Visit Florence Italy - Firenze Travel Guide

N°1 Florence travel guide - Tips for sightseeing, tourism in Firenze city

All sighstseeing, tourist attractions information and tips for your city break in Florence such as visiting the sights and highlights. What to visit in Firenze Italy? Your trip starts on FlorenceTips.com

Relive the Renaissance during a city break to Florence

Florence, or Firenze, is the capital of the famous Italian region of Tuscany. It is one of the most visited cities in Italy, attracting approximately ten million tourists every year. This online Florence travel guide will inform you about all the Florence attractions in the Tuscan capital and provide you with some useful tips to make a visit to the city as successful as possible. For example, it is advisable to book and reserve your tickets in advance to avoid long queues for the Uffizi Gallery and the Florence Duomo. When you take this information and tips to yourself, you are assured of a successful city trip to the city of the Renaissance, Florence!

The foundation of Firenze city

Florence city was founded in the year 59 BC by Emperor Julius Caesar. He named the Roman settlement Florentia and used the area as a large Roman army camp. Something you can still see in the street map of Firenze even now. Florentia was especially important, because it was on the Arno River and as a result a fertile valley for the Roman troops.

^{Tourism: Uffizi, Florence's most famous museum}

^{The skyline of Florence city with the Duomo}

A lively period in the Middle Ages

After the time of the Romans, Florence fell into several hands, as in the sixth century in the hands of the Longobards, a Germanic people. After this, Florence became a separate city-state and in the thirteenth century Florence took a leading position thanks to a flourishing trade in textiles and wool, supported by the Florentine banking system

The period of the Medici in Italy

In the course of time, the power of Florence city, which lay first in the hands of guilds and later of the republic, passed to noble families. The most famous example of this is the Medici family. For three centuries, the Medici ruled Firenze and later much of Tuscany. The Medici were a banking family who helped Florence reach its growth. During the time of the banking family, Florence grew into the intellectual and cultural heart of Europe, where an artistic flourishing took place. Well-known names such as Dante, Michelangelo, Botticelli, Donatello and Petrarca date from this period, which we know as the Renaissance and the reason why we still have Florence on our to do list.

Events in Firenze

During a city break Florence you can attend a number of well-known events. For example, on Easter Sunday, the Florentines have the Scoppio del Carro, detonating a decorated bullock cart in front of the Florence Duomo to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. In addition, on the Sunday after Ascension, there is the Festa del Grillo, where singing crickets are sold in the Parco del Cascine to spread happiness. In May and June there is also the Florence Music Festival, with classical concerts, operas, recitals and ballet performances at various locations in the city. Sports fans can also attend a match of the famous football club Fiorentina or music lovers can attend a concert at the Nelson Mandela Forum.

^{The beautiful Duomo of Florence Italy}

^{Places to visit in Firenze: Piazza della Signoria}

Tourism in Firenze Italy

There are so many impressive attractions to see in Florence that you could argue that the entire city is a museum and as such is also on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Below is a brief overview of the most famous tourist attractions that you must see. Many of these Florence sights are within walking distance of each other in the downtown area, but some noteworthy attractions are just outside the city. That is why you can reach many places on foot and for the hard-to-reach places you can take public transport.

Visit the Florentine churches

The most famous landmark in Florence has to be the Florence Duomo or Santa Maria del Fiore. The 115 meter high dome of the Duomo di Firenze and the adjacent Campanile have defined the Florentine skyline for centuries. When visiting the Florence cathedral, don't forget the Baptistery opposite, known for its bronze portals by Lorenzo Ghiberti. The Basilica of Santa Maria Novella, opposite the train station, is a Gothic church dating back to the fourteenth century. The Santa Maria Novella is known for the Strozzi Chapel, which is inspired by Dantes La Divina Commedia. The Santa Croce is also a Gothic basilica, which can be found in Piazza Santa Croce. The Basilica of Santa Croce is supposed to surpass the Santa Maria Novella, but is best known for the famous people buried there, such as writer and philosopher Machiavelli.

The palaces in Florence Italy

The Palazzo Vecchio has been Florence's main palace for centuries, functioning as a government building. Today you can visit it as a museum and enter the palace spire for panoramic views of the city. Another attraction worth visiting is the Palazzo Medici-Riccardi, a residential palace of the Medici family, which later housed the Riccardi. Also the impressive Pitti Palace with the accompanying Boboli gardens is a loved attraction.

Uffizi, Accademia and other museums

The Uffizi Museum is the most famous museum in Florence Italy. The art collection goes back to the collection of the Medici. The most famous work of art present is Botticelli's Birth of Venus. The previously mentioned Palazzo Pitti has also become a museum, showcasing everything from clothing to art. The accompanying Boboli gardens are also a museum in itself. Other Florence museums include the national Bargello Museum, the Galileo Museum of Galileo Galilei and the Monastery with the San Marco Museum.

Other places to visit in Florence

More tips for visiting Florence Italy: the famous bridge over the River Arno, the Ponte Vecchio, is also one of the most famous sights of the Tuscan capital. This bridge is characterized by the many jewelers, whose shops are build on the bridge. If you cross the Arno, you will soon arrive at a palace with beautiful, large gardens: the Boboli gardens. These gardens are known for the works of art that can be found there, such as the famous Grotta Grande. Also visit the famous squares, such as the Piazza della Signoria, Piazzale Michelangelo and the Piazza della Repubblica.

Best activities and places to visit

Uffizi Gallery

The Uffizi is the most famous museum in Florence, which includes famous works of art by Botticelli and Rubens. Tour the art periods, which stretch from the Middle Ages to the modern era, and let yourself be enchanted by the splendor.

• Uffizi tickets

Top 25 Florence attractions

Florence Italy is a great open-air museum for anyone who loves history and culture. The Tuscan city is full of interesting museums, squares, churches, statues and Renaissance art and is more than just the Ponte Vecchio, the Duomo or Palazzo Vecchio.

• Things to do in Florence

Duomo Florence

The Duomo is the landmark that everyone thinks about when thinking about Florence. Dominating the skyline of Florence, it has become a true landmark of the city. Climb Brunelleschi's 115 meter high dome for a beautiful view of the city.

• Tickets Duomo Florence

Accademia Gallery

The Galleria dell’Accademia is an art school, where a large collection of sculptures is collected that served to inspire the students. The most famous statue in the Accademia is Michelangelo's original David.

• Galleria dell'Accademia

Ponte Vecchio

The Ponte Vecchio is Florence's most famous bridge over the river Arno. The bridge is best known for its shops, which are located on the bridge. Blacksmiths, tanners and butchers used to live here, but nowadays you will mainly encounter jewelers here.

• Ponte Vecchio

Palazzo Vecchio

For years, the government of Florence took place in the Palazzo Vecchio. Even today, the Firenze city council still resides here. Today, however, the palace has more of a function as a museum, partly because of the famous frescoes that you can admire here.

• Palazzo Vecchio

Traveling to Florence (Italy)

Florence city can be reached in several ways. First, the city has a small airport, Amerigo Vespucci Airport. If you are already in Italy and are taking a return trip to Florence, you can also easily reach the Tuscan capital by train. By train, regional or high speed, you will arrive at Santa Maria Novella, from where you only have to walk a few minutes to get to the historic center.

Best time to travel to Firenze & Tuscany

Florence city, like the rest of Italy, has a Mediterranean climate, which means that in the summer months, in the driest months, the city has a rainfall of less than thirty milliliters. The month with the most rainfall has three times as much rainfall as the driest month. Due to the influence of the Mediterranean, the daytime temperatures in Florence are quite high and less extreme weather conditions occur. The summer months of July and August are often very hot with days averaging thirty degrees Celsius. Many Florence tourist attractions respond to this with good air conditioning, but the Duomo with its narrow stairs, it is better not to climb in direct sunlight. The best time to visit Firenze is therefore in spring or autumn, where you will still have sunny days but without the oppressive heat of the summer months.

Video: Florence Sightseeing

Where is Firenze city located in Italy?

Firenze is the capital of the Tuscany region of central Italy. It's located 89 kilometers from Pisa and 75 kilometers from Siena. The capital Rome is located 273 kilometers south of Florence city. Bologna is 104 kilometers north and Venice is already 256 kilometers away. Milan is even 307 kilometers away.