Oh my goodness! 8€ and you get access to the church and the museum across the street where…read moreseemingly no one goes yet has the best views from the third floor open room area. The museum was the city grain storage and was converted over the years. Massive picture windows and open spaces really bring I the city views. A MUST see because few tourists know of it and none of the tour guides go here. A true hidden gem in an Instagram world. shhhhh. Don't tell the Tik Tok girls or it will surely be swarmed.

This museum is only open once in awhile. Today I was lucky…read moreand visited it. Interesting sculptures, spacious and a panoramic view at the top. The museum is open only when Friends of Museums of Firenze volunteer to staff the space. The volunteers are cool retirees. I chatted with a lady who wore a mink coat to lee warm from the cold temperature. The view of Santa Maria Novella church top as well as the Bargello turrets are picturesque silhouettes for photos. If you have the chance, take a peek inside. Donations accepted but there is no mandatory entrance fee.

"You may not want to be a god, Perseus, but after feats like yours, men will worship you. Be good…read moreto them. Be better than we were." - Zeus to Perseus Ciao! Want to know a Florentine secret? One of the most unique galleries in the world can be seen here absolutely free! No, you don't need high-cheek bones and Ferragamo shoes to enter. All you need is a passion for the arts, a temperature check at entry, and the willingness to say "Mille Grazie"... Loggia dei Lanzi has a storied past. It dates to the 1300's with some statues that predate the high arcs, most date to Italian Renaissance of the 1500's, and a chosen few even later. For me, I absolutely love this open-air gallery, not only cause I'm frugal lol, but because of it's rich history and how eclectic it is. Medici lions guard the steps of the Loggia, marble statues of lions, heraldic symbols of Florence; the lion on the right dates around the birth of Christ, and the lion on the left was sculpted by Flaminio Vacca in 1598. Almost immediately you will notice on the far left the bronze statue of Perseus by Benvenuto Cellini. It depicts the mythical Greek hero holding his sword in his right hand and holding up Medusa's severed head in his left. It's a gruesome scene with blood gushing from the head and the neck of the dead Medusa. Truly the highlight, imo. Other impressive statues tower around you as you gaze upwards, a feeling of mortality, ominous aura you're in a battle scene of Clash of the Titans! The sculpture Hercules and Centaur, by Giambologna dates to 1599, another of my favorites. Not as celebrated or thought provoking as his Rape of the Sabine Women nearby, but a mighty statue that will grab your attention. Just the Greek Mythology nerd in me, I guess lol. Ti amerò per sempre! Lining the back wall of the Loggia are five marble female statues (three are identified as Matidia, Marciana and Agrippina Minor), Sabines and a statue of a barbarian prisoner Thusnelda from ancient Roman times from the era of Trajan to Hadrian. Discovered in Rome in 1541and brought to Loggia in the 1700's. Where they stand today. In the end, I highly recommend a visit to Loggia dei Lanzi in Florence. It's inevitable, because it's in the heart of it all, surrounded by the Uffizi Gallery and the historic Piazza della Signoria. Finally, the name Loggio dei Lanzi derives from the German mercenary guards who were once stationed here in the 16th century! How eclectic is that, right?! Ti Amo!

Free art. I love it. The Loggia dei Lanzi is an open air sculpture gallery in the Piazza della…read moreSignoria. Complete with rope chains and a security guard, it did not look like it is open but it is. Even the building is an artwork - pilasters with Corintian capitals. The structure was built between 1376 and 1382 by Benci di Cione and Simone di Francesco Talenti. The name Loggia dei Lanzi dates back to the reign of Grand Duke Cosimo I. After the construction of the Uffizi at the rear of the Loggia, the Loggia's roof was modified by Bernardo Buontalenti and became a terrace from which the Medici princes could watch ceremonies in the piazza. The building deserves serious study as there are many hidden sculptures built in that need to be noticed. Look for the façade trefoils that represent Fortitude, Temperance, Justice and Prudence. On the side of the Loggia, there is a Latin inscription from 1750 commemorating the change of the Florentine calendar in 1749 to bring it into line with the Roman calendar. (See https://www.yelp.com/biz/april-fools-day-trento?hrid=YOwCjdLmgSnJo4kXxkYGEg.) The sculptures are themselves fantastic and worth viewing. Classic artworks that each tell a story and should be read up on as well. My favorite was the bronze statue of Perseus that shows the hero holding Medusa's severed head. Gross. [Review 17011 overall - 214 in Italy - 527 of 2022.]

Masterpiece architectural place to visit. Inside is huge and spacious with multiple statues,…read moresculptures, paintings, and the famous door. Definitely worth visiting while you are in Florence! : )

We were on a Tauck tour of Florence and got a private tour of this Museum last night. It was…read morefabulous. Very modern facility, bright and airy with beautiful sculptures and exhibits.

This is a wonderful museum, and for just €2 you can't pass it up. You'll see slices of a Florentine…read morelife between the 14th and 19th centuries, including some of the original frescoes that have held up amazingly well. Be sure not to miss the bedrooms - as you head up each staircase, make a left and then another left before entering the room which lies straight ahead... they can be a bit easy to miss, and they're the best the museum has to offer, in my opinion! One of the rooms had a little guide out which explained the nearly 30 picture fresco decorating the wall. They've also got a nice lace and embroidery exhibit, which I believe is what many people show up for. More power to them!

There are quite a number of museums in Florence. Some are well known (and crowded) while others are…read morenot. This is one of those overlooked museums that is less crowded, less expensive...and for me, less interesting. This is a preserved residence built several hundred years ago which has avoided being razed for the sake of modernization. It has been fitted with furnishings from the time period and gives a flavor of life in Florence back then. It's interesting to see but after half an hour I was done. Start with the introductory video on the main floor that explains the history of the place. The upper floors are the various rooms of this home. For whatever reason the top floor, which includes the kitchen, was closed to the public (although tour groups seemed to have access which I felt was unfair). One room is dedicated as a special section devoted to the history of lace and embroidery. It's quite a beautiful and spectacular collection. My wife enjoyed it but it held little interest for me. Worthwhile but I wouldn't put it on the top of my list of things to see while in Florence.

This is a beautiful display of art. It's free for the public. I highly recommend it…read more Is easy to get to it.

We really liked this museum. It's kind of a palate cleanser from all the older, historical, things…read moreto see in this city. And to be quite honest, what first drove us in was the fact that the sun was blazing the day we visited. It was so hot out and we were so tired, we needed a place to cool down and get some rest. The entry hall here is lined with benches that you can sit at without buying a ticket. Sure, we did have quite a few panhandlers approach us while we sat there determining how long we wanted to be here and if we wanted to go inside but for the most part, it's dark, cool and quiet. There's a courtyard space where the art flows out to and it's a nice place to people watch as well as check out the more modern art.

Fascinating. An incredible collection of armor and weaponry. Mr. Stibbert was clearly a very…read morewealthy Englishman who collected a vast array of interesting objects from all over the world. The mansion is as amazing as the collection. Check out Napoleon's cloak from his coronation. Take a moment and walk through the associated garden. Next door is the Baden Powell garden for those of us who are into Scouting. The house is something to behold. Because he lived with his mother, he decided to cover the frescos as they featured nudes. Can't have that. Ah, the English. So the walls in most of the main rooms are covered in dyed, tooled leather tiles. His wealth came from his grandfather and father, who were extensively involved in trade with India. I presume they were associated with the East India Trading Co. You cannot even begin to appreciate the wealth they accumulated. But be forewarned, before you go make sure you know how you are getting back. It is a long walk from the museum back to the center of Florence. Taxis will not come get you unless you made arrangements in advance.

One of those places that always comes off as uninspiring to friends and visitors, but once I've got…read morethem there they love this jewel of a museum. The entire tour gets wrapped up in about an hour and includes one of the largest and most versatile collections of military memorabilia I have ever seen. Stibbert was a bit of a recluse and spent all his time and money collecting pieces from all over the world, and setting them up in his palace complex on the hills of Florence. It's a bit out of the way, so be sure to triple check your directions if you are from out of town or taking transit. You will not be disappointed, unless the idea of realistic recreations of historical events doesn't interest you. Great for kids and those easily bored. Guided tours are obligatory but are not heavily informative. Reservations are a must.

The Uffizi Gallery is the museum that everyone comes to see in Florence. It is one of the largest…read moreand most famous museums in the world. Make your reservations to visit before you come here. You probably should plan to spend the day here as the museum has so much to see. You will be treated to masterpieces by Raphael, Giotto, Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli, Michelangelo, Caravaggio, Simone Martini, Lippo Memmi, Gentille da fabriano, plus so many more artists. You should do some research of exactly what you want to see if you are time limited. At the request of Cosimo I de'Medici, the Gallery was built by Giorgio Vasari, the famous Renaissance architect, and completed in 1581. You will be awestruck when you learn that this is all one family's collection - the Medicis. There are 101 rooms to visit. In addition to the paintings, there are many Roman sculptures in the corridors. We had not visited the museum since 2003 when we brought our children and grandchildren to Italy. Our main reason for coming now was to see the Vasari Corridor that we had been waiting for years to open. (It has been closed for over 10 years.) We arrived at 9:00 AM, and the lines were already long for those without tickets. I was impressed with the ease of getting in and getting the wheelchair for me, but it kind of ended there. We get all the way to where the elevator is, only to be told it is not working. We had to leave the building, go outside, and go into another building to access the museum. You would think a museum like the Uffizi could keep their elevators in working order. We took the time before our scheduled tour of the Vasari Corridor to visit the museum. It is truly a lovely museum! So, then we went to go to see the Vasari Corridor. What a mess that was. There is a very long staircase that one has to go down to get to the corridor. At the top, there was a chair lift of sorts that the museum people did not know how to work. Actually, I was too scared to use it. I had to walk down the stairs. They carried the wheelchair down. The tour guide only did the tour in Italian and there was a guide behind the group who tried to hustle us along. I told her I was going to take my time and not to rush us thru - I wanted to look out each and every window that the Medicis did on their walk to the Pitti Palace. Designed by Giorgio Vasari to allow the Grand Dukes to move safely from their private residence in Palazzo Pitti to the seat of government in Palazzo Vecchio, this overhead walkway remains unique and was built according to the wishes of Duke Cosimo I de' Medici in 1565 on the occasion of his son Francesco's marriage to Joanna of Austria. The walkway was built in just five months. The total route is less than a half mile long, beginning from the Uffizi Gallery up to the exit next to the Buontalenti Grotto in the Boboli Gardens. The Medici did not want to have to walk on the Ponte Vecchio as then it was full of butcher shops. You can just imagine what it must have smelled like. The corridor runs above the city streets, along and over the Arno, enters buildings, goes around the Torre de' Mannelli and tops the Church of Santa Felicita, in a succession of unusual panoramic views. It was inspired by the passageway between the Vatican and Castel Sant'Angelo in Rome, which saved the life of Pope Clement VII, born Giulio de' Medici, who managed to escape from the army of Charles V during the sack of Rome in 1527, as well as the Bramante passageway, built in 1505, to connect the Vatican Apostolic Palaces with the Casino del Belvedere of Innocent VIII. We thoroughly enjoyed each and every window we looked out of and the views they gave us of Florence and everyday life. When we got to the end - there was another long staircase to go up - thankfully they had an elevator, but they made us walk the longest distance to get out of the Pitti Palace when there was an exit much closer to get outside. I really wish I could have seen the corridor when it still had the paintings and sculptures in it. All it is now is an empty corridor with white walls, but the views from the windows are stunning. Just pick your time of day to visit carefully to get the best daylight hours.

Do not do this experience. It is a waste of time and extremely boring. They have removed all of the…read moreartwork from the corridor so you are just walking along an empty corridor for about half an hour. When we visited, the busts that were replacing the artwork were all covered with cloth so you couldn't even see them.

Steps behind the Duomo Cathedral, the Museo dell'Opera di Santa Maria Del Fiore literally and…read morefiguratively lives in the shadows of the aforementioned site. And boy is that a shame! The spot the museum is on is the exact location where Michelangelo sculpted the famous David statue. It currently holds Michelangelo's Pieta (one of the last sculptures he ever worked on), Donatello's wood sculpture of Magdalene Penitent, and the original Gates of Paradise by Ghiberti (they were built as doors for the Florence Baptistry), which took 27 years for him to complete. They are one of the finest artistic pieces I have ever seen--the detail and intricacy are mind-boggling!

They did not charge admission when we were there - not sure if it was a free day or if it is always…read morefree. Much more interesting than the interior of the duomo itself. Here you will see Donatello's haunting Magdalene and a number of his statues of prophets as well as Michelangelo's late unfinished pieta! Also the Donatello and della Robbia choir balconies (goregeous), lots of other art, Brunelleschi's workshop recreated and much else. A must and no lines when we went.