Florence 1 day what to see. The main attractions of Florence: photos and descriptions. Piazza Santa Maria Novella

Hello! Finally, I can return to the story of our trip to Italy, where we went in April 2017. And today I will talk about Florence, where we stayed for 2 nights.

We arrived in Florence in the evening, around 7 o'clock (everything about getting around. And according to the plan, after checking into the hotel, we wanted to have time to see the city center, but we were very tired of the long road, and check-in was not as fast as we expected I wish we could only have enough strength to go out to the store for dinner and return successfully, because an incredible number of emigrants gather around the station at night, leading a not very civilized lifestyle. You don’t feel particularly comfortable, to put it mildly.

Cheap accommodation in the center of Florence

We settled in separate room nice apartment located 7 minutes from Santa Maria Novella station. We booked a room on Airbnb, where it is called M&B HOUSE 1 – Santa Maria Novella.

The apartment itself is charming. In it, the owners rent out 4 living rooms with two shared bathrooms (one with a shower, and the other with a tiny but bathtub) and an equipped kitchen, where you will find everything you need, including a bottle of wine if you suddenly run out of your own supplies (They cost a little more than store bought ones).


From the room page on AirBnb
From the room page on AirBnb

But we checked in with some tension, because we had informed in advance exact time arrival, but the owners did not appear even after 15 minutes of waiting at the door. After another 10 minutes, our future neighbors opened their doors to us, but the owners were not in the apartment. We began frantically calling them, and after another 10 minutes the owner’s mother, a cheerful older Italian woman who spoke exclusively Italian, came running. And after explaining ourselves on our fingers, we finally managed to check in)

There are two in the center of Florence railway stations: Santa Maria Novella and Firenze Campo di Marte. A special train runs between these stations, so you can get from one to another not only on foot, but also by train. And this is important if you came to Firenze Campo di Marte, like we did, and plan to live closer to Santa Maria Novella. And one more nuance: trains from northern cities (Verona, Venice, Bologna, etc.) arrive at Firenze Campo di Marte, but on the coast, to La Spezia and Pisa, and to Rome you will need to travel with Santa Maria Novella. An exception may be through trains across the country. Advice from the blog author

How long does it take to explore Florence?

We were planning to leave Florence, so we had one day left to explore the city, but the whole day. From my experience I recommend allocate at least 1 full day to explore Florence, otherwise you won’t have time at all. Why?

Florence - large Italian city, where thousands and thousands of tourists come every day. They go there for ancient museums containing amazing works of art from all over the world, and the city itself is a real museum under open air, every building in the city contains an incredible story, just like the streets of Florence.

Therefore, I recommend planning your trip in such a way that on 1 day you could visit one large museum and walk around the city, but no more, because in this city there are queues not only at the ticket office in museums, but also at the entrance to the museum itself, to restaurants, churches, and even to places with the best view for photographs. You simply won’t be able to see more, because you will spend most of the day in queues.

If you only have one day to explore Florence, take a stroll through the city center and one of the city's famous museums. We chose Palazzo Pitti and the beautiful Boboli Gardens. We also visited the small Galileo Galilei Museum, dedicated to all sorts of scientific gizmos.

Sights of Florence

On the map I have marked the attractions and the route that I recommend mapping out for exploring Florence if you are in the city for just 1 day.

The walk will be hard and tiring, so gather your strength, dress in comfortable clothes and shoes and go!

There are a lot of museums in Florence, every house is a palazzo, a palace where they lived famous people, characters from the pages of history. Here are just a few of these attractions - Palazzo Vecchio (in Piazza della Signoria, in front of Palazzo Vecchio, you can admire copies of the world's most famous sculptures, including Michelangelo's David), Loggia Lanzi Gallery, Palazzo Strozzi, Palazzo Medici Riccardi, Bargello Palace, Palazzo Pitti, Uffizi Gallery and many, many others. But there are also cathedrals that amaze with their beauty - the churches of Santa Maria Novella and San Lorenzo, the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore.

First of all Necessarily take a look at the Duomo, the main cathedral of Florence - the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. It’s very difficult to fit it into one frame) And even more difficult to get inside!

Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore

Santa Maria del Fiore — gothic cathedral incredible beauty, standing in the very center of Florence, has been a symbol of the city for seven centuries.

In addition to the cathedral itself, you can also go up to the observation decks of the bell tower and the dome of the cathedral and look at the city from above, go to the baptistery. True, you will have to pay for them. At the box office you will be offered complex and individual tickets.


One of the most gorgeous views of the cathedral. Wikipedia

So, for two attractions you will have to pay 15 euros (2017), for the entire complex you will have to pay about 30 euros. The ticket is valid for a day after the first pass, so you don’t have to try to finish visiting each of the attractions as quickly as possible.

Cathedral opening hours:

  • Monday - Wednesday: from 10:30 to 17:00;
  • Thursday: from 10:30 to 15:30;
  • Saturday: from 10:30 to 16:45;
  • Sunday: from 13:30 to 18:00.

Opening hours of the observation deck:

  • daily: from 10:30 to 19:00;
  • Saturday: from 10:30 to 16:40.

Cost of visiting the cathedral: It’s free, but you have to stand in a giant line of people wanting to visit the cathedral. It's incredibly long)

The exact address: Piazza del Duomo, 50122 Firenze FI, Italy

Then stroll to the Arno River and visit the Galileo Museum. You will like it if you like all sorts of “scientific things” or travel with children.

Museum of Galileo Galilei in Florence

This museum contains a huge collection of scientific instruments, and the museum itself is located in an old palace of the 11th century, the Castellani Palace, standing on the banks of the Arno River 3 minutes from the famous Ponte Vecchio(Ponte Vecchio).


From the museum's official Facebook page

I highly recommend including it in your trip plan, especially if you are traveling with children: at the end of the exhibition there are exhibits where you can test all the basic laws of physics. And there are practically no queues at the entrance to this museum.

Entrance fee in 2018– 9 euros (discount and family tickets available)

Working hours: from 9:30 to 18:00

Exact address: Firenze, Piazza dei Giudici 1

Official website of the museum— www.museogalileo.it

Palazzo Pitti and Boboli Gardens

This palace is the largest palazzo in Florence and for many years served as a haven for the strongest families of the city - the Grand Dukes of Tuscany (Medici and Habsburgs of Lorraine), and then the Italian kings. The Palazzo houses one of the finest collections of art in Florence.

Palazzo Pitti, view from the Boboli Gardens

View of Florence from the top of the Boboli Gardens

Several masterpieces from the museum itself - Palazzo Pitti

Cost of visiting Palazzo Pitti and Boboli Gardens amounts to 20 euros for every adult.

You need to buy separate tickets for Palazzo Pitti and the Boboli Gardens, but you have to stand in the same line at the box office.

Palazzo Pitti is considered one of the most visited museums in the city, so entry restrictions have been introduced there. It turns out that you will have to stand in two lines to enter this museum: first at the ticket office, and then at the entrance. The doors to the Boboli Gardens are located directly opposite the main entrance to the Palazzo; you can go there without visiting the museum. Advice from the blog author

Diagram of the Boboli Gardens and Palazzo Pitti from www.museumsinflorence.com. Helps you plan your trip.

The observation deck in the gardens is located at the highest point of the park. To do this, you need to climb up from the palazzo building, to the farthest corner.

Top 5 things every tourist needs to do in Florence

I have also compiled a small list - the top 5 things that need to be done in Florence, so that you can say that you would visit this city! It will help you stay on track and give you a starting point, a first landmark for your walk around Florence. And along the way you will meet many other wonderful sights and get a taste and color of the city.

1. Walk through the city center and admire its shrine - the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore
2. Take a walk in the Boboli Gardens and enjoy incredible views of Florence
3. Visit at least one museum in the city
4. See Michelangelo's famous David
5. Take a walk across the Arno River famous bridge Ponte Vecchio

Somewhere along the route, I suggest you have lunch at a wonderful restaurant - Fishing Lab Alle Murate. They serve the freshest seafood at very affordable prices.

I found out about this place in advance, having found a review about it somewhere on Instagram. As expected, the place turned out to be wonderful, but very popular. We had to wait 10-15 minutes until a place at the bar became available. While waiting, we were offered an aperitif - a glass of champagne.

To fully get to know Florence, half a lifetime would probably not be enough. But what if you only have one or two days? We have selected especially for you walking route around Florence, which will allow you to feel its magical atmosphere.

A tourist route in Florence should begin with a visit to the cathedral Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. From there you can head to Piazza della Signoria, which offers a magnificent view of the Palazzo Strozzi. Further walking route You can continue your tour of Florence with a walk through the Piazza della Repubblica or a visit to the Palazzo Vecchio.

If you turn left at the first intersection, in 2 minutes you will reach, and after another 7 minutes you will reach the Baptistery of San Giovanni. From here, along Via dei Servi you can get to the Orphanage - the second brilliant creation of Brunelleschi after the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore.


Continue along Piazza San Marco until monastery of San Marco, and from it - to the Palazzo Medici Riccardi. If you turn right from the latter onto Via de Gori, walk along it and turn left after one intersection, the Church of San Lorenzo will appear in front of you in all its glory.


An excellent end to a walk around the city would be a visit to the most graceful bridges of Florence - Holy Trinity and Ponte Vecchio. After this, be sure to climb the hill above the Arno River, on which the picturesque suburb Fiesole. It opens, perhaps, best view to Florence.

According to the program of our tour, we were given two days to explore Florence. Of course, this is very little, so we prepared for the trip in advance, read a lot, created our own individual program, which included the most interesting of all the attractions that can really be seen in 2 days.

Map of central Florence

I marked what we planned to see in 2 days on the map with red frames. We managed to complete the program in full, and even managed to do a little more.

A little history.....

Florence is located on the Arno River. The city was founded under Julius Caesar (59 BC) as a settlement for Roman veterans. Over its two-thousand-year history, Florence has seen a lot, and today it has something to tell us.

And a little praise...

Florence - the cradle Italian language and the Renaissance. In the past, it was the capital of the Kingdom of Italy and the Medici Dukes. Today it is the heart and administrative center of Tuscany, a city that in all its splendor is considered an open-air museum!

The cradle of the Renaissance, the most museum city in Italy, the spring city - it's all about Florence!

We started our city tour from the railway station, and I propose to repeat our route together once again and admire the beauty of this wonderful city.

Church of Santa Maria Novella

The first attraction on our way is the Church of Santa Maria Novella. The church took a long time to build and was consecrated only in 1420. It is known for its light openwork facade, reminiscent of an inlaid box. Leonardo da Vinci admired it and came here.

We walk literally a few hundred meters, and from the labyrinth of ancient streets an absolutely stunning view of the pearl of Florence opens up - the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore.

Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, which means "flower of St. Mary"

It seems that it is all made of lace: white, pink, malachite, with an arrow tower and a dome directed into the high sky.

The dome of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore (otherwise known as the Duomo) can be seen from almost anywhere in the city: you walk along the street, and suddenly this majestic and stunning vault of one of the largest basilicas in the world rises from the gap between the houses. Santa Maria del Fiore is one of the five most grandiose cathedrals in the world, its length exceeds one and a half hundred meters, and its width is almost one hundred meters; up to thirty thousand people can be here at the same time. In addition, the cathedral has a museum, a hall where the remains of an ancient church are preserved, as well as a luxurious observation deck.

Baptistery of San Giovanni

In front of the cathedral is the Baptistery of San Giovanni. Like all baptisteries in the world, the Florentine one was intended for baptisms. At one time, the Medici and Dante accepted the Catholic faith in it. This is the oldest building historical center Florence, dating back to the 5th century. But it’s not venerable age that attracts most tourists. The highlight of the Baptistery of San Giovanni - East Gate with 10 gilded bas-relief panels on biblical themes. These gates are just looking at us from the picture.

Fragment of the Eastern Gate

The gate with gilded panels depicting scenes from the New Testament, created by Lorenzo Ghiberti at the beginning of the 15th century, so impressed Michelangelo that he called it the Gates of Paradise. This name stuck and is still used today.

Camera shutters click continuously, there is something to photograph in Florence!

Santa Maria del Fiore was founded in 1296 and consecrated with an unfinished façade in 1469. Today it is the main cathedral of Florence and one of the largest temples Italy with the world's largest brick dome.

When Michelangelo left Florence to begin the construction of St. Peter, he said: “It is very difficult to do the same, and it is impossible to do better!”


Piazza Duomo or Cathedral Square

It is not surprising that such an area was chosen by artists!

The streets of Florence are made for hiking. We approach Republic Square.

Republic Square

In ancient times, the area of ​​the square was occupied by the Roman Forum; in the Middle Ages, it became the lively center of the Old Market. The square acquired its modern appearance after reconstruction in 1887. New buildings and cafes appeared, which became favorite place meetings of poets and artists. In addition, an arch was erected dedicated to the first king of a united Italy, Victor Emmanuel II.

In 1956, the “Column of Plenty” was installed in the center of the square, and the Carousel in front of the arch has always been one of children’s favorite entertainments.

A popular way to get around Florence.

Women police officers keep order...and men are not averse to posing

Photo with the Italian police as a souvenir.

Not far from the old market and the Republic Square is the New Market (Mercato Nuovo or Mercato della Paglia). It specializes in handicrafts made by Florentine artisans. The bulk of the goods are products made from the famous Florentine leather.


“In Florence, not far from Piazza del Granducca, there is a side street called, if I haven’t forgotten, Porta Rossa. There, in front of the vegetable stall, there is a bronze boar of excellent workmanship. Fresh flows from the mouth, pure water. And he himself is oldturned greenblack, only the muzzleshines like polished...

Hans Christian Andersen, fairy tale "The Bronze Boar".

The fountain "il Porcellino" is a bronze pig, one of the symbols of Florence.

Andersen was right, but he did not reveal the main secret. If you press a coin to the pig's face and then let it go, and if at the same time it rolls down and lands right in the bars, your wish will come true!

We also need to rub the nose of the wild boar Porcellino. They say that the boar's snout brings good luck to all who touch it.

It definitely brought us luck - we ended up in the Uffizi Gallery, which we had long dreamed of!

Along the way we will visit the modern Dante House-Museum. It is located on the site where the houses of the Alighieri family were once located, and the poet himself lived in one of them.

The next gift that Florence has prepared for us is Piazza della Signoria

Piazza della Signoria

Piazza della Signoria is one of the main squares in Florence.

The name of the Piazza della Senoria has nothing to do with either the lords or the senoritas. "Signoria" is the government of the Italian Republic, and Piazza della Signoria takes its name from the Palace of the Signoria, known to us today as the Palazzo Vecchio. This building, built in 1302, once housed the government of the Republic, then the Council of Priors, and now houses the municipality of Florence.

Piazza della Signoria is one of the most beautiful squares in Italy and is immortalized in millions of photographs by tourists from all over the world. I’ll add a few more of my own to the general collection.

In this square there is an equestrian monument to Cosimo I de' Medici, the first Grand Duke of Tuscany. The author of the monument, Giambologna, installed it on a marble base, where bronze bas-reliefs depict the main moments of the Duke's life.

The Neptune Fountain, by Bartolomeo Ammanati and some of his students, among whom was Giambologna, is the first public fountain in Florence. The townspeople did not really like the large white marble Neptune. According to legend, during the opening of the fountain in 1565, the Florentines exclaimed: “Ammanati, Ammanati, what beautiful marble you destroyed!”

Right in front of us former palace Signoria, now called Palazzo Vecchio. The palace was built at the turn of the 13th-14th centuries. To the right of the Palace is the Loggia Signoria, created to accommodate public meetings, which later became an exhibition space for works of sculpture.

To the right and left of the entrance to the palace are two famous sculptures: “David” by Michelangelo and “Hercules and Cacus” by Bandinelli

“When you see this statue, there is no point in looking for something more perfect - both in the past and in modern times.”

Giorgio Vasari (artist, architect, writer 1511 -1574)


The peculiarity of the statue is that for the first time in the history of art Michelangelo depicted the young king of the Jews before the battle with Goliath, and not after the victory.

Every city that claims to be cultural capital in any nomination, there is its own globally recognizable symbol. Paris has the Eiffel Tower, New York has the Statue of Liberty, St. Petersburg has the Bronze Horseman. In the “capital” of the Italian Renaissance, Florence, the statue of David by Michelangelo became such a symbol.

In the Loggia Signoria you can see "The Rape of the Sabine Women" - Giambologna's masterpiece, where three figures are sculpted from one block of marble.

According to the stories of Roman historians, Rome was inhabited mainly by men. Neighboring tribes did not want to marry their daughters to the poor population of Rome. Then Romulus threw a party and invited the neighbors. They came with their families. During the festival, the Romans unexpectedly attacked the unarmed and kidnapped their girls.

An open-air museum, it houses many masterpieces of Italian sculpture.

Bronze sculpture by Benvenuto Cellini "Perseus with the head of Medusa"

Cosimo I de' Medici commissioned a sculpture of Cellini when he returned to the city after a long trip to Europe. According to the idea of ​​the Tuscan Duke, the sculptural composition was supposed to symbolize the victory of the dynasty (personified by the courageous Perseus) over the Florentine Republic, which was symbolized by the Gorgon Medusa - a creature from ancient greek myths with a woman's face and a "mock" of snakes on her head instead of hair. Cellini immortalized Perseus at the moment when he, triumphantly, held the severed head of the Gorgon in his raised hand and trampled her crumpled dead body under his feet.

"Hercules and Centaur" - marble statue by sculptor Giambologna

The sculpture illustrates the myth of Hercules (lat. Hercules) and a centaur named Nessus. According to Greek myths, the centaur Nessus lived on the Even River and was engaged in transporting travelers from one bank of the river to the other. One day, Hercules came to the river with his wife, the warrior Deianira. Hercules decided to swim across the river, but entrusted Dejanira to the care of Nessus. The centaur turned out to be not the most decent creature and, seizing the moment, decided to take advantage of the helplessness of Hercules’ wife: according to one version, the horse man tried to abuse Deianira, according to another, to kidnap her. Hercules, of course, did not tolerate such disgrace and took revenge on Ness.

“Menelaus with the body of Patroclus” - marble copy of the 1st century AD. e.

The sculptural composition depicts the legendary hero of the Homeric epic Menelaus supporting the body of Patroclus, killed by the Trojans.

Tired of history and an abundance of impressions, tourists relax right on the square.

We continue our path to our cherished goal - the Uffizi. The gallery is located very close to Piazza della Signoria, but we decided to approach it from the Arno River.

They draw on the pavement. It feels like Florence is a city of art

A little like Gioconda, but still not Gioconda

Florentine leather goods are some of the best in the world. This choice will make your head spin.

From the observation deck we admire Giotto's Bell Tower and the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore.

We go out to the river at the Ponte Vecchio bridge

Ponte Vecchio

Ponte Vecchio was first built back in the days Ancient Rome: then this bridge was wooden, it was collapsed and washed away by floods, rebuilt again and again, but to this day it has retained its original appearance. I will tell you more about it in the next part, but today the Uffizi awaits us!

Souvenirs by the river

Uffizi Gallery

The Uffizi Gallery is not only one of oldest museums Italy, but also the most complete and significant collection of Italian painting in the world.

The gallery got its name from the Italian word “Uffici”, which means “office”. This building actually used to house the city offices.

The history of the gallery as such dates back to July 1559, when the great-grandson of Lorenzo and the new ruler of Florence, Cosimo I Medici, plotted to unite all the administrative services of the city in a common spacious palace. Master Giorgio Vasari was invited to implement the project, and he began work in 1560. From that time on, the formation of a museum began in the Uffizi building - its basis was the Medici family collection. In 1581, Cosimo's son Francesco I de' Medici exhibited ancient statues and other valuable works of art on the second floor of the eastern wing of the gallery, which marked the beginning of the work of the world famous gallery in the Uffizi building.

The gallery's doors were first opened to visitors at the end of the 16th century, but only people from the upper strata of society could enter. The general public were able to visit it only at the end of the 17th century: since 1765, the museum became accessible to everyone. This became possible thanks to the fact that the last representative of the Medici family donated the Uffizi Palace to the people of Florence.

The Uffizi Collection contains works by Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Botticelli, Raphael, Titian, Giotto, Caravaggio, Rubens, Dürer, Goya, Rembrandt, Aivazovsky and many other geniuses and unsurpassed masters of painting and sculpture.


Covered gallery leading to the ticket office.

On the Internet they intimidate that you have to stand in line for half a day, they offer to book tickets in advance at double the price. In fact, everything turned out to be simpler. There was a line at the cashier, but no more than 20 minutes. The ticket price is 12.5 Euros, but not the 30 that travel agents ask for.

We go through a metal detector and show our cameras - you can take pictures, but without flash.

Dreams come true, we are already inside the gallery. Out of several hundred photographs, I will give a few.

First corridor

Ceiling. Painting by Alessandro Allori. Grotesque decorations depicting the deeds of the Medici family. Fresco 1581

In the hall of one of the corridors of the Uffizi there was great view to the oldest Florentine bridge - Ponte Vecchio.

We try not to miss the main halls. Botticelli Hall.

In art galleries - in a flaccid body
All the melodies of miracles have awakened
And the Madonnas of someone else's Botticelli,
You celebrate so many silent masses in disbelief...
S.Cherny

Sandro Botticelli: "Birth of Venus"

The picture shows the birth of love, beauty and at the same time a scene of epiphany. But instead of Christ there is a figure of naked Aphrodite, daughter of Uranus. Shyly covering her womb and breasts, she is touching in her purity and innocence, without evoking sinful thoughts.

Bas-relief: “Birth of Venus”

Sandro Botticelli: "Madonna and Child"

Luxurious ceilings of the Uffizi Gallery

The ceiling vaults are covered with skillful paintings, along the walls there are countlessmarble masterpieces.

Suddenly we find ourselves in the Hermaphrodite Hall

The red background of the walls enhances the perception of paintings with a clear erotic slant

Sleeping Hermaphrodite. Rome, 1st century AD

In fact, the story of the Greek myth of Hermaphrodite is a rather romantic story about the fusion of two principles, and an image of a holistic personality that unites opposites.

Sculpture Hall

The pearl of the Uffizi sculptural collection is the Venus de Medici.

The Uffizi Museum is especially famous for its collection of self-portraits. It is here that the world's largest exhibition of paintings of this kind is located.

Raphael. "Self-Portrait"

Recent research into the painting has revealed the drawing below, which confirms that this is indeed an authentic self-portrait, painted around 1506. "Self-Portrait" was in the collection of Cardinal Leopold de' Medici, and since 1682 - in the collection of the Uffizi Gallery.

Titian: "Venus of Urbino"

The painting was commissioned by the Duke of Urbino (Guidobaldo II della Rovere). Perhaps his young bride served as the prototype for the Venus of Urbino Julia Varano. According to another version, the model for the painting was Titian’s beloved, whom he depicted on at least three canvases. It was also suggested that the painting could depict Urbinsky's mother, Eleanor Gonzaga.

"You can take the whole world, but leave Italy to me"

Giuseppe Verdi

More details about walks in Italy can be found in the book: " ITALIAN HOLIDAYS"


ITALIAN HOLIDAYS

This book can serve as a short guide to Italy in 7 days:

Three days in Rome(Piazza Venice. Piazza Navona. Trevi Fountain. Piazza di Spagna. Capitoline Hill. Roman Forum. Colosseum and Triumphal arches. The mouth of truth. Bridges and embankment of the Tiber. Pantheon and Rotunda Square. Roman Castles (Castelli Romani). Appian Way. Grottaferrata, Crypt Ferrata. Frascati. Castel Gandolfo. Tuskul. Streets of Rome.

Two days in Florence: Church of Santa Maria Novella. Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. Baptistery of San Giovanni. Republic Square. Piazza della Signoria. Ponte Vecchio. Uffizi Gallery. Basilica of San Lorenzo. Santa Croce (“Holy Cross”) Piazzale Michelangelo. Palazzo Pitti.

One day in Venice: Murano. St. Mark's Square and Cathedral. City Tour.

I also included in the book tourist routes, very interesting and little known to a wide range of travelers. I hope that the book will also arouse interest among those who have already visited these places, and they will be pleased to once again mentally walk through familiar places, remember and compare this virtual trip with their own impressions of this amazing and beautiful Italy.

Book price 100 rubles

Florence first attracts with its beauty and comfort, then penetrates deep into the soul, and then flies in memories and dreams, magically appearing before your eyes. The facades of buildings, the smells and sounds of cobbled streets, the friendly faces of the indigenous people and the surprised eyes of tourists - everything penetrates our consciousness and leaves an “aftertaste”. Travelers and guests of Florence have time to see its colorful, eventful life.

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Palazzo Vecchio

The government of the Florentine Republic in 1294 announced the start of construction of the Palace of Signoria, now called Palazzo Vecchio, on the site where the theater existed in ancient times. The main task for the fortress being built was to protect the residence of the priors. Subsequently, over the course of 300 years, many changes and additions were made to the original project. Today, the Palazzo Vecchio is a powerful square-shaped building with battlements, a 94-meter clock tower rising above the perimeter of the fortress, and the world-famous sculpture of Michelangelo's David (a copy of the statue stands at the entrance).

Having been inside the palace itself, a certain complete picture emerges in your mind: a courtyard, a meeting room and a salon of five hundred, painted ceilings, marble sculptures and paintings by Italian masters. Throughout the existence of the palace, it was the main administrative building of the city. Therefore, in addition to tourists, local population loves to come here on excursions and hold city events. Before visiting Palazzo Vecchio, you need to inquire whether all rooms are open to tourists. It happens that some are already rented for events and visitors are not allowed there.

Gallery Loggia Lanzi

Loggia Lanzi is 100 meters from Palazzo Vecchio. The gallery, built in the 14th century, hosted public meetings of the government of the republic. Today, it will primarily attract attention by the number of young artists sitting on the steps. A dozen sculptures are exhibited here, allowing young talents from different countries gain experience in classical drawing. All are extraordinarily beautiful. But special attention is drawn to the original sculpture of “Perseus with the Head of Medusa” by Cellini and a copy of “The Rape of the Sabine Women” by Giambologna.

Uffizi Gallery

The building of the Uffizi Gallery was intended for the administrative and clerical work of the city administration, and the Italians, always famous for their special love of art, gradually filled it with paintings and sculptures by modern masters. At first these were gifts from the personal collections of nobles, then they were joined by patrons of the arts and the artists themselves. TO XVIII century There were so many works decorating the gallery that the city administration decided to give this building to a public city museum. Today it is a world-famous exhibition site, where 6000 sq. meters there are collections of paintings from different schools of Italian painting, antique sculptures and a unique collection of tapestries.

Leaving Piazza della Signoria along Via del Proconsolo, walking tour will pass by the Bargello Palace. This 13th-century building has changed many owners over its existence. It was a barracks, a judge's residence, and even a prison. Today it is National Museum, whose art collection of sculptures is rightfully considered the best in Italy. The galleries and churches of Florence are literally overflowing with works of art. The history of the Renaissance comes to life on the local streets. Moving through the city center through the narrow, dark streets, you feel as if you are in the Middle Ages.

Via Dante Alighieri

Pause on the small street Via Dante Alighieri, leading to Dante's house. It was here, walking along the pavement as a nine-year-old boy, that Dante met the eight-year-old beauty Beatrice, the secret love of his life and the poet’s muse. Approaching Piazza Duomo, any traveler begins to feel some inner trepidation. The desire to get closer to one of the majestic Cathedrals of Europe is very strong.

Via del Proconsolo street will lead to the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore from the side of the altar, and to see the façade of the temple and the entire cathedral ensemble, you need to walk around it. The beauty that reveals itself to the eye is indescribable. The name of the cathedral is “speaking” and in translation it sounds like “Mary the Magnificent in Flowers.” The external cladding of marble walls in pearl white, soft pink and matte green makes the cathedral look like an inlaid box in which it seems that jewelry should be kept. But the interior decoration can partly disappoint with its asceticism and simplicity.

Scale Cathedral grandiose not only in size, but also in the significance of the historical events that took place within its walls. The Florentine rulers passed laws here, Savonarola read his sermons, the execution of Giuliano from the Medici family took place, and the famous author of the dome of the cathedral, Brunelleschi, and the creator of the Campanilla, Giotto, found peace. The cathedral ensemble also includes the Baptistery of San Giovanni and Giotto's Campanile (bell tower). The oldest baptismal chapel in Florence, octagonal in shape, was decorated with a unique gate by Ghiberti in the 15th century. On ten gilded reliefs of the gate he depicted scenes from the Old Testament. After Michelangelo’s enthusiastic phrase, they began to be called the “Gates of Paradise.”

Via dei Calzaiuoli street

From the Duomo you can head to the city center by main street of all times Via dei Calzaiuoli (street of hosiery and shoemakers). Pilgrims traveled along it through the city to Rome. They were robbed all over the area, and the smart Florentines solved the problem of enrichment differently. On this street they began to sell shoes and sandals to the unfortunate travelers who had lost their feet. Florence flourished in the 16th century, when numerous frescoes on street facades turned it into a bright flower. Today all that remains of these bright petals are faded shadows. But you can still see them everywhere, on almost every facade of a medieval house.

To get to Palazzo Medici Riccardi, you need to walk from Piazza Duomo in the opposite direction from the center. The residence of the most noble Italian family is the first secular building in Florence. But she looks rather ascetic and modest. In those days, the Medici bank “office”, utility rooms with stables, and the owners’ apartments were located here. It will also be interesting to see the interiors of the Palace: on some days the Chapel of the Magi with unique frescoes is open to visitors.

Church of San Lorenzo

200 meters from the Palazzo Medici you can admire the Church of San Lorenzo. Located here and crowned with glory, the Medici Chapel was created by Michelangelo in 1520 and was intended to house new burials of an ancient family. Sacristy old church The Medici by that time could not accommodate new tombs.

Santa Maria Novella

Continuing along Via del Giglio, in 5 minutes you can already reach the next architectural masterpiece Santa Maria Novella. It was this church that Giovanni Boccaccio chose for the plot scenes in The Decameron. Its long construction, begun in 1246 by Dominican monks, was completed only in the 14th century. Here you can admire not only the façade of the temple, known from Florentine postcards, but also enter the monastery’s green courtyard and the Spanish Chapel.

Now, after visiting the sights of the right bank areas of the old city, you can stroll along the famous Florentine bridges. To do this you need to go down Via del Sole and Via de Tornabuoni. By the way, at the intersection of these streets you can stop and admire Palazzo Strozzi. This is the palace of another noble family in Florence, the Strozzi clan. The appearance of the building is very similar to the Palazzo Medici, and this is understandable. After all, Strotius always competed with the Medici. It’s not the first time you’ve seen the simple façade of the first floor, the high windows of the second floor and the luxurious courtyard inside the palazzo. If you have time, it is interesting to go into the interior of the building. The medieval ambiance is preserved here authentic to that era: rings for tying horses, holders for smoking torches, etc.

Holy Trinity Bridge

You can cross to the left bank of the river via the famous Holy Trinity Bridge. The elegant design of this bridge was invented by Bartolomeo Ammannati, and it was built in the 16th century. Until now, the bridge has suffered many collapses. But even during this construction, the architect was more concerned not about practical reliability, but about the aesthetic impeccability of the building.

Brancacci Chapel and other interesting places

In the urban areas of the left bank of the river, tourists eagerly visit the Brancacci Chapel with its famous frescoes, the Basilica of the Holy Spirit with the church refectory that houses Ghirlandaio’s “Last Supper” and the Palazzo Pitti museum complex.

Ponte Vecchio Bridge

Completing walking tour along Florence and returning to the administrative center, you need to move from the Otrarno area, famous for small workshops selling their products, to the right bank. This time we will cross the Ponte Vecchio, a bridge that has become popular for photographs in tourist brochures. This bridge has always been socially significant for the Florentines. It was regularly washed away by floods and was regularly rebuilt. In the 15th century, butchers and fishmongers were moved here, and trading was only allowed on the old bridge. The waste that was dumped directly into the river carried a stench for several blocks. Over time, there were more traders, and the bridge grew in width. To this day, the outbuildings in which the shopkeepers lived have been preserved.

The nobles from the Medici family, who at that time lived in the Pitti Palace on the left bank, could not go to the Signoria through such a “pig sty”. And therefore, a covered corridor (Vasari Gallery) was built over the bridge for them. Traders with foul-smelling goods were driven away and replaced with jewelers. Many shops on the bridge sell luxurious jewelry and trinkets, and in the evening, at the end of the trade, they close, resembling precious boxes slamming shut. From now on, the luxury of exquisite decorations is hidden behind ancient wooden doors.

Florence is a city of art, the cradle of the Renaissance. The city is very conveniently located almost in the center of the route between the north of Italy and its capital. It is not difficult to get to Florence from any large city, be it Venice, Milan or Rome. Therefore, many travelers to Italy try to include Florence in their itinerary, preferring to spend only 1 day here.

Helpful advice: If you only have 1 day in Florence, download the audio city tour for iPhone [link] that BlogoItaliano released in 2019. This is a ready-made audio guide around the city, containing short informative audio stories about the 56 main attractions of Florence.

All excursion points are compiled within a single route and are plotted on a convenient map that works even without the Internet. At the same time, the built-in GPS will allow you to easily determine your location and find the way to the nearest audio tour objects.

When you download the application, you will immediately have access to a free trial version with 5 excursion points. Access to full version will cost only a few Euros and is many times cheaper than even the most budget guided tours. You can download a trial version of the audio guide on this page.

So what can you see in Florence in 1 day? Despite the fact that the city is very compact and all the central attractions are located within walking distance from each other, it is unlikely that you will be able to get around them all in 1 day.

Art is everywhere here, but visiting Florence and not visiting at least one art museum is a real crime. It is not for nothing that the art collection of this city is considered one of the best in Europe. But even a quick acquaintance with one of the museums will steal at least 2 hours of precious time.

Today Blogoitaliano will tell you which attractions on the map of Florence are worthy of special attention, but where to spend the most time, you will decide for yourself, based on your own preferences.

Morning in Florence

Most travelers stay in the “city of arts” for railway to the central one. This is where we will begin our walk. If you have not yet read our articles on how to get to Florence from the main cities of Italy, we highly recommend doing so:

You can encounter art as soon as you cross the threshold of the station building. Just opposite is the one with the same name. Church of Santa Maria Novella, which is considered the oldest in the city.

Its construction took place in the XIV-XV centuries. The Middle Ages can be traced both in the external appearance of the temple and inside. Numerous works of art are stored here, among which the most interesting is the cycle of frescoes from the biography of the Virgin Mary and John the Baptist.

In the Accademia Gallery you can find an authentic sculpture of Michelangelo's David

From the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella it makes sense to head to Academy Gallery to take a look at the genuine one. Fortunately, getting there is not difficult: follow Via Sant’Antonino until the intersection with Via Guelfa, where you should turn right and continue until the intersection with Via Ricasoli. On the left side you will undoubtedly see a long line, which will tell you that the target has been found.

To bypass the line and save several hours of precious time, it makes sense to purchase tickets to the Gallery online. BlogoItaliano wrote in detail about the Gallery and its collection.

The Uffizi Gallery is the most visited museum in Italy

An alternative to the Accademia Gallery for those who are wondering what to see in Florence in 1 day can be Uffizi Gallery– one of the largest art museums in Western Europe. Authentic works by Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Michelangelo, Rembrandt and many other outstanding geniuses from the times of the 13th to the beginning of the 20th centuries have been preserved here.

A day in Florence

If you look at the map of the sights of Florence, not far from the Accademia Gallery we will find Medici Palace. It is located on Via Camillo Cavour. In general, the Medici family different times belonged to various palaces, including the famous one in Piazza della Signoria and on the southern bank of the Arno River.

The Medici family valued art very highly. In their palaces they managed to collect the richest collection painting. For example, in the Medici Palace, the Chapel of the Magi, painted in 1461 with frescoes by Benozzo Gozzoli, has been preserved unchanged, and in the Palazzo Vecchio there is a luxurious collection of frescoes by Vasari and his students.

In the Chapel of the Magi of the Medici Palace, frescoes from the 15th century have been preserved.

You can pay tribute to the memory of the Grand Dukes of Tuscany very close by. The Medici family chose the family necropolis Chapel at the Basilica of San Lorenzo, to the design of which the great Michelangelo himself had a hand.

By the way, in addition to the basilica itself, the San Lorenzo complex also includes Laurentian Library, where you can see a huge collection of historical literature, including the 8th century Bible. and the first Roman encyclopedia.

Santa Maria del Fiore is the main treasure on the map of Florence attractions

From Piazza di San Lorenzo it’s “a stone’s throw” to Piazza del Duomo, so named due to the location located on it. The Duomo is the most significant landmark on the map of Florence. Bruneleschi's 42-meter dome has long been the main symbol in numerous photographs and postcards.

The Duomo was built over 6 centuries, starting from the end of the 13th century. Its architecture became a kind of boundary between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. It took more than half a century to build the openwork 85-meter bell towers(Campanile), which became a striking example of Florentine Gothic. Now the cathedral's campanile, together with the Bruneleschi dome, serve as excellent viewing platforms.

Baptistery of St. John the Baptist was erected in the 5th century.

In addition to the cathedral, in Piazza del Duomo you can also see Baptistery of San Giovanni. The Baptistery is the oldest building on the square. It was built back in the 5th century, and acquired the external cladding, which can still be seen now, in the 11th-12th centuries. The vault of the baptistery dome is decorated with exquisite mosaics from the 13th century.

Having taken a bird's eye view of Florence, you can move on. From Cathedral Square The street Via dei Calzaiuoli will lead to another famous square of the city -.

Palazzo Vecchio in Piazza della Signoria amazes with its monumentality

The architectural dominant of the square is Palazzo Vecchio, which we mentioned a little above. Initially, the government of the Florentine Republic (signoria) met here, and therefore the area near the palazzo began to be called the Piazza della Signoria.

Piazza della Signoria is called an open-air museum: here you can admire a collection of sculptures from the Renaissance. Unfortunately, most of the sculptures have now been replaced with copies. The originals are kept in the nearby Accademia Gallery and Uffizi Gallery.

The Basilica of Santa Croce became the necropolis of many prominent natives of Florence

From Piazza della Signoria, past the Uffizi Gallery, you can reach the embankment of the Arno River, or you can take a short walk along Via dei Gondi and Borgo dei Greci to Basilica of Santa Croce.

The basilica is considered the largest Franciscan church in the world and serves as a necropolis for prominent figures of Florence. Galileo, Rossini, Machiavelli and even the great Michelangelo himself found their final rest here.

After paying homage to the ashes of the great Florentines, return to Piazza della Signoria, from where it is easiest to go down to the banks of the Arno River. The river divides Florence into northern and southern parts.

Evening in Florence

Having spent a fair amount of time in the bustling center of Florence in 1 day, it is better to spend the evening in peace and quiet, namely, on the southern bank of the Arno River.

There are 10 bridges connecting the banks of the river. The most famous is, built back in the 14th century. near Piazza della Signoria. Since then, his appearance has not changed much. At all times, the bridge served as a center of brisk trade. At first it was occupied by butchers, but now it houses expensive jewelry stores.

The Ponte Vecchio has always been a center of bustling trade

In contrast to the enlightened center, the southern bank of the Arno was long occupied by poor neighborhoods.

In the 15th century major banker Luca Pitti bought a large plot of land on the right bank and began construction of a new palazzo, which a century later Pitti’s descendants sold to Duchess Eleonora of Toledo, the wife of the Tuscan Duke Cosimo I de’ Medici.

Under the Medici, the palace was noticeably expanded, and elegant gardens were laid out around it, which served as the prototype for many European parks.

A leisurely walk through Boboli Park will allow you to take a break from the bustle of the city and admire Florence from the height of the hill of the same name.

Boboli Gardens – cozy place for relaxation after a busy day in Florence

Well, the best way to watch the sunset is to go to Piazzale Michelangelo, which offers no less breathtaking views than from Boboli Hill. You can get to the square by walking about a kilometer along south coast Arno River.

From Piazzale Michelangelo the entire city is visible at a glance

Florence route BlogoItaliano

Of course, covering Florence in 1 day is almost impossible. It is believed that in terms of concentration of attractions per capita, the capital of Tuscany still holds first place in the world. There is so much here that you need to see. There are more than 70 museums in the city alone.

You need to allocate 4 or 5 days for it, or even better – a week. But few travelers can afford a week to visit Florence alone. It is customary to take a city by “storm”, allocating a day for it, maximum 2.

That is why in 2017 BlogoItaliano tried to create the ideal solution - a ready-made .

Just a few hours of viewing selected and structured information in PDF book format - and you will become a real expert on Florence - what and how to see in order to get the most from the city.

Florence ranks first in the world in terms of number of attractions per capita

Here's what you'll find inside:

  • Complete 1-day walking itinerary covering 25 of Florence's top attractions
  • Detailed route map in Google Maps, as well as labels for the maps.me application, so that you can transfer the map to your phone and use without internet
  • PDF version of the route that you can simply print and take with you on your trip
  • Recommendations for an application with free and high-quality audio tours, which will allow you to do without a guide
  • Little-known places and “tricks” that most tourists pass by
  • 6 observation platforms cities so that you have cool photos
  • Opening hours for the main attractions of the route so you don’t miss anything and get everything done
  • What to eat in Florence from food and where to do it [tips from local guides]
  • How to get on free and budget excursions in Florence
  • And much more…

In addition to Florence, BlogoItaliano has detailed routes for other most interesting cities Italy. View their detailed descriptions and place an order for any of them.

Well, to have even more time in Italy, subscribe to ours. In it you will find a lot useful tips, which will help you better prepare for your trip.

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Photos by: ctj71081, Petar Milošević, Roberto Taddeo, Sailko, Markus Bernet, Stefan Bauer, Benson Kua



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