Florence for Free

Sights and experiences that are admission-free in Florence, Italy

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TOURS FROM OUR TRUSTED PARTNERS that include Florence

Intrepid Travel
Intrepid Travel 2011 Italy trips
• Best of ItalyPartner (15 days)
• Italy ExperiencePartner (15 days)
• Classic ItalyPartner (21 days)
• Italy Family AdventurePartner (14 days)
• Highlights of ItalyPartner (8 days)
• Tuscan ExpressPartner (7 days)

Gap Adventures
G Adventures 2011 Italy trips
• Ultimate ItalyPartner (13 days)
• Italy Culture and History Explored (9 days)
• The Taste of TuscanyPartner (8 days)
• Venice to Rome AdventurePartner (8 days)
• Italy Family AdventurePartner (10 days)

iExplore
iExplore Italy trips 2011
• Italy Experience (9 days)
• Italy in Style (9 days)
• Magical Tuscany & Portofino Peninsula (10 days)
• Tuscan Delights (8 days)
• Splendors of Italy & Southern France (16 days)

Precious little in Florence is free. They even charge admission to three of the four main churches now.

At least wandering the medieval streets is still free...for now. So are the following sights:

The cathedral of Florence*** Duomo (Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore)—Renaissance frescoes, della Robbia sculptures, Uccello frescoes, and the chance to climb between the onion-like layers of Brunelleschi's Dome, an ingenious feat of engineering that rewards the effort with a city panorama from the top (though there is a charge to do this)... Full Story

Ghiberti's "Gates of Paradise" on the Florence baptistry*** Baptistery—Glittering mosaics inside (admission fee), but the beauty is that the best works are on the outside: three sets of giant bronze doors, two of which—designed by Lorenzo Ghiberti—are held by many art historians to be the first true works of the Renaissance and which were so beautifully sculpted they were nicknamed "The Gates of Paradise" by none of than Michelangelo himself... Full Story

Ponte Vecchio, Florence*** The Ponte Vecchio - Hanging off either side of this ancient bridge over the Arno are strings of teensy shops selling gold and jewelry, some of them dating back to the Renaissance... Full Story

Piazza della Signoria, Florence*** Piazza della Signoria - A lively, statue-studded square lined with cafés and home to the Gothically imposing, fortress-like Palazzo Vecchio, off which stretches the "U" of the Uffizi Galleries, Florence's great art museum, next to the open-air Loggia dei Lanzi, crowded with ancient Roman and late Renaissance statues... Full Story

The San Lorenzo leather market in Florence*** The San Lorenzo leather market - The streets around the Medici family church are now filled with a daily outdoor market of leather goods, T-shirts, and other excellent Florentine souvenirs. I get much of my holiday shopping done here (who doesn't appreciate a leather wallet or belt straight from Florence?). Of course, it's only free if you manage not to buy anything... Full story

San Miniato al Monte, Firenze* San Miniato al Monte - Florence's only real Romanesque church—with a beautiful facade and a wondrous, moving space inside—perches atop a hill amid greenery in the Oltrarno. For every 10,000 people who say "Oo! Look at that pretty church up there!" and snap a photo of it, maybe one bothers making his way up here to see it up close. Their loss. (Oh, and no matter what the movie showed, it was a vista across the Arno to this church that was the "view" discussed in EM Foster's famous book, "A Room with View.")... Full story

Detail of the Ghirlandaio frescoes in the church of Santa Trinita* Santa Trìnita - This was the first Gothic church in Florence, built in 1250–58, perhaps by Nicola Pisano (but likely by a lesser-known artist), and best-known for the richness of its Renaissance frescoes—especially the courtly works by Domenico Ghirlandaio in the Sassetti Chapel—nominally of religious events, but populated by parades of contemporary figures (including Lorenzo de' Medici and his kids) in scenes reproducing faithfully the squares and streets of late 15th century Florence... Full story

The Orsanmichele church in Florence* Orsanmichele - This former granary—which, given its location halfway down the historic center's major street, you'll keep passing as you criss-cross Florence—is ringed by (replica) statues of saints by Donatello, Ghiberti, and Verrocchio, and contains a massive and gorgeous gothic altar by Andrea Orcagna... Full story

Florence's church of SS Annunziata* Santissima Annunziata - Founded in 1250, this church near the northern edge of the tourist center was rebuilt in 1444-81 by Michelozzo and completed by Leon Battista Alberti, two of the greatest architects of the Renaissance, and decorated by some of the most important Mannerist artists of the High Renaissance... Full story

Brunelleschi's interior of the church of Santo Spirito in FlorenceSanto Spirito - The blank brick non-facade hides a perfection of Brunelleschian architecture inside, along with some fine altarpieces... Full story

The Annunciation by Fra' Angelico in San Marco, Florence* San Marco - The church of San Marco itself is no great shakes—dark and moody, with only a few minor works—but it is free. Unfortunately, you do have to pay admission to get into the best bit: the attached monastery that was decorated by its most illustrious resident, the great Renaissance monk and painter Fra' Angelico. It was also later the base of operations for ruling theocrat Girolamo "The Mad Monk" Savonarola... Full story

Badia FiorentinaBadia Fiorentina - Florence's only pointy bell tower rises above a Benedictine abbey and Gothic church where Dante once gazed longingly at his Beatrice. The interior has an uninspired baroque overlay, but there are also tombs sculpted by Mina da Fiesole and Bernardo Rossellino, a painting by Giorgio Vasari, several nice but ruinous frescoes by Nardo di Cione, and Filippino Lippi's 1485 Madonna Appearing to St. Bernard. Lovely Renaissance cloisters... Full story

Church of Santa Marghertia de' CerchiSanta Margherita de' Cerchi - A tiny medieval church with several Dante associations. Though the Badia was the big church in the neighborhood, most folks worshipped at Santa Margherita de' Cerchi, founded in the 12th century and just up the block from the Dante Museum. This wonderfully spare medieval church has a lovely altarpiece of the Madonna Enthroned with Four Saints by Neri di Bicci, and regularly hosts music concerts... Full Story

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This material was last updated January 2011. All information was accurate at the time.

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