• The Piazza del Duomo    Piazza San Giovanni  

  

  The Piazza San Giovanni and the adjacent Piazza del Duomo provide famous sights, including the Baptistery, the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo, the campanile known as Giotto’s Bell Tower and  the Duomo itself (the Cattedrale di San Maria del Fiore).
  

  •   The Duomo is considered an architectural masterpiece and is a sight to behold.  The cathedral is impressive due to its size and the incredible dimensions of its amazing dome.  If you want to see the original art from the Duomo, it is on display at the Museo dell’ Opera del Duomo. 

    • Hours of operation for the Duomo are: Monday through Wednesday 10:00  – 1700. Closes early on Thursdays (15:30) and Saturdays (16:45). Open Sunday from13:30 to 16:45. Closed Easter, Christmas and some other holy days.
      
      

  • The Museo

    • The Duomo Museum is a knockout and includes an unfinished pieta by Michelangelo (the Pieta in St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican is acknowledged to be Michelanglo’s finest). Ghiberti’s original bronze panels for the  Baptistery Doors and works by Donatello, including several magnificent statues, are on display in the Museo.

    • Hours of operation are: Monday through Saturday 0900 to 1800 and later in peak tourist season.  Closed Sunday afternoon. Last admission 40 minutes before closing.  Closed Easter and some other holy days.
      
      

  • The Baptistery

    • The Baptistery, one of the oldest buildings in Florence, is at the front of the Duomo.  It  is known for Ghiberti's bronze door panels (see the originals in the Museo).  In addition, the interior of this octagonal building is decorated with impressive mosaics and an extraordinary inlaid marble floor.

    • Hours of operation: 12:00 - 19:00 but 08:30 to 14:00 on Sundays.
      
      

  • Giotto’s Bell Tower    

    • The Bell Tower, an 87-meter high campanile, is a building of architectural renown.  The Bell Tower provides outstanding, aerial views of the Duomo. Construction started in the fourteenth century, outlasted Giotto and was completed by Talenti who followed Giotto’s design.

    • Hours of operation are 8:30 to 19:30 daily with last tickets sold 40 minutes before closing.  The Bell Tower closes earlier in off-season so be sure to check locally when you visit.

  
  
  

• Uffizi Gallery 

  • The Uffizi Gallery is one of the world’s great art museums.  You will find works by Botticelli, Giotto, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael and Titian, as well as works by  German, Dutch and French masters. 

  • If you want to see the Uffizi, you need to buy your tickets ahead or wait in long lines and possibly be denied entrance. 

    • There are a number of online services that can be used to order tickets but you might want to try the museum's official website  .

    • (Hours of operation: Tuesday through Sunday  08:15 to 16:50 (tickets usually are not sold during the last hour). Closed Monday and Holidays)

   

• Galleria Dell'Accademia 

  • This small museum is one of the most crowded in Florence due to the world’s fascination with Michelangelo’s sculpture of David. The remainder of the Galleria is focused on Florentine arts and artists.
  • You need to reserve your tickets in advance and we suggest you visit The museum's official website for information on tickets and the museum.
  • (Hours of operation: Tuesday through Sunday  08:15 to 18:50 (no ticket sales last hour) Closed Mondays and some holidays.)

  
  

• Palazzo Pitti 

  Formerly the residence of the grand dukes of Tuscany, the King of Italy and home of the Medici's, the Palazzo is furnished with treasures from the ages and features several museums/galleries, including:

  • Gallery of Modern Art                                    

  • Costume Gallery

  • Museo degle Argenti (the Medici Treasury)

  • Porcelain Museum

  • The Palatine Gallery, which includes works by Raphael, Reubens Titian and sculptures by Canova. 

  • The Boboli Gardens, originally designed by the Medici's, are one of the earliest examples of formal Italian Gardens.

    • Hours of operation: During summer from 08:15 to sunset  but closes earlier in winter (1800). Closed first and last Mondays of the month and some holidays

    • The Palazzo is on the south side of the Arno, so a visit provides a good opportunity to combine it with a look at the Ponte Vecchio.

  • (Hours for the Pitti Palace are 08:15-18:50 Tuesday through Sunday, closed Monday and some holidays.)

   

• Museum of San Marco

The former Dominican convent of San Marco contains many of the artistic works by Fra Angelico, a famous Renaissance artist known for his incredible frescoes, many of which decorate this building. Other of Fra Angelico’s works have been added to the collection more recently.

• (Hours of operation: Open Monday through Friday 08:15 to 15:30. Open Saturday and Sunday from 08:15 to 19:00.  Closed 1^st, 3^rd and 5th Sundays and the 2^nd and 4^th Mondays each month, as well as national holidays.)
  

• Bargello National Museum 

  This museum includes masterpieces by Donatello and Michelangelo and others presented  in the former Council of Justice, a building dating from the fourteenth century.  The collection features statues, including Bacchus by Michelangelo and Donatello’s David.  The collection includes tapestries, furniture and other unique works of art.

  •  (Hours of operation: Monday to Sunday 08:15 to 13:50.   Closed 1^st 3^rd and 5^th Sundays and 3rd and 4^th Mondays of each month and national holidays.)
    
    

• Ponte Vecchio

The Ponte Vecchio is the best known of Florence’s many bridges across the River Arno. The bridge was built in the fourteenth century has been filled with the shops of goldsmiths and jewelers since the early sixteenth century. Some of Italy’s finest jewelry can be found here.

• Piazza della Signoria   

  This Piazza has been the center of politics in Florence for centuries.  Fronted by the famous Palazzo Vecchio and its tower, the Square (perhaps the "L" would be  a more appropriate description) is graced with many beautiful works of art including the well known Fountain of Neptune and the equestrian statue of Cosimo. Several of the statues (David, the Lion and Judith and Holofernes)  are recreations, although the originals are in nearby museums.  The Piazza is a good place to spend a few minutes before your visit to the adjacent Uffizi Gallery. Plan on a short stroll to take in the sights and watch the crowds. 

• The Piazza is known for the original "bonfire of the vanities". In the fifteenth century, Savonarola, a monk with ultra-conservative views who had captured the imagination of the city’s residents, led them to burn books, artwork and other items that were considered “evil”.  A year later, after infuriating the Pope with a refusal to appear in Rome, he was hanged and his body burned in the same square.

   

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Giotto's Belltower from the Duomo

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Statue of Perseus slaying Medusa

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Skip The Line: Best of Florence Walking Tour including Accademia Gallery and Duomo
From Viator Tours

 

Italy's Best Places to Visit The Cities Rome Venice Florence Milan The Regions Tuscany Campania and the Amalfi Coast Liguria and the Cinque Terre The Italian Lakes Umbria Sicily and the Aeolian Isles Itineraries Our Italy Home Page

The Ponte Vecchio takes on a special allure at night

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The Palazzo Vecchio

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