Florence knows its value, and a trip to the city even for one day with the aim of sightseeing can pretty much ruffle the budget of the trip. However, among the many interesting places in the capital of Tuscany there are those that are available for inspection completely free of charge. You will learn about such sights from this article.
Helpful advice: To avoid overpaying for the services of live guides during your trip to Florence, set yourself - an audio city guide for the iPhone. This is an application with a ready-made step-by-step audio tour and built-in GPS to easily find all the route objects on a convenient built-in map.
The application works even without the Internet, and in the trial version you can listen to the first 5 points of the route for free. All 56 objects of the tour will cost only a few euros, which is ten times cheaper than the services of even the most budgetary individual guide. You can install the application on your iPhone here.
But we go directly to the most interesting sights of the city, which can be viewed completely free of charge.
1. Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore
The dome of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore flaunts on all postcards and covers of guidebooks, promising dizzying beauty to the panorama of the city to all who climb it.
The main treasury of Florence, the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, amazes with the splendor of not only external but also internal decoration. Here is stored the Pieta ("The Position in the Sepulcher") by Michelangelo and the "Mary Magdalene" by Donatello.
Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore - the main treasury of Florence
The museum complex of the cathedral also includes a museum, a baptistery, Campanile Giotto and a crypt, but free admission only applies to visiting the cathedral itself.
Address: Piazza del duomo
Opening hours: Detailed opening hours of the Cathedral can be viewed on this page.
Entrance to the cathedral itself is free, but you can purchase tickets to visit the entire complex using the link below.
| Check ticket availability and prices ››› |
2. Ponte Vecchio Bridge
For the first time, a wooden ferry across the Arno River at the site of the most famous bridge of Florence appeared even in ancient Rome. After repeated destruction, the bridge was finally rebuilt in the XIV century.
Since then, Ponte Vecchio has increasingly grown in houses, which first housed butcher shops, and then jewelry stores. You can look into jewelry boutiques on the Old Bridge today.
Today on the Ponte Vecchio bridge are jewelry stores
But it’s even more interesting to walk along the Vasari Corridor. The transition from the Palazzo Vecchio to the Palazzo Pitti over the pedestrian arch appeared in the XIV century by order of the Duke Cosimo I of Medici.
Currently, there is a gallery of self-portraits of great painters from around the world, including Raphael, Velazquez, Kiprensky, Kustodiev and others.
Address: Ponte vecchio
Opening hours: round the clock
Tickets: Visiting the Ponte Vecchio bridge itself is free, but entrance to the Vasari corridor is possible only with a guided tour of the ticket to the Uffizi Gallery.
3. Piazzale Michelangelo
Guides in chorus recommend Piazzale Michelangelo as the best viewing point for admiring the panorama of the city, and today it is considered one of the main free sights of Florence.
Crowds of townspeople and tourists gather daily to see off the sunset on the steps of the stairs leading to the square.
In the square, named after the great Italian, you can see a copy of the statue "David" and a sculptural composition, which includes 4 figures: "Morning", "Day", "Evening", "Night".
Michelangelo Square offers a magnificent view of the city
Next to Piazzale Michelangelo in spring and summer, you can also look into the Gardens of Iris and Roses.
You can admire the synchronized flowering of irises in the botanical garden for only one month - from late April to late May. The Rose Garden is open a little longer - all of May and the first half of June.
Address: Piazzale michelangelo
Opening hours: Piazzale Michelangelo - around the clock; Iris Garden daily from 10:00 to 12:30 and from 15:00 to 19:00; Rose Garden daily from 8:00 to 20:00
4. Signoria Square
Signoria Square, without exaggeration, can be considered an open-air museum: the main decoration of the historical center of Florence are numerous sculptural groups of great masters.
The Neptune Fountain is made of white marble and depicts not only the lord of the sea verses, but also the many mythical creatures that live in the depths of the sea: nymphs, mermaids, seahorses. By the way, the Neptune Fountain has been decorating the square for more than 450 years.
Signoria Square is called an open-air museum
Of no less interest is the Loggia dei Lanzi, or rather, the sculptures adorning her from the collection of the Uffizi Gallery, including works by Cellini, Giamboloni, Pio Fedi. Most of the sculptures are copies, but, for example, Perseus with the head of Medusa Cellini is the original.
Address: Piazza della signoria
Opening hours: round the clock
5. New Market Loggia (Mercato Nuovo)
A huge stone canopy is located near Signoria Square. Today, leather goods are sold here, and once on the shelves of the Loggia it was possible to pick up a hat from Italian straws or measure silk.
But tourists are not attracted here by a passion for shopping, but by a long-standing folk belief, according to which a bronze pig decorating a local fountain fulfills wishes.
To do this, put a coin in his mouth and make sure that it falls through the grate, and then click the piglet on the patch.
In the Loggia, Mercato Nuovo sells leather goods
Another interesting, but inconspicuous attraction of the Loggia is the colored marble circle, which can only be seen during those hours when the market is empty.
In the old days before the battles, the city army gathered at the altar cart, on which the city flag was hoisted. The marble circle just symbolizes one of the wheels of this wagon.
Address: Piazza della Repubblica (intersection of Via Porta Rossa and Via Por Santa Maria Calimala)
Working hours: round the clock
6. Orsanmichele Church
Orsanmichele Church has a remarkable history. She had a chance to visit both the granary and the savior of the city from the plague.
Since the middle of the XIII century, there was a grain market, as well as religious services. A landmark in the history of the church was 1348, when the city survived an epidemic of plague. The fact is that the icon of the Virgin was stored here, which was considered the savior of the Florentines.
The church is decorated with works by Donatello, Verrocchio and other famous masters
Donations poured into the temple in such an amount that as a result an amount was collected that exceeded the annual budget of the entire city.
A huge marble tabernacle was built with this money, and since it did not go well with commerce, the market was moved to a new place.
In addition to the tabernacle, the church of Orsanmichele is decorated with works by Donatello, Verocchio and other famous masters.
Address: Via Orsammichele, 4
Opening hours:
- Church (1st floor) daily from 10:00 to 16:50;
- Museum of Sculpture (2nd and 3rd floor): Mon: from 10: 00-16: 50; Sat: 10: 00-12: 30
7. Refectory of St. Apollonia
Once in the refectory of the former Benedictine monastery, you will find a fresco here, strikingly reminiscent of the greatest creation of Leonardo da Vinci and having the same name - "Last Supper".
The similarity is not accidental: the fact is that it was with this work of the Italian artist Andrea del Castagno that Leonardo was inspired while working on his masterpiece.
The Last Supper by Andrea del Castaño in the refectory of St. Apollonia
In addition to the Last Supper, the refectory of Sant'Apollonia also contains other frescoes by Castagno, however, they are preserved much worse.
The refectory of St. Apollonia is located on the territory of the University of Florence, so if you wish, you can try to go through the courtyard to the training rooms.
They will let you into the refectory for free - they will only ask you to leave a signature in the visitors book.
Address: Via XXVII Aprile, 1 Senacolo di Sant 'Appolonia
Working hours: Mon, Wed, Sat: 9: 00-12: 00
8. Dante's Church
The church of Dante is considered one of the little-known sights of Florence. If it’s hardly possible to enter Dante’s House-Museum for free, then nothing will stop you from visiting the place where, according to legend, the great poet met his main muse and love.
The Church of Santa Margherita dei Cherki hid in one of the alleys near the house of Dante. Beatrice Portinari is buried here, the meeting with which so much influenced the life and work of Dante.
In the basket next to Beatrice's tombstone there are many notes with requests
In the basket, which stands next to the tombstone, it is customary to leave notes with requests to beloved Dante.
Address: Piazza dei giuochi
Working hours: daily from 8:00 to 12:30 and from 17:00 to 19:00
9. Villa Petraia
One of the most beautiful villas of the Medici family is located on one of the hills surrounding Florence, 8 km from the historical center.
The villa’s gardens are located on three terraces, and behind the building you can find a grotto, which once served as a lot of fun for the duke and his guests: water suddenly began to pour from the pipes hidden in the grotto.
The main value of Villa La Petraia is considered the cycle of frescoes "Glory of the Medici House", executed by Volterrano in the XVII century.
Each hall presents valuable exhibits reminiscent of the luxury of bygone days. So, the harmonium, made to order in 1868, is still preserved in the music room.
The gardens of Villa Petraia are located on three terraces
You can visit the villa for free, but only with a guide who invites guests to visit once an hour.
Address: Via della Petraia, 40
Working hours: daily from 8:30 to 18:00
10. Park Cachine
Cascine Park is another former possession of the Medici family, which was first given over to agricultural land, and later arranged according to the then fashion for landscape design.
The renovated park from the end of the 18th century was accessible only to representatives of the nobility and only in the 19th century it was opened to the general public.
Today, a hippodrome and a velodrome work here, as well as a valuable collection of ancient trees. Dating is customary at the statue of the Indian prince, reminiscent of the tragic death of a foreign guest.
Address: Piazzale delle cascine
Working hours: round the clock
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Photos by: Jacopo, Rodney, dvdbramhall.
