Location: Florence Historic Center
Top Things to do in Florence Historic Center
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What to do and see in Florence Historic Center, Tuscany: The Best Traveler Resources
Florence is an art historian’s dream. The Galleria dell'Accademia bursts with works by Michelangelo, who is entombed within the frescoed walls of the Basilica di Santa Croce. Budding photographers can snap pics of the Ponte Vecchio bridge, and serious shoppers can spend a blissful afternoon wandering the shops of Piazza Santo Spirito. Tuscan cuisine pays homage to the region’s bounty. Swipe a hunk of crusty bread across a pool of local olive oil and you’ll be instantly transported to your happiest place.
Restaurants in Florence
1. Biblioteca Attilio Mori dell'Istituto Geografico Militare
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 5 reviews
2. Ars et Fides Firenze
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 380 reviews
Reviewed By N4156PHbillb - Pueblo, United States
This was our first stop after departing the train station and it was truly impressive. There is an entrance fee but it was very reasonable. The crowds head to the Duomo so we spent a significant amount of time viewing the paintings and art. The museum is small but nice. The alter is incredible. They have some restoration underway and it appears they had already completed many areas making the pieces incredibly vivid. A place we would return as the Gothic design is incredible and the pieces are more impressive than the Duomo.
3. The British Institute of Florence Harold Acton Library
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 15 reviews
The British Institute of Florence is a non-profit-making cultural institute founded in 1917 in Florence, Italy, with the aim of promoting Anglo-Italian cultural relations. Join students and members from around the world at the spectacular library on the banks of the river Arno. Browse the collection of over 52,000 books and magazines or attend a lecture, concert, film or afternoon tea.
4. Palazzo Strozzi
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 927 reviews
The Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi is a dynamic cultural centre that hosts an extensive programme of exhibitions, ranging from ancient art and the Renaissance right up to the modern era and contempoary art, on the Piano Nobile and in the Strozzina of what is one of the unquestioned masterpieces of Florentine Renaissance architecture. Life in the Palazzo revolves around its Renaissance courtyard, which is used as a venue for concerts, performance art, contemporary art installations, theatrical performances and a great deal more. The educational programmes and collateral activities designed to tie in with each exhibition make Palazzo Strozzi a unique experience that engages every single visitor, with a special emphasis on young people, families and children, thus connecting the Palazzo with Florence and with the whole of Tuscany.
Reviewed By asiyahnoemik - Pula, Croatia
Palazzo Strozzi is a perfect example of the ideals of a noble Renaissance residence, and the complex appears as if a small fortress in the heart of the city, a specific request made by Filippo Strozzi himself. The Strozzi family, undoubtedly one of the richest Florentine families until it was exiled from Florence in 1434, suffered through many political and financial competitions with the Medici family. After their exile, Filippo Strozzi worked to accumulate the funds which allowed him to regain his powerful position and re-enter the city of Florence. In 1466, he came back with a mission...squash his rivals...with a vengeance. Once within the walls of the city, his first step was to build a home that would be a physical representation of his power and wealth, more noticeable, more prestigious and...just plain bigger than everyone else's, especially that of the Medici family. Its construction began in 1489 under the direction of Simone del Pollaiolo, known as Il Cronaca, on the orders of Filippo Strozzi. The appearance of the palace is similar to a small fortress built to a rectangular plan with three floors. Though much restructured internally, it is possible to still appreciate the original plan and beauty of the exterior and in the courtyard of the building. The construction was finished in 1538 and stayed in the Strozzi family until 1937, when the last heir passed away. Since the Second World War the Palazzo has been Florence's largest temporary exhibition space hosting modern and contemporary art shows. The building is today one of the most important museums in the city: the Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi organizes a varied and innovative program of exhibitions, events and special activities. Perhaps the most memorable exhibits include The Peggy Guggenheim (1949 and recently repeated in 2016), Gustav Klimt (1992), Botticelli and Filippino Lippi (who was the most visited exhibition in Italy in 2004), and Cézanne in Florence (the most visited exhibition in Italy in 2007). The Palazzo Strozzi now hosts three major exhibitions annually, and there is one permanent exhibition which concentrates on the history of Palazzo Strozzi. In those days of our visit we were able to enjoy the exhibition of Natalia Goncharova with Gauguin, Matisse and Picasso.
5. Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 251 reviews
Reviewed By backpacker31 - Boynton Beach, United States
When visiting Basilica di San Lorenzo I purchased a combination ticket which included the library (and saved around a euro). The library is truly something. A dramatic ascent up a short flight of stone stairs brings you into the very long library/reading room. Row upon row of unique book storage shelves/benches line the room. Original signs hang beside each row indicating the books in that particular section. The intricately carved wood ceiling is a true masterpiece. A small rotunda is just off to the side of the reading room/library. Continue past the long corridor and you’ll enter an area which is home to an incredible collection of ancient maps depicting major ports that were used during the golden age of trade/shipping. Be sure to see the detailed map of Lower Manhattan (New York City) circa mid-1600’s.
6. Accademia di Belle Arti
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 262 reviews
7. Biblioteca Marucelliana
8. Biblioteca delle Oblate
9. Centro "Congressi al Duomo"
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 3 reviews
10. Infopoint Firenze Bigallo
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 5 reviews
