1. Overview of Piazzale Michelangelo
Piazzale Michelangelo in Florence is an outdoor terrace on the south, or left bank of the River Arno. It was built in the late 1800s to allow visitors and residents of Florence to admire breathtaking views of the city from a high, park-like vantage point. It was named after Florence’s favorite son, legendary artist Michelangelo Buonarotti, and is adorned with bronze copies of some of his most famous sculptures. Today, it is a must-see stop on any visit to Florence, and a panoramic photo of the Florentine skyline taken from Piazzale Michelangelo is essential.
2. Getting to Piazzale Michelangelo
If you’re walking from central Florence, cross the Arno at Ponte Vecchio and bear left on Via de’ Bardi, which will start to gain elevation as it veers away from the riverbank and becomes Via di San Niccolò. Bear right again on Via di San Miniato, then continue until you reach the rose garden and see the Scalinata del Monte alle Croci stairs on your left – climb these to the piazzale.
If you prefer to skip the uphill climb, you can take city bus 12 or 13 from the Santa Maria Novella train station or other points in centro. A taxi ride from centro to the piazzale should cost no more than €10. Many people like to bus or taxi up to Piazzale Michelangelo, then enjoy the scenic, downhill walk back to central Florence.
3. Take in the Views From Piazzale Michelangelo
Address: Piazzale Michelangelo, 50125 Firenze FI, Italy
The views from this broad, open space are the finest in Florence and maybe anywhere in Italy, especially as the sun sets. The piazzale is typically crowded with tour bus passengers and tourists who’ve made their way up on foot. However, no matter how you get there or how crowded it is, it’s worth it for the stupendous views. You’ll see numerous street vendors eager to sell you souvenirs and fake designer handbags. (Do watch your belongings in this busy area.) If you want to linger without the crowds, consider dining at La Loggia, a rather pricey cafe and restaurant that offers the same great views in a more refined setting.
4. Visit the Abbey of San Miniato al Monte
Address: Via delle Porte Sante, 34, 50125 Firenze FI, Italy
Phone: +39 055 234 2731
About a 10-minute walk uphill (with stairs) from Piazzale Michelangelo, this beautiful 11th-century abbey and church complex is worth every ounce of effort to get here. Its geometric facade of green and white marble and gold mosaics is visible from the center of Florence, and its interior is a jewel box of early Medieval religious art and architecture. Resident monks still produce candles, sweets, and herbal products, which make unique gifts, and most days at 5:30 p.m., they celebrate mass with Gregorian chant. The carefully tended grounds and a cemetery with some elaborate tombs make this a pleasant, atmospheric place to spend an hour or so.
5. Wander the Giardino delle Rose & Giardino dell’Iris
Address: Viale Giuseppe Poggi, 2, 50125 Firenze FI, Italy
Phone: +39 055 234 2426
These two free, public gardens on either side of Piazzale Michelangelo are perfect for flower-lovers or anyone who wants to wander in a peaceful green space, free from nearby crowds. You’ll walk past the rose garden if you’re coming from central Florence, which is open daily during daylight hours. The iris garden, just east of the piazzale, is only open from late April to late May, when the iris are in bloom.
6. Explore the Pitti Palace & Boboli Gardens
Address: Piazza de’ Pitti, 1, 50125 Firenze FI, Italy
Phone: +39 055 294883
The Pitti Palace, part of the Uffizi Gallery, is about a 25-minute walk, mostly level or downhill. The 15th-century, Brunelleschi-designed palace houses room after room of Renaissance to modern works of art, plus galleries devoted to costume, noble household items, and rooms of private apartments once home to the Medicis and Hapsburgs. The adjacent Boboli Gardens are a study in Renaissance perfection and feature interesting botanical specimens.
7. Head to Basilica di Santo Spirito & Piazza Santo Spirito for the Evening
Address: Piazza Santo Spirito, 30, 50125 Firenze FI, Italy
Phone: +39 055 210030
If you’re making a day of it on Florence’s left bank, you may as well make a night of it too, and head to the Santo Spirito area in Oltrarno, a district favored by Florentine residents and tourists trying to get a feel of a local Florence neighborhood. The Brunelleschi-designed Basilica di Santo Spirito has a modest exterior but a fanciful Baroque-style interior, as well as a cloister and a wooden crucifix carved by Michelangelo.
Piazza Santo Spirito serves as a lively living room for the neighborhood. By day, there’s a produce market, and by night, the piazza buzzes with crowds, music, and impromptu dancing outside its many bars and restaurants.
