Florence Things to Do

 260 Reviews   The Ponte Vecchio, the oldest bridge in Florence by virtue that the Germans in WWII did not destroy it, crosses the Arno River near the Uffizi Gallery. Today it is lined with gold jewelry shops and... 

 143 Reviews   The Palazzo Pitti was originally the home of the Pitti family, who were wealthy bankers in Florence. It was sold to Eleanor of Toledo, wife of Grand Duke Cosimo I Medici, in 1550 and became the home... 

 182 Reviews   There are already so many tips for the Uffizi Gallery on here that I hesitate to write yet another one. But I will limit my tip to the great Renaissance paintings that are on display, and even with... 

 107 Reviews   David! He seems to be everywhere in Florence. David represents the Florentine people – the little warrior that fights the large giant (other larger city-states, Rome, etc.) and comes up victorious.... 

 135 Reviews   In the Piazza della Signoria, to the left of the Palazzo Vecchio, is a fountain with Neptune as its center piece. Neptune, the Roman god of the sea, has a face similar to Cosimo I de’ Medici. The... 

 77 Reviews   The Piazzale Michelangelo is where you go to get that fantastic view of the city of Florence with views of the Cathedral. It is near the top of the hill on the other side of the Arno River. You can... 

 98 Reviews  My friend and I didn't want to pay to go inside.; we're not much into museums when we travel together. But we found out that you can just wander through the courtyard and entrances, without paying... 

 62 Reviews  There is not much a hack like me can add to the volumes of things written about the David. I do have a bit of advice about a great thing to do while you are there. Stand aside and look away from the... 

 34 Reviews  This more "modern" square dates from the time that Florence was capital of Italy from 1865 to 1871. The square has a tourist market known as the new market and is surrounded by shooping streets that... 

 98 Reviews   On the east side of the Baptistry (the side that faces the Cathedral) are Ghiberti’s famous golden doors. These doors are the ones that Michelangelo, when he saw them for the first time, was amazed... 

 51 Reviews   Santa Maria Novella is one of the major churches in Florence. It is a Dominican church that is situated near the train station. From an art standpoint, it is a wonderful place, full of great pieces... 

 52 Reviews   San Lorenzo used to be an important church in Florence but lost its status as the cathedral was built. The Medici family paid for its renovation and, in doing so, was able to make it practically... 

 107 Reviews   Santa Croce was one of four major building projects that occurred in the 1300s and is the largest Franciscan basilica in the world. Inside are some fabulous Renaissance art works as well as the tombs... 

 17 Reviews   Before you enter this early Romanesque church, you are first struck by the view from the church. Set on a hill on the other side of the Arno River, the view is magnificent – it overlooks the city of... 

 20 Reviews   The Medici family financed the renovation of the San Lorenzo Church and the adjoining chapels. The entrance to the Medici Chapels is on the back side of the church and is separate from the church... 

 13 Reviews  The Loggia del Mercato Nuovo was designed by Battista del Tasso and built in 1551. Its original purpose was to provide local merchants with a refined place where they could sell luxury items, although... 

 15 Reviews  Dante reportedly was born in a small house still extant on Via Santa Margherita. One of the beauties about Florence is that, without some special indication of its being the Dante house, the building... 

 11 Reviews  just a twenty minute bus ride away is the town of fiesole. it's beautiful, with views of florence. you will have your own experience but for me, it was the place i want to be when i grow old. i saw a... 

 24 Reviews  Statue by Bartolomeo Ammannati. The Neptune figure, whose face resembles that of Cosimo I de' Medici, was meant to be an allusion to the dominion of the Florentines over the sea. The pedestal in the... 

 61 Reviews  Since we couldn't really afford to visit the entire duomo, we decided to pick one thing - Giotto's campanile. It costs 6 Euros to visit the campanile (vs. 8 Euros for the dome) and it's only 6 m... 

 18 Reviews  Dating back to 1255, the architecture of the Bargello is somewhat similar to that of Palazzo Vecchio in the sense that they both look like fortresses; in the case of the Bargello, it makes total sense... 

 14 Reviews  Please refer to my page on Santa Croce for more details about the structure. This church reminds me of the Pantheon in Paris or Westminster Abbey in London, not because of its design, but it is one of... 

 22 Reviews   The Cathedral Museum (Museo dell'Opera) is situated behind the cathedral in a building simply marked “MUSEO”. To the right of the entrance is a wonderful little museum bookstore – I was happily able...