Pitti Palace
Florence, Tuscany, Italy[0.2 miles]
Housed in the city’s most imposing palazzo, Florence’s second-largest art gallery is home to masterpieces by Raphael, Rubens, Botticelli and Van Dyck.
Best for ages: 18+ | £9
Best places to stay:
Set on lovely, lively Piazza Santo Spirito, this charming 3-star hotel has a latter day ‘Room with a View’-type spirit with bags of character in spite of modern facilities and services.
Occupying the upper floors of grand, Renaissance Palazzo Guadagni, the public spaces and some of the 15 rooms have original frescoes, old terrazzo floors and plaster mouldings; antiques and period paintings are scattered throughout.
The best feature? The fabulous top-floor loggia wraps around two sides of the building from where the views over the lively piazza and the rest of the city are breathtaking. There are few better spots for a sundowner in the city.
The location in authentic Oltrarno is brilliant; Ponte Vecchio and the art treasures at the Pitti Palace and Brancacci Chapel are within 5- to 10- minutes’ walk.
Tree-lined Piazza Santo Spirito is very much an authentic Florentine neighbourhood and home to a daily local produce market and a lively nightlife (it can get very noisy in summer).
The Oltrarno is known for its Boho spirit, plethora of restaurants, bars and quirky shops, artisan studios and lively nightlife. It is also well-removed from the worst of the tourist hordes.
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Bucket list experiences our writer says you must do in this destination, closest first
Florence, Tuscany, Italy[0.2 miles]
Housed in the city’s most imposing palazzo, Florence’s second-largest art gallery is home to masterpieces by Raphael, Rubens, Botticelli and Van Dyck.
Best for ages: 18+ | £9
Florence, Tuscany, Italy[0.4 miles]
A ride down the river Arno in a traditional wooden boat or ‘barchetto’ is one of the more unusual ways to see the city.
Best for ages: 4+ | £45 | 1 hour
Florence, Tuscany, Italy[0.4 miles]
This shady green oasis in the centre of Florence is one of the most beautiful gardens in Italy and makes a wonderful escape on a hot, summer’s day.
Best for ages: 13+ | £5
Florence, Tuscany, Italy[0.5 miles]
Florence’s oldest bridge spans the Arno at its narrowest point and was spared from bombing by the retreating Germans after World War II. Thronged with tourists, it is famous for its glittering gold shops which replaced the original foul-smelling butcher’s shops in the 1590s.
Best for ages: 18+ | Free
Other worthwhile experiences in this destination if you have the time or the interest, closest first
Florence, Tuscany, Italy[0.3 miles]
For centuries, the Oltrarno neighbourhood south of the river has been known for its artisan workshops; it still is today.
Best for ages: 18+ | Free | 2-3 hours
Florence, Tuscany, Italy[0.4 miles]
This side chapel of Santa Maria del Carmine church (separate entrance) is decorated with world-class frescoes by 15th-century artists Masaccio, Masolino and Filippino Lippi. Highlights of these seminal works which profoundly influenced the Florentine Renaissance include Masolino’s Temptation of Adam and Eve and Masaccio’s The Tribute Money. Book ahead to climb up and see them up close.
Best for ages: 18+ | £7
Florence, Tuscany, Italy[0.7 miles]
This 16th-century palazzo is home to one of Italy’s most innovative public art galleries. Rotating exhibitions showcase artists as diverse as Jeff Koons, Ai Wei-Wei and Bill Viola and Bronzino, Donatello and Pontormo. The ‘Strozzino’ gallery in the basement focuses on contemporary art and peripheral cultural events.
Best for ages: 18+ | £13
Florence, Tuscany, Italy[0.8 miles]
An ex-cinema houses the fabulous private model railway collection belonging to the late Marchese di San Giuliano. The centrepiece is a 280-square metre model, one of the largest in Europe; the landscaping (from mountains to seascapes) is exquisite.
Best for ages: 4+ | £12
Destination guides including or relevant to this place to stay
Tuscany, Italy
A heady mix of incomparable Renaissance art, gorgeous palazzos, Tuscan cuisine and home-grown haute couture.
Tuscany, Italy
The astonishingly beautiful region of Tuscany has it all: art cities and ancient hill towns, high mountains and long sandy beaches, alongside luxurious hotels and some of Italy’s best food and wine.