Florence

Museums & Exhibitions

Discover masterpieces of art at one of Italy (and the world’s) greatest art museums, and enjoy priority entrance at the world-famous Uffizi Gallery in Florence. Marvel at Italian Renaissance art by some of the greatest artists of all times. See paintings by Michelangelo, Da Vinci, Raffaello, Giotto, Cimabue, Masaccio, and others. Go to the gallery’s most renowned room to see the stunning collection by Botticelli. Admire his “Primavera” and “The Birth of Venus,” and reflect upon his representation of the birth of the goddess as she emerges from the sea foam. Escape the hassle and hurry of organized group tours, and explore at your own pace. You are free to stay inside the museum for as long as you like.

The Accademia Gallery is particularly famous for its sculptures by Michelangelo: the Prisoners, the St.Matthew and, especially, the statue of David.  Admire the 5.17-meter marble statue representing the Biblical hero David, a favored subject in Florentine art. The statue soon came to symbolize the defence of civil liberties embodied in the Republic of Florence, an independent city-state threatened on all sides by more powerful rival states and by the hegemony of the Medici family.    In the adjacent rooms, which were part of two former convents, important works of art are collected here from the Academy of Design, the Academy of Fine Arts and from suppressed convents.  Recently the Gallery has been further enriched by the important collection of old musical instruments from the Cherubini Conservatory, the Department of Musical Instruments.

Designed by Filippo Brunelleschi in the 15th century, the Dome of Santa Maria del Fiore is an architecture and engineering masterpiece. This Dome is one of the biggest in Europe but thanks to Brunelleschi's ingenuity is also the first one to be built without wooden base. Just be carefull when you climbing up in a certain point you will come across Vasari's Last Judgement fresco, also be aware that those steps are 463 all worthed to be done. Once you have reached the top of the Dome, get ready for a stunning view of Florence

The gardens extend over a vast area forming an open-air museum with antique and Renaissance statues, grottoes, and large fountains. Exploring its numerous and varied walks one is able to evoke the spirit of life at court. The Grotta del Buontalenti is an artificial cave filled with false stalactites and stalagmites, with statues of sheep, shepherds, and Romans goddesses. The cave is located close to the entrance of the Boboli Garden and at the end of the Vasari Corridor. 

The original palazzo was built for the Pitti family in 1457, designed by Filippo Brunelleschi. Pitti Palace is the former home of the powerful Medici family, the lavish Renaissance palace now hosts an extraordinary collection of art. Admire some of the incredible works amassed by the Medicis during their rule. See works from Raphael, Caravaggio, Titian, Pietro da Cortona and Rubens. From the windows, catch views of Brunelleschi’s Santo Spirito Basilica and the Boboli Gardens. Today, the Pitti Palace houses some of the most important museums in Florence: on the first floor is the Palatine Gallery, containing a broad collection 16th and 17th century paintings, and the Royal Apartments, containing furnishings from a remodeling done in the 19th century. The Gallery of Modern Art, located on the second floor of the Pitti Palace, has a fine collection of paintings and sculpture, mostly Italian, dating from the late 18th century to World War I. The elegant rooms, which were inhabited by the Lorraine grand dukes, are decorated with works of the neo-classical and romantic periods.

Make your way to the Leonardo Interactive Museum in the heart of Florence, just steps from the Accademia Gallery, and discover a family-friendly exhibition guaranteed to stimulate your curiosity. Marvel at machines built to scale and according to Da Vinci's original designs. Learn about some of Leonardo’s major studies of anatomy and see high-resolution backlit replicas of his main paintings to explore his medical and artistic achievements. Organized into 4 sections - earth, water, air, and fire - the museum provides descriptions in Italian, English, French, German, Spanish and Russian for your convenience. Benefit from multimedia displays about the artist and inventor's extraordinary life and works.

On this guided tour of the Uffizi Gallery, see beautiful artwork from the Middle Ages and Renaissance Period, a vast array of ancient statues found in the corridors, and beautiful architectural features, many designed by Giorgio Vasari. Explore the gallery's halls and see works including Botticelli's Birth of Venus, Caravaggio's Medusa, Michelangelo's Doni Tondo, and drawings and paintings by Leonardo Da Vinci. As you marvel at the art, learn about the art and artists found within the gallery's collection. After your guided tour, you will be free to explore the rest of the gallery for as long as you like.

Travel back to the days of the Medici family on a self-guided tour of the Medici Chapel in the Basilica of San Lorenzo, Florence. Enter the chapels, built as a mausoleum for the Medici family, and discover treasures such as the 16th-century New Sacristy ("Sagrestia Nuova"). Part of the vast San Lorenzo Basilica complex, the chapels were richly decorated to serve as the last resting place for members of one of the most important and powerful families of the Florentine Renaissance from the mid-15th century onwards. Admire the genius of Michelangelo’s craftsmanship at the New Sacristy. Designed for the tombs of Lorenzo and Giuliano de' Medici, its mix of architecture and sculpture is considered one of the great masterpieces of the Italian Renaissance.

Cross the threshold of an ancient monumental complex founded by the Franciscans in the early thirteenth century. The complex is still perfectly preserved to this day. See famous works of art and be inspired by this unique complex, where art, tradition, and spirituality are all intertwined. There are thousands of masterpieces of inestimable value that, over the centuries, have made Santa Croce a unique place and an unmissable destination from the time of the 'Grand Tour' up until the modern day. Discover works by Cimabue, Giotto, Brunelleschi, Donatello Bronzino, Vasari, and Canova. Be inspired by the monumental tombs the greatest historical figures in Italy including Dante, Machiavelli, Michelangelo, Galileo, Alfieri, Rossini, and Foscolo. Enter the Pazzi Chapel, designed by Filippo Brunelleschi, one of the most famous architects of the Renaissance period. Walk through the ancient cenacle and experience the atmosphere of the Franciscan convent whilst crossing through the cloisters.

Explore the secret passages of the Palazzo Vecchio. Experience the exciting discovery of the places and paths of Palazzo Vecchio that are not accessible to the general public and that have only recently been made available for very small groups of people. You will ascend the narrow passages of the Duke Gualtieri and you will discover an unexpected path beyond a door hidden by a painting. You will also admire the imposing coffered ceiling of the Salone del Cinquecento. Complete your tour of the Palazzo Vecchio with a typical Tuscan lunch in a historic restaurant or a gelato tasting in one of the most famous ice cream shops of Florence.