What to See in Florence: Between Art, Wonder, and Timeless Views

Florence is known worldwide as one of the Italian cities where art and architecture dominate. Walking through the streets of this wonderful town, you will be enchanted by the large number of works that will appear before your eyes. The historic center of Florence is an open-air museum, and we recommend visiting it as thoroughly as possible. This guide will be useful to understand what to see in Florence and what to do, outlining the 10 things to see in Florence in a day and beyond.

Discover Florence in video

Florence as you have never seen it: art, emotion, and beauty told by the official video of Italian tourism. A perfect introduction to the city.

What to visit in Florence, attractions not to miss

The 12 most famous attractions in Florence

Florence is an open-air museum: every corner tells a part of its great artistic history. Here is a selection of the 12 attractions to start your exploration.

To be able to visit all the places of interest and attractions in Florence, it would take several days, but don’t be discouraged. If you have little time available, you can visit Florence in one day, prioritizing the visit to some monuments over others.

We thought of creating a guide for you, to help you understand what to do in Florence based on the time you have. Obviously, there are many things to see in Florence, but especially if you have little time, you should not miss out. Here are the most important places to visit in Florence and what not to miss.

What to absolutely see in Florence

1 Piazza Duomo

Piazza Duomo in Florence must absolutely be the first thing to visit in Florence. It is a truly open-air museum in the heart of the city. At one stroke you can access several monuments with a single ticket: the Duomo, the museum of the Opera del Duomo, the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, the Brunelleschi’s dome, the Giotto’s bell tower, the Baptistery of San Giovanni.

The Brunelleschi’s Dome of the cathedral of Florence is a monument open to the public where you can closely see Brunelleschian architectural structures, the 16th-century interior frescoes, and enjoy from above a spectacular view of the city.

The Giotto’s bell tower, of the Cathedral of Florence, is a monument open to the public, where visitors can closely see the 14th-century architectural structures and enjoy a beautiful panorama of the city from the panoramic terrace located at the top of the building.

2 Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore

The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore , whose construction was designed by Arnolfo di Cambio, the third and final Florentine cathedral, was dedicated in 1412 to Santa Maria del Fiore with clear allusion to the lily, symbol of the city. It was built over the second cathedral, which Paleochristian Florence had dedicated to Santa Reparata. The Museum of the Opera of Santa Maria del Fiore was created to preserve and exhibit the works of the cathedral complex. It was expanded and renovated in 1999.

3 Ponte Vecchio

The Ponte Vecchio of Florence is certainly one of the most famous bridges in the world, wonderful, romantic; a souvenir photo from this spot in Florence is a must. In ancient times it connected Palazzo Vecchio, also called Palazzo della Signoria, the political heart of the city, to Palazzo Pitti, , and therefore to the Boboli Gardens.

4 Palazzo Pitti

AOriginally the Palace was the residence of the Grand Dukes of Tuscany. Currently, it is a monumental area used as the seat of several museums and as a place for the main exhibitions in Florence.

Palatine Gallery and Royal Apartments. In the eighteenth century some representative rooms of the palace of the grand dukes of Tuscany began to be used as a picture gallery until the public opening of the collection at the beginning of the nineteenth century. The Gallery illustrates the taste of Medici and Lorraine collecting both in the setting, inspired by the decorative and representational principles of a princely gallery, and in the preference for sixteenth and seventeenth-century art represented by artists such as: Raphael, Andrea del Sarto, Pontormo, Titian, Tintoretto, Veronese, Caravaggio, Rubens, Van Dyck, Velazquez. The Gallery is annexed to the monumental apartments which preserve the furnishings from the period when they were the residence of the Italian royal family.

Costume Gallery. The museum is dedicated to the history of fashion. It hosts collections of costumes and accessories from the eighteenth century to today and theatrical costumes, as well as the restored funeral clothes of Cosimo I de’ Medici, Eleonora di Toledo e don Garzia. Exhibitions for biennial selections and temporary exhibitions.

5 Boboli Gardens

The Boboli Gardens, inside Palazzo Pitti, is wonderful and makes this place one of the unmissable points on the “Florence things to visit” list. Started in 1549, designed by Tribolo, for the duchess Eleonora di Toledo, it was enlarged and modified in the following centuries. Used for the entertainments of the grand ducal court, it was opened to the public in 1766 during the time of Pietro Leopoldo of Lorraine. It was musealized in 1992. It represents one of the greatest examples of Italian garden, which gives rational order to nature and enriches the geometry of paths and plants with grottos, statues, and fountains. Of particular artistic importance are the ancient Roman statues and those by important sculptors of the Renaissance such as Baccio Bandinelli e Giambologna. The grottos, fountains, amphitheater where court performances were held.

6 The Uffizi and the Cabinet of Drawings and Prints

The Uffizi: is another unmissable place in Florence. It is the most visited Italian museum in the world, attracting more than one million visitors every year. The line for entry will be quite long, but don’t be discouraged, the wait will be rewarded by the wonders you will find inside. The Cabinet of Drawings and Prints of the Uffizi is located on the first floor of the Vasarian complex of the Uffizi and hosts one of the most important graphic collections in the world. The collection, started around the mid-17th century by Cardinal Leopoldo de’ Medici, has been expanded over the centuries and is still continuously growing. The works (almost 150,000, including drawings and prints) date from the late 14th century to the present day. Renaissance artists prevail, in particular Florentine and Tuscan, foreign schools are significantly represented, and the presence of contemporary artists is constantly increasing. Also important is the heritage of architectural drawings. The Institute organizes periodic exhibitions, accompanied by scientific catalogs, which are presented to the public in the Exhibition Hall.

To skip the Uffizi line, choose to buy tickets in advance. Here’s how.

7 Santa Maria Novella

The Basilica of Santa Maria Novella, adjacent to the homonymous train station, is wonderful both externally and internally. It is part of the history of Florence and inside you can observe, among other things, the crucifix painted by Giotto. It requires a visit that we recommend.
The church of Santa Maria Novella, while maintaining free access to a chapel reserved for prayer and masses held on weekdays at 7:30 AM and 6 PM, and on holidays at 8:30 AM, 10:30 AM, 12 PM, and 6 PM, has been converted into a museum, with the establishment of an entrance ticket and predetermined visiting hours, in order to ensure an orderly visit to the church with wider and more convenient hours, to protect the artworks and to respect the religious function of the monument.
The Museum of Santa Maria Novella consists of a part of the monumental complex of the Dominican convent of Santa Maria Novella with its painted decorations. Since 1983, a selection of sacred furnishings belonging to the Basilica has been on display in the refectory.

8 Piazza della Signoria

Piazza della Signoria is located in the center of Florence, in front of Palazzo Vecchio and you will surely recognize it for the David (Note: the original is located at the Galleria dell’Accademia) by Michelangelo placed on the right side.

9 Monumental Complex of Santa Croce

After the 1966 flood, the rooms and artworks were restored and the museum was rearranged in 1977. The Santa Croce museum is linked to the permanent exhibition of about 300 pieces including prints and engraved wooden pieces of xylographic works by Pietro Parigi (1892-1988). Since 2002, the church of Santa Croce has also been converted into a museum and the visit to the basilica with its artworks is part of the museum route.

10 Baptistery of San Giovanni

The Baptistery of San Giovanni, masterpiece of Florentine Romanesque art. With an octagonal plan, entirely covered with slabs of white and green marble from Prato, the Baptistery is covered by an eight-slice dome resting on the perimeter walls, hidden on the outside by the elevation of the walls above the arch of the second level and by a flattened pyramid roof.

Florence, places of interest

11 Palazzo Medici Riccardi

The first museum established in Palazzo Medici Riccardi was the Medicean Museum, in the ground floor rooms, dedicated to the history of the Medici family. The current museum route instead includes the Chapel with frescoes by Benozzo Gozzoli, the Michelozzo courtyard, the garden and the Gallery frescoed in the seventeenth century by Luca Giordano. The rooms of the former Medicean Museum are now used for temporary exhibition events.

12 Cenacolo of Sant’Apollonia

The museum occupies part of the ancient monastery of the Benedictines of Sant’Apollonia, founded in 1339 and expanded in the fifteenth century. Around 1447 Andrea del Castagno frescoed the back wall of the refectory with the Last Supper, the Crucifixion, the Deposition e the Resurrection. The museum also exhibits other detatched frescoes by Andrea del Castagno with the related sinopies and paintings by Paolo Schiavo and of Neri di Bicci, coming from the monastery.

13 Giorgio Vasari House in Florence

After a restoration lasting several years, the Florentine residence where Giorgio Vasari lived the last years of his life and died there in 1574 is open to the public. The house is inside a 16th-century palace in Borgo Santa Croce, not far from the square of the same name. Over time, the house has undergone numerous interventions, which however spared the Great Hall, the only one remaining today among those frescoed by the master and his collaborators.

14 Church of San Benedetto

The first news of the church dates back to 1002, when it was defined as Ecclesia Sancti Benedicti extra muros civitatis Florentiae. In fact, at that time the church was located outside the Carolingian city walls. It was one of the 36 ancient Florentine parishes, was endowed with economic assets outside Florence and some of its Rectors are mentioned in various documents as early as 1127. San Benedetto is the only Church in Florence dedicated to the Saint founder of Western Monasticism, now also patron of Europe: Benedict of Nursia (480-547).

15 Brancacci Chapel

After the restoration of the frescoes by Masaccio, Masolino e Filippino Lippi, the Brancacci Chapel has been musealized, isolated from the Carmine church and allowing visitors access through the Cloister and the chapter house of the convent.

16 Cloister of the Scalzo

17 Basilica of San Lorenzo

The Basilica of San Lorenzo, while retaining its function of worship and parish church, has been turned into a museum allowing visits at set times and with ticket payment, in order to ensure better preservation and enjoyment of the artworks contained therein while respecting the religious function of the monument.

18 Crypt of Santa Reparata

Accessible from inside the Cathedral, the archaeological excavations that brought to light the ancient cathedral of Santa Reparata, destroyed following the construction of the new Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, can be visited.

Museums of Florence

The museum consists of the public rooms (Hall of the Five Hundred, Hall of the Two Hundred, Hall of the Lilies, and the Audience Hall) and the Medici apartments known as the Elements and Eleonora apartments, located in the Palazzo della Signoria. The visit also includes the mezzanine where the Loeser collection is exhibited.

21 Dante’s House Museum

The museum, arranged according to modern museology principles, reconstructs the political-economic and cultural environment of the time of the illustrious Florentine. The exhibition path retraces the life of the Supreme Poet through his works, the events of his family, his exile, and the Florence of the time.

22 Florence Gallery of Modern Art

The Florence Gallery of Modern Art houses artworks (paintings and sculptures) primarily related to the Tuscan figurative culture within analogical peaks ranging from the late 18th century to the period between the two world wars. It illustrates the evolution of Tuscan art from the Neoclassical, Romantic, and Purist period, focused on historically celebratory themes, to the anti-academic reform carried out after the mid-century by the Macchiaioli group, based on painting composed of spots of color and contrasts of light, with particular attention to subjects of nature and daily life.

The 19th-century itinerary concludes with expressions of Decadentism, Symbolism, Post-Impressionism, and Divisionism. Among the various artists represented are F. Hayez, S. Lega, T. Signorini, G. Fattori, C. Pissarro, M. Rosso, G. Boldini, A. Magnelli.

23 Pietro Annigoni Museum

The Pietro Annigoni Museum was established following the acquisition by the Ente Cassa di Risparmio di Firenze in agreement with the Fondazione Parchi Monumentali Bardini e Peyron of a significant portion of the rich collection of artworks created by the master, which were owned by his children. This consists of about 6000 pieces including paintings, drawings, lithographs, engravings, and sculptures, representing the highest concentration of materials related to the extensive artistic production of the Milanese-born painter.

24 Museum of the Santa Maria Novella Perfume Workshop

The museum was strongly established to bring light and life back to the machines and ancient instruments once used, of which the Workshop has been a jealous and careful custodian throughout the turbulent centuries. This is aimed not only at revealing the preparations of the Santa Maria Novella products but also intended to be created for those simply interested in visiting a traditional museum.

25 Porcelain Museum

The porcelain museum , functionally linked to the Museum of Silver and the Boboli Gardens, houses collections of table porcelains from the reigning houses that succeeded at Palazzo Pitti, from the Medici to the Lorraine to the Savoy. The first room displays porcelains of the Royal Factory of Naples, the Manifattura di Doccia founded by the Ginori. French porcelain is represented by pieces from the factories of Vincennes and Sevres. The second room features the Viennese porcelain brought by the Lorraine family. The third room displays porcelain from Meissen and other German manufactories.

26 Gucci Museum

Designed by Gucci’s Creative Director Frida Giannini, the Gucci Museum is a living space that embodies the brand’s “Forever Now” philosophy. The permanent exhibition of the Gucci archive, preserved and expanded over the years in its richness and cultural relevance, will be accompanied by a series of contemporary art installations selected with the support of the Pinault Foundation. The museum’s path will also be completed by shops for Gucci’s iconic products and gift items, a bookstone, and a café.

Florence: places to visit

27 Medici Villa of Careggi

The 15th-century villa, where Lorenzo the Magnificent died, built according to the design by architect Michelozzo is used as offices for the Careggi Hospital Company, but it is a monument open to visitors who are given a brochure containing historical notes in both Italian and English. It preserves much of the original architectural lines and 17th-century pictorial decorations.

28 Collections of the Ximenian Observatory

At its founding, the observatory, established by the Jesuit father Leonardo Ximenes in 1756, was mainly concerned with astronomy e hydraulics but soon, after the transition to the Piarist Fathers (1773) it focused on studies of meteorology and seismology. At the end of the 1700s and in the early 1800s, important mathematical and cartographic studies were conducted, which among other things led to the creation of the Geometric Map of Tuscany. The studies continue actively today and the laboratory carries out meteorological surveys and is part of the Seismic Network of the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology.

29 Gipsoteca State Art Institute

The Gipsoteca of the Florence Art Institute has the most interesting collection of plaster models in Italy, especially models of Tuscan Renaissance art. The largest core comes from the purchase, in 1922, by the then director Mario Salvini, of the collection of Oronzio Lelli.

30 Enzo Pazzagli Art Park

The Enzo Pazzagli Art Park, located in the southern area of Florence, bordered by the Arno and surrounded by a splendid landscape, is a large space dedicated to contemporary art. Thanks to its remarkable exhibition capacity (the total area exceeds 23,000 square meters), it aims to be an active center for promoting artists both local and international. Besides temporary exhibitions, it hosts a permanent “en plein air” collection of sculptures by Maestro Pazzagli and 10 other artists, surrounded by 300 cypress trees.

Other must-see Museums in Florence

31 Medici Chapels Museum

The museum path of the Medici Chapels includes the Chapel of the Princes and the New Sacristy by Michelangelo. The former houses in the crypt the tombs of the members of the Medici dynasty, in the lavish room on the upper floor the cenotaphs of the grand dukes, and in two rooms on the sides of the altar the treasure of San Lorenzo, consisting of reliquaries and other furnishings, masterpieces of Renaissance and Baroque goldsmithing. The New Sacristy was designed by Michelangelo and was begun in 1521 and later completed by Vasari. It contains the tomb of Lorenzo the Magnificent and his brother Giuliano with the statue of the Madonna with Child and the tombs of Lorenzo, Duke of Urbino and Giuliano, Duke of Nemours with the statues of the two dukes and those of Day, Night, and Dawn and of the Twilight.

32 Museum of Instruments of the Military Geographic Institute

The Museum of the Military Geographic Institute preserves a rich collection of instruments for geodesy, astronomy, topography, and physics. The number of items amounts to over 400 units. The core of the collection was born from the union of equipment existing before 1861 at the topographic-cartographic entities of the various pre-unitary States. Subsequently, with the establishment of the Military Geographic Institute, the collection expanded, often with instruments designed by internal staff and built at the institute’s own mechanical workshop. Even today the Museum enriches itself with all the instrumentation relevant to its sectors of interest as it becomes technologically outdated.

These are the main places of interest to see in Florence if you only have one day available, but if you have more time, keep in mind this additional list on “Florence museums” and “Florence, monuments”:

• Palazzo Strozzi, one of the most beautiful Renaissance palaces in Italy.
• Church of Santo Spirito, one of the most beautiful basilicas in Florence.
• San Miniato al Monte, a church located at the highest point of the city.
• San Lorenzo and Santa Croce, historic basilicas of Florence, wonderful.
• Brancacci Chapel, a Renaissance masterpiece. Unmissable.
• Oltrarno, a characteristic neighborhood connected to art and craftsmanship.
• Bargello, a very interesting museum dedicated to sculpture.
• Museum of the History of Science, located next to the Uffizi, a must-see for science lovers.

Information in brief: how to get around, where to stay in Florence, where to eat. Don’t miss visiting Florence at Christmas and at Easter, with “the explosion of the cart.”

33 Florence Card

To visit a larger number of museums we recommend purchasing the Florence Card, which will allow you free entry to the museums included in the circuit and with a minimal additional cost, free use of public transport.

34 How to get around Florence

Florence is accessible by plane, arriving at Florence Amerigo Vespucci Airport which is 4 km from the city, or by train, arriving directly in the center at the Florence Santa Maria Novella station. There are also 2 major bus stations: Florence Piazzale Montelungo e Florence Rifredi. Once you have reached the center, the best way to get around is definitely on foot. We advise against using a car because parking in Florence is not so easy to find.

35 Where to eat in Florence

Where to eat in Florence: for your lunches and dinners we recommend choosing a good restaurant, perhaps in the city center, where you can try a good Florentine steak, a fettunta or a ribollita.

36 Where to stay in Florence: central areas and budget options

Staying in Florence is a unique experience, but to avoid spending too much it’s essential to choose the right area. If you want to save without sacrificing quality, read our complete guide on where to stay in Florence without spending too much: you will find practical tips, recommended areas, and local advice.

Our advice? Look for accommodation in the historic center, so you can walk easily between museums, churches, squares, and markets. The offer of hotels e B&Bs is very wide: welcoming places, often hosted in historic buildings, with great value for money.

🛏️ Tip: also check out our selection of hotels and accommodations in Florence on FullTravel.

💡 Or search for offers on: Booking.com

All that’s left is to pack your bags, grab your camera, and head to a wonderful place that we assure you, you will never forget.

Frequently asked questions about what to see in Florence