Itinerary: Oltrarno
Departure: Piazza Santo Spirito
Following stages: Piazza Santa Spirito – Borgo San Frediano – Piazza de’ Pitti (Palazzo Pitti) – Boboli Garden (+ Forte Belvedere) – Piazzale Michelangelo (San Miniato al Monte + Garden of Roses)
1
Piazza Santo Spirito
The itinerary starts from Piazza Santo Spirito, an historical square of Florence, animated by a lot of pubs at night and by many inhabitants and tourists during the day. The square is dominated by Santo Spirito church, conceived by Filippo Brunelleschi in 1444. A simple facade that hosts works of art by Filippino Lippi and Bernardo Rossellino and a crucifix attributed to Michelangelo.
Borgo San Frediano
2
After a 700 meters walk, you will reach Borgo San Frediano, the “coolest” neighborhood in the world, according to Lonely Planet. Here you will find artisan shops, small restaurants and less touristic Cafés. Santa Maria del Carmine church is worth a visit since it hosts the Brancacci Chapel frescoed by Masaccio, Masolino da Panicale and Filippino Lippi.
3
Palazzo Pitti
Go back to Piazza Santo Spirito and in few minutes you will reach Piazza de’ Pitti, dominated by the impressive Palazzo Pitti that houses different museums and art galleries.
Giardino di Boboli
4
Palazzo Pitti gives access to the magnificent Boboli Garden, the green lung of Florence. A complete visit will take you around three hours. The creation of this park took four centuries (‘400-‘900) and involved the work of architects such as Vasari, Ammannati and Buontalenti.
5
Forte Belvedere
Inside the garden you can admire the Amphitheater, with the huge obelisk carried by Luxor. At the top of the Amphitheater, you have the Neptune fountain. Walking through the park, you will cross many green galleries and rows of cypresses thus admiring the Ocean Fountain, the Statues of Nile, Euphrates and Ganges and many others. We also suggest a visit to the Knight’s meadow, to the Koffeehouse tower and to the cover lemon houses. But what most deserves a visit is the Big Grotto by Buontalenti, decorated by stalactites and divided into three rooms. At the end of the walk, a must see is the Dwarf Morgante on the marble turtle!
If the visit to the Boboli Garden is not enough for you, after a 1km walk you can reach the Forte Belvedere (5). Situated in the highest point of the Boboli Garden, the Forte Belvedere will allow one of the most beautiful views of Florence, in addition to exhibitions and shows.
Piazzale Michelangelo
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For those who are tireless, the itinerary goes on with a 1 km walk that will lead you to the Piazzale Michelangelo, that offers an extraordinary panoramic view of Florence. Otherwise, you can reach it by taxi or do the same itinerary in two days.
7
San Miniato al Monte
The square is always very crowded, full of tourists and stands; here you see an impressive bronze reproduction of the Statue of David by Michelangelo. After a few minutes walk, you will reach the Abbazzia di San Miniato al Monte and the monumental cemetery, hosting the graves of well-know personalities such as Carlo Collodi and Vasco Pratolini.
Giardino delle Rose
8
The last step of this path will take you back to Piazzale Michelangelo in order to go down to the Giardino delle Rose (Garden of roses), that houses sculptures, rose gardens and Japanese oasis.