Florence attractions

The Fountain of Neptune in Florence’s historic center is known locally as “il Biancone” (the big white one), and it’s a nickname that suits it well. In a square where there’s no lack of big sights, the Fountain of Neptune commands attention with its mythical statues, carved mostly in white Carrara marble. Take a close-up look to admire the water-gushing tritons, nymphs, and horses that cavort around the colossal statue of the sea god Neptune.

Science buffs of all ages marvel at the array of scientific and mathematical instruments at Florence’s Galileo Museum (Museo Galileo). Check out clocks, globes, and barometers commissioned by the Medici family, as well as the telescope that Galileo Galilei used to make some of his most important discoveries. Interactive exhibits demonstrate these objects’ inner workings and their lasting contributions to science—all in an 11th-century palazzo overlooking the Arno River.

In most Italian cities—and even some outside of Italy—you’ll find a Via Cavour, named for Camillo Benso di Cavour: a key architect of Italian unification and the modern Italian state. Florence is no exception, and its Via Cavour runs from just north of the Florence Duomo (Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore) past the San Marco Museum to Piazza della Libertà. The street is a practical route linking the Duomo and the northern areas of Florence, featuring a mix of shops, cafés, and historic architecture.

It’s shoes, shoes, everywhere in the small basement museum of Palazzo Spini Feroni, the historical HQ of the Ferragamo designer. Floor-to-ceiling displays flaunt original Ferragamo shoes that have become works of art in their own right, and collectively tell the story of the shoemaker-stylist and his brand’s influence on footwear around the world. Highlights include décolleté stilettos made for Marilyn Monroe, and an original cork wedge heel, patented in the 1930s.

Palazzo Davanzati is a mansion-turned-museum in the heart of Florence, offering a glimpse at what life was like in medieval Italy. Built in the 14th century, the palace contains more than 10 rooms beautifully and carefully decorated with period furniture and frescoes, as well as a courtyard and original stone and wood staircases. Daily guided tours are included within the admission price.

Dedicated to one of the greatest minds of the Italian Renaissance, the Leonardo da Vinci Museum (Museo Leonardiano di Vinci) is located in the artist’s Tuscan hometown, Vinci. Interactive exhibits detail his many talents and discoveries, from his influential drawings of the human form to his innovative designs for weaponry, clocks, and flying machines. Nearby, you can visit the countryside house where da Vinci, the original Renaissance man, was born in 1452.

Florence’s soaring 19th-century Great Synagogue, or Tempio Maggiore, is one of the largest in Italy and the focal point of the local Jewish community. An architectural marvel, the building features Moorish, Byzantine, and Romanesque decorative elements, plus a striking copper-clad dome that dominates the Florentine skyline. Inside, colorful mosaics and frescoes, ornate marble floors, and stained glass windows make this one of the most unique buildings in the city.

The Sanctuary of Monte Senario, one of Tuscany’s most important religious complexes, sits high on a hilltop overlooking the lush Mugello Valley and within the Monte Senario Nature Reserve. Experience the Vaglia woodland and the holy sanctuary, where monks have lived and worked since the 11th-century, on a serene day trip from Florence.

South of the Arno River, across the river from splashy big-ticket attractions like the Duomo, Accademia, or Uffizi Gallery, Florence gets quieter and a whole lot more beatnik. Throughout the Middle Ages and Renaissance periods, the Oltrano neighborhood was known for its craftspeople and artisan workshops. Today, it holds onto that legacy with art galleries and studios, antique shops, and vintage clothing boutiques. San Frediano in particular is where Oltrano veers off the beaten track.

Italy is famous for its fashion and design, and some of the world’s most popular luxury clothing and home decor brands come from this stylish country. If you love Italian style, visit Tuscany’s Barberino Designer Outlet to shop for designer brands from Italy at a deep discount. Just 30 minutes from Florence, you’ll get all the names you covet for up to 70 percent off.

Every year in July and August, the shell-shaped Piazza del Campo square in Siena hosts the raucous Il Palio, a historic bareback horse race between Siena’s 17 contrade (town districts), each of which has its own colors, flags, and emblems. The festivities also encompass religious services, pageants, and banquets, which celebrate this age-old Italian tradition that dates back to the early 17th century.

This cemetery in the Tuscan hills, spanning 70 acres (28 hectares), is the final resting place of more than 4,000 US soldiers who were killed during World War II. Its central area is covered with white crosses and small flags that mark the graves of the fallen, who mostly lost their lives in northern Italy and the Apennines after the 1944 liberation of Rome.

Florence’s San Lorenzo Market includes two separate markets. One is the Central Market (Mercato Centrale), an indoor food market with a trendy gourmet food court upstairs and stalls selling everything from seasonal produce to Chianti wine and Tuscany's famed olive oil on the ground floor. The other is an outdoor market brimming with touristy trinkets and affordable souvenirs as well as high-end leather goods and other Florentine crafts.

The Brancacci Chapel (Cappella Brancacci) is an iconic chapel tucked inside Florence’s Santa Maria del Carmine Church. Among the city’s most treasured landmarks, the chapel is adorned with early Renaissance-era frescoes painted in 1424 by Masaccio. So impressive is his work that the sanctuary is referred to by locals as the “Sistine Chapel of the early Renaissance.” Those interested in Italian art and history won’t want to miss it.

More cabinet of curiosities than traditional museum, the Stibbert is best known for its unusual collection of European, Islamic, and Japanese armor, which is displayed in full suits atop faux horses. Beyond the armor, visitors can explore the eclectic artifacts amassed by Frederick Stibbert, an Anglo-Italian businessman and man of letters, and enjoy a refreshing break from the high-minded atmosphere of the Uffizi and other major galleries.

Filippo Brunelleschi, a founding father of Renaissance architecture, designed the loggia of the Ospedale degli Innocenti before completing the famed Florence Duomo, giving the hospital a legitimate claim as the “first” building of the Renaissance. Originally conceived as Europe’s first orphanage, the Ospedale now hosts a museum dedicated to its history, featuring its own frescoes and artworks, along with a rooftop terrace café. Often nearly deserted, it remains one of Florence’s most underrated attractions.

The Livorno Cruise Port (Livorno Terminal Crociere), a busy shipping terminal set on the Tuscan coast, serves as a gateway to this famous Italian region and its capital city of Florence. With few attractions of its own, the port city of Livorno is primarily a jumping-off point to explore the Tuscan cities and countryside.

Sculpted in 1545 by Benvenuto Cellini, Perseus with the Head of Medusa is one of the main attractions in the Loggia dei Lanzi—the Uffizi Galleries’ (Gallerie degli Uffizi) open-air sculpture gallery. The bronze statue, which depicts the Greek hero Perseus defeating the monster Medusa, is considered to be a great masterpiece of Italian Mannerism.

What was commissioned by the Medici family, designed by Michelangelo, and home to highly valuable works written prior to the year 1000? That would be the Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana, a 16th-century library safeguarding the Medicis’ impressive collection of rare books and manuscripts. This underrated site is a must for anyone interested in the history of architecture, literature, or the most powerful family in Florentine history.

Just a few steps away from the vendors, buskers, and selfie takers at Florence’s Piazzale Michelangelo is the serene Rose Garden. Nestled in the Florentine hills just outside of the old city walls, the small public park peers out at Palazzo Vecchio and Brunelleschi’s Dome. It’s home to 400 different rose varieties, which are peppered throughout the park among benches, lily ponds, and a charming collection of animal sculptures.

The main square in Florence’s historical center, Piazza del Duomo is home to some of the city’s most impressive Renaissance architecture. While standing in the center of the piazza, you can marvel at the massive scale and stunning details of the Cathedral of Santa Maria Del Fiore, Brunelleschi’s Dome, and Giotto’s Bell Tower—all without moving your feet.

While St. Mark’s English Church was established in 1881, it is set in a 15th-century palace initially owned by the Medici family. The center of Florence’s Anglican community, the church has Renaissance Revival interiors decorated in pre-Raphaelite style, but it is most known as a venue for live concerts. Catch La Traviata, opera love duets, arias by Mozart and Rossini, and other classical music performances at this unique location.

A quintessential Tuscan villa, Villa Gamberaia has long inspired landscape architects and designers across Europe. While some interior rooms are open by reservation, the main draw is the immaculate 17th-century gardens, largely preserved since their creation. Visitors need no special expertise—simply enjoying the sweeping views over the Arno Valley is reason enough to come.

Commissioned by the wealthy Florentine Medici family in the 16th century, this structure in the Boboli Gardens was brought to life by Bernardo Buontalenti. Bestowing the space with whimsical stalactites to evoke a natural cave, Buontalenti then added Renaissance flourishes of mythical beasts, coats of arms, fountains, and frescoes through its three rooms. The imagery caught the eye of Dan Brown, who propelled the grotto to fame in the Inferno novel and film.

The Hard Rock Cafe Florence is a lively branch of the famed restaurant chain, tucked unexpectedly inside one of the city’s grand historic buildings. It features the brand’s distinctly rock ‘n’ roll atmosphere with walls decked out in memorabilia from iconic rock stars, and serves its signature menu of classic American fare—think a variety of burger choices, salads, and entrees.