive away. Streets around the airport (which is tucked behind a big elevated highway) are a dizzying maze, making it tricky to find the place to drop off your car. One option is to drive to the airport, wait for the rental-car shuttle bus to show up, then follow that bus to the lot.
For details on arrival at Florence’s port, Livorno, see here.
Theft Alert: Florence has hardworking gangs of thieves who hang out near the train station, the station’s underpass (especially where the tunnel surfaces), and at major sights. American tourists are considered easy targets. Some thieves even dress like tourists to fool you. Any crowded bus likely holds at least one thief. Also, beware of the “slow count”: Cashiers may count change back with odd pauses in hopes you’ll gather up the money early and say, “Grazie.”
Medical Help: To reach a doctor who speaks English, call Medical Service Firenze (tel. 055-475-411, www.medicalservice.firenze.it); the phone is answered 24/7. You can have a doctor come to your hotel within an hour of your call, or go to the clinic when the doctor’s in (Mon-Sat 11:00-12:00 & 13:00-15:00 plus Mon-Fri 17:00-18:00, closed Sun, no appointment necessary, Via Roma 4, between the Duomo and Piazza della Repubblica).
Dr. Stephen Kerr is an English doctor specializing in helping sick tourists (drop-in clinic open Mon-Fri 15:00-17:00, other times by appointment, Piazza Mercato Nuovo 1, between Piazza della Repubblica and Ponte Vecchio, tel. 055-288-055, mobile 335-836-1682, www.dr-kerr.com). The TI has a list of other English-speaking doctors.
There are 24-hour pharmacies at the train station and on Borgo San Lorenzo (near the Baptistery).
Museum Strategies: I can’t stress enough the importance of either buying a Firenze Card or making reservations to avoid waiting in lines (see here).
Visiting Churches: Modest dress is required in some churches, including the Duomo, Santa Maria Novella, Santa Croce, Santa Maria del Carmine/Brancacci Chapel, and the Medici Chapels (see here for details). Be respectful of worshippers and the paintings; don’t use a flash. Many churches, though not the biggies we mention, close from 12:00 or 12:30 until 15:00 or 16:00.
Chill Out: Schedule several breaks into your sightseeing when you can sit, pause, cool off, and refresh yourself with a sandwich, gelato, or coffee. Carry a water bottle to refill at Florence’s twist-the-handle public fountains (near the Duomo dome entrance, around the corner from the “Piglet” at Mercato Nuovo, or in front of the Pitti Palace). Try the fontanello (dispenser of free cold water, gassata or naturale) on Piazza della Signoria, behind the statue of Neptune (on the left side of the Palazzo Vecchio).
Addresses: Florence has a ridiculously confusing system for street addresses, with “red” numbers for businesses and “black” numbers for residences; in print, addresses are indicated with “r” (as in Via Cavour 2r) or “n” (for black—nero, as in Via Cavour 25n). Red and black numbers are interspersed together on the same street; each set goes in roughly consecutive order, but their numbers bear no connection with each other. I’m lazy and don’t concern myself with the distinction (if one number’s wrong, I look nearby for the other) and easily find my way around.
Wi-Fi: Virtually all Florence hotels have Wi-Fi free for guests, and many cafés and restaurants will tell you their password if you buy something. The city’s free Wi-Fi hotspot network covers the main squares (network name is “Firenze WiFi”—click on “Accedi”; good for two hours).
Bookstores: For a good selection of brand-name guidebooks (including mine), try these: Paperback Exchange has the widest selection of English books, new and used (Mon-Fri 9:00-19:30, Sat from 10:30, closed Sun and a couple of weeks in Aug, just south of the Duomo on Via delle Oche 4 red, tel. 055-293-460). RED (stands for “Read, Eat, Dream”), a flagship store for the Feltrinelli chain (the Italian Barnes & Noble) with a café and restaurant inside, has a small selection of English books (daily 9:30-23:00, on Piazza della Repubblica).
WCs: Public restrooms are scarce. Use them when you can, in any café or museum you patronize. Pay public WCs are typically €1. Convenient locations include one at the Baptistery ticket office (near the Duomo), just down the street from Piazza Santa Croce (at Borgo Santa Croce 29 red), up near Piazzale Michelangelo, and inside the train station (near track 5).
Laundry: The Wash & Dry Lavarapido chain offers long hours and efficient, self-service launderettes at several locations (generally daily 7:30-23:00). These locations are close to recommended hotels: Via dei Servi 105 red (near David), Via del Sole 29 red and Via della Scala 52 red (between train station and river), Via Ghibellina 143 red (Palazzo Vecchio), and Via dei Serragli 87 red (Oltrarno neighborhood).
Bike Rental: The city of Florence rents bikes cheaply at the train station (€2/hour, €5/5 hours, €10/day, mobile 346-883-7821; information at any TI). Florence by Bike rents two-wheelers of all sizes (€3/hour, €9/5 hours, includes bike lock and helmet, child seat-€3; Mon-Sat 9:00-19:30, Sun until 18:00, closed Sun Nov-March; a 15-minute walk north of the Duomo at Via San Zanobi 54 red, tel. 055-488-992, www.florencebybike.it).
Travel Agencies: While it’s easy to buy train tickets to destinations within Italy at machines at the station, travel agencies can be more convenient and helpful for getting both domestic and international tickets (€2 fee), reservations, and supplements. Convenient travel agencies in the town center are Intertravel Viaggi (also a DHL package mailing office, Mon-Fri 9:00-18:30, Sat 9:30-12:30, closed Sun, south of Piazza della Repubblica at Via de Lamberti 39 red, tel. 055-280-706) and Turishav Travel (Mon-Fri 9:30-18:00, closed Sat-Sun, Via dei Servi 23 red, a block off the Duomo, tel. 055-292-237).
I organize my sightseeing geographically and do it all on foot. I think of Florence as a Renaissance treadmill—it requires a lot of walking. You likely won’t need public transit, except maybe to head up to Piazzale Michelangelo and San Miniato Church for the view.
The city’s full-size buses don’t cover the old center well (the whole area around the Duomo is off-limits to motorized traffic). Pick up a map of transit routes at the ATAF windows at the train station; you’ll also find routes online (www.ataf.net) and on the app “ATAF 2.0” (free from Apple’s App Store and Google Play). Of the many bus lines, I find these to be of most value for seeing outlying sights:
Bus #12 goes from the train station, over the Carraia bridge to Porta Romana, then up to San Miniato Church and Piazzale Michelangelo. Bus #13 makes the return trip down the hill.
The train station and Piazza San Marco are two major hubs near the city center; to get between these two, either walk (about 15 minutes) or take bus #1, #6, #14, #17, or #23.
Fun little minibuses (many of them electric—elettrico) wind through the tangled old center of town and up and down the river—just €1.20 gets you a 1.5-hour joyride. These buses, which run every 10 minutes from 7:00 to 21:00 (less frequent on Sun), are popular with sore-footed sightseers and eccentric local seniors. The minibuses also connect many major parking lots with the historic center (buy tickets from machines at lots).
Bus #C1 stops behind the Palazzo Vecchio and Piazza Santa Croce, then heads north, passing near San Marco and the Accademia before ending up at Piazza Libertà. On its southbound route, this bus also stops near the train station and the Basilica of San Lorenzo.
Bus #C2 twists through the congested old center from the train station, passing near Piazza della Repubblica and Piazza della Signoria to Piazza Beccaria.
Bus #C3 goes up and down the Arno River, with stops near Piazza Santa Croce, Ponte Vecchio, the Carraia bridge to the Oltrarno (including the Pitti Palace), and beyond.
Bus #D goes from the train station to Ponte Vecchio, cruises through the Oltrarno (passing the Pitti Palace), and finishes in the San Niccolò neighborhood at Ponte San Niccolò.
Buying Bus Tickets: Buy bus tickets at tobacco shops (tabacchi), newsstands, or the ATAF ticket windows inside the train station (€1.20/90 minutes, €4.70/4 tickets, €5/24 hours, €12/3 days, €18/week, day passes aren’t always available in tobacco shops, tel. 800-424-500, www.ataf.net). Be sure to validate your ticket in the machine on board. You can sometimes buy a ticket on board, but you’ll pay more (€2; must have exact change), and you still need to validate it in the machine. Follow general bus etiquette: Board at front or rear doors, exit out the center.
The minimum cost for a taxi ride is €5 (€8.30 after 22:00, €7 on Sun); rides in the center of town should be charged as tariff #1. A taxi ride from the train station to the Duomo costs about €8. Taxi fares and supplements (e.g., €2 extra to call a cab rather than hail one) are clearly explained on signs in each taxi. Look for an official, regulated cab (white; marked with Taxi/Comune di Firenze, red fleur-de-lis, and one of the official phone numbers: 4390 or 4242). Before getting in a cab at a stand or on the street, ask for an approximate cost (“Più o meno, quanto costa?” pew oh MEH-noh, KWAHN-toh KOH-stah). If you can’t get a straight answer or the price is outrageous, wait for the next one. It can be hard to find a cab on the street; to call one, dial 055-4390 or 055-4242 (or ask your waiter or hotelier to call for you). Uber does not operate in Florence.
For extra insight with a personal touch, consider the tour companies and individual Florentine guides listed here. Hardworking and creative, they offer a worthwhile array of organized sightseeing activities.
To sightsee on your own, download my free audio tours that illuminate some of Florence’s top sights and neighborhoods.
Several tour companies (such as Florencetown or Artviva) offer regularly scheduled group tours. This is usually the cheapest option for individual travelers. But families and small groups can book a private guide for a similar price (since rates are hourly for any size of group).
Several tour companies offer bus excursions that go out to smaller towns in the Tuscan countryside. The most popular day trips are Siena, San Gimignano, Pisa, and into Chianti country for wine tasting. To see Florence itself, it’s clearly best on foot.
While I’ve outlined the general offerings for each company, check their websites or brochures for other tour options and to confirm specific times and prices. Many also offer food tours and cooking classes, sometimes including a shopping trip to pick up ingredients at a local market. This can be fun, memorable, educational, efficient (combining a meal with a “sightseeing” experience)...and delicious.
Artviva offers an intriguing variety of tours (guided by native English speakers, 18 people maximum). Popular choices include their overview tours (€29 “Original Florence” 3-hour town walk; €104 “Florence in One Glorious Day” combines town walk and tours of the Uffizi and Accademia, 6 hours total). They also have stand-alone Uffizi and Accademia tours, cooking classes, art classes, food tours, minibus tours around Tuscany and to the Cinque Terre, and more. They offer a 10 percent discount at www.artviva.com/ricksteves (username “ricksteves,” password “reader”). Their office is above Odeon Cinema near Piazza della Repubblica (Mon-Sat 8:00-18:00, Sun 8:30-13:30, Via de’ Sassetti 1, second floor, tel. 055-264-5033, www.artviva.com).
This company runs English-language tours on foot or by bike. They offer student rates (10 percent discount) to anyone with this book, with an additional 10 percent off for second tours (if booking online, enter the code “RICKSTEVES”). Their most popular offerings are “Walk and Talk Florence” (basic stops including the Oltrarno, €25, 2.5 hours) and “I Bike Florence” (15-stop blitz of town’s top sights, €29 for ages 12 and over, free for kids 5 and under; 2.5 hours on one-speed bike, helmets optional; in bad weather it goes as a walking tour). Their office is at Via de Lamberti 1 (facing Orsanmichele Church; see map on here); they also have a “Tourist Point” kiosk on Piazza della Repubblica, under the arches at the corner with Via Pellicceria (also offers cooking classes, tel. 055-281-103, www.florencetown.com).
Top-notch private walking tours—geared for thoughtful, well-heeled travelers with longer-than-average attention spans—are led by one of six Florentine scholars. The tours range from introductory city walks and museum visits to in-depth thematic walks, such as the Oltrarno, Jewish Florence, and family-oriented tours (€275 and up, includes planning assistance by email, www.florentia.org, info@florentia.org).
This scholarly group of graduate students and professors leads “walking seminars,” such as a 3.5-hour study of Michelangelo’s work and influence (€85/person, plus museum admission) and a two-hour evening orientation stroll (€70/person). I enjoyed the fascinating three-hour fresco workshop (€80/person plus materials, take home a fresco you make yourself). See their website for other innovative offerings: Medici walk, family tours, and more (tel. 06-9672-7371, US tel. 800-691-6036, www.contexttravel.com, info@contexttravel.com).
Two art historians—Paola Barubiani and Marzia Valbonesi—and their partners provide quality guided tours. They offer a daily 2.5-hour introductory tour (€55/person, 8 people maximum; includes David) and four-hour private tours (€260, €60/hour for more time, this is a discounted Rick Steves rate and for groups of up to 6 people). Among their tour options are an insightful shopping tour that features select artisans, a guided evening walk, and cruise excursions from the port of Livorno (Paola’s mobile 335-526-6496, www.walksinsideitaly.com, paola@walksinsideflorence.it).
Alessandra Marchetti, a Florentine who has lived in the US, gives private walking tours of Florence and driving tours of Tuscany. Her passion is teaching about Michelangelo (€60-75/hour, mobile 347-386-9839, www.tuscanydriverguide.com, alessandramarchettitours@gmail.com).
Paola Migliorini and her partners offer museum tours, city walking tours, private cooking classes, wine tours, and Tuscan excursions by van—you can tailor tours as you like (€60/hour without car, €70/hour in a van for up to 8 passengers, mobile 347-657-2611, www.florencetour.com, info@florencetour.com). They also do cruise excursions from the port of Livorno (€580/up to 4 people, €680/up to 6, €780/up to 8).
Elena Fulceri, specializing in art, history, and secret corners, is a delightful and engaging guide. She organizes heartfelt, tailor-made private tours, has good Oltrarno artisan connections, and enjoys family tours (€60/hour, tel. 347-942-2054, www.florencewithflair.com, info@florencewithflair.com).
Andy Steves (Rick’s son) runs Weekend Student Adventures (WSA Europe), offering 3-day and 10-day budget travel packages across Europe including accommodations, skip-the-line sightseeing, and unique local experiences. Locally guided and DIY unguided options are available for student and budget travelers in 13 of Europe’s most popular cities, including Florence (guided trips from €199, see www.wsaeurope.com for details). Check out Andy’s tips, resources, and podcast at www.andysteves.com.
3 View of the Dome, by Brunelleschi
Baptistery and Ghiberti’s Bronze Doors
10 Loggia dei Lanzi (a.k.a. Loggia della Signoria)
(See “Renaissance Walk” map, here.)
As great and rich as this city is, it’s easily covered on foot. We’ll start with the soaring church dome that stands as the proud symbol of the Renaissance spirit. Just opposite, you’ll find the Baptistery doors that opened the Renaissance. Finally, we’ll reach Florence’s political center, dotted with monuments of that proud time. For more details on many of the sights on this walk, see the individual listings under “Sights in Florence,” later.
We’ll start at the Duomo, see several sights in the area, and then stroll down the city’s pedestrian-only main street to the Palazzo Vecchio and the Arno River. Along the way, we’ll pass elegant stores, lively eateries, and the parade of people that make up Florence today.
Length of This Walk: The walk is less than a mile long. Allow two hours, including visits to the interiors of the Baptistery and Orsanmichele Church (but not the other sights mentioned).
Tours: Download my free Renaissance Walk audio tour.
Services: Pay WCs are at the ticket office opposite the Baptistery. You can refill your water bottle at public twist-the-handle fountains at the Duomo (left side, by the dome entrance), the Palazzo Vecchio (behind the Neptune fountain), and on Ponte Vecchio.
The Renaissance—the “rebirth” of Greek and Roman culture that swept across Europe—started around 1400 and lasted about 150 years. In politics, the Renaissance meant democracy; in science, a renewed interest in exploring nature. The general mood was optimistic and “humanistic,” with a confidence in the power of the individual. Renaissance art was a return to the realism and balance of Greek and Roman sculpture and architecture. Domes and round arches replaced Gothic spires and pointed arches. This was not an anti-Christian movement, though it was a logical and scientific age. Artists saw themselves as an extension of God’s creative powers. But for the first time in Europe since ancient Rome, rich laymen wanted art simply for art’s sake.
The Renaissance began in Florence for good reason. Wealthy because of its cloth industry, trade, and banking; powered by a fierce city-state pride (locals would pee into the Arno with gusto, knowing rival city-state Pisa was downstream); and fertile with more than its share of artistic genius (imagine guys like Michelangelo and Leonardo attending the same high school)—Florence was a natural home for this cultural explosion.
SELF-GUIDED WALK• The Duomo, the cathedral with the distinctive red dome, is the center of Florence and the orientation point for this walk. If you ever get lost, home’s the dome. Stroll around the piazza in front of the white, green, and pink Duomo, and take in the sights. To the right of the Duomo rises its skyscraping bell tower (the Campanile), and in front of the church is the Baptistery, an octagonal, black-and-white stone building that’s bigger than many churches.
Florence’s massive cathedral is the city’s geographical and spiritual heart. Its dome, visible from all over the city, inspired Florentines to do great things. The church was begun in the 1296, in the Gothic style. After generations of work, it was still unfinished. The facade was little more than bare brick, and it stood that way until it was completed in 1870 in the “Neo”-Gothic style. Its “retro” look captures the feel of the original medieval facade, with green, white, and pink marble sheets that cover the brick construction. You’ll see Gothic (pointed) arches and three stories decorated with mosaics and statues. This over-the-top facade is adored by many, while others call it “the cathedral in pajamas.” The Duomo is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Find her statue right in the center—above the main doorway but below the round window.
We won’t go inside the church on this tour. It has a cavernous, bare interior with a few noteworthy sights. Entry is free, but there’s often a long wait (lines decrease late in the day).
• Now turn to the church’s bell tower, to the right.
The 270-foot bell tower was begun in the 1300s by the great painter Giotto. As a forerunner of the Renaissance genius, Giotto excelled in many artistic fields, just as Michelangelo would do two centuries later. In his day, Giotto was called the ugliest man to ever walk the streets of Florence, but he designed what many call the most beautiful bell tower in all of Europe. You can climb the Campanile for great views. It doesn’t require a reservation, just a Duomo combo-ticket (for details on climbing the tower, see here).
• Now take in the Duomo’s star attraction: the dome. The best viewing spot is just to the right of the facade, from the corner of the pedestrian-only Via de’ Calzaiuoli.
Though construction of the church began in 1296, by the 1400s there still was no suitable roof. They’d intended to top it with a dome, but the technology to span the 140-foot-wide hole had yet to be invented. Non c’è problema. The brash Florentines knew that someday someone would come along who could handle the challenge. That man was Filippo Brunelleschi, and he had a plan. He would cap the church’s octagonal hole-in-the-roof with a round Roman-style dome. It would be a tall, self-supporting dome as grand as that of the ancient Pantheon—which he had studied.
Brunelleschi used a dome within a dome. What you see is the outer shell, covered in terra-cotta tile. The inner dome is thicker and provides much of the structural support. The grand white skeletal ribs connect at the top, supporting each other in a way similar to a pointed arch. Hidden between them are interlocking bricks, laid in a herringbone pattern. Rather than being stacked horizontally, like traditional brickwork, the alternating vertical bricks act as “bookends.” The dome grew upward like an igloo, supporting itself as it proceeded from the base. When the ribs reached the top, Brunelleschi arched them in and fixed them in place with the lantern at the top. His dome, built in only 14 years, was the largest since ancient Rome’s Pantheon. When completed in 1436, Brunelleschi’s dome was the wonder of the age. It became the model for many domes to follow, from St. Peter’s to the US Capitol. Michelangelo, setting out to construct the dome of St. Peter’s, drew inspiration from the dome of Florence. He said, “I’ll make its sister...bigger, but not more beautiful.”
You can climb the dome for Florence’s best views, but it requires a reservation, usually in advance (for details, see here).
• Next up, the Baptistery. Step into the zone between the Duomo and the Baptistery that local tour guides call the “Piazza of Paradise.”
Built in the 11th century, atop Roman foundations, this is Florence’s oldest surviving building—a thousand years old. The Baptistery is known for its doors. The most famous ones are the East Doors, which face the cathedral, but let’s start with the North Doors—around to the right, where tourists go in. (The doors on the Baptistery are copies; the originals are in the Duomo Museum.)
4 North Doors: The huge doors are made of rectangular panels that feature 28 scenes from the New Testament. Some say that these doors actually started the Renaissance. It was the year 1401, and Florence was holding a competition to find the best artist to make some doors for the Baptistery entrance. All the greats entered the contest, including Donatello and Brunelleschi. The winner was a relative unknown, a 24-year-old Lorenzo Ghiberti.
• Now return to the more famous doors facing the church.
5 East Doors (Gates of Paradise): Ghiberti’s bronze panels for these doors added a whole new dimension to art—depth. Michelangelo said these doors were fit to be the “Gates of Paradise.” Here we see how the Renaissance masters merged art and science. Realism was in, and Renaissance artists used math, illusion, and dissection to create it.
Ghiberti spent 27 years (1425-1452) working on these panels. That’s him in the center of the doorframe, atop the second row of panels—the head on the left with the shiny male-pattern baldness.
The Baptistery interior features a fine example of pre-Renaissance mosaic art (1200s-1300s) in the Byzantine style (see listing on here).
• Now head south down the busy pedestrian-only street that runs from here toward the Arno River.
Via de’ Calzaiuoli (kahlts-ay-WOH-lee), the former “street of the stocking makers,” has long been the main axis of the city, and was part of the ancient Roman grid plan that became Florence. Around 1400, as the Renaissance was blooming, this street connected the religious center (where we are now) with the political center (where we’re heading), a five-minute walk away. Since most vehicles were banned a few years back, this street has been transformed into a pleasant place to stroll, people-watch, window-shop, and wonder why American cities can’t become more pedestrian-friendly.
• Continue down Via de’ Calzaiuoli. Two blocks down from the Baptistery, turn right on Via degli Speziali toward the triumphal arch that marks...
This large square sits on the site of the original Roman Forum. The lone column that still stands here—nicknamed the “belly button of Florence”—once marked the intersection of the two main roads (Via Corso and Via Roma). If you look at a map of Florence today, you can make out the ghost of Rome in its streets: a grid-plan city center surrounded by a circular city wall.
By the 1500s, this square was the heart of the Jewish quarter. In 1571, Cosimo I had it walled in and made into a ghetto. From 1865 to 1870, Florence became the capital of the newly united nation of Italy, and the city was spiffed up: City walls were taken down, grand European-style boulevards were blasted through, and the Jewish ghetto was razed to create this imposing, modern forum surrounded by stately circa-1890 buildings.
• Return to the main street and continue walking toward the river. A block farther, at the intersection with Via Orsanmichele, is the...
Originally, this was an open loggia (covered porch) with a huge grain warehouse upstairs. Then, as you can see, the arches of the loggia were artfully filled in (14th century) to make walls, and the building gained a new purpose—as a church. The 14 niches in the exterior walls feature replicas of the remarkable-in-their-day statues paid for by the city’s rising middle class of merchants and their 21 guilds. Florence in 1400 was a republic, a government working for the interests not of a king, but of these guilds, which commissioned statues as PR gestures.
In earlier Gothic times, statues were set deep into church niches, simply embellishing the house of God. Here at the Orsanmichele Church, we see statues—as restless as man on the verge of the Renaissance—stepping out from the protection of the Church.
The interior has a glorious Gothic tabernacle (1359), and a museum displaying most of the original statues from the niches (for more on the interior, see here).
Head up Via Orsanmichele (to the right of the church) and circle the church exterior counterclockwise to enjoy the statues. In the third niche is Nanni di Banco’s Quattro Santi Coronati (c. 1415-1417). These four early Christians were sculptors martyred by the Roman emperor Diocletian because they refused to sculpt pagan gods. They seem to be contemplating the consequences of the fatal decision they’re about to make.
While Banco’s saints are deep in the church’s niche, the next statue, just to the right, feels ready to step out.
Donatello’s St. George is alert, perched on the edge of his niche, scanning the horizon for dragons and announcing the new age with its new outlook. His knitted brow shows there’s a drama unfolding. Sure, he’s anxious, but he’s also self-assured. Comparing this Renaissance-style St. George to Quattro Santi Coronati, you can psychoanalyze the heady changes underway. This is humanism. (This statue is a copy of the c. 1417 original, which is now in the Bargello).
The back side of the church is decorated with three statues worth a look: St. Matthew, St. Stephen, and St. Eligius. St. Matthew, patron of bankers, and St. Stephen, patron of wool merchants (both by Ghiberti), are a reminder that banking and textiles were mainstays of the Florentine economy. Nanni di Banco’s St. Eligius, patron of metalworkers, shows workers shoeing a horse.
Around the corner, the first niche features Donatello’s St. Mark (1411-1413). The evangelist cradles his gospel in his strong, veined hand and gazes out, resting his weight on the right leg while bending the left. Though subtle, St. Mark’s twisting contrapposto pose was the first seen since antiquity. Eighty years after young Donatello carved this statue, a teenage Michelangelo Buonarroti stood here and marveled at it.
• Continue down the mall 50 more yards, to the huge and historic square...
What a view! This piazza—the main civic center of Florence—is dominated by the massive stone facade of Palazzo Vecchio, with a tower that reaches for the sky. The square is dotted with statues. The stately Uffizi Gallery is nearby, and the marble greatness of old Florence litters the cobbles. Piazza della Signoria, with the feel of an open-air museum of statuary, still vibrates with the echoes of the city’s past—executions, riots, and great celebrations. There’s even Roman history: Look for the chart showing the ancient city (on a freestanding display to your right as you enter the square, in front of Chanel). Today, it’s a tourist’s world with pigeons, selfie sticks, horse buggies, and tired spouses. If it would make your tired hubby or weary wife come to life, stop in at the recommended but expensive Rivoire café to enjoy its fine desserts, pudding-thick hot chocolate, and the best view seats in town (see here).
Before you towers the Palazzo Vecchio, the “old palace” and palatial Town Hall of the Medici—a fortress designed to contain riches and survive the many riots that went with local politics. The windows are just beyond the reach of angry stones, and the tower was a handy lookout post. Justice was doled out sternly on this square. Until 1873, Michelangelo’s David stood where you see the replica today. The original was damaged in a 1527 riot (when a bench thrown from a palace window knocked its left arm off), but it remained here for several centuries, before being moved indoors for protection.
Step past the fake David through the front door into the Palazzo Vecchio’s courtyard (free). This palace was Florence’s symbol of civic power. You’re surrounded by art for art’s sake—a cherub frivolously marks the courtyard’s center, and ornate stuccoes and frescoes decorate the walls and columns. Such luxury represented a big change 500 years ago. (For more on the Palazzo and climbing its tower, see here.)
• Back outside, check out the arcade of three arches filled with statues.
The loggia, once a forum for public debate, was perfect for a city that prided itself on its democratic traditions. But later, when the Medici figured that good art was more desirable than free speech, it was turned into an outdoor sculpture gallery. Notice the squirming Florentine themes—conquest, domination, rape, and decapitation. The statues lining the back are Roman originals brought back to Florence by a Medici when his villa in Rome was sold. Two statues in the front deserve a closer look: Giambologna’s The Rape of the Sabine Women (c. 1583)—with its pulse-quickening rhythm of muscles—is from the restless Mannerist period, which followed the stately and confident Renaissance, and Benvenuto Cellini’s Perseus (1545-1553), the loggia’s most noteworthy piece, showing the Greek hero who decapitated the snake-headed Medusa.
• Cross the square to Bartolomeo Ammanati’s big fountain of Neptune. The guy on the horse is Cosimo I, the post-Renaissance Medici who commissioned the Uffizi. Find the round marble plaque on the ground 10 steps in front of the fountain.
In the 1490s (when Michelangelo was a teenager) the Medici family was briefly thrown from power by an austere and charismatic monk named Savonarola, who made Florence a constitutional republic. He organized huge rallies lit by roaring bonfires here on the square where he preached. While children sang hymns, the devout brought their rich “vanities” (such as paintings, musical instruments, and playing cards) and threw them into the flames.
Encouraged by the pope, the Florentines fought back and arrested Savonarola. For two days, they tortured him, trying unsuccessfully to persuade him to see their side of things. Finally, on the very spot where Savonarola’s followers had built bonfires of vanities, the monk was burned. The plaque, engraved in Italian (“Qui dove...”), reads, “Here, Girolamo Savonarola and his Dominican brothers were hanged and burned” in the year “MCCCCXCVIII” (1498), ending his theocracy. Soon after, the Medici returned to power and the Renaissance picked up where it left off.
• Stay cool, we have 200 yards to go. Follow the gaze of the fake David into the courtyard of the two-tone horseshoe-shaped building.
The top floor of this building, known as the uffizi (offices) during Medici days, is filled with the greatest collection of Florentine painting anywhere. It’s one of Europe’s top four or five art museums. (For an overview of the can’t-miss-it-art you’ll find inside, see here).
The courtyard, filled with merchants and hustling young artists, is watched over by 19th-century statues of the great figures of the Renaissance: artists (Michelangelo, Giotto, Donatello, and Leonardo), philosophers (Niccolò Machiavelli), scientists (Galileo), writers (Dante), poets (Petrarch), cartographers (Amerigo Vespucci), and the great patron of so much Renaissance thinking, Lorenzo “the Magnificent” de’ Medici. After hours, talented street musicians take advantage of the space’s superior acoustics.
• Exiting at the far end of the courtyard, pause at the Arno River, overlooking...
Since ancient times, a bridge has stood at this narrow spot on the Arno. When a flood washed away the old wooden bridge, this one was built in 1345, and is now called the Ponte Vecchio—Old Bridge.
• Hike to the center of the bridge.
In times past, these shops were inhabited by butchers and hide-tanners—a natural fit, because they could empty their waste into the river below. In the 1500s, the Medici booted out them out and installed gold- and silversmiths who still tempt visitors to this day. Fittingly, a famous goldsmith is honored with a fine bust at the central point of the bridge—the sculptor Cellini.
During World War II, the local German commander was instructed to blow up all of Florence’s bridges to cover the Nazi retreat. But even some Nazis appreciate history: He blew up the others, and left the Ponte Vecchio impassable but intact.
Look up to notice the windows running across the upper part of the buildings. This is the Vasari Corridor—a protected and elevated passageway, built by the Medici. It led from the Palazzo Vecchio through the Uffizi, across Ponte Vecchio, and up to the immense Pitti Palace, four blocks beyond the bridge.
Looking upstream and down, you have timeless views of the city. The neighborhood across the river, known as the Oltrarno, is more rustic and working-class. The other bridges are all modern replacements.
The Ponte Vecchio is a very romantic spot, especially in the evening. The sun sets behind the hills, and the bridges cast their reflection on the flat water. Street musicians play and lovers hold hands. The city of Florence—born in Roman times, flourishing in the medieval age, and blossoming in the Renaissance—is a vibrant city still, the cultural capital of Europe.
• After this introduction to Florence’s medieval roots and Renaissance greats, several of the finest museums in Europe await your discovery—or perhaps it’s time for a nice espresso or gelato. Enjoy.
Advance Reservations (Without the Firenze Card)
Accademia and Uffizi Reservations
▲▲Duomo (Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore)
▲▲▲Duomo Museum (Museo dell’Opera del Duomo)
Map: Ghiberti’s “Gates of Paradise”
▲▲▲Accademia (Galleria dell’Accademia)
▲▲Museum of San Marco (Museo di San Marco)
▲▲Medici Chapels (Cappelle Medicee)
▲Mercato Centrale (Central Market)
▲Medici-Riccardi Palace (Palazzo Medici-Riccardi)
BETWEEN THE DUOMO AND PIAZZA DELLA SIGNORIA
▲Mercato Nuovo (a.k.a. the Straw Market)
ON AND NEAR PIAZZA DELLA SIGNORIA
▲▲Galileo Science Museum (Museo Galilei e Istituto di Storia della Scienza)
▲▲▲Bargello (Museo Nazionale del Bargello)
▲Casa Buonarroti (Michelangelo’s House)
▲▲Church of Santa Maria Novella
SIGHTS IN THE OLTRARNO (SOUTH OF THE ARNO RIVER)
A means the walk or tour is available as a free audio tour (via my Rick Steves Audio Europe app—see here).
Florence’s two most popular sights (the Uffizi Gallery and the Accademia—with David) have notorious lines all year long. Smart travelers save hours in one of two ways.
The Firenze Card (€72/person) is the easiest option. It lets you skip the line at nearly all of the city’s main sights. You’d have to sightsee like mad to make the card actually pay for itself, but the savings in time are worth the extra cost for many travelers. Getting the card makes the most sense from April through October, when crowds are worst.
Alternatively, you can make reservations for the Accademia and Uffizi. This is cheaper than the Firenze Card, and makes sense if you won’t be visiting the many other museums covered by the card.
Here’s more information on these two options:
This three-day sightseeing pass gives you admission to many of Florence’s sights, including the Uffizi Gallery and Accademia. It lets you skip the ticket-buying lines without making reservations (except for the Duomo dome climb). With the card, you simply go to the entrance, find the Firenze Card priority line, show the card, and they let you in. But, even with the card, security bottlenecks may delay your entry. At some sights, you must first present your card at the ticket booth to get a physical ticket before proceeding to the entrance. For the Duomo sights, this means going to the ticket office across from the Baptistery (at #7), though there’s a priority queue for card holders. Note that the Firenze Card does not let you skip the line for the Duomo dome climb—you must make a reservation for that—nor does it let you skip the line to enter the (free) Duomo.
Cost and Coverage: The Firenze Card costs €72 and is valid for 72 hours from when you validate it at your first museum (for example, Tue at 15:00 until Fri at 15:00). Validate your card only when you’re ready to tackle the covered sights on three consecutive days. Make sure the sights you want to visit will be open. The Firenze Card covers the regular admission price as well as any special-exhibit surcharges, and is good for one visit per sight. (The €77 Firenze Card+ also includes free public transportation.)
What’s Included: Here’s a sampling of popular sights and their individual ticket prices:
• Uffizi Gallery (€20, or €10 if no special exhibits, plus €4 fee if reserved ahead)
• Accademia (€12.50, or €8 if no special exhibits, plus €4 fee if reserved ahead)
• Palazzo Vecchio (€10 apiece for museum or tower, €18 for combo-ticket that includes museum, tower, and excavations)
• Bargello (€8)
• Medici Chapels (€8)
• Museum of San Marco (€4)
• Duomo sights: Baptistery, Campanile, dome climb (reservation required), Santa Reparata crypt (inside the Duomo), and Duomo Museum (€15)
• Pitti Palace sights: Palatine Gallery and Royal Apartments (€16, or €8 if no special exhibits)
• Santa Croce Church (€8)
• Basilica of San Lorenzo (€6)
If you enter the five most expensive sights within three days—an ambitious plan—the Firenze Card will pay for itself. But the big advantage is saving time. For a complete list of included sights, see www.firenzecard.it.
Buying the Firenze Card: You can buy the card at most TIs and most participating sights (don’t buy it in advance online—you’ll still have to exchange your voucher for a card once you get to Florence). The least-crowded sales point is the TI at Via Cavour 1 red, north of the Duomo. The Palazzo Strozzi also has short lines and long hours. Other uncrowded, central sights selling the card include the Bargello, the Bardini Museum, and the back ticket desk at the Church of Santa Maria Novella (on Piazza della Stazione, across from the train station). Buying the card at the Uffizi Gallery is surprisingly easy: Just enter door #2, passing to the left of the ticket-buying line.
You can also buy the card at more crowded places like the TI across from the train station and the airport TI, though not from the TI near the Duomo. It’s also sold at big sights like the Palazzo Vecchio and Pitti Palace.
The Fine Print: The Firenze Card is not shareable, and there are no family or senior discounts for Americans or Canadians. Since children under 18 are allowed free into most museums, they can generally skip the line with their Firenze Card-holding parents. However, at the Uffizi and Accademia, children still must (technically) pay the €4 “reservation fee” (which can be paid on the spot—no need to reserve ahead). Don’t confuse this card with the Firenze PASSport. If planning to climb the Duomo’s dome, you must make a reservation in person when you present your Firenze Card at the Duomo ticket office—but in high season the chances of getting a time slot for the same day are slim (you’re better off buying a Duomo combo-ticket online well in advance and booking your climb time then—see later).
If you don’t get a Firenze Card, it’s smart to make reservations at the often-crowded Accademia and Uffizi Gallery. Reservations are mandatory to climb the Duomo’s dome. Some other Florence sights—including the Bargello, Medici Chapels, and the Pitti Palace—offer reservations, but they are generally unnecessary.
Get reservations for these two top sights as soon as you know when you’ll be in town. Without a reservation at the Accademia and Uffizi, you can usually enter without significant lines from November through March after 16:00. But from April through October and on weekends, it can be crowded even late in the day. I’d reserve a spot any time of year. Note that reservations are not possible on the first Sunday of the month, when the museums are free and very busy.
There are several ways to make a reservation:
Online: You can book and pay for your Accademia or Uffizi visit via the city’s official site (€4/ticket reservation fee, www.firenzemusei.it—click on “B-ticket”). You’ll receive an order confirmation email, which is followed shortly by a voucher email. Bring your voucher to the ticket desk to swap for an actual ticket.
Pricey middleman sites—such as www.uffizi.com and www.tickitaly.com—are reliable and more user-friendly than the official site, but their booking fees run about €10 per ticket. (When ordering from a broker site, don’t confuse Florence’s Accademia with Venice’s gallery of the same name.)
By Phone: From a US phone, dial 011-39-055-294-883, or from an Italian phone call 055-294-883 (€4/ticket reservation fee; booking office open Mon-Fri 8:30-18:30, Sat 8:30-12:30, closed Sun). When you get through, an English-speaking operator walks you through the process—a few minutes later you say grazie, having secured an entry time and a confirmation number. You’ll present your confirmation number at the museum and pay for your ticket. You pay only for the tickets you pick up (e.g., if you reserved two tickets but only use one, you’ll pay for just one ticket).
Through Your Hotel: Some hoteliers will book museum reservations for their guests (ask when you reserve your room); some offer this as a service, while others charge a small booking fee.
Private Tour: Various tour companies—including the ones listed on here—sell tours that include a reserved museum admission.
Last-Minute Strategies: If you arrive without a reservation, call the reservation number (see “By Phone,” earlier), ask your hotelier for help, or head to a booking window, either at Orsanmichele Church (daily 9:00-16:00, closed Sun, along Via de’ Calzaiuoli) or at the My Accademia Libreria bookstore across from the Accademia’s exit (Tue-Sun 8:15-17:30, closed Mon, Via Ricasoli 105 red). It’s also possible to go to the Uffizi’s official ticket office (ask the custodian at door #2 and ignore the long ticket-buying line), and ask if they have any short-notice reservations available. Any of these options will cost you the €4 reservation fee. Because the museums are closed on Mondays, the hardest day to snare a last-minute, same-day reservation is Tuesday—get an early start. As a last resort, buy a Firenze Card just for the line-skipping privileges.
Florence’s most distinctive monuments—the Duomo, Baptistery, and Campanile—are gathered between the pedestrian-only Piazza San Giovanni and Piazza del Duomo.
Ticketing: While the Duomo itself is free to enter, several associated sights are covered by a single €15 combo-ticket, valid for 48 hours: the Baptistery, dome, Campanile, Duomo Museum (behind the church), and Santa Reparata crypt (enter from inside the Duomo).
The only way to climb the dome is to make a reservation. You can buy the €15 combo-ticket in advance online and make a dome-climb reservation at www.museumflorence.com. Dome climb time slots can fill up days in advance, so it’s smart to reserve well ahead. Otherwise, you can try to reserve a time in person at a Duomo ticket office or at a ticket machine in the Duomo Museum lobby.
The main ticket office faces the Baptistery entrance (at #7 on the square). It has a staffed counter (credit cards or cash) as well as self-service machines (credit cards only, requires PIN). There’s another office at the Duomo Museum. You can also buy tickets at the Santa Reparata crypt or at the Campanile, but they don’t make reservations for the dome climb.
All these sights are also covered by the Firenze Card. Before entering any of the Duomo sights, you must present your Firenze Card at the ticket office opposite the Baptistery (look for a priority queue) to obtain a free combo-ticket and (with luck) reserve a time for the dome climb.
Tours: Themed tours (€30 each, includes combo-ticket) cover a Duomo visit and access to the north terrace of the church (daily at 10:30), an opportunity to watch contemporary stonemasons at work in the same workshop where Michelangelo carved David (Mon, Wed, and Fri at 12:00), and an up-close look at the mosaics of the Baptistery (Mon, Wed, and Fri at 16:30). To book a spot, call 055-230-2885, email info@operaduomo.firenze.it, or stop by the main ticket office.
The Duomo, dome, Campanile, and Baptistery are also covered on my free Renaissance Walk audio tour.
Florence’s Gothic cathedral has the third-longest nave in Christendom. The church’s noisy Neo-Gothic facade (from the 1870s) is covered with pink, green, and white Tuscan marble. The cathedral’s claim to artistic fame is Brunelleschi’s magnificent dome—the first Renaissance dome and the model for domes to follow. While viewing it from the outside is well worth ▲▲, and described earlier on my “Renaissance Walk,” the massive but empty-feeling interior is lucky to rate ▲—it doesn’t justify the massive crowds that line up to get inside. Much of its great art is housed in the Duomo Museum behind the church.
Cost and Hours: Free; Mon-Fri 10:00-17:00 (Thu until 16:30), Sat 10:00-16:45, Sun 13:30-16:45, opening times sometimes change due to religious functions, modest dress code enforced, tel. 055-230-2885, www.museumflorence.com.
Mass: The church is open to all for Mass: English Mass on Sat at 17:00 and old-school Latin Mass with Gregorian chants on Sun at 10:30.
For a grand view into the cathedral from the base of the dome, a chance to see Brunelleschi’s “dome-within-a-dome” construction, and a glorious Florence view from the top, climb 463 steps up. The claustrophobic one-way route takes you up narrow, steep staircases and walkways to the base of the dome.
Cost: €15 combo-ticket covers all Duomo sights, covered by Firenze Card; with either, you must reserve dome-climb time when obtaining your ticket—best to buy combo-ticket and reserve a time well ahead at www.museumflorence.com.
Hours: Mon-Fri 8:30-20:00, Sat 8:30-17:40, Sun 13:00-16:00, enter from outside church on north side. The dome is closed during rain.
Climbing the Dome: While you line up to enter at your reserved time, study the recently restored side-entrance door, called the Porta della Mandorla (“Almond Door”). Just above the delicately carved doorframe is a colorful Annunciation mosaic by Nanni di Banco, and above that, in a sculpted almond-shaped frame, the Madonna is borne up to heaven by angels. If you look up from here you’ll see an empty pedestal atop the transept. Michelangelo’s David was originally destined to adorn one of these.
The climb is long but there are small landings where you can pull over and take a breather. Halfway up, you’ll stroll on the walkway high above the altar where you can get a great view of Vasari’s ceiling and a vertigo-inducing view of the nave. After a few tight, winding staircases and a steep final climb, you’ll pop out of the hatch on the crowded terrace with a grand city view.
The 270-foot bell tower has 50-some fewer steps than the Duomo’s dome (but that’s still 414 steps—no elevator); offers a faster, less-claustrophobic climb (with typically short lines); and has a view of that magnificent dome to boot. On the way up, there are several intermediate levels where you can catch your breath and enjoy ever-higher views. The stairs narrow as you go, creating a mosh-pit bottleneck near the very top—but the views are worth the hassle. While the viewpoints are enclosed by cage-like bars, the gaps are big enough to let you snap great photos.
Cost and Hours: €15 combo-ticket covers all Duomo sights, covered by Firenze Card, daily 8:30-20:00, last entry 40 minutes before closing.
Michelangelo said the bronze doors of this octagonal building were fit to be the gates of paradise. Check out the gleaming copies of Lorenzo Ghiberti’s bronze doors facing the Duomo (the originals are in the Duomo Museum). Making a breakthrough in perspective, Ghiberti used mathematical laws to create the illusion of receding distance on a basically flat surface.
The doors on the north side of the building (around to the right) were designed by Ghiberti when he was young; he’d won the honor and opportunity by beating Brunelleschi in a competition (the rivals’ original entries are in the Bargello). Inside, sit and savor the medieval mosaic ceiling, where it’s always Judgment Day and Jesus is giving the ultimate thumbs-up and thumbs-down.
Cost and Hours: €15 combo-ticket covers all Duomo sights, covered by Firenze Card, interior open Mon-Sat 8:15-20:00, Sun 8:30-14:00. The (facsimile) bronze doors are on the exterior, so they are always “open” and viewable.
Visiting the Baptistery’s Interior: Workers from St. Mark’s in Venice came here to make the remarkable ceiling mosaics (of Venetian glass) in the late 1200s.
The Last Judgment gives us a glimpse of the medieval worldview. Life was a preparation for the afterlife, when you would be judged and saved, or judged and damned—with no in-between. Christ, peaceful and reassuring, blessed those at his right hand with heaven (thumbs up) and sent those on his left to hell (the ultimate thumbs-down), to be tortured by demons and gnashed between the teeth of monsters.
The rest of the ceiling mosaics tell the history of the world, from Adam and Eve (over the north/entrance doors, top row) to Noah and the Flood (over south doors, top row), to the life of Christ (second row, all around), to the life, ministry, and eventual beheading of John the Baptist (bottom row, all around)—all bathed in the golden glow of pre-Renaissance heaven.
The recently spiffed-up, often-overlooked cathedral museum is marvelous: Brunelleschi’s dome, Ghiberti’s bronze doors, and Donatello’s statues. These creations define the 1400s (the Quattrocento) in Florence, when the city blossomed and classical arts were reborn. Copies of the doors and statues now decorate the exteriors of the cathedral, Baptistery, and Campanile, while the original sculptured masterpieces of the complex are now restored and thoughtfully displayed here. The museum also has two powerful statues by Florence’s powerhouse sculptors—Donatello’s Mary Magdalene and Michelangelo’s Pietà, intended as his sculptural epitaph.
Cost and Hours: €15 combo-ticket covers all Duomo sights, valid 48 hours, covered by Firenze Card; daily 9:00-20:00, closed first Tue of each month, last entry one hour before closing; one of the few museums in Florence always open on Mon; behind the church at Via del Proconsolo 9, tel. 055-230-2885, www.museumflorence.com.
Visiting the Museum: Start in Room 4, with the model of the Duomo’s medieval facade circa 1500, the era of Michelangelo. Notice that only the lower third is faced with marble and statues; the rest was bare brick. Construction began in 1296, but after an initial burst of energy, petered out. The facade was meant to be a glorious showcase of great statues set into niches.
Continue into Room 6, the big Sala del Paradiso (Hall of Paradise), which dominates the museum. This room re-creates the facades of the Duomo and the Baptistery, which were a showcase of the greatest art of Florence from roughly 1300 to 1600. The original statues, doors, and reliefs face each other as they once did on the buildings they were designed for. (They were moved to the museum to better preserve them; copies now adorn the buildings.)
Facing the facade of the church, as they did in the Middle Ages, are the famous bronze doors of the Baptistery. The Renaissance began in 1401 with a citywide competition to build new doors for the Baptistery. Lorenzo Ghiberti (c. 1378-1455) won the job and built the doors for the north side of the building. Everyone loved them, so he was then hired to make another set of doors for the east entrance, facing the Duomo. These bronze “Gates of Paradise” revolutionized the way Renaissance people saw the world around them. Each panel is bronze with a layer of gold on top. They tell several stories in one frame using perspective and realism as never before.
Moving from left to right and top to bottom, here are the Old Testament stories depicted in the 10 original panels:
Adam and Eve: God creates Adam, Eve, the snake, the apple, and original sin, then expels the humans.
Cain and Abel: Cain and Abel tend sheep, till the soil, and make a sacrifice, then Cain kills Abel and talks to God.
Noah: Noah and sons emerge from the ark (shown as a pyramid) after the flood, then Noah makes a sacrifice and gets drunk.
Abraham and Isaac: An angel prevents the sacrifice of Isaac.
Jacob and Esau: Isaac’s son Jacob buys and deceives his way into the birthright of his elder brother, Esau.
Joseph and Benjamin: After his brothers sell him into slavery in Egypt, Joseph recognizes them when they visit and frames Benjamin as a thief.
Moses: Onlookers exult as Moses receives the Tablets of the Law from God.
Joshua: Joshua leads the chosen people into the Promised Land and in celebration as the walls of Jericho fall.
David: The young hero conquers the giant Goliath.
Solomon and the Queen of Sheba: After traveling to Jerusalem with a great retinue and many gifts, a queen meets a king.
Armed with new rules of perspective, Ghiberti rendered reality with a mathematical precision revolutionary for the time.
The space created by the arches in the Jacob and Esau panel is as interesting as the scenes themselves. At the center is the so-called vanishing point on the distant horizon, where all the arches and floor tiles converge. Those closest to us, at the bottom of the panel, are big and clearly defined. Distant figures are smaller, fuzzier, and higher up. Ghiberti has placed us as part of this casual crowd of holy people—some with their backs to us—milling around an arcade.
In the Joseph and Benjamin panel, notice how, with just the depth of a thumbnail, Ghiberti creates a temple in the round that’s inhabited by workers. This round temple wowed the Florentines. Suddenly the world acquired a whole new dimension—depth.
The receding arches stretch into infinity in the Solomon and the Queen of Sheba panel, giving the airy feeling that we can see forever.
Also on the ground floor are rooms dedicated to the museum’s most famous and evocative statues. Donatello’s Mary Magdalene (Maddalena, c. 1455), carved from white poplar and originally painted with realistic colors, is a Renaissance work of intense devotion. The aging Michelangelo (1475-1564) designed his own tomb, with a Pietà (1547-1555) as the centerpiece. Three mourners tend the broken body of the crucified Christ. We see Mary, his mother; Mary Magdalene (on the left); and Nicodemus, the converted Pharisee, whose face is that of Michelangelo himself.
Upstairs, the first floor displays original statues and panels from the bell tower’s third story, where copies stand today, two marble choir lofts (cantorie; by Lucca della Robbia and Donatello) that once sat above the sacristy doors of the Duomo, and Brunelleschi’s model of the dome. Don’t miss the Terrazza Brunelleschiana on the third floor—an outdoor terrace with an up-close, rooftop view of the Duomo.
This museum houses Michelangelo’s David, the consummate Renaissance statue of the buff, biblical shepherd boy ready to take on the giant. When you look into the eyes of this magnificent sculpture, you’re looking into the eyes of a Renaissance Man.
Cost and Hours: €12.50 (€8 if there’s no special exhibit), additional €4 for recommended reservation, free and crowded on first Sun of the month, covered by Firenze Card; Tue-Sun 8:15-18:50, possibly Tue until 22:00 June-Sept, closed Mon; audioguide-€6, Via Ricasoli 60, reservation tel. 055-294-883, www.galleriaaccademiafirenze.beniculturali.it. To avoid long lines in peak season, get the Firenze Card or make reservations (see here).
Visiting the Museum: In 1501, Michelangelo Buonarroti, a 26-year-old Florentine, was commissioned to carve a large-scale work. The figure comes from a Bible story. The Israelites are surrounded by barbarian warriors, who are led by a brutish giant named Goliath. When the giant challenges the Israelites to send out someone to fight him, a young shepherd boy steps forward. Armed only with a sling, David defeats the giant. This 17-foot-tall symbol of divine victory over evil represents a new century and a whole new Renaissance outlook. This is the age of Columbus and classicism, Galileo and Gutenberg, Luther and Leonardo—of Florence and the Renaissance.
Michelangelo was given a block of marble that other sculptors had rejected as too tall, shallow, and flawed to be of any value. But Michelangelo picked up his hammer and chisel, knocked a knot off what became David’s heart, and started to work.
The statue captures David as he’s sizing up his enemy. He stands relaxed but alert, leaning on one leg in a classical pose known as contrapposto. In his powerful right hand, he fondles the handle of the sling, ready to fling a stone at the giant. His gaze is steady—searching with intense concentration, but also with extreme confidence. Michelangelo has caught the precise moment when David is saying to himself, “I can take this guy.”
While some think that he’s already slain the giant, the current director of the Accademia believes, as I do, that Michelangelo has portrayed David facing the giant. (Unlike most depictions of David after the kill, this sculpture does not show the giant’s severed head.)
David is a symbol of Renaissance optimism. He’s no brute. He’s a civilized, thinking individual who can grapple with and overcome problems. He needs no armor, only his God-given physical strength and wits. Look at his right hand, with the raised veins and strong, relaxed fingers—many complained that it was too big and overdeveloped. But this is the hand of a man with the strength of God on his side. No mere boy could slay the giant. But David, powered by God, could...and did.
Originally, David was meant to stand on the roofline of the Duomo, but was placed more prominently at the entrance of Palazzo Vecchio (where a copy stands today). In the 19th century, David was moved indoors for his own protection, and stands under a wonderful Renaissance-style dome designed just for him.
Nearby are some of the master’s other works, including his powerful (unfinished) Prisoners, St. Matthew, and a Pietà (possibly by one of his disciples). Florentine Michelangelo Buonarroti, who would work tirelessly through the night, believed that the sculptor was a tool of God, responsible only for chipping away at the stone until the intended sculpture emerged. Beyond the magic marble are some mildly interesting pre-Renaissance and Renaissance paintings, including a couple of lighter-than-air Botticellis, the plaster model of Giambologna’s Rape of the Sabine Women, and a musical instrument collection with an early piano.
The most Renaissance square in Florence is tucked just a block behind the Accademia. It’s like an urban cloister from the 15th century, with three fine buildings—a convent church, a hospital, and an orphanage—ringing a fine equestrian statue of Ferdinand, a Medici grand duke. Stand in the center and slowly spin, imagining being here in 1500 as you survey the only Renaissance square in Florence, with the towering Duomo down the street.
Filippo Brunelleschi’s Hospital of the Innocents (Ospedale degli Innocenti), built in the 1420s, is considered the first Renaissance building. Its graceful arches and columns, with each set of columns forming a square, embody the quintessence of Renaissance harmony and typified the new aesthetic of calm balance and symmetry. It’s ornamented with terra-cotta medallions by Luca della Robbia—each showing a different way to wrap an infant (meant to help babies grow straight, and practiced in Italy until about a century ago). Terra-cotta—made of glazed and painted clay—was a combination of painting and sculpture, but cheaper than either. For three generations, the Della Robbia family guarded the secret recipe and made their name by bringing affordable art to Florence.
With its mission to care for the least among society (parentless or unwanted children), this hospital was also an important symbol of the increasingly humanistic and humanitarian outlook of Renaissance Florence. For four centuries (until 1875), orphans would be left at the “wheel of the innocents” (the small, barred window at the far left of the porch). Today the building houses a museum (Museo degli Innocenti), telling the story of the babies left here, and serving as UNICEF’s local headquarters.
I love sleeping on this square (at the recommended Hotel Loggiato dei Serviti) and picnicking here during the day (with the riffraff, who remind me of the persistent gap—today as in Medici times—between those who appreciate fine art and those just looking for some cheap wine).
The 15th-century Santissima Annunziata church (with its Bill-and-Melinda-Gates-type patronage attribution to the Pucci brothers: Alexander and Roberto) is also worth a peek. The welcoming cloister has early 16th-century frescoes by Andrea del Sarto, and the church’s interior is slathered in Baroque—rare in Florence.
Located one block north of the Accademia, this 15th-century monastery houses the greatest collection anywhere of frescoes and paintings by the early-Renaissance master Fra Angelico. The ground floor features the monk’s paintings, along with some works by Fra Bartolomeo.
Upstairs are 43 cells decorated by Fra Angelico and his assistants. While the monk/painter was trained in the medieval religious style, he also learned and adopted Renaissance techniques and sensibilities, producing works that blended Christian symbols and Renaissance realism. Don’t miss the cell of Savonarola, the charismatic monk who rode in from the Christian right, threw out the Medici, turned Florence into a theocracy, sponsored “bonfires of the vanities” (burning books, paintings, and so on), and was finally burned himself when Florence decided to change channels.
Cost and Hours: €4, covered by Firenze Card, Tue-Fri 8:15-13:50, Sat 8:15-16:50; also open 8:15-13:50 on first, third, and fifth Mon and 8:15-16:50 on second and fourth Sun of each month; on Piazza San Marco, tel. 055-238-8608.
The Basilica of San Lorenzo—on the site of the first Christian church in Florence—was built outside the Roman walls and consecrated in A.D. 393, then rebuilt in the early 1400s. That’s when Filippo Brunelleschi was hired to replace a Romanesque church that stood here. Brunelleschi designed the building, and Donatello worked on the bronze pulpits inside (among other things). Adjacent to the church is a cloister where you can visit the crypt (with the tombs of Cosimo the Elder and his friend Donatello) and the Laurentian Medici Library, designed by Michelangelo. (The famed Medici Chapels, with Michelangelo’s tomb sculptures, are part of the church complex but have a separate ticket; see next listing.)
Cost and Hours: €6 for the church and crypt, buy ticket just inside cloister to the left of the facade, €8.50 combo-ticket also covers the library, covered by Firenze Card; church and crypt open Mon-Sat 10:00-17:30, Sun 13:30-17:30, closed Sun Nov-Feb; library open Mon, Wed, and Fri 8:00-14:00, Tue and Thu 8:00-17:30, closed Sat-Sun; Piazza di San Lorenzo, tel. 055-214-042, www.operamedicealaurenziana.it.
The burial site of the ruling Medici family in the Basilica of San Lorenzo includes the dusky crypt; the big, domed Chapel of Princes; and the magnificent New Sacristy, featuring architecture, tombs, and statues almost entirely by Michelangelo. The Medici made their money in textiles and banking, and patronized a dream team of Renaissance artists that put Florence on the cultural map. Michelangelo, who spent his teen years living with the Medici, was commissioned to create the family’s final tribute.
Cost and Hours: €8, free and crowded on first Sun of the month, covered by Firenze Card; Tue-Sat 8:15-17:00 except Nov-March until 13:50, last entry 40 minutes before closing; also open second and fourth Mon and first, third, and fifth Sun of each month; audioguide-€6, modest dress required, tel. 055-238-8602.
Florence’s vast open-air market sprawls in the streets ringing Mercato Centrale and the train station (daily 9:00-19:00, closed Mon in winter). More popular with tourists than locals, it’s a hodgepodge of vendors selling T-shirts, scarves, cheap souvenirs, and leather goods of varying quality. Many of the leather stalls are run by Iranians selling South American leather that was tailored in Italy. At stalls or shops, prices are soft—don’t be shy about bargaining.
Florence’s giant iron-and-glass-covered central market, a wonderland of picturesque produce, is fun to explore. While the nearby San Lorenzo Market—with its garment and souvenir stalls in the streets—feels only a step up from a haphazard flea market, Mercato Centrale retains a Florentine elegance, particularly now that the upper level has been completely renovated and turned into an upscale food court. Wander around.
Downstairs, you’ll see parts of the cow (and bull) you’d never dream of eating (no, that’s not a turkey neck), enjoy free samples, watch pasta being made, and have your pick of plenty of fun eateries sloshing out cheap and tasty pasta to locals (Mon-Fri 7:00-14:00, Sat until 17:00, closed Sun).
Upstairs, the meticulously restored glass roof and steel rafters soar over a sleek and modern food court, serving up a bounty of Tuscan cuisine (daily 10:00-24:00). For eating ideas downstairs, upstairs, and around the market, see “Eating in Florence,” later.
Lorenzo the Magnificent’s home is worth a look for its art. The tiny Chapel of the Magi contains colorful Renaissance gems such as the The Journey of the Magi frescoes by Benozzo Gozzoli. The former library has a Baroque ceiling fresco by Luca Giordano, a prolific artist from Naples known as “Fast Luke” (Luca fa presto) for his speedy workmanship. While the Medici originally occupied this 1444 house, in the 1700s it became home to the Riccardi family, who added the Baroque flourishes.
Cost and Hours: €10, cash only, covered by Firenze Card, Thu-Tue 8:30-19:00, closed Wed, ticket entrance is north of the gated courtyard, videoguide-€4, Via Cavour 3, tel. 055-276-0340, www.palazzo-medici.it.
In the ninth century, this loggia (covered courtyard) was a market used for selling grain (stored upstairs). Later, it was enclosed to make a church.
Outside are dynamic, statue-filled niches, some with accompanying symbols from the guilds that sponsored the art. Donatello’s St. Mark and St. George (on the northeast and northwest corners) step out boldly in the new Renaissance style. (For more on the exterior statues, see here of my “Renaissance Walk,” earlier.)
Cost and Hours: Free, daily 10:00-17:00, free upstairs museum open only Mon 10:00-16:45, niche sculptures always viewable from the outside.
Tours: Orsanmichele Church is covered on my free Renaissance Walk audio tour.
Visiting the Church: Step inside and into Florence circa 1350. The church does not have a typical nave because it was adapted from a granary. Look for the pillars (on the left wall) with rectangular holes in them about four feet off the ground. These were once used as chutes for delivering grain from the storage rooms upstairs. Look up to see the rings hanging from the ceiling, used to anchor pulleys for either lifting grain or hoisting platforms with candles to act as chandeliers. The iron bars spanning the vaults are there for support.
The fanciful tabernacle by Andrea Orcagna was designed exactly for this space: Like the biggest Christmas tree possible, it’s capped by an angel whose head touches the ceiling. Take in the Gothic tabernacle’s medieval elegance. What it lacks in depth and realism it makes up for in color, with an intricate assemblage of marble, glass, gold, and expensive lapis lazuli. The elaborate tabernacle was built to display Bernardo Daddi’s Madonna delle Grazie, which received plague survivors’ grateful prayers of thanks—grazie.
Upstairs is a free museum displaying most of the originals of the statues you just saw outside. They represent virtually every big name in pre-Michelangelo Florentine sculpture: Donatello, Ghiberti, Brunelleschi, Giambologna, and more.
Evening Concerts: You can give the Madonna delle Grazie a special thanks if you’re in town when the church is hosting an evening concert (sometimes held in the museum, tickets sold on day of concert from door facing Via de’ Calzaiuoli; also books Uffizi and Accademia tickets, ticket window open Mon-Sat 9:00-16:00, closed Sun).
This market loggia is how Orsanmichele looked before it became a church. Originally a silk and straw market, Mercato Nuovo still functions as a rustic yet touristy market (at the intersection of Via Calimala and Via Porta Rossa; daily 9:00-18:30). Prices are soft, but San Lorenzo Market (listed earlier) is much better for haggling. Notice the circled X in the center, marking the spot where people landed after being hoisted up to the top and dropped as punishment for bankruptcy (easiest to find when the market is closed and the vendors disappear). You’ll also find Il Porcellino (a statue of a wild boar nicknamed “The Piglet”), which people rub and give coins to ensure their return to Florence. This new copy, while only a few years old, already has a polished snout. At the back corner, a wagon sells tripe (cow innards) sandwiches—a local favorite.
Located on the site of the original Roman Forum, this square holds all that survives of Roman Florence: a single column nicknamed the “belly button of Florence.” In the 1500s, this historical square served as the center of the city’s Jewish quarter (which became a ghetto after Cosimo I walled it up in 1571). The city razed the ghetto and the city walls in the 1860s to make way for Florence’s transformation into the grand capital of the newly united nation of Italy. This square was to be its centerpiece, and the triumphal arch is inscribed accordingly: “The squalor of the ancient city is given a new life.”
For more about Piazza della Repubblica, see here.
This five-story, late-medieval tower house offers a rare look at a noble dwelling built in the 14th century. The ground-floor loggia and first floor are always open to visitors; to see the remaining floors (more living quarters and the kitchen), you must make a timed-entry reservation for an escorted visit (usually at 10:00, 11:00, and 12:00; call ahead to be sure there’s space or ask when you arrive). Like other buildings of the age, the exterior is festooned with 14th-century horse-tethering rings made from iron, torch holders, and poles upon which to hang laundry and fly flags. Inside, though the furnishings are sparse, you’ll see richly painted walls, a long chute that functioned as a well, plenty of fireplaces, a lace display, and even an indoor “outhouse.” You can borrow English descriptions in each room.
Cost and Hours: €6, covered by Firenze Card, Tue-Sat 8:15-13:50; also open first, third, and fifth Sun and second and fourth Mon of each month; Via Porta Rossa 13, tel. 055-238-8610.
(See “Uffizi Gallery Overview” map, here.)
This greatest collection of Italian paintings anywhere features works by Giotto, Leonardo, Raphael, Caravaggio, Titian, and Michelangelo, and a roomful of Botticellis, including the Birth of Venus. Start with Giotto’s early stabs at Renaissance-style realism, then move on through the 3-D experimentation of the early 1400s to the real thing rendered by the likes of Botticelli and Leonardo. Finish off with Michelangelo and Titian. Because only 600 visitors are allowed inside the building at any one time, there’s generally a very long wait. The good news: no Vatican-style mob scenes inside. The museum is nowhere near as big as it is great. Few tourists spend more than two hours inside.
Cost and Hours: €20 (€10 if there’s no special exhibit), extra €4 for recommended reservation, cheaper in winter, free and crowded on first Sun of the month, covered by Firenze Card; Tue-Sun 8:15-18:50, closed Mon, last entry 45 minutes before closing; audioguide-€6, reservation tel. 055-294-883, www.uffizi.beniculturali.it. To avoid the long ticket lines, get a Firenze Card (see here) or make reservations (see here).
Getting In: There are several entrances; (which one you use depends on whether you have a Firenze Card, a reservation, or neither.
Firenze Card holders enter at door #1 (labeled Reservation Entrance). Get in the line for individuals—not groups—between door #1 and door #2.
People buying a ticket on the spot line up with everyone else at door #2, marked Main Entrance. An estimated wait time is posted.
To buy a Firenze Card, or to see if same-day reservations are available (€4 extra), enter door #2 (marked Booking Service and Today or Advance Sale) to the left of the same-day ticket-buying line. Don’t be shy: Ask the attendant to let you pass—and don’t get into the long ticket-buying line. The doorway is kept open for same-day reservation buyers.
If you’ve already made a reservation and need to pick up your ticket, go to door #3 (labeled Reservation Ticket Office, across the courtyard from doors #1 and #2, under an archway and to the right). Tickets are available for pickup 10 minutes before your appointed time. If you booked online and have already paid, you’ll exchange your voucher for a ticket. If you (or your hotelier) booked by phone, give them your confirmation number and pay. Then walk briskly past the looooong ticket-buying line—pondering the IQ of this gang. Get in the right queue: groups to the left of door #1, individuals between doors #1 and #2.
At especially busy times, expect long waits even with a reservation or Firenze Card. There may be a queue to pick up your reservation at door #3 and another 30-minute wait to enter at door #1.
Just after the doors are metal detectors and X-ray machines—remember to leave pocketknives and corkscrews at your hotel, and expect a slow shuffle through security.
Tours: A 1.5-hour audioguide costs €6 (€10/2 people; must leave ID).
Download my free Uffizi Gallery audio tour.
Renovation: The gallery is nearing the end of a major, multiyear overhaul. Pieces frequently move, and new rooms open, allowing the museum to display more of its extensive collection. If you can’t find a work, ask a guard, “Scusi, dov’è...?”.
Visiting the Museum: The Uffizi is U-shaped, running around the courtyard. This left wing contains Florentine paintings from medieval to Renaissance times. At the far end, you pass through a short hallway filled with the kind of ancient sculpture that inspired the Renaissance. The right wing (which you can see across the courtyard) has a rare painting by Michelangelo, and a view café terrace, perfect for a break. The visit concludes downstairs with many more rooms of art, showing how the Florentine Renaissance spread to Rome (Raphael) and Venice (Titian), and inspired the Baroque (Caravaggio).
Medieval (1200-1400): Paintings by Duccio, Cimabue, and Giotto show the slow process of learning to paint a 3-D world on a 2-D surface, moving from the flat Byzantine style toward realism. In each work, Mary and Baby Jesus sit on a throne in a golden never-never land symbolizing heaven.
Duccio’s piece is the most medieval and two-dimensional. The large throne in Cimabue’s work creates an illusion of depth. In his Madonna and Child with Angels, Giotto creates a revolutionary three-dimensionality—he creates a space and fills it. The throne has angels in front, prophets behind, and a canopy over the top, clearly defining its three dimensions. The steps up to it create an extension of our world. And Mary is monumental, like a Roman statue, with knees and breasts that stick out at us. Giotto offers a taste of the Renaissance a century before it began.
Early Renaissance (mid-1400s): Fra Filippo Lippi’s radiantly beautiful Madonnas are light years away from the generic Marys of the medieval era. We don’t need the wispy halo over her head to tell us she’s holy—she radiates sweetness and light from her divine face. Heavenly beauty is expressed by a physically beautiful woman.
Piero della Francesca’s Federico da Montefeltro and Battista Sforza heralds the era of humanism and the new centrality of ordinary people in art, warts and all. In medieval times, only saints and angels were worthy of being painted. In the humanistic Renaissance, however, even nonreligious folk like this husband and wife had their features preserved for posterity.
Renaissance (1450-1500): Florence in 1450 was in a Firenz-y of activity. There was a can-do spirit of optimism in the air, led by prosperous merchants and bankers and a strong middle class. Lorenzo de’ Medici, head of the powerful Medici family, epitomized this new humanistic spirit. He gathered Florence’s best and brightest around him for evening wine and discussions of great ideas. One of this circle was the painter Botticelli.
The Botticelli room is filled with masterpieces and classical fleshiness. Botticelli’s Spring is the Renaissance in its first bloom, its “springtime” of innocence. Madonna is out, Venus is in. This is a return to the pre-Christian pagan world of classical Greece, where things of the flesh are not sinful. Botticelli emphasizes pristine beauty over gritty realism. The lines of the bodies have pleasing, S-like curves. The faces are idealized but have real human features. There’s a look of thoughtfulness and even melancholy in the faces—as though everyone knows that the innocence of spring will not last forever.
Birth of Venus is a masterpiece of Western art. This is the purest expression of Renaissance beauty. Venus’ naked body is not sensual, but innocent. Botticelli thought that physical beauty was a way of appreciating God.
In Slander, the architectural setting is classic Brunelleschi, but look what’s taking place beneath those stately arches. These aren’t proud Renaissance men and women but a ragtag, medieval-looking bunch, a Court of Thieves in an abandoned hall of justice. Botticelli got caught up in the teachings of Savonarola. He burned some of his own paintings and changed his artistic tune. The first flowering of the Renaissance was over.
Classical Sculpture: If the Renaissance was the foundation of the modern world, the foundation of the Renaissance was classical sculpture. Sculptors, painters, and poets alike turned for inspiration to these ancient Greek and Roman works as the epitome of balance, 3-D perspective, human anatomy, and beauty.
In the Tribune Room, the highlight is the Venus de’ Medici, a Roman copy of the lost original by the great Greek sculptor Praxiteles. Balanced, harmonious, and serene, the statue embodies the attributes of Greece’s “Golden Age,” when balance was admired in every aspect of life.
Perhaps more than any other work of art, this statue (Venere dei Medici) has been the epitome of both ideal beauty and sexuality. In the 18th and 19th centuries, sex was “dirty,” so the sex drive of cultured aristocrats was channeled into a love of pure beauty. Wealthy sons and daughters of Europe’s aristocrats made the pilgrimage to the Uffizi to complete their classical education...where they swooned in ecstasy before the cold beauty of this goddess of love.
The sculpture hall has more 2,000-year-old copies of 2,500-year-old Greek originals...and the best view in Florence of the Arno River and Ponte Vecchio through the window, offering the sort of pleasure that Renaissance painters wanted you to get from their paintings.
High Renaissance (1500-1550): Don’t miss Michelangelo’s Holy Family, the only surviving completed easel painting by the greatest sculptor in history (in the Michelangelo Room). Michelangelo was a Florentine—in fact, he was like an adopted son of the Medici, who recognized his talent—but much of his greatest work was done in Rome as part of the pope’s face-lift of the city. We can see here some of the techniques he used on the Sistine Chapel ceiling—monumental figures; dramatic angles (looking up Mary’s nose); accentuated, rippling muscles; and bright, clashing colors. These elements added a dramatic tension that was lacking in the graceful work of Leonardo and Botticelli.
More Art on the Lower Floor: After a break to enjoy Duomo views from the café terrace, head downstairs to find Raphael’s Madonna of the Goldfinch, with Mary and the Baby Jesus brought down from heaven into the real world of trees, water, and sky (Room 66); and Titian’s voluptuous Venus of Urbino (Room 83). On your way out, you’ll see still more rooms filled with art. It’s worth pausing in Room 90, with works by Caravaggio, including the shocking ultrarealism of Sacrifice of Isaac and macabre head of Medusa, painted on a ceremonial shield.
Nearby: The Uffizi courtyard (free) is full of artists and souvenir stalls. The statue-filled Loggia dei Lanzi is covered in the “Renaissance Walk,” earlier.
This castle-like fortress with the 300-foot spire dominates Florence’s main square. In Renaissance times, it was the Town Hall, where citizens pioneered the once-radical notion of self-rule. Its official name—Palazzo della Signoria—refers to the elected members of the city council. In 1540, the tyrant Cosimo I made the building his personal palace, redecorating the interior in lavish style. Today the building functions once again as the Town Hall.
Entry to the ground-floor courtyard is free, so even if you don’t go upstairs to the museum, you can step inside and feel the essence of the Medici. There’s also a fine little exhibit of scenes from old Florence. Paying customers can see Cosimo’s (fairly) lavish royal apartments, decorated with (fairly) top-notch paintings and statues by Michelangelo and Donatello. The highlight is the Grand Hall (Salone dei Cinquecento), a 13,000-square-foot hall lined with huge frescoes and interesting statues.
Cost and Hours: Courtyard-free, museum-€10, tower climb-€10 (418 steps), museum plus tower-€14, excavations-€4, combo-ticket for all three-€18, covered by Firenze Card (pick up ticket at ground-floor information desk before entering museum). Museum and excavations open Fri-Wed 9:00-23:00 (Oct-March until 19:00), Thu 9:00-14:00 year-round; tower keeps shorter hours (last entry one hour before closing); last tickets for all sights sold one hour before closing; videoguide-€5, English tours available, Piazza della Signoria, tel. 055-276-8224, www.musefirenze.it.
Florence’s most famous bridge has long been lined with shops. Originally these were butcher shops that used the river as a handy disposal system. Then, when the powerful and princely Medici built the Vasari Corridor (a private passageway) over the bridge, the stinky meat market was replaced by more elegant gold-and-silver shops (some of which remain here to this day). A statue of Benvenuto Cellini, the master goldsmith of the Renaissance, stands in the center, ignored by the flood of tacky tourism.
Ponte Vecchio is also covered in the “Renaissance Walk,” earlier, and my free Renaissance Walk audio tour.
When we think of the Florentine Renaissance, we think of visual arts: painting, mosaics, architecture, and sculpture. But when the visual arts declined in the 1600s (abused and co-opted by political powers), music and science flourished in Florence. The first opera was written here. And Florence hosted many scientific breakthroughs, as you’ll see in this fascinating collection of Renaissance and later clocks, telescopes, maps, and ingenious gadgets. Trace the technical innovations as modern science emerges from 1000 to 1900. Some of the most-talked-about bottles in Florence are the ones here that contain Galileo’s fingers. Exhibits include various tools for gauging the world, from a compass and thermometer to Galileo’s telescopes. Other displays delve into clocks, pumps, medicine, and chemistry. It’s friendly, comfortably cool, never crowded, and just a block east of the Uffizi on the Arno River.
Cost and Hours: €9, covered by Firenze Card, Wed-Mon 9:30-18:00, Tue until 13:00, guided tours available, Piazza dei Giudici 1, tel. 055-265-311, www.museogalileo.it.
This underappreciated sculpture museum is in a former police station-turned-prison that looks like a mini-Palazzo Vecchio. The Renaissance began with sculpture—the great Florentine painters were “sculptors with brushes.” You can see the birth of this revolution of 3-D in the Bargello (bar-JEL-oh), which boasts the best collection of Florentine sculpture. It’s a small, uncrowded museum and a pleasant break from the intensity of the rest of Florence.
Highlights include Donatello’s very influential, painfully beautiful David (the first male nude to be sculpted in a thousand years), multiple works by Michelangelo, and rooms of Medici treasures. Moody Donatello, who embraced realism with his lifelike statues, set the personal and artistic style for many Renaissance artists to follow. The best pieces are in the ground-floor room at the foot of the outdoor staircase (with fine works by Michelangelo, Cellini, and Giambologna) and in the “Donatello room” directly above (including his two different Davids, plus Ghiberti and Brunelleschi’s revolutionary dueling door panels and yet another David by Verrocchio).
Cost and Hours: €8, cash only, free and crowded on first Sun of the month, covered by Firenze Card; Tue-Sat 8:15-17:00 (later for special exhibits), Nov-March until 13:50; also open second and fourth Mon and the first, third, and fifth Sun of each month, last entry 40 minutes before closing; reservations possible but unnecessary, Via del Proconsolo 4, tel. 055-238-8606.
This 14th-century Franciscan church, decorated with centuries of precious art, holds the tombs of great Florentines. The loud 19th-century Victorian Gothic facade faces a huge square ringed with tempting shops and littered with tired tourists. Escape into the church and admire its sheer height and spaciousness. Your ticket includes the Pazzi Chapel and a small museum; the complex also houses a leather school.
Cost and Hours: €8, covered by Firenze Card, Mon-Sat 9:30-17:30, Sun 14:00-17:30, multimedia guide-€6, modest dress required, 10-minute walk east of the Palazzo Vecchio along Borgo de’ Greci, tel. 055-246-6105, www.santacroceopera.it. The leather school, at the back of the church, is free and sells church tickets—handy when the church has a long line (daily 10:00-18:00, closed Sun Nov-March, has own entry behind church plus an entry within church, www.scuoladelcuoio.com).
Visiting the Church: On the left wall (as you face the altar) is the tomb of Galileo Galilei (1564-1642), the Pisan who lived his last years under house arrest near Florence. His crime? Defying the Church by saying that the earth revolved around the sun. His heretical remains were only allowed in the church long after his death.
Directly opposite (on the right wall) is the tomb of Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564). Santa Croce was Michelangelo’s childhood church, as he grew up a block west of here. Farther up the nave is the tomb of Niccolò Machiavelli (1469-1527), a champion of democratic Florence and author of The Prince, a how-to manual on hardball politics—which later Medici rulers found instructive.
The first chapel to the right of the main altar features the famous Death of St. Francis fresco by Giotto. With simple but eloquent gestures, Francis’ brothers bid him a sad farewell. In the hallway near the bookstore, notice the photos of the devastating flood of 1966. Beyond that is the leather school (free entry).
Exit between the Rossini and Machiavelli tombs into the delightful cloister (open-air courtyard). On the left, enter Brunelleschi’s Pazzi Chapel, which captures the Renaissance in miniature.
A property once owned by Michelangelo, this house was built after the artist’s death by his grand-nephew “Michelangelo the Younger,” who turned it into a little museum honoring his famous relative. The highlights—Michelangelo’s first sculptures and some sketches—are not must-sees in art-heavy Florence, but are appreciated by Michelangelovers. The place where Michelangelo actually grew up is only a few blocks from here, at 10 Via de’ Bentaccordi.
Cost and Hours: €6.50, covered by Firenze Card, Wed-Mon 10:00-17:00, closed Tue, Via Ghibellina 70, tel. 055-241-752, www.casabuonarroti.it.
This 13th-century Dominican church is rich in art. Along with crucifixes by Giotto and Brunelleschi, it contains the textbook example of the early Renaissance mastery of perspective: The Trinity by Masaccio. The exquisite chapels trace art in Florence from medieval times to early Baroque. The outside of the church features a dash of Romanesque (horizontal stripes), Gothic (pointed arches), Renaissance (geometric shapes), and Baroque (scrolls). Step in and look down the 330-foot nave for a 14th-century optical illusion.
Next to the church are the cloisters and the museum, located in the old Dominican convent of Santa Maria Novella. The museum’s highlight is the breathtaking Spanish Chapel, with walls covered by a series of frescoes by Andrea di Bonaiuto.
Cost and Hours: Church and museum-€5, covered by Firenze Card; Mon-Thu 9:00-19:00 (Oct-March until 17:30), Fri 11:00-19:00 (Oct-March until 17:30), Sat 9:00-17:30, Sun 13:00-17:30, last entry 45 minutes before closing; multimedia guide-€3, modest dress required, main entrance on Piazza Santa Maria Novella, tel. 055-219-257, www.chiesasantamarianovella.it.
The imposing Pitti Palace, several blocks southwest of Ponte Vecchio, offers many reasons for a visit: the palace itself, with its imposing exterior and lavish interior; the second-best collection of paintings in town; the statue-dotted Boboli Gardens; and a host of secondary museums.
Do yourself a favor and stay focused on the highlights: Stick to the Palatine Gallery, which has the painting collection, plus the sumptuous rooms of the Royal Apartments. The paintings pick up where the Uffizi leaves off, at the High Renaissance. Lovers of Raphael’s Madonnas and Titian’s portraits will find some of the world’s best of each at the Pitti Palace. If it’s a nice day, take a stroll in the Boboli Gardens, a rare and inviting patch of extensive green space within old Florence.
Cost and Hours: The Palatine Gallery, Royal Apartments, and Gallery of Modern Art are covered by ticket #1—€16 (€8 if no special exhibits, cheaper in winter)—and are open Tue-Sun 8:15-18:50, closed Mon, last entry 45 minutes before closing.
The Boboli and Bardini Gardens, Costume Gallery, Argenti/Silverworks Museum (the Medici treasures), and Porcelain Museum are covered by ticket #2—€10 (€7 if no special exhibits)—and are open daily June-Aug 8:15-19:30, April-May and Sept until 18:30, March and Oct until 17:30, Nov-Feb until 16:30, closed first and last Mon of each month, last entry one hour before closing.
All palace sights are covered by the Firenze Card. The place is free and crowded on the first Sun of the month. The €8 audioguide explains the sprawling palace. Tel. 055-238-8614, www.uffizi.beniculturali.it.
Visiting the Museum: In the Palatine Gallery you’ll walk through one palatial room after another, walls sagging with masterpieces by 16th- and 17th-century masters, including Titian and Rembrandt. The Pitti’s Raphael collection is the second-biggest anywhere—the Vatican beats it by one. Use the information folders in each room to help find the featured paintings.
The collection is all on one floor. To see the highlights, walk straight down the spine through a dozen-or-so rooms. Before you exit, consider a visit to the Royal Apartments. These 14 rooms (of which only a few are open at any one time) are where the Pitti’s rulers lived in the 18th and 19th centuries. Each room features a different color and time period. Here, you get a real feel for the splendor of the dukes’ world.
The rest of Pitti Palace is skippable, unless the various sights match your interests: the Gallery of Modern Art (second floor; Romantic, Neoclassical, and Impressionist works by 19th- and 20th-century Tuscan painters), Argenti/Silverworks Museum (ground and mezzanine floors; Medici treasures from jeweled crucifixes to gilded ostrich eggs), Costume Gallery, Porcelain Museum, and Boboli and Bardini gardens (behind the palace; enter from Pitti Palace courtyard—be prepared to climb uphill).
For the best look at works by Masaccio (one of the early Renaissance pioneers of perspective in painting), see his restored frescoes here. Instead of medieval religious symbols, Masaccio’s paintings feature simple, strong human figures with facial expressions that reflect their emotions. The accompanying works of Masolino and Filippino Lippi provide illuminating contrasts.
Your ticket includes a 20-minute film (English subtitles) on the chapel, the frescoes, and Renaissance Florence (find it in the room next to the bookstore). The film’s computer animation brings the paintings to 3-D life—they appear to move—while narration describes the events depicted in the panels. The film takes liberties with the art, but it’s visually interesting and your best way to see the frescoes up close.
Cost and Hours: €6, cash only, covered by Firenze Card; free and easy reservations required if you don’t have a Firenze Card (see next); Mon and Wed-Sat 10:00-17:00, Sun 13:00-17:00, closed Tue, last entry 45 minutes before closing; free 20-minute film, videoguide-€3, knees and shoulders must be covered, in Church of Santa Maria del Carmine on Piazza del Carmine, reservations tel. 055-276-8224, ticket desk tel. 055-284-361, http://museicivicifiorentini.comune.fi.it.
Reservations: Although reservations are required, on weekdays and any day off-season, it’s often possible to walk right in, especially if you come before 15:30. To reserve in advance, stop by the information desk in Palazzo Vecchio or call the chapel a day ahead (tel. 055-276-8224, English spoken, call center open Mon-Sat 9:30-13:00 & 14:00-17:00, Sun 9:30-12:30). You can also try via email—info@muse.comune.fi.it.
Overlooking the city from across the river (look for the huge bronze statue of David), this square has a superb view of Florence and the stunning dome of the Duomo. It’s worth the 25-minute hike, taxi, or bus ride.
An inviting café (open seasonally) with great views is just below the overlook. The best photos are taken from the street immediately below the overlook (go around to the right and down a few steps). Off the west side of the piazza is a somewhat hidden terrace, an excellent place to retreat from the mobs. After dark, the square is packed with school kids licking ice cream and each other. About 200 yards beyond all the tour groups and teenagers is the stark, beautiful, crowd-free, Romanesque San Miniato Church (next listing). A WC is located just off the road, halfway between the two sights.
Getting There (and Back): It makes sense to take a taxi or ride the bus up and then enjoy the easy downhill walk back into town. Bus #12 takes you up (departs from train station, near Piazza di Santa Maria Novella, and just over the Ponte alla Carraia bridge on Oltrarno side of river—see map on here for bus stops; takes 20-30 minutes, longer in bad traffic).
The hike down is quick and enjoyable (or take bus #13 back down). Find the steps between the two bars on the San Miniato Church side of the parking lot (Via San Salvatore al Monte). At the first landing (marked #3), peek into the rose garden (Giardino delle Rose). After a few minutes, you’ll walk through the old wall (Porta San Miniato) and emerge in the delightful little Oltrarno neighborhood of San Niccolò, with a fun and funky passel of cafés and restaurants (for recommendations, see here).
According to legend, the martyred St. Minias—this church’s namesake—was beheaded on the banks of the Arno in A.D. 250. He picked up his head and walked here (this was before the #12 bus), where he died and was buried in what became the first Christian cemetery in Florence. In the 11th century, this church was built to house Minias’ remains.
The church’s green-and-white marble facade (12th century) is classic Florentine Romanesque, one of the oldest in town. Inside you’ll find some wonderful 3-D paintings, a plush ceiling of glazed terra-cotta panels by Luca della Robbia, and an exquisite Renaissance chapel (on the left side of the nave). The highlight for me is the brilliantly preserved art in the sacristy (upstairs to right of altar, in the room on right) showing scenes from the life of St. Benedict (circa 1350, by a follower of Giotto). Drop €2 into the electronic panel in the corner to light the room for five minutes. The evening vesper service with the monks chanting in Latin offers a meditative worship experience—a peaceful way to end your visit.
Cost and Hours: Free, Mon-Sat 9:30-13:00 & 15:30-20:00, until 19:00 off-season, Sun 9:30-20:00, closed sporadically for special occasions, tel. 055-234-2731, www.sanminiatoalmonte.it.
Getting There: It’s about 200 yards above Piazzale Michelangelo. From the station, bus #12 takes you right to the San Miniato al Monte stop (hop off and hike up the grand staircase); bus #13 takes you back down the hill.
Gregorian Chants: To experience this mystical medieval space at its full potential, time your visit to coincide with a prayer service of Gregorian chants. In general, these are held each evening at 17:30 and last 30 minutes—but as the schedule is subject to change, double-check with any TI or the church’s website, or call ahead.
Florence may be one of Europe’s best shopping towns—it’s been known for its sense of style since the Medici days. Smaller stores are generally open about 9:00-13:00 and 15:30-19:30, usually closed on Sunday, often closed on Monday (or at least Monday morning), and sometimes closed for a couple of weeks around August 15. Bigger stores have similar hours, without the afternoon break. Many brick-and-mortar stores also run small stalls in market squares.
Busy street scenes and markets abound, especially at San Lorenzo Market near Mercato Centrale, near Santa Croce, on Ponte Vecchio, and at Mercato Nuovo (the covered market square three blocks north of Ponte Vecchio, described on here). Leather jackets and handbags, perfume and cosmetics, edible goodies, and stationery are popular souvenirs.
You’ll find many art reproductions of your favorite Florentine pieces on posters, calendars, books, prints, and so on. Major museums—such as the Uffizi and Accademia—have excellent bookstores. The bookstore at the Duomo Museum is well stocked and a bit less crowded than the shops at some of the bigger sights. Other souvenir ideas include silk ties, scarves, Tuscan ceramics, and wood-carved bowls and spoons. Goofy knickknacks featuring Renaissance masterpieces are popular: Botticelli mouse pads, Raphael lipstick holders, and plaster Davids.
Prices are soft in markets and even at many midrange leather shops—go ahead and bargain. For authentic, locally produced wares, look for shops displaying the Esercizi Storici Fiorentini seal, with a picture of the Palazzo Vecchio’s tower. At these city-endorsed “Historical Florentine Ventures,” you may pay a premium, but quality is assured (for a list of shops, see www.esercizistorici.it).
For ritzy Italian fashions, the entire area between the Arno River and the cathedral is busy with inviting boutiques. Browse along Via della Vigna Nuova (runs west from Via de’ Tornabuoni) and Via degli Strozzi (runs east from Via de’ Tornabuoni to Piazza della Repubblica). A tempting string of streets—Borgo Santi Apostoli, Via del Parione, and Borgo Ognissanti—runs parallel to the river one block inland, from near the Uffizi westward.
Across the river in the Oltrarno, known for its artisanal workshops, a short walk past the tourist crowds takes you to some less-discovered zones: near Pitti Palace, and the main street parallel to the river (Borgo San Jacopo to Via di Santo Spirito). For an in-depth look at Oltrarno workshops, pick up the brochure called “A Tour of Artisan Workshops,” which you may find at the TI or at participating shops.
Most of my recommended hotels are grouped in central Florence, within minutes of the great sights. If arriving by train, you can either walk (usually around 10-20 minutes) or take a taxi (roughly €6-8) to reach most of my recommended accommodations.
The accommodations listed here cluster around the €100-150 range, but include everything from €25 bunks to deluxe €350 doubles. Competition among hotels is stiff—when things slow down, fancy hotels drop their prices and become a much better value for travelers than the cheap, low-end places. For some, Airbnb-type rentals can be a good alternative; search for places in my recommended hotel neighborhoods.
Book any accommodations well in advance, especially if you’ll be traveling during peak season or if your trip coincides with a major holiday or festival (see here). Note, though, that Florence can be busy any time of year.
I rank accommodations from $ budget to $$$$ splurge. To get the best deal, contact my family-run hotels directly by phone or email. When you book directly, the owner avoids a roughly 20 percent commission and may be able to offer you a discount. For more information and tips on hotel rates and deals, making reservations, and finding a short-term rental, see here.
Museumgoers Take Note: Your hotelier may be able to reserve entry times for you at the Uffizi Gallery and the Accademia (Michelangelo’s David)—ask about it when you book your room. There may be a fee, but this can be handy if you don’t plan to get a Firenze Card and don’t want to bother with making reservations yourself (see here).
Beware of Bugs: Florence is notorious for its mosquitoes. If your hotel lacks air-conditioning, request a fan and don’t open your windows, especially at night. Many hotels furnish a small plug-in bulb (zanzariere)—usually set in the ashtray—that helps keep the blood-suckers at bay. If not, you can purchase one cheaply at any pharmacy (farmacia).
The following places are within a block of Florence’s biggest church and main landmark. While touristy—and expensive—this location puts just about everything in town at your doorstep.
$$$$ Palazzo Niccolini al Duomo, one of five elite Historic Residence Hotels in Florence, is run by the Niccolini di Camugliano family. The lounge (where free chamomile tea is served in the evenings) is palatial, but the six rooms and seven suites, while splendid, vary wildly in size and quality. If you have the money and want a Florentine palace to call home, this can be a good bet (RS%, elevator, air-con, pay parking—reserve ahead, Via dei Servi 2, tel. 055-282-412, www.niccolinidomepalace.com, info@niccolinidomepalace.com).
$$$$ Hotel Duomo’s 24 rooms are modern and comfortable enough, but you’re paying for the location and the views—the Duomo looms like a monster outside the hotel’s windows. If staying here, you might as well spring the extra €20 for a “superior” room with a view (RS%, air-con, historic elevator, Piazza del Duomo 1, fourth floor, tel. 055-219-922, www.hotelduomofirenze.it, info@hotelduomofirenze.it; Paolo, Gilvaneide, and Federico).
$$$ Soggiorno Battistero rents seven simple yet pristine rooms, most with great views, overlooking the Baptistery and the Duomo square. Request a view or a quieter room in the back when you book, but keep in mind there’s always some noise in the city center. It’s a minimalist place with no public spaces or full-time reception, but the location is great (RS%, air-con, elevator, Piazza San Giovanni 1, third floor, tel. 055-295-143, www.soggiornobattistero.it, info@soggiornobattistero.it, Francesco).
$$$ Residenza Giotto B&B offers a well-priced chance to stay on Florence’s upscale shopping drag, Via Roma. Occupying the top floor of a 19th-century building, this place has six bright rooms (three with Duomo views) and a terrace with knockout views of the Duomo’s tower. Reception is generally open Mon-Sat 9:00-17:00 and Sun 9:00-13:00; let them know your arrival time in advance (RS%, air-con, elevator, Via Roma 6, tel. 055-214-593, www.residenzagiotto.it, info@residenzagiotto.it, Giorgio).
$$ La Residenza del Proconsolo B&B has six older-feeling rooms a minute from the Duomo (three rooms have Duomo views). The place lacks public spaces, but the rooms are quite large and nice—perfect for eating breakfast, which is served in your room (extra cost for slightly larger “deluxe” with view, air-con, no elevator, Via del Proconsolo 18 black, tel. 055-264-5657, www.proconsolo.com, info@proconsolo.com, Susie).
$$$ Hotel dei Macchiaioli offers 15 fresh and spacious rooms on one high-ceilinged, noble floor in a restored palazzo owned for generations by a well-to-do Florentine family. You’ll eat breakfast under original frescoed ceilings while enjoying modern comforts (RS%, air-con, Via Cavour 21, tel. 055-213-154, www.hoteldeimacchiaioli.com, info@hoteldeimacchiaioli.com, helpful Francesca and Paolo).
$$$ Hotel Loggiato dei Serviti, at a prestigious address on the most Renaissance-y square in town, gives you Old World romance with hair dryers. Stone stairways lead you under open-beam ceilings through this 16th-century monastery’s monumental public rooms. The 32 well-worn rooms are both rickety and characteristic. The hotel staff is professional yet warm (RS%, family rooms, elevator, pay valet parking, Piazza S.S. Annunziata 3, tel. 055-289-592, www.loggiatodeiservitihotel.it, info@loggiatodeiservitihotel.it; Chiara B., Chiara V., and Alex). Attentive Daniel takes care of breakfast and the bar. When full, they rent five spacious and sophisticated rooms in a 17th-century annex a block away. While they lack the monastic mystique, the annex rooms are bigger, gorgeously refurnished, and cost the same.
$$$ Residenza dei Pucci rents 13 pleasant rooms (each one different) spread over three floors (with no elevator). The decor, a mix of soothing earth tones and aristocratic furniture, makes this place feel upscale for this price range (RS%—use code “RICK,” family rooms, air-con, reception open 9:00-20:00, shorter hours off-season—let them know if you’ll arrive late, Via dei Pucci 9, tel. 055-281-886, www.residenzadeipucci.com, info@residenzadeipucci.com, friendly Rossella and Marina).
$$$ Hotel Morandi alla Crocetta, a former convent, envelops you in a 16th-century cocoon. Located on a quiet street with 12 rooms, its period furnishings, squeaky-clean parquet floors, and original frescoes take you back a few centuries and up a few social classes (family rooms, air-con, elevator, pay parking—reserve ahead, a block off Piazza S.S. Annunziata at Via Laura 50, tel. 055-234-4747, www.hotelmorandi.it, welcome@hotelmorandi.it, well-run by Maurizio, Rolando, and Cristiano).
$$ Hotel Europa, family-run since 1970, has a welcoming atmosphere fostered by cheery Florence native Miriam and her husband Robert. The breakfast room is spacious, and most of the 12 bright, simple rooms have views of the Duomo, including one with a terrace (RS%, family rooms, air-con, elevator, Via Cavour 14, tel. 055-239-6715, www.webhoteleuropa.com, firenze@webhoteleuropa.com).
After dark, this neighborhood can feel a little deserted, but I’ve never heard of anyone running into harm here. It’s a short walk from the train station and a stroll to all the sightseeing action. While workaday, it’s practical, with plenty of good budget restaurants and markets nearby.
$$ Relais Grand Tour has four charmingly eclectic rooms on a nondescript street between the train station and the Accademia. This cozy and thoughtfully appointed B&B will make you feel right at home and is great for families. The delightful and spacious suites come with a garden ambience on the ground floor (RS%, cash only, family suites, includes breakfast voucher for the corner bar, for cheaper rates ask to skip breakfast and daily cleaning, air-con, Via Santa Reparata 21, tel. 055-283-955, www.florencegrandtour.com, info@florencegrandtour.com, Cristina and Giuseppe).
$$ Galileo Hotel, a comfortable business hotel with 31 rooms, is run with familial warmth (RS%, family rooms, quadruple-paned windows shut out street noise, air-con, elevator, Via Nazionale 22a, tel. 055-496-645, www.galileohotel.it, info@galileohotel.it, Vincenzo).
$ Hotel Il Bargellino, run by Bostonian Carmel and her Italian husband Pino, is a good-value place with an old-time convivial atmosphere. In a residential neighborhood within walking distance of the center, the 10 summery rooms are decorated with funky antiques and Pino’s modern paintings. Guests enjoy relaxing and chatting on the big, breezy, momentum-slowing terrace adorned with plants and lemon shrubs (RS%, cheaper rooms with shared bath, no breakfast, air-con extra, north of the train station at Via Guelfa 87, tel. 055-238-2658, www.ilbargellino.com, carmel@ilbargellino.com).
$ Casa Rabatti is the ultimate if you always wanted to have a Florentine mama. Its three simple, clean rooms are run with warmth by Marcella. This is a great place to practice your Italian: Marcella speaks minimal English but loves to invite guests into her kitchen to chat. Seeing decades of my family Christmas cards on their walls, I’m reminded of how long she has been keeping budget travelers happy (RS%, cheaper rooms with shared bath, family rooms, cash only but secure reservation with credit card, no breakfast, fans available, 5 blocks from station at Via San Zanobi 48 black, tel. 055-212-393, www.casarabatti.it, casarabatti@inwind.it). In the same building on the ground floor, she also rents three modern and spacious $$ apartments with kitchenettes and access to a tranquil garden—ideal for longer stays.
Hostel: Calling itself a “travelers’ haven,” ¢ Hostel 7 Santi fills a former convent, but you’ll feel like you’re in an old school. It offers some of the best cheap beds in town, is friendly to older travelers, and comes with the services you’d expect in a big, modern hostel, including self-serve laundry. It’s in a more residential neighborhood near the Campo di Marte stadium, about a 10-minute bus ride from the center (private rooms available, breakfast and dinner extra, no curfew; Viale dei Mille 11—from train station, take bus #10, #17, or #20, direction: Campo di Marte, to bus stop Chiesa dei Sette Santi; tel. 055-504-8452, www.7santi.com, info@7santi.com).
This touristy zone has lots of budget and midrange hotels catering to an international clientele, stacks of basic trattorias, and easy access to major sights (just steps from the Medici Chapels, Basilica of San Lorenzo, and Mercato Centrale, and only a bit farther to the biggies). The mostly pedestrianized Via Faenza is the spine of this neighborhood, with lots of tourist services.
$$$$ Hotel Centrale is indeed central, just a short walk from the Duomo. The 35 spacious but overpriced rooms—with a tasteful mix of old and new decor—are over a businesslike conference center (RS%, air-con, elevator, Via dei Conti 3, check in at big front desk on ground floor, tel. 055-215-761, www.hotelcentralefirenze.it, info@hotelcentralefirenze.it, Margherita and Roberto).
$$$ Accademia Rooms has five quiet rooms clustered around a sunny courtyard. While overpriced and getting a bit long in the tooth, it has a convenient location (RS%, air-con, no elevator, Piazza Madonna degli Aldobrandini 1, tel. 055-293-451, www.accademiarooms.com, info@accademiarooms.com, Tea).
$ Hotel Lorena, just across from the Medici Chapels, has 19 simple, well-worn rooms (six with shared bathrooms) and a tiny lobby. Though it feels a little like a youth hostel, it’s well-located, inexpensive, and run with care by the Galli family (air-con, elevator from first floor, Via Faenza 1, tel. 055-282-785, www.hotellorena.com, info@hotellorena.com).
While convenient to the sights and offering a good value, these places are mostly along nondescript urban streets, lacking the grit, charm, or glitz of some of my other recommended neighborhoods.
$$$ Residenza il Villino has 10 charming rooms and a picturesque, peaceful little courtyard. The owner, Neri, has turned part of the breakfast room into a museum-like tribute to his grandfather, a pioneer of early Italian fashion. As it’s in a “little villa” (as the name implies) set back from the street, this is a quiet refuge from the bustle of Florence (RS%, family rooms, air-con, parking available, just north of Via degli Alfani at Via della Pergola 53, tel. 055-200-1116, www.ilvillino.it, info@ilvillino.it, Giovanni).
$$$ Panella’s Residence, once a convent and today part of owner Graziella’s extensive home, is a classy B&B, with five chic, romantic, and ample rooms, antique furnishings, and historic architectural touches (RS%, air-con, Via della Pergola 42, tel. 055-234-7202, mobile 345-972-1541, www.panellaresidence.com, panella_residence@yahoo.it).
$$ Locanda de’ Ciompi, overlooking the inviting Piazza dei Ciompi in a young and lively neighborhood, is just right for travelers who want to feel like a part of the town. Alessio and daughter Lisa have five attractive rooms that are tidy, lovingly maintained, and a good value (RS%, cheaper single with private bath down the hall, includes breakfast at nearby bar, air-con, 8 blocks behind the Duomo at Via Pietrapiana 28—see map on here, tel. 055-263-8034, www.bbflorencefirenze.com, info@bbflorencefirenze.com).
$ Hotel Dalí has 10 cheery, worn rooms in a nice location for a great price. Samanta and Marco, who run this guesthouse with a charming passion and idealism, are a delight to know (request one of the quiet and spacious rooms facing the courtyard when you book, cheaper rooms with shared bath available, nearby apartments sleep 2-6 people, no breakfast, fans but no air-con, elevator, free parking, 2 blocks behind the Duomo at Via dell’Oriuolo 17 on the second floor, tel. 055-234-0706, www.hoteldali.com, hoteldali@tin.it).
$ Oblate Sisters of the Assumption run an institutional 35-room hotel in a Renaissance building with a dreamy garden, great public spaces, appropriately simple rooms, and a quiet, prayerful ambience (family rooms, single beds only, air-con, elevator, Wi-Fi with suggested donation, 23:30 curfew, limited pay parking—request when you book, Borgo Pinti 15, tel. 055-248-0582, www.bb-oblate.com, sroblateborgopinti@virgilio.it). As there’s no night porter, it’s best to time your arrival and departure to occur during typical business hours.
Buried in the narrow, characteristic lanes in the very heart of town, these are the most central of my accommodations recommendations (and therefore a little overpriced). While this location is worth the extra cost for many, nearly every hotel I recommend can be considered central given Florence’s walkable, essentially traffic-free core.
$$$$ In Piazza della Signoria B&B, in a stellar location overlooking Piazza della Signoria, is peaceful, refined, and homey. The service is friendly, but the rates are high. “Partial view” rooms, while slightly larger, require craning your neck to see anything and aren’t worth the extra euros. Guests enjoy socializing at the big, shared breakfast table (RS%, family apartments, air-con, tiny elevator, Via dei Magazzini 2, tel. 055-239-9546, mobile 348-321-0565, www.inpiazzadellasignoria.com, info@inpiazzadellasignoria.com, Sonia and Alessandro).
$$$$ Hotel Pendini, with three stars and 44 plush, flowery rooms, fills the top floor of a grand building overlooking Piazza della Repubblica that was built to celebrate Italian unification in the late 19th century. This place just feels classy; as you walk into the lobby, it’s as if you’re walking back in time. While pricey, this level of elegance makes it a good value for those looking to indulge (RS%, “deluxe” rooms come with square view and noise, family rooms, air-con, elevator, Via degli Strozzi 2, tel. 055-211-170, www.hotelpendini.it, info@hotelpendini.it).
$$$ Hotel Maxim, run by the Maoli family since 1981, has 26 straightforward rooms in a good location on the main pedestrian drag. Its narrow, painting-lined halls and cozy lounge have old Florentine charm (RS%—use code “RICK,” family rooms, air-con, elevator, Via de’ Calzaiuoli 11, tel. 055-217-474, www.hotelmaximfirenze.it, reservation@hotelmaximfirenze.it, Chiara).
$$$ Hotel Axial, two floors below its sister Hotel Maxim, has 14 rooms and a more forgettable, businesslike, modern feel at comparable rates (RS%—use code “RICK,” air-con, elevator, Via de’ Calzaiuoli 11, tel. 055-218-984, www.hotelaxial.it, info@hotelaxial.it, Nicola).
$$ B&B Il Bargello is a home away from home, run by friendly and helpful Canadian expat Gabriella. Hike up three long flights (no elevator) to reach six smart, relaxing rooms. Gabriella offers a cozy living room, a communal kitchenette, and an inviting rooftop terrace with close-up views of Florence’s towers (RS%, fully equipped apartment across the hall sleeps up to six with one shared bathroom; air-con, 20 yards off Via Proconsolo at Via de’ Pandolfini 33 black, tel. 055-215-330, mobile 339-175-3110, www.firenze-bedandbreakfast.it, info@firenze-bedandbreakfast.it).
This sleepy zone is handy to several sights and some fine shopping streets (from top-end boutiques to more characteristic hole-in-the-wall shops), though it’s accordingly pricey and lacks a neighborhood feel of its own.
$$$$ Hotel Davanzati, bright and shiny with artistic touches, has 25 cheerful rooms with all the comforts. The place is a family affair, thoughtfully run by friendly Tommaso and father Fabrizio, who offer drinks and snacks each evening at their candlelit happy hour, plus lots of other extras (RS%, family rooms, free tablets in every room, free on-demand videos—including my travel shows about Italy—on your room TV, air-con, 20 steep steps to the elevator, handy room fridges, next to Piazza Davanzati at Via Porta Rossa 5—easy to miss so watch for low-profile sign above the door, tel. 055-286-666, www.hoteldavanzati.it, info@hoteldavanzati.it).
$$$$ Hotel Torre Guelfa has grand public spaces and is topped by a fun medieval tower with a panoramic rooftop terrace (72 stairs take you up—and back 720 years). Its 31 pricey rooms vary wildly in size and furnishings, but most come with the noise of the city center. Room 315, with a private terrace, is worth reserving several months in advance (RS%, family rooms, air-con, elevator, a couple of blocks northwest of Ponte Vecchio, Borgo S.S. Apostoli 8, tel. 055-239-6338, www.hoteltorreguelfa.com, info@hoteltorreguelfa.com, Niccolo and Barbara).
$$$$ Relais Uffizi is a peaceful little gem, offering a friendly welcome and tight maze of 15 classy rooms tucked away down a tiny alley off Piazza della Signoria. The lounge has a huge window overlooking the action in the piazza—a unique view (family rooms, air-con, elevator; official address is Chiasso del Buco 16—from the square, go down tiny Chiasso de Baroncelli lane—right of the loggia—and after 50 yards turn right through the arch and look for entrance on your right; tel. 055-267-6239, www.relaisuffizi.it, info@relaisuffizi.it, charming Alessandro and Elizabetta).
$$$ Hotel Alessandra is a tranquil and sprawling place, occupying part of a 16th-century building with 27 big, old-school rooms with frescoes and a tiny Arno-view terrace (family rooms, air-con, 30 steps to the elevator, Borgo S.S. Apostoli 17, tel. 055-283-438, www.hotelalessandra.com, info@hotelalessandra.com; Anna, son Andrea, and spunky Monti).
These fine, charming little budget options are around the corner from Santa Maria Novella, near the train station.
$$ Bellevue House is a third-floor (no elevator) oasis of tranquility, with six spacious, old-fashioned rooms flanking a long, mellow-yellow lobby. It’s a peaceful home away from home, thoughtfully run by the Michel family (RS%, family rooms, no breakfast, air-con, Via della Scala 21, tel. 055-260-8932, www.bellevuehouse.it, info@bellevuehouse.it; Luciano, Susan, and Alessandro). Press the bell at street level, and they’ll carry up your bags. On a lower floor, their other property, $$ Palazzo Riblet, offers three upscale rooms with frescoes and elegant furnishings (tel. 055-260-8932, www.palazzoriblet.it, info@palazzoriblet.it).
$$ Albergo Margaret, homey yet minimalist, offers seven tidy, simple rooms but no public lounge or breakfast (RS%, some cheaper rooms with shower but toilet down the hall, apartment, air-con in most rooms, Via della Scala 25, tel. 055-210-138, www.hotel-margaret.it, info@hotel-margaret.it; Francesco and Graziano).
Across the river in the Oltrarno area, between the Pitti Palace and Ponte Vecchio, you’ll find small, traditional crafts shops, neighborly piazzas, and family eateries. The following places are walkable from Ponte Vecchio. Only the first two are real hotels—the rest are a ragtag gang of budget alternatives.
$$$$ Palazzo Guadagni, perched high above Piazza Santo Spirito, is a romantic, Grand Tour retreat from modern Florence. The 15 refined rooms are spacious, with antique furnishings and frescoes. While the ample, chandeliered public spaces are pleasant, the highlight is the panoramic wrap-around loggia, a terrace with comfy, stay-awhile seating and lovely views (RS%, air-con, elevator, Piazza Santo Spirito 9, tel. 055-265-8376, www.palazzoguadagni.com, info@palazzoguadagni.com).
$$$$ Hotel la Scaletta has 36 pricey, sleek rooms hiding in a tortured floor plan. Their fabulous rooftop terrace overlooks the Boboli Gardens (RS%, family suites, breakfast extra, air-con, elevator, Via de’ Guicciardini 13, tel. 055-283-028, www.hotellascaletta.it, info@hotellascaletta.it, Sara).
$$$ Hotel Silla is a classic three-star hotel with 36 cheery, spacious rooms. Across the river from Santa Croce Church, it has a breezy terrace and faces the river, overlooking a small park, with free coffee and tea for guests in the late afternoon. The surrounding neighborhood can be a bit noisy (RS%—use promo code “RICK,” air-con, elevator, pricey self-service washing machine, pay parking, Via dei Renai 5, for location see map on here, tel. 055-234-2888, www.hotelsilla.it, hotelsilla@hotelsilla.it; Laura, Chiara, Massimo, and Stefano).
$ Soggiorno Alessandra has five bright, comfy, and smallish rooms. Because of its double-paned windows, you’ll hardly notice the traffic noise (cheaper rooms with shared bath, family rooms, includes basic breakfast in room, air-con, no elevator; there’s no formal reception, so let them know what time you’ll be arriving; just past the Carraia Bridge at Via Borgo San Frediano 6, tel. 055-290-424, www.soggiornoalessandra.it, info@soggiornoalessandra.it, Alessandra).
$ Casa Santo Nome di Gesù is a grand, 25-room convent whose sisters—Franciscan Missionaries of Mary—are thankful to rent rooms to tourists. Staying in this 15th-century palace, you’ll be immersed in the tranquil atmosphere created by a huge, peaceful garden, generous and prayerful public spaces, and smiling nuns. As with the Istituto Gould, next, it’s a good value and understandably popular—it’s best to reserve a couple of months in advance (family rooms, no air-con but rooms have fans, elevator, memorable convent-like breakfast room, 1:00 in the morning curfew, pay parking, Piazza del Carmine 21, tel. 055-213-856, www.fmmfirenze.it, info@fmmfirenze.it).
$ Istituto Gould is a Protestant Church-run place with 40 clean and spartan rooms that have twin beds and modern facilities. It’s located in a 17th-century palace overlooking a beautiful garden courtyard. The complex also houses kids from troubled homes, and proceeds raised from renting rooms help fund that important work (extra for garden rooms that are quieter and have air-con, family rooms, breakfast extra, non-air-con rooms have fans, Wi-Fi in lobby only, Via dei Serragli 49, tel. 055-212-576, www.firenzeforesteria.it, info@firenzeforesteria.it). If you can’t arrive when the office is open (daily 9:00-13:00 & 15:00-19:30), they’ll email you a code.
Hostel: ¢ Ostello Santa Monaca is a well-run, institutional-feeling hostel a long block east of the Brancacci Chapel. As clean as its guests, it attracts a young backpacking crowd (10:00-14:00 lock-out, 2:00 in the morning curfew, bike rental, Via Santa Monaca 6, tel. 055-268-338, www.ostellosantamonaca.com, info@ostellosantamonaca.com).
As a big city jammed with tourists, Florence has plenty of good restaurants—but even more bad ones. I’ve recommended a cross-section of reliably good eateries, from cafeterias and sandwich shops to classic Italian trattorias and foodie splurges. My readers fill many of the mom-and-pop eateries listed here—to escape the crowds, head away from the town center. The Oltrarno, just across the river, is a good compromise: far enough away to not be completely overrun by tourists, but close enough for an easy commute by foot.
I rank restaurants from $ budget to $$$$ splurge. For advice on eating in Italy, including details on ordering, dining, and tipping in restaurants, where to find budget meals, picnicking help, and Italian cuisine and beverages—including wine, see here.
Restaurants: You may have the best luck finding local ambience at lunch, since that’s when many restaurants in the center cater to office workers. Most restaurants close their kitchens between lunch and dinner, typically reopening around 19:00 or later. Before 21:00 or so, restaurants are usually filled with tourists; after that, the tourists are replaced by locals. Even if a restaurant is fully booked at night, it may accommodate walk-in diners who are willing to eat early and quickly.
Restaurants in Florence like to serve what’s fresh. Seasonal ingredients are most likely featured in the piatti del giorno (specials of the day) section on menus. For dessert, it’s all about gelato (see sidebar on here). Rather than eat it at the restaurant, I’d enjoy a gelato-fueled evening stroll.
Foodies appreciate Elizabeth Minchilli’s app, Eat Florence, which has thorough descriptions of all things food-related in the city (www.elizabethminchilliinrome.com).
Budget Eating: To save money and time, keep lunches fast and simple by eating at one of Florence’s countless sandwich shops and stands, pizzerias, or self-service cafeterias. You’ll find a unique range of sandwich options. In addition to the basic panino (usually on a baguette), crostini (open-faced, toasted baguette), and semel (big, puffy roll), you’ll see places advertising schiaccata (sandwich made with a “squashed,” focaccia-like bread). Florence is also home to many carts selling tripe sandwiches—a prized local specialty.
Picnicking is easy. You can picnic your way through Mercato Centrale, near the Basilica of San Lorenzo. You’ll also find good supermercati throughout the city. I like the classy Sapori & Dintorni markets (run by Conad), which have branches near the Duomo (Borgo San Lorenzo 15 red) and just over Ponte Vecchio in the Oltrarno (Via de Bardi 45). Despar is another handy grocery chain (there’s one around the corner from the Duomo Museum at Via dell’Oriuolo 66).
(See “Florence Restaurants” map, here.)
Florence’s Industrial Age, steel-and-glass Mercato Centrale (Central Market) is a fun-to-explore food wonderland.
$ Ground Floor: The market zone, with lots of raw ingredients and a few humble food counters, is open only through lunchtime (Mon-Fri 7:00-14:00, Sat 7:00-17:00, closed Sun). Buy a picnic of fresh mozzarella cheese, olives, fruit, and crunchy bread to munch on the steps of the nearby Basilica of San Lorenzo. The fancy deli, Perini, is famous for its quality (pricey) products and enticing display. For a simple sit-down meal, head for the venerable Nerbone in the Market. Join the shoppers and workers who crowd up to the bar to grab their inexpensive plates, and then find a stool at the cramped shared tables nearby. Of the several cheap market diners, this feels the most authentic (lunch menu served Mon-Sat 12:00-14:00, sandwiches available from 8:00 until the bread runs out, cash only, on the side closest to the Basilica of San Lorenzo). Its less-famous sisters, nearby, have better seating and fewer crowds.
$$ Upstairs: Under the old glass roof, the upper floor features a dozen upscale food counters open for lunch and dinner (daily 10:00-24:00). Before choosing, do a full circuit to get to know your options. Then grab what you want—pizza, pasta, fish, meat, salumi, lampredotto, wine, and so on—and pull up a stool at one of the food-court tables.
(See “Florence Restaurants” map, here.)
A huge array of eateries is within a couple of blocks of the market. Each has its own distinct vibe, so scout around to find your favorite.
$$ Trattoria Mario’s has served hearty lunches to market-goers since 1953 (Fabio and Romeo are the latest generation). Their simple formula: no-frills, bustling service, old-fashioned good value, and shared tables. It’s cucina casalinga—home cooking con brio. This place is high-energy and jam-packed, with very tight seating. Their best dishes (ribollita, bean soup, amatriciana) often sell out first, so go early. If there’s a line, put your name on the list (cash only, Mon-Sat 12:00-15:30, closed Sun and Aug, no reservations, Via Rosina 2, tel. 055-218-550).
$ Casa del Vino, Florence’s oldest operating wine shop, offers glasses of wine from 25 open bottles. Owner Gianni, whose family has owned the Casa for more than 70 years, is a class act. The sandwiches, crostini, and mixed plates of meat and cheese with fine wine by the glass are perfect. During busy times, it’s a mob scene. You’ll eat standing outside alongside workers on a quick lunch break. But come early or late, and you can actually connect with Gianni. Ask him for “uno etto misto €5,” add two glasses of fine wine, and you’ve got a memorable and very cheap lunch (Mon-Thu 9:30-15:30, Fri-Sat 9:30-20:30; closed Sun year-round, Sat in summer, and Aug; Via dell’Ariento 16 red, tel. 055-215-609).
$$ Pepò, a colorful and charmingly unpretentious space, is tucked just around the corner from the touristy Trattoria Zà-Zà glitz on Piazza del Mercato Centrale. Pepò handles its neighbor’s overflow admirably, with a short menu of simple but well-prepared Florentine classics such as ribollita and pollo alla cacciatora—chicken cacciatore (daily 12:00-14:30 & 19:00-22:30, Via Rosina 4 red, tel. 055-283-259).
$$ Trattoria Sergio Gozzi is your classic neighborhood lunch-only place, serving hearty, traditional Florentine fare to market-goers since 1915—long before the tourist crush of today. The handwritten menu is limited and changes daily, and the service can be hectic, but it remains a local favorite (Mon-Sat 12:00-15:00, closed Sun, reservations smart, Piazza di San Lorenzo 8, tel. 055-281-941).
In general, Tuscan cuisine is hearty, simple food: grilled meats, high-quality seasonal vegetables, fresh herbs, prized olive oil, and rustic bread. If a dish ends with “alla toscana” or “alla fiorentina,” it’s cooked in the Tuscan or Florentine style—usually a preparation highlighting local products. In addition to specialty dishes, most restaurants also serve pasta and pizza, veal cutlets, and salad (for more on Italian cuisine, see here).
There’s nothing wrong with your Tuscan bread—it’s supposed to taste like that. Pane alla toscana is unsalted and nearly flavorless (from the days when salt’s preservative powers made it more valuable than gold). Italians drench it in olive oil and sprinkle it with salt, or use it to scoop up sauce.
Bruschetta: Toasted bread brushed with olive oil and rubbed with garlic, topped with chopped tomato, mushrooms, or whatever else sounds good.
Crostini: Toasted bread rounds topped with meat or vegetable pastes. Alla toscana generally means with chicken liver pâté.
Panzanella: A simple summer salad, made of day-old bread, chopped tomatoes, onion, and basil, tossed in a light vinaigrette.
Pecorino cheese: Fresh (fresco) or aged (stagionato), from ewe’s milk.
Porcini mushrooms: Harvested in fall; used in pasta and soups, as a topping on meats and bruschetta, and sometimes deep-fried.
Salumi: Cold cuts, usually air- or salt-dried pork. Popular kinds include prosciutto (air-cured ham hock), pancetta (cured pork belly), lardo (cured pork lard), and finocchiona (fennel salami). For a list of other salumi, see here.
Tagliere: A wooden platter with cold cuts and/or cheeses.
Carabaccia: Onion soup.
Pappa al pomodoro: Thick stew of tomatoes, olive oil, and bread.
Pappardelle al sugo di lepre: A rich sauce with wild hare over long, broad noodles.
Pici al ragù: A fat, spaghetti-like, hand-rolled pasta served with a meat-tomato sauce.
Ribollita: “Reboiled” soup, traditionally made with leftovers including white beans (fagioli), seasonal vegetables, and olive oil, with layers of day-old Tuscan bread.
Zuppa alla volterrana: Volterra-style soup, similar to ribollita but with fresh bread.
Arrosto misto: An assortment of roasted meats, sometimes served on a skewer (spiedino).
Bistecca alla fiorentina: A thick T-bone steak, generally grilled very rare and lightly seasoned (often sold by weight—per etto, or 100 grams). The best—and most expensive—is from the white Chianina breed of cattle you’ll see grazing throughout Tuscany.
Cinghiale: Wild boar, served grilled or in soups, stews, and pasta. It is also made into many varieties of sausage and salami.
Fegatelli: Liver meatballs.
Game birds: Squab (piccione), pheasant (fagiano), and guinea hen (faraona) are popular.
Trippa alla fiorentina: Tripe (intestines) and vegetables sautéed in tomato sauce, sometimes baked with parmesan. Trippa (and the similar lampredotto) are popular in sandwiches; see here.
Cantucci: Florentines love to end a meal by dipping this crunchy almond cookie in vin santo wine (described below).
Gelato: The Florentines claim they invented Italian-style ice cream. Rather than order dessert in a restaurant, I like to stroll with a gelato. For more on gelato, and for tips on enjoying it here, see here.
Panforte: Dense, clove-and-cinnamon-spiced cake from Siena.
Many Tuscan wines are made with sangiovese (“blood of Jupiter”) grapes, but the characteristics of the soil, temperature, and exposure make each wine unique to its area.
Brunello di Montalcino: One of Italy’s best reds, this full-bodied wine comes from the slopes of Montalcino, south of Siena. Smooth and dry, it pairs well with hearty, meaty food.
Chianti: This red hails from the Chianti region (20 miles south of Florence). Varieties range from cheap, acidic basket-bottles of table wine (called fiaschi) to the hearty Chianti Classico.
Rosso di Montalcino: This cheaper, younger “baby Brunello,” also made in Montalcino, lacks Brunello’s depth of flavor and complexity—but it’s still a great wine at a bargain price.
Super Tuscans: This newer wine blends traditional grapes with locally grown non-Italian grapes (such as cabernet or merlot).
Vernaccia di San Gimignano: This medium-dry white goes well with pasta and salad. Trebbiano and vermentino are two other local white grapes.
Vin Santo: Sweet and syrupy, this “holy” dessert wine is often served with a cookie for dipping.
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano: This high-quality, ruby red, dry wine pairs well with meat, especially chicken.
$$ Trattoria la Burrasca offers a traditional menu featuring fine beef and good-value seasonal specials of Tuscan home cooking, served with lightning-fast service by Elio and his staff. It’s small, with just 14 tables—often filled with tourists (Tue-Sun 12:00-15:00 & 19:00-22:30, closed Mon, reservations smart, Via Panicale 6, north corner of Mercato Centrale, tel. 055-215-827).
$ Simbiosi Organic Pizza and Lovely Food is a happy little pizzeria under a medieval vault with a young hip crew, open fire, and healthy energy (daily 12:00-23:00, organic and gluten-free, craft beer, Via de’ Ginori 56 red, tel. 055-064-0115).
$$$ La Ménagère Bistro and Restaurant is a youthful place serving nicely presented, modern Italian dishes to a smart crowd in a spacious and dressy atmosphere. The more casual bistro in front (which serves salads, sandwiches, and simple plates until 18:00) hides a fancier restaurant in back where you can choose between small tables or bigger shared ones (daily 12:00-23:00, dinner from 19:30—reservations smart, Via de’ Ginori 8 red, tel. 055-075-0600, www.lamenagere.it).
(See “Florence Restaurants” map, here.)
At lunchtime, my first listing is more of a sit-down place; the others are better for a fast meal.
$$ Enoteca Coquinarius feels as welcoming as someone’s cool and spacious living room or library. It’s an unstressful, hip place with a slow-food ethic and lots of great salads and pastas (daily 12:30-15:30 & 18:30-22:30, a few steps from the Duomo workshop at Via delle Oche 11 red, tel. 055-230-2153).
$ Self-Service Ristorante Leonardo is an inexpensive, air-conditioned, quick, and handy cafeteria. While it’s no-frills and old-school, the food is better than many table-service eateries in this part of town. Stefano and Luciano run the place with enthusiasm and free pitchers of tap water. It’s a block from the Duomo, southwest of the Baptistery (lots of veggies, daily 11:45-14:45 & 18:45-21:45, upstairs at Via Pecori 11, tel. 055-284-446).
$$ Paszkowski Café is a venerable place on Piazza della Repubblica. While famously expensive as a restaurant, it serves up inexpensive, quick lunches. At the display case, order a salad or plate of pasta or cooked veggies (or half-and-half), pay the cashier, and find a seat upstairs or at one of the tables reserved for self-serve diners on the square (lunch served 12:00-15:00, Piazza della Repubblica 35 red—northwest corner, tel. 055-210-236).
$$ EATaly, a slick, modern space a half-block from the Duomo, is an outpost of a chain of foodie mini-malls located in big Italian cities (as well as in Chicago and New York City). Along with a world of gifty edibles, it offers several food options under one roof, including an espresso counter, a soft-serve gelato counter and tempting pastry shop, a grocery store for top-end Italian ingredients and kitchen gadgets, and a bright, modern dining area serving pastas, pizzas, salads, and secondi, including daily specials (food shop open daily 10:00-22:30, restaurants open 12:00-15:00 and from 19:00, Via de’ Martelli 22 red, tel. 055-015-3601).
$$ Procacci, right on Florence’s most genteel boutique-browsing street, is upscale yet still affordable. This wine bar, with a swanky, circa-1885 atmosphere, specializes in pungent truffle-scented ingredients: cheap mini-panini and €9-18 sampler plates of salumi and cheeses. While the platters are pricey, the sandwiches may be Florence’s cheapest way to dine on truffles. Paired with a €5 glass of wine, it makes an elegant light meal (daily 10:00-21:00, Via Tornabuoni 64 red, tel. 055-211-656).
$ Smoothies and Salads: For green salads, couscous and rice dishes, quiches, and smoothies, try Lovelife (closed Sun, east of the Duomo at Via dell’Oriuolo 26 red). Il Chiosco (The Kiosk) is the spot for smoothies and juices (two stands: one facing the southeast corner of the Duomo and another south of Piazza della Repubblica).
(See “Florence Restaurants” map, here.)
Piazza della Signoria, the scenic square facing the Palazzo Vecchio, is ringed by beautifully situated yet touristy eateries serving overpriced, forgettable food with an unforgettable view. If you’re determined to eat on the square, have pizza at the touristy Ristorante il Cavallino or bar food at the adjacent Irish pub, or dine more elegantly at the Gucci Caffè and Restaurant. Piazza della Signoria’s saving grace is $$$ Rivoire café, famous for its fancy desserts and thick hot chocolate (€7). While obscenely expensive, it has the best view tables on the square. Their delightful bar is perfectly affordable, and drinks often come with fine aperitivo munchies (Tue-Sun 8:00-24:00, closed Mon, tel. 055-214-412).
(See “Florence Restaurants” map, here.)
Two recommended places, one casual, the other fancy, are just off Piazza della Signoria, a half-block north of the Palazzo Vecchio. Facing the bronze equestrian statue in the piazza, go behind the horse’s tail and into the corner to the left.
$$ Osteria Vini e Vecchi Sapori is a colorful eatery—tight and tiny, and with attitude. They serve Tuscan food—like pappardelle with duck—from a fun, accessible menu of delicious pastas and secondi (Mon-Sat 12:30-14:30 & 19:30-22:30, closed Sun, reservations smart, Via dei Magazzini 3 red, tel. 055-293-045, run by Mario while wife Rosanna cooks and son Tommaso serves).
$$$$ Frescobaldi Ristorante and Wine Bar, the showcase of Italy’s aristocratic wine family, serves sophisticated dishes by candlelight under high-vaulted ceilings. They offer the same seasonal menu in their cozy interior, tight wine bar, and at a few outside tables. If coming for dinner, make a reservation and dress up (lighter wine-bar and good-value set menus at lunch, daily 12:00-14:30 & 19:00-22:30, air-con, Via dei Magazzini 2 red, tel. 055-284-724, www.deifrescobaldi.it).
(See “Florence Restaurants” map, here.)
$$ Cantinetta dei Verrazzano, a long-established bakery/café/wine bar, serves delightful sandwich plates in an old-time setting. Their selezione Verrazzano is a plate of four little crostini featuring different breads, cheeses, and meats from the Chianti region. The tagliere di focacce, a sampler plate of mini-focaccia sandwiches, is also fun. Add a glass of Chianti to either of these dishes to make a fine, light meal. Office workers pop in for a quick lunch, and it’s traditional to share tables. They also have benches and tiny tables for eating at takeout prices. Simply step to the back and point to a hot focacce sandwich, order a drink at the bar, and take away your food or sit with Florentines and watch the action while you munch. For dessert, consider their tempting display case of delicious cakes (Mon-Sat 8:00-21:00, Sun 10:00-16:30, no reservations taken, just off Via de’ Calzaiuoli at Via dei Tavolini 18 red, tel. 055-268-590).
$ I Fratellini is a hole-in-the-wall where the “little brothers” have served peasants more than 30 kinds of sandwiches and a fine selection of wine at great prices (see list on wall) since 1875. Join the local crowd to order, then sit on a nearby curb to eat, placing your glass on the wall rack before you leave. Be adventurous with the menu (easy-order by number). Consider finocchiona e caprino (#15, a Tuscan salami and soft goat cheese), lardo di Colonnata (#22, cured lard aged in Carrara marble), and cinghiale (#19, spicy boar salami) sandwiches. It’s worth ordering the most expensive wine they’re selling by the glass (daily 9:00-19:30 or until the bread runs out, 20 yards in front of Orsanmichele Church on Via dei Cimatori, tel. 055-239-6096).
$ Sandwich Shop/Wine Bar near Ponte Vecchio: ’Ino is a mod little shop filled with gifty edibles. Alessandro and his staff serve creative sandwiches and glasses of wine—you’ll munch your meal while perched on a tiny, uncomfortable stool. They can also make a fine €9-12 piatto misto of cheeses and meats with bread (daily 11:30-15:30, immediately behind Uffizi Gallery courtyard on Ponte Vecchio side, near the potted olive tree at Via dei Georgofili 7 red, tel. 055-219-208).
Cheap Takeout on Via Dante Alighieri: Three handy places line up on this street, located between Piazza della Signoria and the Duomo. $ L’Antico Trippaio, a food cart, is a fixture in the town center. Cheap and authentic as can be, this is where locals come daily for sandwiches (panini), featuring specialties like trippa (tripe), lampredotto, and a list of more appetizing options, including bollito. Lisa, Maurizio, and Roberto offer a free plastic glass of rotgut Chianti with each sandwich for travelers with this book (daily 9:00-21:00, on Via Dante Alighieri, mobile 339-742-5692). $ Pizzeria Totò, just next to the tripe stand, has good-and-cheap slices (daily 10:30-22:00, Via Dante Alighieri 28 red, tel. 055-290-406). And a few steps away is a Carrefour Express supermarket, with cheap drinks and snacks and a fine antipasti case (daily 8:30-21:30, Via Dante Alighieri 24). If you pick up lunch at any of these, the best people-watching place to enjoy your food is on Piazza della Signoria (three blocks south).
More Sandwich Shops: Two well-regarded places to grab a cheap sandwich are $ Da’ Vinattieri, a literal hole-in-the-wall (schiaccata sandwiches plus trippa and lampredotto, daily 10:00-19:30, next to Casa di Dante at Via Santa Margherita 4 red); and $ Il Cernacchino (panino sandwiches, Mon-Sat 9:30-19:30, closed Sun, just north of the Palazzo Vecchio at Via della Condotta 38 red, tel. 055-294-119).
(See “Florence Restaurants” map, here.)
There aren’t many appealing sit-down restaurants in the boring streets near the Accademia. But hungry tourists looking for a quick lunch between sightseeing stops find plenty of options. Picnickers can grab a takeout bite at one of these places, then hike around the block and join the bums on the traffic-free Piazza S.S. Annunziata, the first Renaissance square in Florence. There’s a fountain for washing fruit on the square. Grab a stony seat anywhere you like.
$ Ará è Sicilia, just around the corner from David, is tiny, bright, and packed with Italians ordering up chef Carmelo’s take on Sicilian street food: arancini (filled risotto balls) and pizzole (stuffed pizza) in fresh, inventive flavors, chased by homemade sorbet, cannoli, or pistachio biscotti. Order to takeaway or perch on one of the few stools (daily 10:00-22:00, Via degli Alfani 127 red, mobile 333-198-3927).
$ Due Sorsi e un Boccone (“Two Sips and a Bite”), a few steps down the same street, serves just that: cheap glasses of house wine, savory or sweet crêpes, and made-to-order schiacciate (sandwiches on flattened, foccacia-like bread). Order your food to go, or squeeze into a spot at the counter. It’s run with a fresh, youthful attitude and jammed with local students at lunchtime (Mon-Fri 10:30-17:00, closed Sat-Sun, Via degli Alfani 105 red, mobile 334-264-0931).
$ La Mescita Fiaschetteria is a characteristic hole-in-the-wall, where locals enjoy a simple menu of pastas and secondi with tasty, cheap house wine. The place can either be mobbed by students or a peaceful time warp, depending on when you stop by. Mirco and Alessio are gregarious to the point of being a bit pushy...order carefully and check your bill (daily 11:30-15:30, Via degli Alfani 70 red, mobile 338-992-2640).
Italy’s best ice cream is in Florence—many think they serve some of the world’s best. But beware of scams at touristy joints on busy streets that turn a simple request for a cone into a €10 “tourist special” rip-off. To avoid this, survey the size options and specify what you want—for example, un cono da tre euro (a €3 cone). A rule of thumb: Stay away from places with heaping mounds of brightly (artificially) colored gelato. For more gelato tips, see here. All of these places, which are a cut above, are open daily for long hours.
Near the Accademia: A Sicilian choice on a tourist thoroughfare, Gelateria Carabè is particularly famous for its pistachio and its luscious granite—Italian ices made with fresh fruit. A cremolata is a granita with a dollop of gelato (almond and pistachio work well together). If you’d like a real Sicilian cannoli, get it here (from the Accademia, it’s a block toward the Duomo at Via Ricasoli 60 red—Simone clearly loves his work).
Near the Duomo: A favorite, Edoardo features organic ingredients and tasty handmade cones (facing the southwest corner of the Duomo at Piazza del Duomo 45 red).
Near Orsanmichele Church: This shop’s name, Perchè No! translates to “Why not!”—good advice when it comes to gelato. It feels touristy but serves one of the widest ranges of flavors around, and the quality’s top notch (just off the busy main pedestrian drag, Via de’ Calzaiuoli, at Via dei Tavolini 19).
Near Ponte Vecchio: Modern gelateria Carapina offers some pleasantly atypical flavors, seasonal ingredients, and a loyal following (Via Lambertesca 18 red).
Near the Church of Santa Croce: Florentines flock to Gelateria de’ Neri, with an enticingly wide array of flavors (Via dei Neri 9 red).
Supermarket: Carrefour Express, a half-block north of the Accademia, has a sandwich counter and picnic provisions (daily 8:00-20:00, Via Ricasoli 109 red).
Sit-Down Lunch in a Classy Café: $$ Pasticceria Robiglio, a smart little café with friendly service, has a stately dining area and a few tables on the sidewalk. They have a small menu of salads and daily pasta and secondi specials. It’s good any time for a coffee and one of their pretty pastries—famous among Florentines (café open daily 7:30-20:00, lunch served 12:00-16:00, a block toward the Duomo off Piazza S.S. Annunziata at Via dei Servi 112 red, tel. 055-212-784).
(See “Florence Restaurants” map, here.)
These two places—within a 5- to 10-minute walk of the Accademia—are worth going out of your way for.
$$$ Antica Trattoria da Tito, a 10-minute hike from the Accademia along Via San Gallo, can be fun if you want a memorable meal with a local crowd and smart-aleck service. The boss, Bobo, serves quality traditional food and lots of wine. While the food is good, there’s no pretense—it’s just a playground of Tuscan cuisine. The music is vintage 1980s and can be loud. To gorge on a feast of antipasti (cold cuts, cheeses, a few veggies, and bruschetta), consider ordering fermami (literally “stop me”)—for €18, Bobo brings you food until you say, “Fermami!” A couple can get fermami for two, desserts, and a nice bottle of wine for around €60 total. Dinner is served in two seatings: 19:30 (more sanity) and 21:30 (less sanity), and reservations are generally necessary (€17 gran tagliere—big plate of cheese and meat, travelers with this book get a free after-dinner drink, Mon-Sat 12:30-15:00 & 19:00-23:00, closed Sun, Via San Gallo 112 red, tel. 055-472-475, www.trattoriadatito.it).
$$$ Ristorante Cafaggi fills a bright yet low-energy space on a drab street between the Accademia and Mercato Centrale. With a vaguely 1950s vibe, it feels like it’s been retro since before it was “retro.” The service can be a bit shy; the emphasis here is their generations-old passion for Florentine food. It’s been family-run since 1922, with Grandma and Grandpa still puttering around (Mon-Sat 12:30-15:00 & 19:00-22:00, closed Sun and several weeks in Aug, Via Guelfa 35 red, tel. 055-294-989, www.ristorantecafaggi.com).
$$ Trattoria La Gratella, near recommended hotels north of the center, serves solid Tuscan cuisine to a mostly local crowd. The tiny entrance hides a sprawling interior and an outdoor courtyard, full of diners grilling their own bistecca alla fiorentina on mini barbeques at the table (daily 12:00-15:00 & 19:00-23:00, Via Guelfa 81r, tel. 055-211-292, www.lagratella.it).
(See “Florence Restaurants” map, here.)
$$ Ristorante del Fagioli, an enthusiastically run eatery where you can sense the heritage, just feels real, from the wood-paneled dining room to the daily specials chalked on a board. Maurizio commands the kitchen while family members Antonio and Simone keep the throngs of loyal customers returning. The cuisine: home-style bread-soups, hearty steaks, and other Florentine classics. Don’t worry—while fagioli means “beans,” that’s the family name, not the extent of the menu (Mon-Fri 12:30-14:30 & 19:30-22:30, closed Sat-Sun, cash only, reserve for dinner, a block north of the Alle Grazie bridge at Corso dei Tintori 47, tel. 055-244-285).
$$ Trattoria Anita, midway between the Uffizi and Santa Croce, feels old-school, with wood paneling and rows of wine bottles. Brothers Nicola, Gianni, and Maurizio offer good value—both for their weekday lunch special featuring three hearty Tuscan courses for €11 and their à la carte dinner (Mon-Sat 12:00-14:30 & 19:00-22:15, closed Sun, on the corner of Via Vinegia and Via del Parlagio at 2 red, tel. 055-218-698).
$$ Trattoria I’cche C’è C’è is a small, family-run restaurant where Gino, Mara, and their son Jacopo serve basic Florentine dishes. A bit tired and old-fashioned, it’s still cozy and welcoming (Tue-Sun 12:30-14:30 & 19:30-22:30, closed Mon, Via Magalotti 11 red, tel. 055-216-589).
Quick Lunch Places on Via dei Neri: This is panino lane, with five high-energy, rustic, and youthful sandwich bars. This street, which runs behind the Palazzo Vecchio and the Uffizi toward Santa Croce, seems to specialize in sightseers seeking lunch between landmarks: $ All’Antico Vinaio, a photogenic Florentine favorite, offers two options: stand in the street with a crusty sandwich and pour your own wine, or head across the street to their more comfortable and expensive osteria (sandwiches available at both shops, Mon-Sat 10:30-22:30, Sun 12:00-16:00, Via dei Neri 65 red, tel. 055-238-2723). $ Club del Gusto, with friendly owner/chef Paolo, is much quieter. Grab a sandwich to carry away, or enjoy a plate of mixed meats and cheeses, or a made-to-order pasta plate, with their nice house wine at a shared table in back. Enthusiastic about traditional dishes, they provide a good venue for trying lampredotto—that’s cow stomach (daily 9:00-24:00, Via dei Neri 50 red, tel. 348-090-3142).
$ Döner Kebab: Just south of Santa Croce is Istanbul Döner Kebap, a good place for a quick, un-Italian meal (Via dei Benci 18 red).
$$$ Trattoria Sostanza-Troia, characteristic and well-established, is famous for its steaks and its pollo al burro (chicken in butter). Whirling ceiling fans and walls strewn with old photos evoke earlier times, while the artichoke pie (tortino di carciofi) reminds locals of Grandma’s cooking. Crowded, with just eight shared tables, a small menu, and grumpy service, the place feels like a simple bistro. Reservations are essential for their two dinner seatings: 19:30 and 21:00 (cash only, open Mon-Sat, closed Sun year-round and Sat off-season, lunch served 12:30-14:00, Via del Porcellana 25 red, tel. 055-212-691).
$$ Trattoria Marione serves home-cooked-style meals to a mixed group of tourists and Florentines crowding very tight tables beneath hanging ham hocks. The ambience is happy, food-loving, and a bit frantic—no reservations, so arrive early (daily 12:00-17:00 & 19:00-23:00, Via della Spada 27 red, tel. 055-214-756, Fabio).
$$ Trattoria al Trebbio features all the traditional Tuscan classics at average prices in an eclectic, modern setting. Dine inside, surrounded by old movie posters and framed prosciutto legs, or grab one of the few tables outside (daily 12:00-15:00 & 19:00-23:00, half a block off Piazza Santa Maria Novella at Via delle Belle Donne 47 red, tel. 055-287-089, Giulia).
$$ Trattoria “da Giorgio” is a rustic family-style diner on a sketchy street serving up simple home cooking to happy locals and tourists alike. Their €14 three-course, fixed-price meal, including a drink, is a great value. This place is completely without pretense—head here for a taste of working-class Florence (Mon-Sat 12:00-14:30 & 18:30-22:00, closed Sun, Via Palazzuolo 100 red, tel. 055-284-302, Silvano).
(See “Florence Restaurants” map, here.)
If you’re willing to pay extra to enjoy a drink surrounded by splendid Florentine views, head to one of these rooftop terraces:
$$ Caffè La Terrazza is on the rooftop of La Rinascente department store overlooking Piazza della Repubblica. While fairly plain, it comes with commanding views of the Duomo, which looms gloriously on the horizon (€6 coffee drinks, daily 9:00-20:30).
$$$$ Sesto is a dressy bar on a partially covered terrace perched on the top floor of the luxurious Westin Hotel. While cocktails here are pricey (€15 and up; €6 coffee drinks), they come with amazing city views. To turn your spendy drink into a light dinner, come by during their aperitivo happy hour (19:00-21:00) when, for €18, your drink includes access to a little buffet, giving you something to nibble as you enjoy the sunset (daily 12:00-24:00, Piazza Ognissanti 3, tel. 055-27151, www.sestoonarno.com).
(See “Oltrarno Hotels & Restaurants” map, here.)
In general, dining in the Oltrarno, south of the Arno River, offers a more authentic experience. While it’s just a few minutes’ walk from Ponte Vecchio, this area sees far fewer tourists than the other side of the river. You may even find that Florentines outnumber my readers. For most locations, see the map on here.
$$ Signorvino is an enoteca (wine shop) with a simple restaurant that has a rare terrace literally over the Arno River, with Ponte Vecchio views. It’s a fun-loving place with no pretense yet a passion for quality Italian ingredients. They serve regional dishes and plates of fine meats and cheeses to go with a wonderful array of wines by the glass, allowing you to drink and eat your way merrily across Italy. If you’re up for a full bottle, their huge selection is available for the same fair prices at a table as in their wine store (shop open daily 9:30-24:00, food served 11:30-23:00, Via Dei Bardi 46 red, tel. 055-286-258, www.signorvino.com, call to reserve, especially for terrace seating).
$$$ Golden View Open Bar is a modern, noisy, and touristy bistro, good for a salad, pizza, or pasta with fine wine and a fine view of Ponte Vecchio and the Arno River. Its white, minimalist interior is a stark contrast to atmospheric old Florence. Reservations for window tables are essential. They have three seating areas (same menu and prices at each): a riverside pizza place, a classier restaurant, and a jazzy lounge. In the afternoon (12:00-18:00), they offer wine tastings (€9-15) that include three pours. Later (18:30 to 21:30), the wine bar serves a buffet of appetizers free with your €10 drink. Mixing their fine wine, river views, and live jazz makes for a wonderful evening (daily 12:00-24:00, café opens at 7:30; jazz usually Mon, Fri, and Sat nights at 21:00; 50 yards east of Ponte Vecchio at Via dei Bardi 58, tel. 055-214-502, www.goldenviewopenbar.com, run by Antonio, Paolo, and Tommaso).
$ Osteria Ponte Vecchio is a tiny place—little more than a bar—serving basic drinks, panini, and microwaved snacks with a couple of amazing tables on the river (daily 10:00-23:00, off-season until 20:00, a block downstream from Ponte Vecchio at Via Borgo San Jacopo 16 red, Giacomo).
(See “Oltrarno Hotels & Restaurants” map, here.)
Piazza di Santo Spirito is a thriving neighborhood square in the heart of the Oltrarno, with a collection of fun eateries and bars. Several bars offer aperitivo buffets with their drinks during happy hour. Late in the evening the area becomes a club scene, filled with foreign students and young locals. And every day, when the weather’s nice, the tables of Trattoria Borgo Antico and several other characteristic places spill onto the square. After noting the plain facade of the Brunelleschi church facing the square, step inside Caffè Ricchi to see pictures of the many possible ways the church might be finished.
$$ Tamerò is an arty pasta bar in an old auto mechanic’s shop serving high-quality Sardinian-Tuscan dishes at reasonable prices. The pasta is freshly made and on display in the open kitchen. Sit in the funky interior with local hipsters or enjoy a lazy meal on the colorful piazza (daily 12:00-late, DJ music some nights, Piazza Santo Spirito 11 red, tel. 055-282-596, www.tamero.it).
$$ Gusta Osteria, just around the corner from the piazza, serves big salads and predictable Tuscan fare at fun, cozy indoor seating or at outdoor tables (Tue-Sun 12:00-23:00, closed Mon, Via de’ Michelozzi 13 red, tel. 055-285-033). For cheaper bites, try its sister restaurant $ Gusta Panino, a sandwich bar directly on the square.
$$ Trattoria Casalinga, an inexpensive standby, comes with aproned women bustling around the kitchen. Florentines (who enjoy the tripe and tongue) and tourists (who opt for easier-to-swallow Tuscan favorites) alike pack the place and leave full and happy, with euros to spare for gelato (Mon-Sat 12:00-14:30 & 19:00-22:00, after 20:00 reserve or wait, closed Sun and Aug, just off Piazza di Santo Spirito, near the church at Via de’ Michelozzi 9 red, tel. 055-218-624, www.trattorialacasalinga.it, Andrea and Paolo).
$ Gusta Pizza is your typical jam-packed, cheap, sloppy, and fun neighborhood pizzeria (Tue-Sun 11:30-15:30 & 19:00-23:30, closed Mon, two blocks off Piazza di Santo Spirito at Via Maggio 46 red, tel. 055-285-068).
Night Spots: To drink and dine with a younger crowd, try the living-room vibe of Volume (daily (9:00-24:00, aperitivo 18:00-22:00, Piazza di Santo Spirito 5 red) or, across the square, the trendy-yet-simple Pop Café (daily 9:00-late, aperitivo 19:00-22:00, at #18).
(See “Oltrarno Hotels & Restaurants” map, here.)
While Piazza di Santo Spirito is well known by tourists, a short walk beyond it gets you completely away from the tourist scene. These two restaurants (side by side on Via Dell’Orto) are worth the five-minute walk beyond Piazza del Carmine:
$$ Burro & Acciughe Fish Restaurant (“butter and anchovies”) is a new, minimalist place packed with locals enjoying enthusiastically presented fresh seafood. With just 35 seats in a long, rustic setting, it’s very simple but oozes quality (closed Mon, Via Dell’Orto 35 red, tel. 055-045-7286).
$$ Trattoria dell’Orto is a classic Florentine trattoria filled with classic Florentines enjoying steaks, grilled dishes, and quintessential local fare—with no tourists. It has a fun vibe and a nice covered outdoor terrace in back (closed Tue, Via dell’Orto 35a, tel. 055-224-148).
(See “Oltrarno Hotels & Restaurants” map, here.)
Of the many good and colorful restaurants in the Oltrarno, these are my favorites. Reservations are a good idea in the evening.
$$$ Il Santo Bevitore Ristorante, lit like a Rembrandt painting and unusually spacious, serves creative modern Tuscan cuisine at dressy tables. They’re enthusiastic about matching quality produce from the area with the right wine. This is a good break from the big, sloppy plates of pasta you’ll get at many Florence eateries (good wine list by the glass or bottle, daily 12:30-14:30 & 19:30-23:00, closed Mon for lunch, reservations smart, three tables on the sidewalk, acoustics can make it noisy inside, Via di Santo Spirito 64 red, tel. 055-211-264, www.ilsantobevitore.com).
$$ Enoteca Il Santino Gastronomia, Il Santo Bevitore’s smaller wine bar next door, feels like the perfect after-work hangout for foodies who’d like a glass of wine and a light bite. Tight, cozy, and atmospheric, the place has a prominent bar, where you can assemble an €8-12 tagliere of local cheeses and salumi. They also have a few affordable hot dishes. Both the food and the wine are locally sourced from small producers (daily 12:30-23:00, Via di Santo Spirito 60 red, no reservations, tel. 055-230-2820).
$$$ Trattoria 4 Leoni creates the quintessential Oltrarno dinner scene, and is understandably popular with tourists. The Tuscan-style food is made with an innovative twist and an appreciation for vegetables. You’ll enjoy the fun energy and characteristic seating, both outside on the colorful square and inside, where you’ll dine in exposed-stone sophistication. While the wines by the glass are pricey, the house wine is good (daily 12:00-24:00, dinner reservations smart; midway between Ponte Vecchio and Piazza di Santo Spirito, on Piazza della Passera at Via dei Vellutini 1; tel. 055-218-562, www.4leoni.com).
$$$ Antico Ristoro Di’ Cambi is thick with Tuscan traditions, rustic touches, and T-bone steaks. The bustling scene has a memorable, beer-hall energy. As you walk in, you’ll pass a glass case filled with red chunks of Chianina beef that’s priced by weight (the famous bistecca alla fiorentina is €45/kilo—figure a half-kilo per person). Before you OK your investment, they’ll show you the cut and tell you the weight. While the steak comes nearly uncooked, it’s air-dried for 21 days so it’s not really raw, just very tasty and tender—it’ll make you happy you’re at the top of the food chain. Sit inside the convivial woody interior or outside on a square (Mon-Sat 12:00-14:30 & 18:30-22:30, closed Sun, reserve on weekends and to sit outside, Via Sant’Onofrio 1 red, one block south of Ponte Amerigo Vespucci, see map on here, tel. 055-217-134, www.anticoristorodicambi.it, run by Stefano and Fabio, the Cambi cousins).
$$$$ Olio & Convivium is primarily a catering company for top-end events, and this is where they showcase their artful, slow-food cooking (you can buy many of the ingredients on their menu). Their three intimate rooms are surrounded by fine prosciutti, cheeses, and wine shelves. It can seem a little formal, but well-dressed foodies will appreciate this place for its clubby atmosphere. Their list of €14-25 gastronomia plates offers an array of taste treats and fine wines by the glass. Take full advantage of their passion for olive oil. They also have €35-49 tasting menus and stylish €18 lunches with wine (Tue-Sun 12:00-14:30 & 19:00-22:30, closed Mon, Via di Santo Spirito 4, tel. 055-265-8198, www.oliorestaurant.it, Tommaso is the chef and owner).
(See “Oltrarno Hotels & Restaurants” map, here.)
$$ Trattoria Al Tranvai, with tight seating and small dark-wood tables, looks like an old-time tram filled with the neighborhood gang. A 10-minute walk from the river at the edge of the Oltrarno, it feels like a small town’s favorite eatery, serving creative dishes for good prices (Mon 19:00-24:00, Tue-Sat 12:30-14:30 & 19:30-22:30, closed Sun; from the Brancacci Chapel, go south on Via del Leone 5 minutes to Piazza Torquato Tasso 14 red; tel. 055-225-197, www.altranvai.it).
$$ Le Volpi e l’Uva, a wine bar just steps from Ponte Vecchio, has a limited menu of affettati (cold cuts), cheese, and crostone (hearty bruschetta)—a nice spot for a light lunch (Mon-Sat 11:00-21:00, closed Sun, 65 yards south of Ponte Vecchio—walk through Piazza Santa Felicità to Piazza dei Rossi 1, tel. 055-239-8132, run by wine experts Riccardo, Ciro, and Emilio).
$ Trattoria Sabatino, farthest of my Oltrarno listings (and not touristy), is a spacious, brightly lit mess hall. You get the feeling it hasn’t changed much since it opened—in 1956. It’s disturbingly cheap, with family character and a simple menu—a super place to watch locals munch, especially since you’ll likely be sharing a table. It’s a 15-minute walk from Ponte Vecchio (Mon-Fri 12:00-14:30 & 19:15-22:00, closed Sat-Sun, just outside Porta San Frediano, Via Pisana 2 red, see map on here, tel. 055-225-955, little English spoken).
(See “Oltrarno Hotels & Restaurants” map, here.)
This charming little street—just over Ponte alle Grazie, behind Hotel Silla—is the Oltrarno’s “hipster corner” and can be a fun place for young foodies to explore. There’s a convivial neighborhood pizzeria, an enoteca, a good gelateria (Il Gelato di Filo, at Via San Miniato 5 red), and a rollicking bar (Il Baretto del Rifrullo, at Via San Niccolò 55 red), which serves a generous buffet during happy hour. Street-art lovers enjoy popping into the Clet gallery, run by Clet Abraham, the artist who creatively disfigures signs around town. For those looking to dine, two good eateries anchor the square:
$$ Antica Mescita San Niccolò, with traditional decor but a modern approach, feels like the grandkids took over Nonno’s trattoria. Technically a wine bar, they also serve up Tuscan standbys (like soups and stews). There’s delightful seating outside in good weather; their cellar is less cozy (daily 12:00-24:00, Via San Niccolò 60 red, tel. 055-234-2836).
$$$ Zeb is a tight, mod, minimalist wine-bar/deli with one long counter (just two dozen seats). Although the name stands for zuppe e bolliti (“soup and boiled meats”), they dish up all types of well-executed and elegantly presented Florentine food. Portions are large and fun to share, served up by charming Mama Guiseppina and her son Alberto. Dinner reservations are smart (closed Wed, Via San Miniato 2 red, tel. 055-234-2864, www.zebgastronomia.com).
Nightlife: To rub elbows with the locals, head across the river toward tiny Piazza Demidoff (cross the bridge east of Ponte Vecchio and turn left, about a 10-minute walk). These places have outdoor seating, chichi interiors, and late hours: Negroni (Via dei Renai 17 red, tel. 055-243-647) and Zoe (Via dei Renai 13 red, tel. 055-243-111).
Florence is Tuscany’s transportation hub, with fine train, bus, and plane connections to virtually anywhere in Italy. The city has several train stations, a bus station (next to the main train station), and an airport (and Pisa’s airport is nearby). Livorno, on the coast west of Florence, is a major cruise-ship port.
Note that unless otherwise specified, the following connections are for Trenitalia. Italo offers additional high-speed connections to major Italian cities (including Milan, Padua, Venice, Rome, and Naples; see here).
From Florence by Train to: Pisa (2-3/hour, 45-75 minutes), Lucca (2/hour, 1.5 hours), Siena (direct trains hourly, 1.5-2 hours; bus is better because Siena’s train station is far from the center), Camucia-Cortona (hourly, 1.5 hours), Livorno (hourly, 1.5 hours, some change in Pisa), La Spezia (for the Cinque Terre, 5/day direct, 2.5 hours, otherwise nearly hourly with change in Pisa), Milan (Trenitalia: hourly, 2 hours; Italo: 2/hour, 2 hours), Venice (Trenitalia: hourly, 2-3 hours, may transfer in Bologna, often crowded—reserve ahead; Italo: 4/day, 2 hours), Assisi (8/day direct, 2-3 hours), Orvieto (hourly, 2 hours, some with change in Campo di Marte or Rifredi Station), Rome (Trenitalia: 2-3/hour, 1.5 hours, most require seat reservations; Italo: 2/hour, 1.5 hours), Naples (Trenitalia: hourly, 3 hours; Italo: hourly, 3 hours), Brindisi (8/day, 8 hours with change in Bologna or Rome), Interlaken (2/day, 5.5 hours, 2 changes), Frankfurt (6/day, 10-11.5 hours, 2 changes), Paris (5/day, 9-10.5 hours, 1-2 changes; 1 night train with change in Milan, 13 hours, important to reserve ahead at www.thello.com), Vienna (5/day, 10-11 hours, 1-2 changes).
The BusItalia Station (100 yards west of the train station on Via Santa Caterina da Siena) posts schedules for regional trips and video monitors show imminent departures. Bus service drops dramatically on Sunday. Generally, it’s best to buy tickets in the station, as you’ll pay 30 percent to buy tickets onboard. Bus info: Tel. 800-373-760 (Mon-Fri 9:00-15:00, closed Sat-Sun), www.fsbusitalia.it.
From Florence by Bus to: San Gimignano (hourly, fewer on Sun, 1.5-2 hours, change in Poggibonsi), Siena (roughly 2/hour, 1.5-hour rapida/via superstrada buses are faster than the train, avoid the slower ordinaria buses, www.sienamobilita.it), Volterra (4/day Mon-Sat, 1/day Sun, 2 hours, change in Colle di Val d’Elsa to CTT bus #770, www.pisa.cttnord.it; or faster train to Pontedera-Casciana Terme and then CTT bus #500 to Volterra, 7/day, fewer on Sun, 1.5 hours, www.pisa.cttnord.it), Montepulciano (1-2/day, 2 hours, change in Bettolle, LFI bus, www.lfi.it; or train to Chiusi, then Siena Mobilità bus to Montepulciano, www.sienamobilita.it), Florence airport (2/hour, 30 minutes, pay driver and immediately validate ticket, usually departs from platform 1, first bus departs at 5:30).
As some Tuscan towns (including Volterra and Montepulciano) have few connections, day-trippers could instead consider a guided tour such as those offered by Artviva (see here).
For small groups with more money than time, zipping to nearby towns by taxi can be a good value (e.g., €120 from your Florence hotel to your Siena hotel).
A more comfortable alternative is to hire a private car service. Florence-based Transfer Chauffeur Service has a fleet of modern vehicles with drivers who can whisk you between cities, to and from the cruise ship port at Livorno, and through the Tuscan countryside for around the same price as a cab (tel. 338-862-3129, www.transfercs.com, marco.masala@transfercs.com, Marco). Prestige Rent also has friendly, English-speaking drivers and offers similar services (office near Piazza della Signoria at Via Porta Rossa 6 red, tel. 055-398-6598, mobile 333-842-4047, www.prestigerent.com, usa@prestigerent.com, Saverio).
For information on Florence’s Amerigo Vespucci Airport, see here. For Pisa’s Galileo Galilei Airport, see here.
Cruise ships dock in the coastal town of Livorno (sometimes called “Leghorn” in English), about 60 miles west of Florence. For more details, see my Rick Steves Mediterranean Cruise Ports guidebook.
Getting to Florence: To reach Florence by train, ride the cruise line’s shuttle bus from the port to downtown Livorno, then walk to Piazza Grande; just beyond the square is the stop for buses for Livorno Centrale Station. From there, trains zip to Florence about hourly (1.5 hours). Other options include sharing a minibus taxi with other travelers (about one hour each way), or joining your cruise line’s excursion.
Getting to Pisa and Lucca: To get to Pisa by train, follow the directions above to reach Livorno Centrale Station, then hop on a train to Pisa (2-3/hour, 20 minutes). Alternatives include cheap shuttle buses arranged by the Livorno TI, or the public bus that departs downtown Livorno and drops off near the Pisa train station (1-2/hour, fewer Sat-Sun, 1.25 hours; see here for details on how to reach the Leaning Tower from the Pisa train station).
To also visit the neighboring town of Lucca, take the train there first to avoid the morning cruise-ship crowds in Pisa (trains depart Livorno about hourly, 1-1.5 hours, transfer at Pisa Centrale). A handy bus connects Lucca’s Piazzale Giuseppe Verdi to Pisa’s Field of Miracles, or take a train from Lucca to Pisa San Rossore Station, near the Field of Miracles (see here).
If you value convenience over cost, consider sharing a taxi or taking a cruise-line excursion for your Pisa/Lucca sightseeing.
Local Guide: Karin Kibby, an Oregonian living in Livorno who leads Rick Steves tours, offers a morning “slice of Italian life” walk through Livorno, focusing on local culture (includes its fantastic food market), as well as day trips throughout Tuscany (2-10 people, mobile 333-108-6348, karinkintuscany@yahoo.it).