25+ Top Attractions in Florence Italy

Looking for some amazing things to do in Florence Italy? Look no further!

Here’s my complete guide to the top 25+ must visit attractions, sites, and landmarks in Florence. You’ll find all the best things to do and see in this overwhelming beautiful city.

Florence is known as the “Cradle of the Renaissance.” With the best Medieval and Renaissance art in Europe, Florence is a veritable art lovers paradise.

There are so many amazing cultural attractions in Florence. You’re spoiled for choice in the city of the Italian masters.

It would take weeks to see everything Florence has to offer. Any one of its dozens of churches, palaces, and museums would be the prize tourist attraction in a smaller city. 

Florence isn’t just a painting either. Florence is an exciting city that’s alive, sensual, and romantic.

You can be seduced by Botticelli and awed by Michelangelo, in a time tunnel experience. Not surprisingly, Florence’s entire city center is a designated UNESCO site.

Let’s peak behind the elegant facades and tour Florence’s must see attractions.

We’ll visit frescoed churches, majestic cathedrals, elegant palaces and piazzas, and world class museums. And walk the same flagstones as Leonardo, Dante, and Galileo.

Top Must Visit Attractions in Florence

Here are my picks for the 27 best attractions and things to do in Florence.

1. Uffizi Gallery

Florence is synonymous with the Renaissance period of art history. The Uffizi Gallery is its premiere museum, and the third most visited site in all of Italy. For art lovers, the Uffizi is a place of pilgrimage.

The Uffizi houses the collection of the Medici, a wealthy family of art patrons that ruled Florence for three centuries. The museum has seminal works from the 13th to 18th centuries.

Some of the world’s most famous paintings are in the Uffizi — Botticelli’s Birth of Venus and Primavera, Titian’s Venus of Urbino, Leonardo da Vinci’s Annunciation, Caravaggio’s Medusa and Bacchus, Piero della Francesca’s unflattering portraits of the Duke and Duchess of Urbino, and Raphael’s Goldfinch Madonna.

READ: Guide To the Botticelli Trail in Florence

The Uffizi consists of 45 halls of art spread over two floors of the palace. If you have limited time, you should focus your efforts.

The must see halls include the Hall 2 (Giotto), Hall 8 (Lippi), Hall 10-14 (Botticelli), Hall 15 (Leonardo), Hall 35 (Michelangelo), Hall 66 (Raphael), Hall 83 (Titian), and Hall 90 (Caravaggio).

Here’s my complete guide to the Uffizi Gallery, which includes must see masterpieces and tips and tricks for visiting. If you want to do some DIY prep for the Uffizi, here are my Uffizi tips.

It’s essential to pre-book a timed entry skip the line ticket well in advance. Be aware that the Firenze Card gives you entry to the Uffizi, but no longer lets you skip the line.

The Uffizi is also a popular place to take a guided tour, because of its history and the sheer number of masterpieces. You have several options:

• a 1.5 hour small group guided tour
• a 2 hour small group guided tour
• a 2 hour private tour
• a 2 hour early entry guided tour (8:30 am)
• a combined tour of the Uffizi + Brunelleschi’s dome
• a 5 hour tour of both the Uffizi and the Accademia

Address: Piazzale degli Uffizi 6

2. Galleria dell’Accademia

After the Uffizi, the Accademia Gallery is Florence’s most visited museum. People flock in to see what is probably the world’s most famous sculpture, Michelangelo’s commanding statue of David.

The 17 foot sculpture is considered the embodiment of male beauty, a Calvin Klein-like model of physical perfection.

David was commissioned for Florence Cathedral. But the city decided the statue was too beautiful and placed outside the Palazzo Vecchio. In 1873, David was moved inside to the Accademia.

READ: Guide To the Michelangelo Trail in Florence

Michelangelo’s Prisoners grace the Hall of the Prisoners at the Accademia. They are four unfinished male nudes that were originally intended for the Tomb of Pope Julius II. You can see Michelangelo’s approach to carving; the figures appear to be emerging from the marble.

Other must see Accademia masterpieces include Giambologna’s Rape of the Sabines, Pacino di Bonaguida’s Tree of Life, Jacopo di Cione’s Coronation of the Virgin, and Daniele da Volterra’s Bust of Michelangelo.

Here’s my complete guide to seeing Michelangelo’s David. It’s really essential to purchase a ticket online. Click here to pre-book a must have timed entry skip the line ticket. A Firenze Card will also give you skip the line access.

The Accademia is also a popular place to book a guided tour. There are several options. You can book:

• a skip the line ticket + small group guided tour
• a 3 hour walking tour of Florence that includes the Accademia
• a 5 hour guided tour that includes both the Accademia and the Uffizi

Address: Via Ricasoli 58-60, near Piazza San Marco

3. National Museum of the Bargello

The Bargello houses an amazing collection of Renaissance sculptures. If you like sculpture, the Bargello should be on your Florence itinerary.

The Bargello dates from 1255. It was first a prison and then the seat of government in Florence. In 1865, the Bargello opened as a museum by royal decree.

The most important works are in the Michelangelo and Donatello rooms. Those include Michelangelo’s first major sculpture, Bacchus, and his Pitti Tondo, Donatello’s acclaimed Bronze David and St. George, and Bernini’s Bust of Costanza.

Commissioned by Cosimo de Medici, Donatello’s Bronze David is a daring depiction of a biblical theme. It’s the first freestanding nude sculpture since Greco-Roman times. But it’s not a heroic rendering.

READ: Guide To Donatello’s Masterpieces

A nubile David is peculiarly depicted wearing no clothes except for a hat and boots, perhaps to suggest his underdog status. The statue is affectionately nicknamed “Puss ‘N Boots.”

The Bargello also houses the Competition Panels. In 1401, Florence held a competition for a set of bronze doors to be made for the Baptistry of the Duomo. Artists submitted bronze samples.

Ghiberti and Brunelleschi were the finalists. Ghiberti won the competition.

For more information, here’s my guide to the Bargello’s must see masterpieces. Click here to book a skip the line ticket.

You may also want to book a 1 hour guided tour of the Bargello or a 1.5 hour private tour with an expert.

Address: Via del Proconsolo 4

4. The Duomo, Florence Cathedral

Florence Cathedral is another top attraction in Florence. It’s the most prominent landmark in Florence. It sits pretty in a pedestrianized piazza.

The Duomo was built over 172 years, beginning in 1296. The Commune of Florence hired architect Arnolfo di Cambio, a man responsible for building much of 13th and 14th century Florence.

Florence Cathedral is nicknamed the Duomo. It’s also called the Cathedral of Santa Maria della Fiore, or St. Mary of the Flowers.

There was no such saint in real life. But Florence, or Firenze, means lily flower. So the city cathedral took on the symbol of Florence.

Florence Cathedral is Gothic in style, but not in the light and elegant way you think of Paris’ Notre Dame. It’s made of brown sandstone and beautifully faced with pink, green, and white marble.

For two centuries, the Duomo was the largest (longest) cathedral in the world. Today, it’s the third largest behind St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome and St. Paul’s Cathedral in London.

Filippo Brunelleschi’s magnificent terra cotta colored dome, begun in 1418, is the highlight. Brunelleschi was the perfect balance of architect and engineer.

He was a visionary and traditionalist. Brunelleschi’s dome was almost as wide as the Pantheon in Rome. It’s still the largest brick dome ever built.

While Florence Cathedral is elegantly “frosted” with colored marble on the outside, inside Florence Cathedral is austere and almost empty. You might even wonder if it was ever finished.

You may want to book a guided tour of the Duomo itself. You can also book a guided tour of the Duomo that includes access to the dome and secret terraces that you wouldn’t see on a regular visit.

It’s absolutely essential to pre-book a ticket to climb Brunelleschi’s dome.

You can also book a combination guided tour for the Baptistery, Duomo Museum and a dome climb. This 3 hour combination guided tour covers the four attractions I’ve just mentioned, plus Giotto’s bell tower.

5. Duomo Museum

The Duomo has an absolute must visit museum, the Opera del Duomo Museum. It’s housed in the Piazza del Duomo at the back of Giotto’s Bell Tower. It also offers a nice view of the Brunelleschi’sdome from its terrace.

The first thing you see when you walk in the museum is the magnificent Hall of Paradise. The hall contains a magnificent reconstruction of a Duomo facade.

It was torn down in 1587 to make room for a Renaissance facade. But the intended facade was never completed. The reconstructed facade has exact replicas of the sculptures that once adorned it.

The other must see masterpieces in the Duomo Museum are Ghiberti’s Gates of Paradise, Michelangelo’s unfinished Florence Pieta, the Gallery of Giotto’s Bell Tower, and Donatello’s Penitent Magdalene.

One of Michelangelo’s last masterpieces, the Pieta is currently being restored behind glass walls.

Here’s my complete guide to the Duomo Museum. You can book a 2 hour guided tour that includes the Duomo Museum, the Duomo, and the Baptistery.

Address: Piazza del Duomo

6. Giotto Bell Tower | Campanile

Florence’s Bell Tower is adjacent to the Duomo, but still a separate building. When the construction of Florence Cathedral dragged on, the city decided to build something quickly for the citizens.

In 1334, the city hired a big gun, Giotto, the best artist of the 14th century. But at that time, artists rarely doubled as architects. It’s unclear how much design influence he really had.

Giotto died three years later. An architect named Francesco Talenti stepped in to finish the job. He was later named chief architect of Florence Cathedral.

If you have a passion for panoramic views, you should climb the 414 steps of the tower. The steps are narrow, which makes for a cramped but rewarding experience. But it’s one of the best viewpoints in Florence.

You can book a 2 hour tour that gives you skip the line access to the bell tower viewpoint and a guided tour of the Duomo Museum.

Address: Piazza del Duomo

7. Baptistery of St. John

The Baptistery sits in front of the main facade of Florence Cathedral. Dating from 1059, it’s over a thousand years old.

To locals, the Baptistery is Florence’s most significant monument. Yet, it seems like an underrated attraction in Florence.

The Baptistery is octagonal in shape, inspired by ancient Roman mausoleums. It has three magnificent sets of bronze doors.

On the eastern side are the famous golden “Gates of Paradise” designed by Lorenzo Ghiberti and nicknamed by Michelangelo. The originals are now housed in the Duomo Museum.

On the north side, you’ll find another set of Ghiberti doors, created in 1403-24. The doors depict scenes from the passion of Christ.

They were the result of the famous 1401 competition among artists I mentioned above. This competition basically kicked off the Renaissance era.

On the south side, the doors date from 1330. They were designed by Andrea Pisano, a student and collaborator of Giotto.

They show scenes from the life of St. John the Baptist. The Pisano doors were recently renovated.

Inside the Baptistery, the high altar houses Florence’s most precious relic, an index finger of John the Baptist. This relic drew crowds for centuries.

The Baptistry is lined with ancient Roman columns of gray granite. The stone was likely repurposed from the ancient Roman Forum down the street.

The highlight of the Baptistery is a stunning golden Byzantine style ceiling fresco. The mosaic tells the story of the Last Judgement, the apocalyptic tale where Jesus determines who will go to heaven and hell.

Jesus is 19 feet tall. There’s a shockingly low number of people depicted as heading to heaven.

Here’s my complete guide to Florence’s baptistery. Much of it is under restoration at the moment, but it’s still worth a look inside.

Address: Piazza del Duomo

8. Ponte Vecchio

Dating from 1345, the Ponte Vecchio, or “old bridge,” is Florence’s only bridge to survive WWII. The Nazis destroyed all Florence’s other bridges.

The only reason Ponte Vecchio escaped unscathed is that Hitler had a soft spot for the bridge. Instead of destroying it, he destroyed the buildings at both ends.

The Ponte Vecchio looks like houses suspended over the Arno River. It has three arches topped with a jumble of charming shops. In an urban setting, space was at a premium, so the bridge became a sort of mall.

Originally, the Ponte Vecchio housed unglamorous butcher shops. But the Medici didn’t like escorting their aristocratic guests and diplomats over the bridge with the wafting stench.

So they swamped the butchers for goldsmiths. Now, you can buy expensive jewelry on Ponte Vecchio.

9. Vasari Corridor

The Vasari Corridor was built in 1564 by architect and art historian Giorgio Vasari. It’s a one kilometer elevated passageway above the Ponte Vecchio.

The corridor was commissioned by Cosimo de Medici (the first Grand Duke of Florence) for the marriage of his son, Francesco I, to Joan of Austria.

READ: Guide To the Art Works of Giorgio Vasari

The Vasari Corridor connected the Palazzo Vecchio (government headquarters) to the Pitti Palace (the Medici’s official residence).

It served as a private walkway for the Medici and high ranking individuals. This way, they didn’t have to deal with the riff raff of Florence. The Vasari Corridor was unique for its time.

Inside the corridor, you’ll find the portrait collection of the Uffizi Gallery. There’s over 1000 paintings, including works by Filippo Lippi, Rembrandt, Velazquez, and Delacroix.

The Vasari Corridor is currently closed, with a 10 million euro renovation ongoing. It was scheduled to open to the public via a special ticket in 2022. As of late February 2023, renovations are still not complete.

In the interim, you can walk in the Grand Duke’s footsteps on YouTube here.

Address: Via della Ninna 5

10. Palazzo Vecchio

The Palazzo Vecchio is an absolute must visit attraction in Florence. So much history has happened there!

On the exterior, the palace is rather homely medieval fortress, dating from the 13th century. Like the Duomo, it was constructed by architect Arnolfo di Cambio.

Steeped in history, the Palazzo Vecchio was Florence’s seat of power. It was the home of the City Council that governed the Republic of Florence.

The palazzo is now a museum. It sits in the famous Piazza della Signoria. The lovely square is studded with many famous sculptures (or copies thereof), including Michelangelo’s David.

On the first floor of the palace, you can visit the Hall of the Five Hundred, awash with battle frescos by Giorgio Vasari. Some art historians also think there is a lost Leonardo, the Battle of Anghiari, behind the Vasari frescos.

READ: Battle of the Battle Frescos in Palazzo Vecchio

On the second floor are the sumptuously decorated private rooms of the Medici, with recently restored frescos in the beautiful Apartment of the Elements. You’ll also find a groundbreaking Judith and Holofernes sculpture by Donatello in the Hall of Lilies.

If you’re up for a climb of 400 steps, the Tower of Arnolfo offers 360 views. You enter via the Museum of Palazzo Vecchio, with a combined ticket for Palazzo Vecchio or for an additional small fee.

Here’s my complete guide to Palazzo Vecchio. If you’re visiting Florence in high season, I would definitely pre-purchase a ticket. Click here to book a skip the line ticket.

You can also book a guided tour of the palace. There is a guided secret passages tour with lunch. This guided 2 hour tour covers the palace and the Piazza della Signoria. 

Another popular 2 hour guided tour includes the palace and a climb of the Tower of Arnolfo. You can also book a private guided tour.

Address: Piazza della Signoria

11. Basilica of Santa Croce

The Basilica of Santa Croce is a must visit attraction in Florence for lovers of Renaissance art. The basilica dates from 1280.

It boasts one of the greatest assemblages of frescos, painting, sculptures, and funeral tombs in the world.

The highlight are the frescos by Giotto in the Bardi Chapel and the Peruzzi Chapel.

There are also frescos by his students Taddeo and Agnolo Gaddi. The ones by Agnolo are well preserved and have been recently renovated.

Santa Croce is also the resting place of storied Renaissance luminaries. You can find funeral tombs for Michelangelo, Ghiberti, Galileo, Dante, and Machiavelli.

Santa Croce also houses the famous Cimabue Crucifix. The artifact was damaged in a devastating flood in 1966, but has been somewhat restored.

If you want more information, here’s my complete guide to visiting the Basilica of Santa Croce complex. You can book a skip the line ticket + tour of Santa Croce. Or go on a private tour of the fascinating complex.

Address: Piazza di Santa Croce 16

12. Basilica of San Lorenzo Complex

While Santa Croce holds the superior art collection, the Basilica of San Lorenzo is more famous.

San Lorenzo was the official church of the Medici family. Michelangelo himself designed the simply stunning New Sacristy of the Medici Chapels between 1520-34.

The chapel’s coffered dome is similar to Rome’s Pantheon. The walls are clad with pink green, gold, and white marble.

There are two tombs decorated with allegories of the passage of time carved by Michelangelo — Dusk, Dawn, Day, Night. Night is regarded as one of Michelangelo’s finest works.

The other thing to see in San Lorenzo is the Chapel of the Princes. This is the main mausoleum for the Medici Family. Cosimo de Medici commissioned it in 1568. But construction only began in 1602.

The chapel walls are clad with polychrome marble and precious stones. The cupola of the chapel features a fresco by Pietro Benvenuti. The sepulcher for Lorenzo the Magnificent is adorned with Michelangelo’s Madonna and Child sculpture.

For more information, here’s my guide to San Lorenzo and my guide to the Medici Chapels. Be aware that you have to buy a separate ticket for the Medici Chapel because it’s a separate state museum.

Click here to book a skip the line ticket for this popular attraction. Click here to book a private tour with an expert.

Address: Piazza di San Lorenzo 9

13. Church of Santa Maria Novella

Santa Maria Novella was founded in 1279 by a Dominican order. The basilica has a similar design to the Duomo and Santa Croce. Polychrome and white marble create a striking front facade.

Santa Maria Novella is a beautiful church in Florence. It was founded in 1279 by a Dominican order. The basilica has a similar design to the Duomo and Santa Croce, with polychrome and white marble create a striking front facade.

The interior is a true marvel. It holds one of the most famous paintings in Italy, the Holy Trinity by Masaccio. Masaccio was an early Renaissance superhero, who tragically died young of malaria at only 27.

You’ll also want to visit both of the Strozzi Chapels. The Filippo Strozzi Chapel is to the right of the main altar. The other Strozzi Chapel is to the left up a flight of stairs.

The Filippo Chapel contains precious frescos by Filippino Lippi, an early Renaissance luminary. The frescos, dating from 1502, depict the life of the apostles Philip and James.

The choir contains another series of frescos by Domenico Ghirlandaio and his young apprentice Michelangelo.

The other Strozzi Chapel belonged to another branch of the Strozzi family. It was decorated by Andrea Ocrana in the second half of the 14th century.

Another highlight of Santa Maria Novella is the Chapter House, erected circa 1350, called the Spanish Chapel. It’s a bit of a hidden gem in Florence.

It’s a room completely covered with frescos by Andrea di Bonaiuto. The fresco cycle celebrates the spiritual and intellectual achievements of the Dominican order.

Here’s my complete guide to Santa Maria Novella. Click here to book a skip the line ticket to the basilica. You can also take a 2 hour guided tour of the basilica and its ancient pharmacy.

Address: Piazza di Santa Maria Novella 18

14. Orsanmichele | San Michele in Orto

Designed by Francesco Talenti and others, Orsanmichele is a well preserved and important 15th century Florentine church. It’s eccentric looking. Orsanmichele rises up like a three story brown rectangle.

But it’s a treasure trove of Renaissance sculpture — a sort of street view museum. Orsanmichele was originally Florence’s central grain market. It was converted into a church in 1380.

Inside, the church has a spectacular bejeweled Gothic Tabernacle altar, with a painting of the Madonna della Grazie. Legend holds that those who prayed before her were granted miracles. The original painting was lost and replaced with a 1497 painting by Bernardo Daddi.

Orsanmichele is most noted for its incredible sculpture, decorating the exuberant Gothic facade. The facade has 14 niches, each one housing a statue of a patron saint commissioned by Florence’s guilds.

Created by the best artists of the time, the exterior sculptures are now copies. The monumental originals are in the Orsanmichele Museum on the top floor of the church.

By far, Orsanmichele’s most famous sculpture is Donatello’s St. Mark. It’s the first truly Renaissance piece of art (sculpture was more advanced than painting).

St. Mark marked a revival of classical themes and naturalism. St. Mark was even given a receding hairline. Donatello’s famous St. George was also once at Orsanmichele, but was moved to the Bargello Museum.

Orsanmichele also has three sculptures by Ghiberti — St. John the Baptist (the first significant Renaissance statue in bronze), St. Matthew (Ghiberti’s most important sculpture), and St. Stephen. And also a famous sculpture by Andrea Verrochio, Doubting Thomas. Verrochio was Leonardo da Vinci’s teacher.

Orsanmichele is right in the center of Florence, just minutes from the Palazzo Vecchio. But it’s a bit of a hidden gem, where you can escape the crowds. Right now, the Orsanmichele Museum is only open on Monday and Saturday morning.

Address: Via dell’Arte della Lana

15. Pitti Palace

The magnificent Palazzo Pitti is one of my favorite attractions in Florence. It’s located across the Arno River, in the off the beaten path Oltrarno district that’s now Florence’s trendiest neighborhood.

The palace is one of Florence’s most stunning architecture gems. Built in 1457, it was designed by Brunelleschi and built for the Florentine banker Luca Pitti, a Medici rival.

But, like everything else it seems, the palace soon became Medici property. In 1549, Cosimo de’ Medici’s wife purchased the Pitti Palace.

It became the Medici’s principal private residence, the family’s third palace in Florence. The Medici expanded it and placed 8 art galleries in its interior.

READ: History of the Medici Dynasty

The most important museum is certainly the Palatine Gallery. It occupies the left wing of the first floor.

The gallery houses an impressive collection of over 500 paintings, chock a block on top of each other amid lavish furnishings. There are works by Raphael, Titian, Rubens, Caravaggio, and other European and Italian painters.

Be sure to check out Botticelli’s and Lippi’s Madonna and Child in the Prometheus Room. Two of Andrea del Sarto’s massive Assumption of the Virgin are in the Iliad Room.

And, one of my favorites, Artemisia Gentileschi, has another version of Judith in the Saturn Room.

The Royal Apartments showcase styles from three different eras of ownership. You’ll find Baroque frescoed ceilings, gilded inlaid work, Rococo stucco, and red damask decorations.

The decor is definitely not to my taste, too over the top ostentatious. But amid the cacophony, there’s a beautiful Caravaggio painting, Knight of Malta.

If you want to know more, here’s my guide to visiting the Pitti Palace. Click here to book a skip the line ticket. You can also book a guided tour of the palace and the Boboli Gardens.

Address: Piazza de’ Pitti

16. Strozzi Palace

The Strozzi were one of Florence’s wealthiest families. They were exiled from Florence in 1434. But, after accumulating more power, they made a triumphant return in 1466.

Once home, the Strozzi’s first mission was to build a mighty palazzo as a symbol of their strength. They wanted to eclipse the Pitti Palace.

The Strozzi Palace looks like a small rectangular fortress. It’s very symmetrical, with a stone facade that changes from rough hewn (on the bottom) to refined (at the top). The interior courtyard is impressive, surrounded by an arched stone arcade.

The palace remained in the hands of the Strozzi family until 1937. Now, it’s Florence’s largest space for contemporary art exhibitions. If you want to see well displayed art, this is your place. The Palazzo Strozzi holds three major exhibitions annually.

Address: Piazza degli Strozzi

17. Boboli Gardens

The historic Boboli Gardens is the backyard of the Pitti Palace. It’s the largest green space in Florence. The Boboli Gardens sprawls over 11 acres. The gardens are effectively an open air museum, with hundreds of nooks to explore.

re laid out in the Italian style, with beautifully worn Renaissance statues and fountains. The famous Fountain dell’Oceano and the Bathing Venus were sculpted by the underrated Giambologna. After Michelangelo, he was the next best sculptor of the time.

The Grotto Grande, also known as the Buontalenti Grotto’s, is a fascinating place. In 16th century Tuscany, it was the fashion to build decorative grottos reconstructing natural caves.

The grotto once had a fresco by Michelangelo (now in the Accademia) and has copies of his four slaves.

An interesting sculpture is the modern Cracked Face Statue, Tindaro Screpollato, by Igor Mitoraj.

The bronze face is huge, with green streaks running through the cracks that look like tears. The crumbling visage symbolizes both human fragility and strength.

In Renaissance times, the Boboli Gardens was the sole province of the Medici. Now, other citizens are granted access. You can enjoy the pristine greenery and have a great view of the Duomo.

Click here to pre-book an entrance ticket to the Boboli Gardens. Click here to book a 1 hour guided tour of the gardens.

Address: Piazza de’ Pitti 1

18. Piazzale Michelangelo

Piazzale Michelangelo is one of Florence’s best viewpoints. You can see a postcard worthy view of the entire cityscape of Florence.

Like Piazza della Signoria, the square has a monumental copy of Michelangelo’s David, delivered by nine pairs of oxen in 1873.

Piazzale Michelangelo isn’t ancient. In fact, it’s a fairly recent addition, designed by Giuseppe Poggi. It was built in 1869 as part of the redevelopment of Florence.

In addition to the David, there are bronze copies of the four allegories from the Medici Chapel in San Lorenzo.

How do you get to the Piazza Michelangelo? Take bus #12 (from Boboli Gardens), bus #13 (from Ponte Niccolo), or the HopOn/Hop Off Bus. More effortlessly, you can just take a taxi. There’s also a parking lot, if you have a car.

If you want to make the hike from downtown Florence, wear comfortable shoes. You can start after crossing the Ponte Vecchio.

There’s a serpentine path from Piazza Poggi. Or you can follow the 2 kilometer Via Michelangelo from Piazzo Ferruccio.

You can also book an electric bike tour of Florence that includes sunset views from the piazza and eliminates the climb.

READ: Guide To the Best Viewpoints in Florence

19. San Miniato al Monte Church

When you’re done at the Piazzale Michelangelo, you should walk 5 minutes and visit the spectacular and well preserved Church of San Miniato al Monte. It’s Florence’s crowning glory.

The church is perched even higher and with a better view. Building began in 1018. Like the Baptistry, the church is over 1000 years old.

The church takes its name from Minias, an Armenian prince who was Florence’s first martyr. Legend holds that Minias picked up his decapitated head and flew over the Arno to the church site. San Miniato Church is dedicated to the saint.

The relics of Minias are often said to be buried in the church crypt, which features frescos by Taddeo Gaddi. But that’s inaccurate. The bones were sold off to raise money for the church. So I’m not sure what’s in the crypt besides chicken bones.

San Miniato has Florence’s emblematic white and green marble facade. It’s a harmonious piece of Tuscan Romanesque architecture, a very unique building in Florence.

When you walk through the turquoise doors, you’re greeted by a spectacular interior. Every inch of the church is covered in mosaics, gold leaf, or geometric patterns, with a spectacular mosaic decorating the half dome in the apse. The marble floor is decorated with zodiac signs.

The monks of San Miniato still sing Gregorian chants at Vespers, in a small chapel at the back of the church. Anyone can go and listen. They usually chant at 5:30 pm in the summer and 4:30 pm in the winter.

Click here to book a 2 hour guided tour of the ancient basilica.

Address: Via delle Porte Sante 34

20. Museum of the San Marco Monastery

San Marco Monastery is a must visit attraction in Florence if you love the early Renaissance. In 1437, Cosimo de Medici decided to rebuild a crumbling convent complex.

He hired the architect Michelozzo. The walls were decorated by Fra Angelico and his workshop. San Marco is now a haven of uplifting tranquility and home to some of Florence’s best sacred art.

Fra Angelico was a devout monk. With Giotto and Donatello, he helped transform the art world and usher in the Renaissance.

Fra Angelico’s humanistic pieces, with delicate palettes, led him to be dubbed the “Angelic Painter” or Il Beato (the Blessed). Giorgio Vasari described Fra Angelico as a “rare and perfect talent.”

The highlight of the San Marco Museum is the Sala dell’ Ospizio, where the most important Fra Angelico paintings are housed, including The Last Judgment, The Crucifixtion and Saints, and The Annunciation (at the top of the stairs).

There are also seminal works by Ghirlandaio, Michelangelo’s teacher, including a Last Supper fresco in the Refectory. Legend holds that the cherries arranged on the tablecloth spell out a rhyme.

READ: All The Last Supper Paintings of Renaissance Italy

You can also visit the plain room where the fanatical monk Savonarola, the scourge of the Medici, lived and worked.

Also stop in to peer at the simple cell where Cosimo de Medici came to meditate. It’s decorated with Fra Angelico’s Adoration of the Magi.

Here’s my complete guide to San Marco Monastery. Click here for a skip the line ticket. Click here for a fascinating tour that gives you insight into Fra Angelico, Savonarola, and the Medici.

Address: Piazza San Marco 3

21. Brancacci Chapel in Santa Maria del Carmine

The Brancacci Chapel is another supreme example of early Renaissance painting. It’s completely filled with frescos by Masaccio and his workshop.

It’s considered one of the three important chapels of the Renaissance, along with the Giotto’s Scrovegni Chapel in Padua an Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel in Rome.

As I mentioned earlier, Masaccio was an influential painter, despite dying mysteriously at just 27. He was one of the first painters in art history to experiment with single point perspective and three dimensional space.

A Medici enemy, Felice Brancacci, commissioned the fresco cycle in 1424. They were intended to represent the life of St. Peter, from original sin to the salvation of man. After Masaccio’s death, the frescos were completed by Fillipino Lippi.

In the upper registry, there’s one of Masaccio’s greatest masterpieces, The Tribute Money. It’s a story from the new Testament when Christ is confronted by a tax collector. Christ performs a miracle, causing money to appear in the mouth of a fish.

Just to the left of The Tribute Money is another Masaccio must see masterpiece, the Expulsion of Adam and Eve From Eden. An armed angel banishes the pariahs. Adam appears ashamed and Eve cries. It’s an emotional painting.

Interestingly, Adam’s private parts were painted over with fig leafs on the order of the ultra religious Cosimo in 1642, similar to Michelangelo’s Last Judgment in the Vatican Museums. During restoration, the figure of Christ was returned to the original nude.

Here’s my complete guide to the Brancacci Chapel.

Address: Piazza del Carmine 14

22. Basilica of Santo Spirito

This is Brunelleschi’s second church in Florence. It’s a hidden gem in Florence, sitting in a shabby chic piazza in the Oltrarno district. If you’re hungry, stop in at Gustapanino for a panini.

Built in 1440, the church is a pivotal work of the early Renaissance. Brunelleschi was one of the first architects to use perspective and geometry, breaking away from outdated medieval church styles.

Brunelleschi thought beauty resided in harmony and mathematical perfection. He was inspired by the classicism of ancient Rome, creating an unassuming exterior and a rather severe interior. Brunelleschi used a latin cross (like a small t) floorpan.

The main altar, an out of place Baroque affair, is at the center of the crossing square. Three sides of Santo Spirito have a continuous succession of 40 identical semi-circular chapels. The massive pietra forte Corinthian columns give the church a monumentality.

Santo Spirito houses a wooden crucifix attributed to Michelangelo. It was carved when he was only 17. Restored, it now hangs 22 meters high in the sacristy.

There are also some notable frescos in the Bini-Capponi Chapel. And art lovers will should inspect Domenico di Zanobi’s Maddona of the Relief in the Velutti Chapel.

Address: Piazza Santa Spirito 30

23. Michelangelo’s Laurentian Library

Commissioned by Pope Clement VII, the Laurentian Library is a revolutionary and blissfully uncrowded attraction in Florence. Construction began in 1524 and the library opened in 1571. It now functions as a museum, not a library.

The Laurentian Library consists of a reading room and a 48 foot vestibule built atop the San Lorenzo cloisters. It has one of the world’s most important collections of manuscripts, which belonged to the Medici family.

In designing the library, Michelangelo broke away from classical tradition and rules of proportion. He designed a dream-like space with curves and unusual configurations.

You enter the library from the cloisters of the Basilica of San Lorenzo. (You can purchase a combined ticket to visit both.) The seemingly oversize Triple Staircase conveys a sense of movement.

It seems to pour forward like pools of liquid. It may be the first freestanding staircase in architectural history.

Wild structures surround the staircase. You almost don’t see the walls. They’re decorated with architectural elements such as extremely large low-hanging brackets.

Some of the elements are put into niches, making architecture the artwork. Columns are set into the wall or appear to rest on the corbels.

Unlike the vestibule, the Reading Room develops horizontally. There are two series of wooden benches, called plutei. There’s a white and red terra cotta floor and a coffered ceiling.

Michelangelo’s dramatic and inventive architectural style marked the beginning of Mannerism, a late Renaissance period that reinvented and put a stylized twist on classicism.

Address: Piazza San Lorenzo

24. Chapel of the Magi | Capella dei Magi

The beautiful Chapel of the Magi is located in the Medici-Riccardi Palace. The palace itself is rather a brooding rusticated stone affair. But upstairs in the Piano Nobile is one of the most beautiful chapels in Italy — the Chapel of the Magi.

The chapel is accessed via a stairway from the courtyard. It’s definitely one of the best things to do in Florence.

The Chapel of the Magi was a private chapel used exclusively for the Medici’s prayer and devotion. The chapel is decorated with a beautiful series of frescos painted in 1459 by Benozzo Gozzoli.

Gozzoli was trained by Ghiberti and Fra Angelico. He thus developed a charming narrative style.

The frescos are in two parts, the Procession of the Magi on three walls in the main room and the Adoration of the Magi in the chancel. They’ve recently been restored to their full technicolor glory.

The frescos are meant to glorify the Medici family. It was a form of propaganda to show their wealth and greatness. Throughout the chapel, there’s an abundance of purple porphyry and gold, just to underscore the point.

The Procession of the Magi covers three of the four chapel walls. Each wall represents one of the three kings or magi arriving in Bethlehem to pay homage to the newborn king, bringing expensive gifts. Famous Medici appear in under the guise of the magi, equating themselves with immortality.

On the east wall, there’s a portrait of Lorenzo the Magnificent at the age of 10 on a white horse. There’s also a portrait of Giuliano, Lorenzo’s brother who was assassinated in the Pazzi Conspiracy (more on that below).

Cosimo the Elder appears riding a donkey, a reference to Jesus himself. Is Cosimo trying to appear modest or as the second coming? It’s delightfully unclear.

Book early. This intimate space is only open to small groups at any given time. Though you’ll have no trouble getting in during off season.

READ: Guide To the Most Beautiful Chapels in Italy

Address: Via Camillo Cavour 3

25. Casa Buonarotti

Casa Buonarroti is fantastic. It’s one of the most underrated and overlooked museums in Florence.

The museum was a property once owned by the famed Renaissance artist Michelangelo, whose last name was Buonarroti. Later, the palace was transformed into a house-museum by his heirs.

The museum was designed to celebrate the great artist’s legacy. It’s a visual, and somewhat romanticized, biography of his life. If you’re a Michelangelo fan, Casa Buonarroti is a must visit attraction in Florence.

Casa Buonarroti has two of Michelangelo’s earliest known works of sculpture. It houses Michelangelo’s majestic wooden model for the facade of the Basilica of San Lorenzo.

To top that, this tiny museum has the world’s second most important collection of Michelangelo drawings.

Address: Via Ghibellina, 70

26. Church of the Annunciation | Santissima Annunziata

Santissima Annunziata was rebuilt in 1444-81 by the famed Florentine architect Michelozzo. It’s considered his masterpiece. The church also houses some superb works of Florentine art.

Inside, the nave was begun by Michelangelo in 1444. It was completed in a different style by Leon Battista Alberti. After you enter, on the left, you’ll see an elegant marble temple by Michelozzo. The temple was commissioned to hold the miraculous picture of the Annunciation.

The tale behind the painting goes like this. A 13th century monk, Fra Bartolomeo, fell asleep while painting an Annunciation. When he awoke, the monk found that angels had completed Mary’s face. The miracle drew pilgrims to the church.

You’ll find beautiful Andrea del Castagno’s frescos, Redeemer and St. Julian and Trinity. Another chapel has a panel by Perugino, Ascension of Christ. The sculptor Giambologna’s tomb is inside, adorned with frescoes, statues, and reliefs. And there’s a beautiful painting by Giorgio Vasari, Saint Luke Painting the Virgin.

In the cloister are the chapterhouse, several chapels, and the sacristy. The Votive Chapel boasts frescos by Andrea del Sarto, Cosimo Rosselli, Alesso Baldovinetti.

Address: Piazza della Santissima Annunziata

27. Bardini Gardens

The Bardini Villa and Gardens are situated between Costa San Giorgio and Borgo San Niccolo. They’re close to the more famous Boboli Gardens of the Pitti Palace, but much less crowded.

Beginning in the 13th century, the gardens belonged to the Mozzi family. In the 20th century, famous art dealer Stefano Bardini purchased the villa, gardens, and the surrounding properties. The gardens officially opened to the public in 2005, after a massive restoration.

The Bardini Gardens contains 10 acres of woods, cypress trees, terrace gardens, and fruit orchards. It’s the perfect serene environment to take a relaxing stroll or stop to read a book.

The most famous spot is the whimsical Wisteria Tunnel of purple flowers. If you go to the gardens in mid-April/May, the wisteria will be in peak bloom.

The best spot for views is from the Belvedere terrace, where you get a panoramic views of the Duomo, Santa Croce, and the nearby town of Fiesole (which is an easy day trip from Florence).

If you have time, pop into the Villa Bardini. It houses the Roberto Capucci Museum, which is essentially an archive of the Roman designer.

Click here to book a 3 hour walking tour of the Bardini and Boboli gardens.

Address: Costa San Giorgio 2

I hope you’ve enjoyed my guide to the top attractions in Florence. You may enjoy these other Florence travel guides:

• 1 Day itinerary for Florence
• 2 Day Itinerary for Florence
• 3 Day Itinerary for Florence
• Ultimate Guide to Florence’s Museums
• Guide To Florence’s Best Churches
• Florence Art Bucket List
• Hidden Gems in Florence
• Best Views in Florence
• Best Day trips From Florence
• Free Things To Do in Florence
• Guide to the Piazza della Signoria

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