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Florence Walking Tour: Renaissance and Medieval Highlights
5.0
12 Ratings
Firenze
Explore Florence’s rich history and hidden gems on a captivating walking tour with an expert local guide. Discover tales of murder, betrayal, and Renaissance splendor.
Duration:
3 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- Church and Museum of Orsanmichele - The church of Orsanmichele is a historic building in the center of Florence. It was originally a loggia built for the storage and market of grain, later transformed into a church of the Arts, the ancient Florentine guilds. Today on the upper floors it houses a museum, with the originals of the sculptural cycle of its external niches and the famous statues of Donatello and Ghiberti.
- Museo Casa di Dante - We will pass Dante’s house and discover his life, his work and his city.
- Duomo - Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore - The metropolitan cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, commonly known as the cathedral of Florence, is the main Florentine church, symbol of the city and one of the most famous in Italy; when it was completed, in the 15th century, it was the largest church in the world, and can still boast the absolute primacy of the largest masonry dome today. It stands on the foundations of the ancient cathedral of Florence, the church of Santa Reparata, in the place that has hosted buildings of worship since Roman times.
- The Baptistery of St. John - The baptistery of San Giovanni Battista is a famous religious building in Florence, located in the Piazza San Giovanni of the same name, in front of the cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. Dedicated to the patron saint of the city, it was for centuries the place where Florentines obtained baptism and was the place of investiture of knights and poets (Dante was also baptized here).
- Campanile di Giotto - Giotto’s bell tower is the bell tower of Santa Maria del Fiore, the cathedral of Florence, and is located in Piazza del Duomo.
- Santa Maria Novella - The basilica of Santa Maria Novella is one of the most important churches in Florence and stands on the square of the same name. Santa Maria Novella was the point of reference for an important mendicant order, the Dominicans.
- Palazzo Rucellai - Palazzo Rucellai is a palace from the 15th century, believed by most scholars to have been designed for Giovanni di Paolo Rucellai by Leon Battista Alberti between 1446 and 1451 and executed, at least in part, by Bernardo Rossellino. Its splendid facade was one of the first to proclaim the new ideas of Renaissance architecture based on the use of pilasters and entablatures in proportional relationship to each other. The Rucellai Palace demonstrates the impact of the ancient revival but does so in a manner which is full of Renaissance originality.
- Palazzo Strozzi - Palazzo Strozzi is one of the best-known Italian Renaissance palaces. Of imposing size (15 buildings were destroyed to make room for it), it is located between the homonymous Via Strozzi and Piazza Strozzi, and Via Tornabuoni, with three identical portals on every side.
- Basilica di Santa Trinita - The Basilica of Santa Trinita is one of the most important basilicas in the historical-artistic evolution of the city of Florence; according to Florentine usage, which reflects the Latin pronunciation of the nominative, it has the characteristic sdrucciola pronunciation (Trìnita). It overlooks the homonymous Piazza Santa Trinita and also gives its name to the nearby Santa Trinita bridge. We will enter inside to see the impressive frescoes by Ghirlandaio.
- Palazzo Pitti - Palazzo Pitti is an imposing Renaissance palace in Florence. It is located in the Oltrarno area, a short distance from Ponte Vecchio. The original nucleus of the building dates back to 1458, as the urban residence of the banker Luca Pitti. The palace was then purchased by the Medici family in 1549 and became the main residence of the grand dukes of Tuscany, first Medici and from 1737 Habsburg-Lorraine. Following the unification of Italy, it played the role of royal palace for the House of Savoy in the five years in which Florence was the capital of the Kingdom of Italy (1865-70).
- Church of Santa Felicita - The church of Santa Felìcita is a Catholic place of worship in Florence, located in the Oltrarno district, between Ponte Vecchio and Palazzo Pitti. It is one of the oldest churches in Florence.
- Vasari Corridor - The Vasari corridor is an elevated path that connects Palazzo Vecchio with Palazzo Pitti, passing through the Uffizi and over Ponte Vecchio. The idea of ​​the elevated route was born to give the grand dukes the opportunity to move freely and without danger from their residence to the government palace, given the still uncertain support of the population towards the new duke and the new government system, after the ancient Florentine Republic.
What's Included
- Discover must-see iconic outdoor attractions
- Tour the streets of Florence with your expert guide
- Taste the best gelato in town
Additional Information
Would you like to go on the most complete, educational and enjoyable walking tour in Florence? Then stop your search right now. We will take you through the quaint cobblestone streets, bringing the amazing Renaissance city to life with tales, murder and betrayal stories, and fascinating historical information.
The tour will begin in Piazza della Repubblica, where you will learn about the Roman foundation of the city. From there, we will take you on a historical tour to discover Medieval Florence and the factors that contributed to its rise to power and wealth. Every architectural era is represented, from the iconic tower homes to the exquisite Renaissance palaces.
You will follow your guide as you stroll along Via Tornabuoni, the most famous designer shopping avenue, and see amazing churches, the Medici houses and palaces, the most famous squares in the city, the world famous Ponte Vecchio bridge and the charming Oltrarno cobblestone alleys with their selection of artisan workshops.
Location
Piazza della Repubblica
Piazza della Repubblica, in front of Caffe Paszkowski.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(12 Ratings)
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Jodyfrommi
Aug 4, 2024
Walking with Becky through Florence’ History, Art and Architecture - Becky walked us all over the beautiful city of Florence, Italy, explaining the history of the city, pointing out the different architectural periods represented, and the influences of the Italian artists of the past. This tour was interesting and informative, and Becky is lovely to listen to with her British accent. She is engaging and very knowledgeable. We highly recommend this tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
121ralitsad
Jul 17, 2024
A must! - Absolutely amazing! We did the essential Florence walking tour and I couldn’t love it more! Becky is very knowledgeable- she had an answer for every question we asked. She is also very friendly and considerate with our time and needs during the tour. The tour was well structured, interesting and beautifully presented. I was completely immersed in th stories and felt like I took a walk back in time.Thank you, Becky! Highly recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Betsy_c
Jul 10, 2024
What a great personal tour - Great tour of Florence. Lisa's native tongue is English but has lived in Florence for 20 years. Her knowledge of Florence history was great and her ability to relate it to all the places you visit in Florence provided a great experience for the rest of my visit. I appreciate Walk About Tours not considering canceling the tour when other visitors cancelled, and I was the only one left on the tour. I would have missed so much of Florence without the tour. Three hours allowed the tour to not be rushed.
Review provided by Viator
Tourist17780312487
Jul 3, 2024
Florence history tour - Thoroughly enjoy our tour today, Becky our guide was very informative, interesting and clearly had a passion for the history of Florence, learnt and visited loads of interesting places, would highly recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Cezary_p
Jul 2, 2024
Hands down, the best tour I had in Florence - I have nothing but the best to describe my experience at the Florence tour with Becky. She was the best guide I had had in Italy. Even though this was designed to be a group tour, I ended up being the only participant, and was very thankful that Becky accommodated me solo. I had the luck of experiencing a private tour for the price of a group experience.
Becky was very articulate so following her along very easy- unlike Italian guides who rush through explanations. She also demonstrated thorough understanding of the sculptures and buildings she was describing. Needless to say, I had a great time and would definitely recommend this tour to everyone!
Review provided by Viator
Williamga3097mx
Jun 22, 2024
A remarkable tour of the history of Florence. - Becky was a pleasant surprise. She is steeped in the history of Florence and loves to share it. She convered the founding of Florence by the Etruscans, the Roman period, the Dark Ages anmd the Renaissance from a political, commercial, religious, architectural and artistic perspective. It was a three hour fasccinating introduction to the city, and left s wanting to wander it during the days that remain on our trip.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
