A Day in Florence on Foot: Renaissance and Medici Tours

Florence was a centre of art and culture through the Middle Ages, and in many ways it became the model for Renaissance culture. Michelangelo, Vespucci and Leonardo da Vinci were shaped by the city, as were Dante, and later Florence Nightingale and Gucci. All that talent in one small place is why I wanted to walk it rather than rush between museums in a taxi. When I visited a few months ago, the best decision I made was to join a walking tour and let the city unfold at street level.

The Florence free walking tour runs every day, with two options: the Renaissance walk at 11am and the Medici tour at 2pm. I chose the morning one first. It seemed the sensible way to get my bearings, and I could decide afterwards whether the second was worth my afternoon.

The morning: the Renaissance walk

We met at Santa Maria Novella Church. From there the route passed the Duomo, crossed Piazza della Signoria and ended at the Church of Santa Croce. It is a compact triangle of the city’s greatest hits, and walking it explains how close everything really is.

One warning before you set out: the area around the station and the main sights has a great many hawkers. It reminded me of Milan, where people keep trying to sell you selfie sticks and similar souvenirs. Be wary of ‘friendship bracelets’ and other offers that end with a demand for money.

Our guide, Daniel, was knowledgeable and patient, and he filled the walk with stories rather than dates. The one that caught me was Pinocchio. Souvenir shops all over Florence sell the puppet, and I had not known that Lorenzini, the author, was born in the city and later lived in Collodi just outside it.

The Duomo

The Florence Cathedral, or Duomo, is the main church of the city and looks as majestic as its reputation suggests. You can climb the 463 steps for a panorama of Florence, which is a commitment but a memorable one. The complex also includes the Baptistery, made famous to a new generation by Dan Brown’s Inferno, and Giotto’s Campanile, the bell tower. Together they form a UNESCO World Heritage site. A pass costing around ten euros gives access to all three buildings, which is better value than buying separately.

Piazza della Signoria

Piazza della Signoria is the other great square of the city, with the Palazzo Vecchio at its heart. Built in 1299, the palace was a statement of Florentine power. Outside stands a copy of Michelangelo’s David, along with the statues of the Loggia della Signoria nearby. I also walked past the Gucci Museum in this area, though I had no time to go in.

Santa Croce

The Church of Santa Croce intrigued me most. Michelangelo, Galileo, Dante and Fermi are among the people buried inside, and a great deal of art is on display. Someone in our group asked a good question: why were Galileo and other scientists buried in a Catholic church when their beliefs had been in direct conflict with it, and when they might not have wanted to be there at all? I had no answer, but I later found an article online explaining that Galileo was denied a Christian funeral and his body was only moved inside the church 95 years after his death.

Look up and you will notice a Star of David at the top of the basilica. A Jewish architect designed the building and asked to be buried inside beside his peers, but because of his faith he was buried outside, in the porch.

Lunch, then the Medici tour

The Renaissance tour ended there, and I enjoyed it enough to sign up for the Medici tour at 2pm as well. Daniel had pointed out several good gelato places along the way, but I was not confident of finding them again, so I settled for lunch and made my way back to the meeting point. Lunch involved a search for potato pizza, a small obsession of mine. I wrote about that, and the rest of the eating, in my post on exploring food in Florence.

The meeting point was Santa Maria Novella again. Losing my way in a new city was becoming a habit. This time the route took in the Palazzo Medici-Riccardi, crossed Piazza della Signoria once more, passed through the Uffizi Gallery and along the Ponte Vecchio, then crossed the river to the Pitti Palace.

Along the way I noticed the street signs. Florence may have the most distinctive I have ever seen; the city is so full of art that even its street furniture joins in.

The Uffizi and the river

The Uffizi Gallery is one of the oldest and most popular art museums in the world. Entering properly means buying a ticket and probably joining a long queue, so we walked through the courtyard instead and looked at the sculptures of figures such as Vespucci and Galileo. If you want Michelangelo’s original David, that is at the Accademia Gallery rather than here.

Leave the Uffizi and the Arno appears, with the Ponte Vecchio in the distance. Ponte simply means bridge. Like many bridges in Europe it became home to love locks, until a hefty fine made people think twice about attaching one for the sake of romance.

Across the river we found a large market, much of it jewellery shops, and I am fairly sure a great deal of gold was on display. I had read somewhere that the word bankruptcy comes from Italy: rotto for broken and il banco for the bench or goods that could be sold. Whatever the etymology, the market is a good place to wander.

The Pitti Palace

Our last stop was the Pitti Palace, bought by the Medici family in the 1500s and home to ruling families for years afterwards. By then we had been walking for hours, and the relaxed atmosphere at the end was welcome. I sat for a while and watched the square. The Boboli Gardens are nearby, if you have energy left for another climb.

Sunset at Piazzale Michelangelo

Sunset was approaching, and Daniel told us the best place to see it was Piazzale Michelangelo, which would mean more walking. We rested, debated whether we had the legs for it, and decided to go that evening rather than save it for another day. We retraced familiar streets and asked for directions more than once.

The square is built as a terrace, which gives it a sweeping view of the city. From the top you can pick out the Ponte Vecchio, the Palazzo Vecchio, the Duomo and Santa Croce all at once. I was thoroughly tired by the time I arrived, and the sunset made the climb worth every step.

The rest of the stay

That was one long day of exploring Florence on foot. On other days I walked through the commercial streets and markets, past Republic Square and around my hotel and the conference venue. For anyone interested in art or history there is an enormous amount to see, and the food deserves its own visit.

If you have visited Florence, tell me what you liked most. If you are planning a trip, what would you do first? Before you go, read these 15 things to know before visiting Italy. Pisa is an easy train ride from Florence, and this post about Pisa by Miss Maps shows what to do when you arrive.