Top things to do in Florence

The Renaissance capital: the Duomo, the Uffizi, and the Arno at dusk.

• The Duomo (Santa Maria del Fiore) — Brunelleschi's dome (climb it — 463 steps), Giotto's campanile, the Baptistery's Gates of Paradise. Book dome climbs ahead.
• Uffizi Gallery — Botticelli's Birth of Venus and Primavera, Leonardo, Michelangelo — book timed entry, always.
• Galleria dell'Accademia — Michelangelo's David: the original, 17 feet of marble. Timed entry essential.
• Ponte Vecchio & Oltrarno — The bridge of goldsmiths; across the river, the artisans' quarter: Santo Spirito's square and workshops.
• Palazzo Pitti & Boboli Gardens — The Medici palace: Palatine Gallery, the Boboli hillside gardens above the city.
• Piazzale Michelangelo — The sunset terrace: the whole city and the dome in one view. Walk up from San Niccolò.
• San Lorenzo Market — The leather market outside, the food hall upstairs in the Mercato Centrale.

Free things to do in Florence

Florence is generous if your budget isn't. All of these cost nothing or close to it:

• Piazzale Michelangelo — The view: free, the city's best.
• Ponte Vecchio (crossing) — Walking the bridge: free.
• Piazza della Signoria — The open-air sculpture gallery: Cellini's Perseus, the copy David.
• San Miniato al Monte — The Romanesque church above the city: free, quieter than the crowds below, Gregorian chants some evenings.
• Oltrarno wandering — Santo Spirito, San Frediano: the artisan quarter's streets.
• Loggia del Mercato Nuovo (the Pig) — Rub the Porcellino's snout for luck — free, traditional.

Festivals & the religious calendar

The town's own festivals:

• Calcio Storico Fiorentino (24 June (San Giovanni)) — The historic football: 16th-century rules, 27-a-side, in Piazza Santa Croce — brutal, spectacular, tickets vanish.
• Scoppio del Carro (Easter Sunday) — The Explosion of the Cart: the dove-rocket ignites the cart in Piazza del Duomo — good harvest if it all fires.
• Festa di San Giovanni (24 June) — The patron saint's day: the calcio final and evening fireworks (fochi) over the Arno.
• Pitti Uomo / fashion weeks (January & June) — The menswear fair that fills the Fortezza and the bars.

And the national calendar:

• Ferragosto (15 August) — The Assumption holiday: Italy empties to the beach. Cities go quiet; coastal towns fill.
• Carnevale (February (pre-Lent)) — Masked balls, parades, fritelle — the pre-Lent carnival season, most famous in Venice.
• Easter (Pasqua) / Easter Monday (Pasquetta) (March/April) — Religious processions and the traditional Pasquetta picnic/outdoor day.
• Christmas / Epiphany (December–6 January) — Presepi (nativity scenes), Christmas markets, and La Befana on 6 January.

Exact dates are confirmed yearly — check local listings before booking around a festival.

Sports: Football

ACF Fiorentina: the Viola, purple shirts, the Franchi stadium. Florence's love affair with its club is intense and long-suffering — the Curva Fiesole never stops. The rivalry with Juventus is the fixture.

Calcio storico (June) is the other football — the 500-year-old version. Cycling: the Tuscan hills are pilgrimage roads; the city hosts the Tour/Tiro starts regularly.

Tickets: official site

What's new in Florence

The Uffizi's expansion keeps opening new rooms — check what's new before visiting. The tram network extensions are changing how the outskirts connect. Book the David and Uffizi the moment you book flights.

Submit your event

Running something in town? Dayfari lists community events free — gigs, markets, fundraisers, club nights, temple and church programmes. Submit your event and it can appear in the town feed within a day. No account needed to suggest; the Dayfari team reviews every submission.

Common questions

More to explore in Florence