Top Things To See In Florence, Italy

Florence, Italy, the cultural epicenter of early Italian Renaissance Art in the 15th century, is a piece of artwork itself, full of beautiful sites to see and things to do. The influential Medici family once ruled here, and with their staggering wealth and generous patronage of the arts, the city not only prospered, it became incredibly beautiful.

So beautiful, that today about 16 million people a year visit. They come to see the Brunelleschi’s iconic Duomo, Michelangelo’s David, and amazing Renaissance art, stroll Palaces designed by famous Florentine architects, eat world-renowned cuisine, and experience outstanding culture.

The Top Things To See In Florence, Italy

The following are the top things to see in Florence, Italy.

Santa Maria del Fiore (Duomo)

The cathedral of Florence, dedicated to Santa Maria de Fiore (Saint Mary of the Flower), remains one of the largest churches in the world today.

Its iconic orange dome, which marked the beginning of early Italian Renaissance architecture, dominates the Florence skyline. The largest in the world at the time, it was inspired by the Pantheon.

A little known fact about this amazing building is that although the cathedral itself was started in 1296, the technology did not exist to build the dome at the time. They just knew what they wanted. Brunelleschi, who was not even born before the cathedral was built, won a competition to build it. He completed it in 1436, taking 15 years to do so. Surprisingly, he had no formal architectural training. Yet this masterpiece still stands today.

The dazzlingly detailed, green, pink, and white marble facade, was completed in 1887.

Comprised of three buildings: the cathedral, the baptistery, with its famous bronze doors known as The Gates of Paradise, and the Giotto Campanile (the bell-tower), it’s awe-inspiring. And you can really sense its scale in the small piazza as it soars 376’.

Climbing the 463 steps of Duomo is one of the top things to do here (reservations required). You’ll go past the famous fresco of the Last Judgement on the interior of the dome and get a fantastic view.

You can also climb the bell tower for panoramic views. It’s 398 steps though, so don’t attempt both in the same day.

The cathedral itself is free to visit, but some sections do have a fee. See the bottom of this post for more details on entrance and fees.

How To Get To Santa Maria del Fiore: It’s located on the Piazza Del Duomo.

Michelangelo’s David

Piazza Santa Croce

Piazza Santa Croce, or plaza of the holy cross, gets its name from the Bascilica of Santa Croce, which stands on it. This richly frescoed church, a museum itself, is also where Michelangelo is buried. Rossini, Machiavelli, and others are buried here as well.

Palazzo Vecchio

For another sweeping view of Florence, you can climb the 420 steps of this tower.

How To Get To Palazzo Vecchio: Palazzo Vecchio is located in Piazza della Signoria.

Palazzo Pitti

Originally a palace for Luca Pitti, a Florence banker, the Medici family later turned it into the main residence of the ruling families of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. It’s the largest of the Florentine palaces and the largest museum complex in Florence. It contains one of Italy’s finest collections of Italian and other paintings.

There are several museums here, including the Palatine Gallery, Silver Museum, Museum of Modern Art, Costume Gallery, and more.

How To Get To Palazzo Pitti: The Palazzo Pitti is located an 8-minute walk from Uffizi Gallery, crossing Ponte Vecchio.

Boboli Gardens

These gardens, covering 111 acres, were designed by the Medici family. Opened to the public in the mid 18th century, the “green architecture” here became a model for other European Courts. include a stop here with Pitti Palace.

How To Get To Boboli Gardens: Although Boboli Gardens has many entrances, the main entrance is from Pitti Palace.

Ponte Vecchio

This bustling medieval bridge, crosses the Arno River at its narrowest point. It’s the oldest bridge in Florence. Once lined with butchers, tanners, and farmers, it’s now filled with jewelry, art, and souvenir shops.

This is a must-visit site to experience local culture, as well as to do some shopping. You can also use it to cross the river for Pitti Palace and the Piazzale Michelangelo.

How To Get To Ponte Vecchio: Ponte Vecchio spans Arno River, a 2-minute walk from Uffizi Gallery.

Sunset in Piazzale Michelangelo

A sunset here is definitely one of the top things to see in Florence, Italy. The view is magical, especially with a spectacular sunset, but the ambiance is even better. Lined with happy tourists and couples, taking selfies, and talking about sites they’ve seen, there’s a positive buzz in the air here. Plus, there usually musicians playing here adding to the ambiance.

My sunset was a little hazy, so sorry for the bland photo…

People gather here along the balcony or sit on the steps.

There’s also a restaurant, some bars, souvenir stands here, making it a fun evening.

How To Get To Piazzale Michelangelo: Piazzale Michelangelo is a 1.2 mile (2 km) walk from Piazza del Duomo, via this route, or a short bus trip via ATAG bus 12 or 13.

Top Museums To See in Florence, Italy

Uffizi Gallery

Originally built in the 16th century as an office building for the Medici, this gallery contains one of the greatest collections of Italian Renaissance Art in the world. It has outstanding sculptures and paintings from the Middle to Modern Ages.

Some of its most famous works include ‘The Birth of Venus’ and La Primavera’ by Sandro Botticelli, ‘Medusa’ by Caravaggio, and ‘The Annunciation’, by Leonardo Da Vinci.

How To Get To The Uffizi Gallery: The Uffizi Gallery is located here, a 2-minute walk to the right of Palazzo Vecchio.

Da Vinci Museum

There are actually two museums for DaVinci, located very close together, “Le Macchine de Leonardo da Vinci” and “Museo Da Vinci”. Both feature interactive machines from his designs and are located a block from the Piazza del Duomo. The exhibit at the Museo is more hands on, so better for families, while the exhibits at Le Macchine are more fore viewing.

Galileo Museum

The Galileo Museum is a museum dedicated to Galileo with a collection of scientific instruments from ancient times, some of which Galileo used himself. It’s located near Palazzo Vecchio.

National Museum of Bargelo

Formerly a barracks and prison, this museum is dedicated to medieval and Renaissance Art. It has an amazing collection of sculptures, bronzes, textiles, and more. This museum is also located near Palazzo Vecchio.

Musei Novocento

A museum dedicated to Italian art of the 20th and 21st century. It’s located in Santa Maria Novella Square.

Other Things To See In Florence, Italy

Mercato Centrale

This open-air market, in central Florence, is full of food stalls selling quality Tuscan ingredients and foods. Artisans here take pride in presenting and selling some of the best food the region has to offer. It’s a great place to come for lunch.

How To Get To Marcato Centrale: Mercato Centrale is located a two minute walk from Medici Chapel.

Replica Statues of Michelangelo’s David

There are three statues of David in Florence. The original is in the Galleria dell’Academia di Firenze. It was moved there from its original location in Piazza della Signoria, which is where the first replica now stands. The second replica, is atop the Piazzale Michelangelo (image below).

Buying Entrance Tickets

Because Florence is such a popular destination, there are almost always long lines. Especially during peak season. Buy your tickets in advance for the top sites (Uffizi Gallery, Accademia, and climbing the Duomo), to save time and frustration.

Book online directly with the website for Uffizi Gallery and the Accademia. These tickets sell out early, so book in advance.

For Santa Maria del Fiore (Florence Cathedral), you need tickets for everything except the cathedral (baptistery, crypt, museum, Duomo). To climb the Duomo, you must purchase in advance, via the 72-hour Duomo-combo ticket.

Other Top Spots in Italy

Rome, 3 hours south, is a must-visit. The Colosseum and ancient archeological sites, rich history, impressive architecture, and food are top notch, making this one of the world’s top travel destinations.

Heading south of Rome, the ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum, are less than a 3 hour drive. Some of the world’s top archeological sites, it’s fascinating to wander the streets and homes frozen in time almost 2,000 years ago.

South of Pompeii, highlights include the idyllic beauty of the famed Amalfi coast. And, from there, the jaw-dropping beauty of Capri, is just a ferry ride away.

And Sicily, off the tip of Italy’s boot, is full of fascinating cities and sites. While the lovely Aeolian islands are scattered north of it. They’re fun to ferry between and explore one-by-one. I explored a few and hiked up the volcanic island of Stromboli for some adventure.

In Italy’s northwest, Cinque Terre is the perfect option. You can visit, and hike, between the 5 charming villages here. The vistas from each are truly spectacular. Sometimes dubbed the ”sixth” village of Cinque Terre, Portovenere, is a perfect add-on. Plus it’s less crowded.

Further north is the port town of Genoa. This melting pot city was the birthplace of both Christopher Columbus and Pesto Pasta. Interestingly, I thought I didn’t like pesto until I tried the AUTHENTIC version here. Wow!

On Italy’s east coast, Venice is a top highlight. I loved wandering its lovely canals and side streets to see the stunning architecture. I also became fascinated watching the gondoliers gliding along the canals.

To see all the highlights of Italy, as well as understand how to get around, safety, scams, logistics, and more, to help you plan your trip, see my Italy Travel Guide.