Florence

Florence is a town of 361,625 inhabitants in the province of Florence, in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of Tuscany.

The municipality covers 102.41 km², with a density of 3,531 inhabitants per km².

The nearest airport is Florence (FLR), about 6 km away as the crow flies. Read our guide to the airport.

Where to park in Florence

The cradle of the Renaissance

Florence is where the Renaissance was born, under the patronage of the Medici family, and its historic centre is a UNESCO site packed with masterpieces. Compact and walkable, it can be explored in a few days, but it takes a lifetime to know it.

What to see

The Duomo, Santa Maria del Fiore, is crowned by Brunelleschi's dome: climb its 463 steps for a view over the red roofs. Next to it stand Giotto's bell tower and the Baptistery with its golden doors. Piazza della Signoria, with Palazzo Vecchio, is the political heart of the city.

The Uffizi Gallery holds Botticelli's Birth of Venus and works by Leonardo, Michelangelo and Raphael, while the Accademia shows Michelangelo's David. Cross the Ponte Vecchio, lined with goldsmiths' shops, to reach the Oltrarno, Palazzo Pitti and the Boboli Gardens. At sunset go up to Piazzale Michelangelo.

Food

Florentine steak, ribollita and pappa al pomodoro, lampredotto sandwiches from street stalls, cantucci with vin santo and the Chianti wines of the hills.

A short history

Founded by the Romans in 59 BC as Florentia, the city grew rich in the Middle Ages on wool and banking; its gold florin became the currency of Europe. From 1434 the Medici governed it and paid for the art of the Renaissance, from Brunelleschi's dome to Michelangelo. Capital of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, Florence was also capital of Italy from 1865 to 1871.

Events and festivals

On Easter Sunday a cart full of fireworks explodes in front of the cathedral, the Scoppio del Carro. In June the four historic quarters play the Calcio Storico, a rough football in Renaissance costume, with the final on 24 June, feast of the patron St John, ending in fireworks over the Arno. The Maggio Musicale brings opera and concerts from April to June.

Around Florence

Fiesole on the hill, Chianti, Siena, San Gimignano, Pisa and Lucca are all easy day trips. Florence has a small airport, but most visitors fly to Pisa or Bologna and arrive at Santa Maria Novella station.

Getting there

Santa Maria Novella station is in the centre: high-speed trains arrive from Bologna in under forty minutes, from Rome in an hour and a half, from Milan in about two. The small city airport is linked to the centre by tram; many travellers land at Pisa and continue by train or bus in about an hour. Do not drive into the centre: cameras guard the limited traffic zone.

Florence on the map

Nearby towns

All towns in the province of Florence →