18 panoramic views

Green Florence

Many places in Florence offer the stunning view of the city and its surroundings. The city has many panoramic viewpoints: in addition to piazzale Michelangelo, visitors can admire the skyline of Florence from Giardino di Boboli, San Miniato al Monte, as well as lesser-known places such as Settignano, the Badia Fiesolana, Bellosguardo and many others.

Recent municipal regulations are aimed at protecting such beauty. As a Unesco Heritage Site, the city skyline and its immediate surroundings - the nearby hills and the areas of Fiesole, Bagno a Ripoli and Sesto Fiorentino - cannot undergo substantial change. This means that any proposed change will be first evaluated by the technical services of the Municipality, in accordance with the Unesco authorities. Proposals will be authorized only if the skyline remains substantially unchanged. Minor interventions will be possible, but not if they involve new constructions that would disrupt the unique beauty of Florence admired from the 18 panoramic viewpoints listed below:

Giardino di Boboli
Villa Bardini
Chiesa di San Miniato al Monte
Piazzale Michelangelo
Santa Maria alla Badiuzza
San Tommaso a Baroncelli
via del Loretino
Piazza Desiderio da Settignano
Villa Medici a Fiesole
Badia Fiesolana
Monte Rinaldi
Orti del Parnaso
Villa Fabbricotti
Villa della Petraia
Chiesa diSanta Lucia alla Castellina
via di Monte Oliveto
via di San Carlo
via di Bellosguardo

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Bagno a Ripoli

Fiesole

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Piazzale Michelangelo

Michelangelo square is the most visited view point in Florence: an amazing panoramic terrace over the city named after the famous Renaissance artist: Michelangelo Buonarroti. Access to the square are from viale Galileo, viale Michelangiolo or from piazza Poggi, climbing the monumental stairs called Rampe del Poggi. The square was built on the hill south of Florence by the architect Giuseppe Poggi, who was called to a complete intense urban renewal when Florence was chosen as the capital of Italy. Poggi designed the square as a big monument to Michelangelo: the neo-Classic Loggia was intended to host a museum gathering all his works. Nevertheless, the idea was not approved and in 1876 the Loggia became a café restaurant. In the center of the square there is a big monument composed by the four allegories of the Medici Chapels of San Lorenzo and the copy of the imposing statue of the David. Piazzale Michelangelo is still the favourite place for tourists and Florentines, who wish to admire Florence and its monuments from a unique perspective.

Piazzale Michelangelo, 50125 Firenze FI, Italia

Badia Fiesolana

The Badia Fiesolana was the cathedral of Fiesole from High Middles Ages to 1028. The building underwent multiple renovations, first by the Camaldolese and then by the Benedictine monks from Montecassino and by the Canons Regular of Saint Augustine. The present structure was enlarged thanks to Cosimo de' Medici and here worked great architects like Brunelleschi and Michelozzo.

SP53, 50014 Fiesole FI, Italia

Boboli Garden

Boboli Garden is a green jewel in the heart of Florence: nature and art are mixed together in this precious garden created by the Medici family. This is one of the largest Italian-style gardens in the world and also a real open-air museum with sculptures dating from the Roman ages to the 17th century. Famous architects such as Vasari, Ammannati e Bernardo Buontalenti designed this unique park from the 16th to the 19th centuries.

Giardino di Boboli, Piazza de' Pitti, 1, 50125 Firenze FI, Italia

Villa Bardini

Villa Bardini, once Villa Manadora, is located in Costa San Giorgio 2, in Florence. Today the villa hosts the Museo Annigoni - famous Florentine painter of the past century - the library of the Horticultural Society and temporary exhibitions. Around the villa there’s a spectacular garden, the Bardini Garden, whose admission is possible with the same ticket valid for Boboli Garden.

Costa S. Giorgio, 2-4, 50125 Firenze FI, Italia

Abbazia di San Miniato al Monte

To enjoy another amazing view of the city, visitors can climb the stairs from piazzale Michelangelo, to get to San Miniato al Monte Abbey, one of the highest places in the city. The imposing façade leaves you breathless: it is in white and green marble, with a mosaic depicting San Miniato, the Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ. It has been built from the 11th to the 13th century and it represents one of the best examples of Florentine Romanesque.

Via delle Porte Sante, 34, 50125 Firenze FI, Italia

Chiesa di San Tommaso a Baroncelli

The church is situated in Bagno a Ripoli, in the Baroncelli estate, on the homonymous hill. First written records mentioning the church date back to 1260, so the historians assume that it was built some decades before. Inside, visitors can admire fragments of a fresco depicting the Annunciation by the Florentine School (15th century) and a sculpted wooden Crucifix (17th century). From the square the view is breathtaking.

Via di Baroncelli, 2, 50012 Bagno A Ripoli FI, Italia

Via del Loretino

Via del Loretino, Firenze FI, Italia

Piazza Desiderio da Settignano

Piazza Desiderio, 50135 Settignano FI, Italia

Villa Medici in Fiesole

Villa Medici in Fiesole dates back to the period between 1451 and 1457, built for Giovanni, son of Cosimo Il Vecchio. In a splendid position over the city, this villa is the first example of a country residence that inaugurates the idea of Renaissance villas.

Via Frà Giovanni da Fiesole Detto l'Angelico, 2, 50014 Fiesole FI, Italia

Monte Rinaldi

Monterinaldi is a hill in Florence located among via Bolognese Nuova, Lastra and the Mugnone valley. The district is well-known due to the modern villas mostly built by the famous architect Leonardo Ricci.

Via di Monterinaldi

Gli Orti del Parnaso

This experimental garden was created in the mid-19th century thanks to the new born Horticultural Society of Tuscany. It is located just in the higher part of the Giardino dell’Orticultura and a direct access is possible from an elegant gate in via Trento. Even though the panoramic terrace is located in a lower place compared to Piazzale Michelangelo or Forte Belvedere, the view is spectacular and covers all the monuments of the city. What’s more, the garden is decorated with a huge original snake-shaped fountain, going down the stairs that lead to the Horticultural Garden.

Gli Orti del Parnaso, Via Trento, 11, 50139 Firenze FI, Italia

Villa Fabbricotti

Villa Fabbricotti, or Villa Arcipressi, is situated in via Vittorio Emanuele II, 64, Montughi district, in Florence. Access to the park is also possible from the adjacent Giardino Tosco Laziale, via Stibbert 24. The luxury residence was built by the architect Vincenzo Micheli, according to the style of Firenze Capital of Italy. Passing the sumptuous gate, visitors can reach the villa, walking up along one of the two separate avenues both leading to the villa, and enjoy the amazing view over the luxuriant park and the city.

Villa Fabbricotti, Via Vittorio Emanuele II, 64, 50134 Firenze FI, Italia

Villa Medicea La Petraia

The Villa is situated on the hills of the Castello district, in via Petraia 40, Florence. It is considered one of the most beautiful and celebrated Medici Villas, located in a panoramic position which overtops the whole city.

Via della Petraia, 40, 50141 Firenze FI, Italia

Santa Lucia alla Castellina

Santa Lucia alla Castellina convent and church is located on the hill of Quinto Fiorentino – Municipality of Sesto Fiorentino, in the Florentine area.

Via del Bronzino, 9, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino FI, Italia

via di Monte Oliveto

Via Monte Oliveto, Firenze FI, Italia

via di San Carlo

Via S. Carlo, Firenze FI, Italia

via di Bellosguardo

Via di Bellosguardo, 50124 Firenze FI, Italia

Santa Maria alla Badiuzza

On the so called Paradise Hill, in the Gavinana district, via Fortini, visitors can see the Romanesque church of Santa Maria e Santa Brigida al Paradiso, mentioned in 1181 as Santa Maria degli Scalzi, and well-known today as Santa Maria alla Badiuzza.

Via Benedetto Fortini, 99, 50126 Firenze FI, Italia