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Watch the sunset from Piazzale Michelangelo, Florence

Scenic & Viewpoints

Watch the sunset from Piazzale Michelangelo

Florence · Tuscany

QUICK INFORMATION

CATEGORY
Scenic & Viewpoints
COUNTRY
Italy
REGION
Florence · Tuscany
DURATION
An hour for the sunset
DIFFICULTY
A 20-minute uphill walk, or a short bus ride.
BEST TIME
Year-round; the sunset is most dramatic in spring and autumn.

ABOUT THIS EXPERIENCE

Piazzale Michelangelo is the terrace on the hill above the Oltrarno that gives the postcard view of Florence — the whole city laid out below, with Brunelleschi’s dome at its centre, the tower of the Palazzo Vecchio beside it, and the Ponte Vecchio over the Arno. It was laid out in 1869 by the architect Giuseppe Poggi as part of Florence’s brief time as the capital of united Italy, and a bronze copy of Michelangelo’s David stands at its centre. Coming up for sunset, when the marble of the Duomo turns pink and the city lights come on, is the most popular evening ritual in Florence, and the walk up through the Oltrarno is half the point.

WHAT YOU’LL EXPERIENCE

What you’ll experience

More here soon — the road is still being mapped.

THE EXPERIENCE IN DETAIL

What it’s really like

More here soon — the road is still being mapped.

HIGHLIGHTS

Moments worth savouring

01

The panorama — the Duomo, the Palazzo Vecchio, the Ponte Vecchio and the Arno, the whole historic centre in one view.

02

The bronze copy of David — at the centre of the square, with the city behind it.

03

The San Miniato al Monte church — the 11th-century Romanesque abbey above the piazzale, with its gold mosaics and the best view of all.

04

The walk up — the neo-Renaissance ramp from the Oltrarno, lined with cypresses.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Good to know before you go

More here soon — the road is still being mapped.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

Before you go

Access
Walk up from the Oltrarno in about 20 minutes, or take bus 12 or 13. There is a café on the square.
Best Time
Arrive 30–45 minutes before sunset to find a spot on the wall; the city lights come on shortly after.
Context
The piazzale sits above the Oltrarno; San Miniato is a further short climb above it.

MAP & LOCATION

Watch the sunset from Piazzale Michelangelo

Watch the sunset from Piazzale Michelangelo, Florence, Tuscany, Italy

43.7628, 11.2647

Open in OpenStreetMap

ATTRACTIONS NEARBY

Pair it with these sights

Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore (the Duomo), Florence
Landmark

Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore (the Duomo)

The cathedral complex at the heart of Florence — Brunelleschi’s vast brick dome, the marble-clad basilica and Giotto’s campanile — the engineering and artistic centrepiece of the early Renaissance.

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Uffizi Gallery, Florence
Museum

Uffizi Gallery

One of the world’s great art museums, housed in the U-shaped palace built by Vasari for the Medici administration — holding the supreme collection of Italian Renaissance painting from Giotto and Botticelli to Leonardo, Raphael and Caravaggio.

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Ponte Vecchio, Florence
Landmark

Ponte Vecchio

The oldest bridge in Florence, a medieval stone arch lined with jewellery shops, with the secret Vasari Corridor running above them — the only Florence bridge the retreating Germans left standing in 1944.

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Galleria dell’Accademia, Florence
Museum

Galleria dell’Accademia

The gallery built to house Michelangelo’s David, with the colossal marble and a row of his unfinished Slaves — the most concentrated collection of Michelangelo sculpture in the world.

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Piazza della Signoria and Palazzo Vecchio, Florence
Landmark

Piazza della Signoria and Palazzo Vecchio

The political heart of Florence — an open-air sculpture gallery of a square, with the Palazzo Vecchio, a copy of Michelangelo’s David, the Loggia dei Lanzi and Ammannati’s Neptune Fountain.

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MORE EXPERIENCES

More to do in Florence

Cross to the Oltrarno and the Boboli Gardens, Florence
Neighbourhoods

Cross to the Oltrarno and the Boboli Gardens

The artisan quarter across the Arno — the Palazzo Pitti, the Boboli Gardens and the workshops of the Oltrarno, where gilders, restorers and frame-makers still work behind open doors.

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Eat and drink your way through the San Lorenzo market quarter, Florence
Food & Drink

Eat and drink your way through the San Lorenzo market quarter

The market quarter around the Medici church of San Lorenzo — the Mercato Centrale food hall, the outdoor leather market and the streets of tripe sandwich stalls, wine bars and old trattorias.

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FOOD & DRINK

Where to eat nearby

01

Trattoria Sostanza — a historic trattoria since 1869, famous for its butter chicken and artichoke tortino, book ahead

02

All’Antico Vinaio — the city’s famous schiacciata bread sandwich, queues around the block

03

Trattoria Mario — a no-reservations lunch-only trattoria near the Mercato Centrale, honest Tuscan cooking

04

Osteria delle Tre Panche — a tiny wine bar serving the best maccheroni in the city, a few tables only

05

Ristorante Cibrèo — the classic Florentine restaurant, the place for ribollita and the chicken liver pâté

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HOTELS & STAYS

Where to stay nearby

01

Hotel Lungarno — a riverside boutique hotel overlooking the Ponte Vecchio, with a private art collection

02

Hotel Brunelleschi — a hotel built around a Byzantine tower in the historic centre, steps from the Duomo

03

Hotel Torre Guelfa Palazzo Acciaiuoli — a medieval tower hotel near the Ponte Vecchio, with a rooftop terrace

04

Hotel Cellai — a charming garden hotel in the San Lorenzo quarter, good value for a central stay

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