When I was a student studying in Heidelberg, my goal was to travel as cheaply as possible throughout Europe. I was living on a limited, fixed budget and needed to stretch the value of every dollar.
Italy was a great destination for me, especially since there are many free sites, due to many prominent sculptures and paintings being commissioned by the church. If you are looking for sites to explore in Florence, below is a list of our favorite free attractions to explore.
Key Takeaways
- Florence is full of beautiful artwork. While some of the most famous pieces require an entrance fee, there is a lot of free sites too, including an outdoor musuem.
- Florence is located in the Tuscan countryside and there are beautiful parks such as Park Cascine and Piazelle Michaelangelo to visit.
- Churches are usually free to visit and many of these will also host very famous pieces. Be sure to add these to your list.
1. Explore the Piazza del Duomo
The Piazza del Duomo is the heart of city, where the famous church dmoninates the square. It’s a UNESCO world heritage site and was commissioned by the Medici family. While it costs money to climb to the top, you can explore the church and the surrounding square itself for free.
Tips for the Piazza del Duomo:
- A marble plaque: At the top of the church is a round orb. During a thunderstorm in 1601, lightning struck the ball and it fell to the ground, creating a crack in the cobblestones below. Today, there is a memorial of this event, which you can see on the street.
- The unfinished dome: The dome is an architectural marvel, constructed by Brunelleschi. However, the outside facade of the dome of the church was never completely finished, because Michelangelo declared it ugly. If you look carefully, you can see the sides that are not finished.
- The Baptistry doors: These are a replica (the originals are inside the museum), but these are still beautiful and worth checking out.
The outside of the church
2. Enjoy the Sunset at the Piazelle Michelangelo
Piazelle Michelangelo is on the opposite side of the river from Piazza del Duomo and offers amazing views of the city below. We recommend bringing a picnic and watching the sunset from here.
View from the Piazelle Michelangelo
3. Run or Bike in Parco delle Cascine
This park features my favorite running route in Florence, which stretches along the Arno. It’s a pedestrian-only zone, so only bikes, runners, and walkers will be allowed on the streets (unless there is a farmer’s market).
If you are in the mood to do a longer bike tour or run, you can continue along the Arno, where you will reach a long path that stretches for miles. From here, you can even see the planes land at the nearby airport.
Running through the park
4. See the Frescoes in the Church of Santa Croce
One of the best things about Italy is how easy it is to see artwork for free. Many famous pieces aren’t in museums, but in churches, which are free to enter. This particular church hosts the works of Giotto, who is often credited with beginning the Renaissance period through his work on perspective in his paintings. This church contains his iconic freschos, the Stories of the life of Saint Francis.
5. Check out the Other Davids
It will cost money to see the original David created by Michelangelo. However, there are replicas of him throughout the city. The most famous of which stands in front of the Palazzo Vecchio (which is where the original David was located before being placed inside for better conservation).
6. Explore the The Palazzo Vecchio
The Palazzo Vecchio used to function as the town hall before Cosimo I de’ Medici made it into his personal palace. While the first and second floors require a ticket, the courtyards and the first floor are free to the public.
The Palazzo Vecchio in the distance
There are multiple courtyards to explore in the museum. Michelozzo’s courtyard, which is housed in the palace, was named after the Florentine artchitect who created it. However, this courtyard now more closely resembled the redesign by Vasai for the wedding of Francesco I de’ Medici and Giovanna of Austria. It’s a really fun place to explore, especially with the statues out front (More on that below).
7. Check out L’Importuno
L’importuno is piece of graffiti carved into the side of Palazzo Vecchio and has been attributed to Michelangelo. It depicts the side profile of a man and resembles other profiles Michelangelo made.
8. See the Sculptures in Loggia dei Lanzi
Loggia dei Lanzi is composed of several arches and serves as a contrast to the Palazzo Vecchio. Inside the archway are several statues from the Renaissance period, making this a free open-air museum in Florence.
9. Check out the Bridges
Ponte Vecchio is perhaps the most famous bridge in Florence and was the only one to survive the Nazi bombings during World War II. There are tons of luxury shops you can explore as you walk over the bridge. Additionally, be sure to look up. There is a walkway connecting the Uffizi Gallery to the Boboli Gardens.
The Ponte Vecchio
While the most famous, Ponte Vecchio, is not the only bridge in Florence that is worth checking out. The Bridge of Santa Trinita is a beautiful bridge that contains statues of the four seasons. It was destroyed in World War II and reconstructed in the 1950s. However, the head of spring was missing for years, before it turned up down the river
10. Go on a Free Walking Tour
We highly recommend a tour of the city, especially at the start of your trip. Florence has a rich history, and the Medici family (who are responsible for many of the sites) are fascinating. SDanck and I have done many of these free walking tours throughout Europe and have always found them to be excellent.
Pro Tip: Even though these tours are free, we recommend bringing some cash for tip.
11. Sample Chocolate at Nino
I love chocolate and Nino has tons of free samples to try. While chocolate was the main attraction for me, they also have pestos and sauces. Be warned though: Everything is so good that you may end up buying a few things here (We defintiely did!)
12. Seasonal: See the Explosion of the Cart (Coppio del Carro)
I was here on Easter weekend and the explosion of the cart is an Easter Sunday tradition. You’ll see people dressed in Renaissance attire making their way to the church with a large cart. A rocket-shaped dove, known as the Colombina, is then ignited and makes its way to the cart, which is filled with fireworks. This takes place at the Duomo at 10am and be sure to get here early if you want to see anything (It gets pretty crowded).
Final Thoughts
Florence is a great city to explore and there are many sites to explore for free. Any that we missed? Leave them in the comments below.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is cheaper: Rome or Florence?
If you are trying to decide between Rome and Florence, we found Florence to generally be cheaper. However, both cities are relatively inexpensive and both have free sites to explore.
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