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florence Museums and Galleries

Discover the museums and galleries of Florence. You could spend days and days visiting and seeing some of the most special art in the world but below you'll find a short guide to some of our favourites.

Ponte Vecchio

Ponte Vecchio: Built in 1345, the Ponte Vecchio is the most ancient and certainly the most photographed bridge in Florence. In 1593 the Medici Grand Duke Ferdinand I (1549-1609) decided that the commerce on the bridge of butchers, grocers and blacksmiths were too unsightly so he decided to replace them all with 41 goldsmiths and eight jewelers. The bridge has been devoted solely to these two trades ever since.

Duomo

Duomo: [Piazza del Duomo 055/2302885] Enjoy the majesty and elegance of this enormous dome in all it's pink, white and green splendour. The Duomo has come to symbolize Florence in the same way that the Eiffel Tower symbolizes Paris. Marvel at the towering cupola , the stunning mosaics and bronze doors of the Baptistery. Brunelleschi designed the enormous dome, and its interior features frescoes and stained-glass windows by some of the Renaissance's best: Castagno, Donatello, Uccello and Ghiberti. Commissioned in 1296 and finally completed in 1436, the Duomo is a sight to behold and an ingenious engineering feat. Most of Europe's later domes, including St. Peter's in Rome, were built employing Brunelleschi's methods.

Uffizi Gallery

Uffizi Gallery: [Piazzale degli Uffizi 6 055/23885] One of the great museums of the world, the Uffizi houses the premier collection of Italian Renaissance art, featuring works by such masters as Botticelli, Titian, Michelangelo and da Vinci.

Galleria dell'Accademia

Galleria dell'Accademia: [Via Ricasoli 60 055/294883] Galleria dell'Accademia was Europe's first school of drawing. This museum of art is chiefly famous for its several sculptures by Michelangelo, notably his David, in addition to an extensive collection of 15th- and 16th-century paintings.

Casa Buonarroti

Casa Buonarroti: [Via Ghibellina 70 Santa Croce 055/241752 ] Set up by Michelangelo Buonarroti, the grand-nephew of THE Michelangelo. He turned his home in a museum to honour his great-uncle. It's full of works by Michelangelo, for example the Madonna of the Steps, carved when Michelangelo was just a teenager.