Florence, the capital of Tuscany, is a city of about 360,000 people on the river Arno, about 275 kilometres by road north-west of Rome. A wealthy centre of medieval trade and banking and the home of the Medici, it is widely regarded as the birthplace of the Renaissance, and its historic centre has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1982.
Within a compact area stand Brunelleschi's dome on the cathedral, the Uffizi and its collection of Italian painting, Michelangelo's David in the Galleria dell'Accademia, the Ponte Vecchio and the palaces and gardens of the Oltrarno. The Florentine dialect became the basis of standard Italian through the works of Dante, Petrarch and Boccaccio. Many visitors rent an apartment in a historic building, which suits couples, families and travellers who want to cook with Tuscan produce and stay a week or more, but Florence now limits new short-term rentals in its centre, so check the rules. Siena, Pisa, Lucca and the Chianti hills are close.
The historic centre around the Duomo, the Piazza della Signoria and the Uffizi puts almost every major sight within a few minutes' walk, ideal for a first visit, though the streets are crowded by day. Santa Croce, to the east around the Franciscan basilica, is livelier in the evening and has more residential corners. San Lorenzo and San Marco, north of the cathedral, are close to the Galleria dell'Accademia, the central market and Santa Maria Novella station, which makes them practical for train travellers.
Across the river, the Oltrarno, the district beyond the Arno, includes the church of Santo Spirito, the Palazzo Pitti, the Boboli Gardens and the climb to Piazzale Michelangelo, and has a calmer, local feel that suits couples and longer stays. Families wanting space, gardens or a pool often look to the hills, such as Fiesole, about 5 kilometres north-east, where villas and apartments look down on the city, though a car or bus is then needed.
The cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore was begun in 1296 to a design by Arnolfo di Cambio and completed by 1436 with the dome engineered by Filippo Brunelleschi; its green, pink and white marble façade dates from the 19th century. Nearby stand the baptistery and Giotto's bell tower. The Palazzo Vecchio, the medieval city hall, overlooks the Piazza della Signoria, beside the Uffizi, whose building was completed in 1581 and which holds one of the great collections of Italian painting.
The Galleria dell'Accademia houses Michelangelo's David and paintings by Florentine artists from about 1300 to 1600. The Ponte Vecchio, standing since around 1345, was the only bridge in the city spared during the Second World War. South of the river, the Palazzo Pitti and the Boboli Gardens, laid out for the Medici in the 16th century, are part of the World Heritage Site, and Piazzale Michelangelo gives the classic view over the city.
Florence began as a Roman settlement on the Via Cassia in the fertile Arno valley, and in the Middle Ages it grew into a trading and banking commune whose wool and textile industries, powered by the river, made it one of the richest cities in Europe. Its turbulent politics included long periods of rule by the Medici family, among them Lorenzo de' Medici, a patron of artists and thinkers in the late 15th century.
Painters, sculptors and architects from Giotto and Brunelleschi to Botticelli, Leonardo and Michelangelo worked here, and Dante, Petrarch and Boccaccio made the Florentine dialect the basis of the Italian language. From 1865 to 1871 Florence served as the capital of the Kingdom of Italy. In November 1966 the Arno flooded parts of the centre and damaged many works of art, and small plaques still mark the height of the water. Today the city lives from culture, craft, fashion and tourism.
Florence Airport, Peretola (FLR), officially Amerigo Vespucci, lies on the plain north-west of the city and is linked to the centre by the second line of the Tramvia light rail and by a bus to the main station. Pisa International Airport (PSA), also called Galileo Galilei, is the other main airport in Tuscany; a shuttle train, the Pisa Mover, connects it with Pisa Centrale, from where trains run to Florence. Firenze Santa Maria Novella is the main railway station, with high-speed trains to Rome, Milan, Bologna, Venice and Naples.
The historic centre is compact and best explored on foot, and many of its streets are pedestrian or narrow. Buses and the Tramvia lines serve the outer districts. Do not drive into the centre: it is a limited traffic zone (ZTL), where cars without a permit are fined automatically. Keep a car only for touring Tuscany, and park it outside the zone.
Siena, an important medieval city whose historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is known for the shell-shaped Piazza del Campo and the Palio, a horse race held there twice a year between its city districts, the contrade. Pisa, on the Arno near the sea, is known worldwide for its Leaning Tower but also has more than twenty other historic churches and palaces along the river. Lucca, on the Serchio, is enclosed by almost intact Renaissance walls and has a square built on the outline of a Roman amphitheatre.
Between Florence and Siena lies the Chianti Classico area, about 260 square kilometres of hills, vineyards, olive groves and small towns, best explored by car or on a guided tour. Closer to the city, Fiesole, on a height about 5 kilometres north-east, has Etruscan and Roman remains and wide views, and can be reached by local bus in a short ride.
Florence has a Mediterranean climate with hot summers and cool, damp winters. Because the city sits in a basin with little wind, summer heat is higher than on the coast, with on average around 70 days a year above 30°C, so air conditioning is very welcome in July and August. Winters are chilly, with frosty nights on some days, but snow is rare, and rain falls mostly between autumn and spring.
April to June and September to October are usually the most pleasant months for walking and for trips into the countryside, though the main museums are busy and booking ahead is wise. The grape harvest in the Chianti hills usually falls in September and early October. Summer is hot and crowded at the main sights, and many Florentines leave in August. Winter, outside the Christmas holidays, is the quietest season, good for museums, churches and long Tuscan lunches.
Every holiday rental in Italy must have a national identification code, the CIN, shown in listings and outside the building, and hosts must register guests' identity documents with the police. Florence adds its own rules. Under a regulation approved by the city council in 2025, new short-term tourist rentals are no longer allowed in the UNESCO area of the historic centre, existing ones must meet requirements such as a municipal registration and minimum sizes, and keyboxes fixed to building façades in that area have been banned and removed. The regional administrative court, the TAR Toscana, has upheld the regulation.
In 2026 the city moved to extend the limit on new short-term rentals to several zones outside the historic centre. A city tourist tax is charged per night. For travellers, this means booking listings that show their CIN and comply with local rules; owners and guests should check the Comune di Firenze's current guidance.
The historic centre near the Duomo is best for walking to the main sights. Santa Croce is lively in the evening, San Lorenzo and San Marco are practical near the station and the Accademia, and the Oltrarno across the river is calmer and local. Fiesole's hills suit families wanting space.
Florence Airport, Peretola (FLR) is linked to the centre by the Tramvia's second line and by a bus to Santa Maria Novella station. From Pisa International Airport (PSA), take the Pisa Mover shuttle to Pisa Centrale and a train to Florence. Taxis are also available at both.
April to June and September to October are usually the most comfortable for sightseeing and countryside trips. July and August are hot, often above 30°C, and crowded. Winter is chilly but quieter, a good time for museums outside the Christmas holidays.
Two or three days cover the Duomo, the Uffizi, the Accademia, the Ponte Vecchio, the Palazzo Pitti and the Boboli Gardens. Five days to a week leave time for Fiesole and day trips to Siena, Pisa, Lucca or the Chianti hills.
Not in the historic centre, which is a limited traffic zone (ZTL) where cars without a permit are fined automatically. The centre is walkable, and buses and the Tramvia cover outer areas. A car is useful only for exploring the Tuscan countryside; park it outside the zone.
Yes. The Boboli Gardens, the climb to Piazzale Michelangelo, the Museo Galileo and the views from Fiesole appeal to children, and distances in the centre are short. Summer heat and museum queues can tire young ones, so an apartment with air conditioning helps.
Existing, compliant rentals continue, but since a 2025 city regulation no new short-term tourist rentals are allowed in the UNESCO historic centre, and in 2026 the city moved to extend limits to other zones. Every rental needs a CIN code. Check the Comune di Firenze's current rules.
Florence is known as the birthplace of the Renaissance, for Brunelleschi's dome, the Uffizi, Michelangelo's David, the Ponte Vecchio and the Medici, for the Florentine roots of the Italian language and for Tuscan food such as bistecca alla fiorentina.
Researched and written with AI assistance, then fact-checked against the sources below. Last checked .