This article is intended for those who plan to spend a day or two in Florence. We present the one and two day itinerary in Florence, with everything to visit, where to eat and maps of the route.

There are many reasons why everyone should go to Florence at least once in a lifetime. In addition to its incomparable beauty, its importance in Italian history, its magnificent corners, its extraordinary people, its beautiful sunsets, its influence on Renaissance and later culture ... besides all that is that in Florence I know how to nose!

For all the above and for a million other reasons, you should take time from anywhere, even missing your cousin's communion or your sister's wedding, to visit Florence. Here we bring you a Florence itinerary for two days to see the best of this amazing city making the most of time. We will also propose a tight itinerary for those who only have one day (uff, what a shame).

Small introduction

Florence is the most important city in Tuscany and the perfect base to explore this beautiful region. It was capital from Italy between 1865 and 1871, although its importance dates back to the Middle Ages when it was an outstanding cultural and economic center. However, the real boom came in the Renaissance and that is when you think of Florence you think of the Renaissance, thanks in large part to the “patron". But what are these patrons? They are influential families that wrapped a group of artists under their power to work for them.

In Florence there was a family that stood out above the rest: the Medici. Its members moved in the highest spheres of Italian (and European) society: bankers, dukes, cardinals, potatoes ... Among their concerns was to enhance culture, art and architecture, for which they sponsored geniuses of the Size of Miguel Angel, Leonardo Da Vinci or Botticelli, who at this time created the most impressive works of the Italian Renaissance, works that today we can appreciate walking through the streets of Florence or in one of the museums of the city, its two essential are : the Accademia Gallery and the Uffizi Gallery.

Two-day tour in Florence

To fully enjoy Florence, we recommend staying at least two days. Here is a tour with the essential visits so that you miss nothing at all:

DAY 1

We can start the tour with one of the main dishes of Florence: the Piazza della Signoria, the political center of the city and one of the most special places. There are three elements that cannot escape our senses:

Palazzo Vecchio: it is the seat of the town hall since it was completed in the fourteenth century and is characterized by its 94-meter bell tower, the so-calledarnolfo tower, on whose cusp you can see a room with a few small openings called the “Alberghetto”, in which prisoners of the stature of Cosme the Elder (the founder of the Medici dynasty) or Girolamo Savonarola (a Dominican monk) were held that pursued papal immorality until being condemned and burned in Piazza della Signoria itself). In the inner courtyard of the palace you can see the "Fontana con il putto", a fountain with the figure of a cupid.

In the square there are somestatues importanthow:

• The Hercules and Caco from Baccio Bandinelli
• The equestrian monument of Cosme I
• The neptune fountain
• The copy of Marzocco of Donatello (the lion that supports the leg on the giolio fiorentino and that is a symbol of the city)
• And the copy of David by Michelangelo (the originals are guarded respectively in the Galeria Bargello and in the Accademia Gallery)

The Loggia dei Lanzi, an open-air museum with some of the best sculptures belonging to the Medici family, among which thePerseus from Benvenuto Cellini or il Ratto delle Sabine from Giambologna. The statue of Perseus is curious, if you look at it from the back you will see that a face is drawn on the back of his neck, apparently the self-portrait of Benvenuto Cellini.

Next to this square is the Uffizi degli gallery, although we will leave it for the second day. Tip: if you plan to visit the Uffizi, the Galleria dell'Accademia and are interested in taking a guided tour of Florence, look at this combined tour, you may be interested 🙂

Our next stop will be the New Market Loggia (or Mercato del Porcellino), a market where some souvenir stands are protected. Although its interesting Porcellino source, a very nice wild boar with a legend: they say it brings luck to caress the nose of the funny bronze boar. But you have to do it this way: first you rub your nose and then put a coin in your mouth and drop it: if the coin goes through the drain grate it will bring good luck, otherwise you will be dead.

We will continue on Via Porta Rossa or Via delle Terme until the junction with the famous Via Tornabuoni at the height of the Palazzo Bartolini Salimbeni. It is considered one of the most elegant streets of the city and going through it we will see stores of the most select brands in the world.

We will turn right and in a couple of steps we will encounter the Palazzo Strozzi Cornering It is a monumental building with a no less impressive inner courtyard open to the public. It dates from the 15th century and is a clear example of the typical Renaissance palace. It was ordered to be built by the Strozzi family (opponents of the Medici to become the most influential family in Florence) with the idea of ​​being the most majestic palace in the city, for which 15 adjacent buildings were demolished. Currently, art exhibitions take place inside.

Surrounding the palace we headed down Via degli Strozzi towards the Piazza della Repubblica which we will access by crossing below the Trinfo Arch, called l'Arcone. This square is the largest in Florence and has been the center of the city since its Roman era: here was the forum and was the crossing point of the two main roads, the Cardus and the Decumanus:

• Cardus corresponds to the current via Rome, via Calimala and via Santa Maria.
• Decumanus it was the current via del Corso, via degli Speziali and via degli Strozzi.

It was the place where the city's markets were established and later the Jewish ghetto. Today it has become a perfect place to stop and have a coffee in one of its terraces, shop around the Feltrinelli bookstore (with indoor cafeteria) or visit the historic literary café Giubbe Rosse.

Did you regain strength? It suits you because what comes next deserves all your attention: it is nothing other than the Piazza del Duomo, perhaps the reason for your visit to Florence. In this square is the impressive set of the Florence Cathedral, the Campanilleof Giotto and the Baptistero de San Juan:

Duomo of Santa Maria del Fiore: its construction began in the 13th century and stands out for its famous Dome, Brunelleschi's work, 45 meters in diameter and 114 meters high. You can climb to its viewpoint to get great views, for this there is a pass that includes the cathedral, the dome, the bell tower, the baptistery, the crypt and the museum and costs € 18.

Campanille: an independent bell tower designed by Giotto and with a height of 84 meters.

Baptistery of San Juan: Baptisteries are buildings that accompany the basilicas and where the baptismal font is located and baptisms are celebrated. Through this concretely passed Dante Alighieri and many of the great men of the Florentine renaissance. Of him they emphasize the calls “Doors of the Paradise”, work of Ghiberti, with bas-reliefs of gilded bronze.

The set is covered by Florentine marble in bright colors and is the crown jewel of this wonderful city.

We leave Piazza del Duomo behind to head towards the train station. In Via dei Cerretani on our left is the small church of Santa Maria Maggiore. Apparently it has nothing to stand out, but if we look closely at its facade we will find an element that stands out suspiciously: do not panic, it is the face of a woman carved in stone, the so-called “petrified head“.

According to legend, the enlightened Cecco d'Ascoli was sentenced to death for practicing the arts of sorcery. On the way to Piazza della Santa Croce, where he would be executed, the prisoner stopped for a moment just in front of this church begging for a drink of water. Then a woman (known as Berta) appeared who, drawing her head from her window, denied him all kinds of liquids with the idea that an alchemist like him could use any element to attract the power of the devil and get his release. According to the story, the woman shouted "If you drink, it won't burn" to which Cecco d'Ascoli angrily replied "And you will never lift your head there." Indeed, the petrified head still remains in that place, waiting to be released from the spell.

If we continue straight we will reach the gardens ofPiazza di Santa Maria Novella, with the church of the same name on the other side. It dates from the thirteenth century and has a beautiful facade of white and green marble and a beautiful Gothic interior. Although entering will cost € 7.5.

At the rear, on Via della Scala 16, you will find thePharmacy of Santa Maria Novella, considered as the oldest pharmacy in Europe dating back to 1221 and still serving today. Actually what you can find are lotions, creams, perfume, etc ...

Near here we find another set of buildings of some importance: they are the Medici Chapel, the Basilica of San Lorenzo and the Laurenzian Library. The basilica was the parish of the Medici family and apparently stands out for its unfinished facade, although inside there are interesting chapels and works of art. Artists such as Brunelleschi or Miguel Angel worked together. In addition the library hosts more than 11,000 manuscripts, being one of the most important in Italy.

At this point in the day we will surely be hungrier than the dog of a blind man, it is time to pull! Well, there is no better place than Mercato Centrale (or Mercato di San Lorenzo). It is surrounded by stalls of all kinds but the best is in its interior: in the low level You can find delicatessens, butchers, fruit shops, etc ... but also small restaurants with specialties of Florence and corners of tables and stools so you can taste them quietly. It's time to try il panino with lampredotto (cow guts) or the pappa cabbage pomodoro (a kind of tomato soup with bread). The upper floor It is a spectacle for foodies: here you will find a variety of quality restaurants with products such as fiorentina (beef ribeye), truffles or liver crostini.

With a full gut we go back to the Basilica of San Lorenzo and surround thePalazzo Medici Riccardi, which was the headquarters of the Medici family and which houses a museum.

Continuing on Via Cavour we will leave in parallel Via Ricasoli the Galleria della Accademia. If you have time and want to visit it, it is the famous David by Miguel Angel, among other important works by the same author and collections of Tuscan painters from the 13th to the 16th centuries.

We prefer to put it aside and continue until the Piazza San Marco, a communications hub of important urban buses, where the church and the convent of the same name, in a time intellectual center of the city.

From here we turn right to reach the amazingPiazza della Santissima Annunziata, a harmonious and beautiful porticoed square, with the Church of the Santissima Annunziata (free entrance and nice roof) on one side and the Ospedale degli Innocenti the other. It was an orphanage for abandoned children in Florence. The ruota degli innocenti opens at one end of its outer courtyard, a window where children were deposited without discovering their parents' identity. It currently houses a children's museum with an entrance fee of € 2.

From the door of the church you get very nice views of the square and the cathedral looking out at the end of the street in front of us. If you have to take a break this is a good place, we recommend A caffe, a charming café at the entrance to the square.

You will have to continue walking for a while in this quiet neighborhood to reach the Synagogue, an imposing 19th-century building with beautiful green domes and lush garden. You will probably see him watched by a military couple.

We will continue wandering to reach the Sant'Ambrogio Market, that although it is not as impressive as that of San Lorenzo, it is worth a visit and, if you are hungry, you can also snack on something else. But if what you want is to sit on a terrace, better approach until thePiazza delle Murate, inside the old prison in Florence, where there is a very cool literary cafe.

To finish off the day we will return to the center of Florence passing through theBasilica di Santa Croce, of considerable dimensions and with a beautiful facade. It is called "The temple of Italian glories" for housing the graves of important people such as Michelangelo or Galileo. Admission is € 8.

The Piazza Santa Croce It is surrounded by beautiful palaces and was the perfect place to develop parties and demonstrations even today, such as the Christmas market or the "calcium in costume", which is still celebrated every June. In the same square is the statue of Dante Aligheri, who as you know was born in Florence and is the author of The Divine Comedy, considered the masterpiece of Italian literature.

We can return to our accommodation with a good leg pain but satisfied for having made an ideal tour of the historic center of Florence.

DAY 2

For this second day we had left the entrance to the Galleria degli UffiziWell, it's time to visit it. It is located in a majestic building designed by Varsari in the 16th century as the headquarters of the Medici family. This museum, one of the most important in the world in terms of painting, exhibits works from different periods and artists, but its crown jewel is the collection of the best Italian Renaissance paintings, with authors such as Rafael, Botticelli, Titian, LeonardoDa Vinci or Michelangelo.

How much does the entrance to the Uffizi cost? From March to October the ticket is € 20 (€ 10 if you are between 17 and 25 years old). From November to February: admission is € 12 (€ 6 if you are between 17 and 25 years old).

After the high of culture we can approach a small church in the heart of Florence, it is the Santi Apostoli Church where three stones extracted from the holy sepulcher and brought to Florence by Pazzino dei Pazzi after the first Crusade in the Holy Land in 1101 are guarded.

It is time to approach the Arno River, and it is best to cross it through one of the most special bridges that exist in the world too much: Ponte Vecchio. It is considered the oldest bridge in Florence and today is the place chosen by luxury jewelry stores, although formerly the premises were occupied by furriers and tanners. It was the only bridge resisted standing after the bombings of the II GM and has become a symbol of the city.

Once on the other side of the Arno we begin our tour of the neighborhood of Oltrarno and our first stop is the Palazzo Pitti, which occupied the Medici in the fifteenth century once left the Palazzo della Signoria (Palazzo Vecchio since then) and whose fact influenced the flourishing of this neighborhood. For years it has been expanded and improved and today it has become one of the most important artistic complexes in the city with several exhibitions and museums, in addition to housing the beautiful and hugeBoboli gardens.

From here we continue our way to the Piazza Santo Spirito, one of the most lively and authentic places in Oltrarno. Here is the Basilica of Santo Spirito designed by Brunelleschi in 1444. You can complete the visit to this area with the complex ofSanta Maria del Carmine, with the frescoes of the Brancacci chapel Masaccio's work.

If the guts already start to sound in the vicinity there are two restaurants that we recommend:

• I'Raddi: with dishes from € 3 to € 12.
• I 'Brindellone: a good place to try fiorentina.

To lower the food nothing better than a good walk along the banks of the Arno to go to the viewpoint of the Piazzale Michelangelo ... although we prefer to go by bus, the feet are already looking at us with bad eyes. So come up to him Get there Carraia and wait for bus number 12 (yes, first buy tickets at a tobacconist or kiosk, the price is € 1.30).

But instead of getting off at the last stop do it at theAbbazia di San Miniato al Monte, an example of Romanesque in Italy, from where you will get beautiful panoramic views. According to legend, this is where San Miniato, the first martyr of Florence, died after being beheaded in the persecutions of Christians in 250 and where he arrived quietly with his head in his hand.

However, to truly have Florence at your feet, walk closer to the viewpoint of Piazzale Michelangelo, simply awesome. From here if you start down you can go through theGiardino della Rose, which, as the name implies, is a small park with rose bushes and statues of the Belgian artist Folon, donated by his widow after his death.

We keep going down and after crossing the Ponte Alle Grazie We return again to the center of Florence to say goodbye to this beautiful city that has stolen our hearts forever.

Florence day trip

If you only have one day in Florence available, arriving by train in the morning and departing from the same station at night, we recommend an itinerary similar to this:

• Santa Maria Novella
• Piazza del Duomo
• Piazza della Repubblica
• Palazzo Strozzi
• Via dè Tornabuoni
• Porcellino Market
• Piazza della Signoria
• Palazzo Vecchio
• Ponte Vecchio
• Piazzale Michelangelo (bus 12)
• Basilica di Santa Croce
• Synagogue
• Piazza della Santissima Annunziata
• Basilica of San Lorenzo
• Mercato Centrale

This is a perfect itinerary to enjoy Florence in one or two days. We hope it serves you!

Do you have more time? Visit San Gimignano, Siena and the Chianti area. If you do not want to rent a car you can sign up for a tour like this. It is a beautiful area!

Video: Florence for 2 Days. Travel Guide. What to see in (April 2024).