Piazzale Michelangiolo

Piazzale Michelangelo, the panoramic terrace of the city...

The works for the construction of the square ended in 1875. The entire square should have become a monument to Michelangelo (in fact, the loggia was originally intended to bring together in a single museum all the statues of the great artist present in Florence). The design of this square, but also of the Viale dei Colli (the Michelangelo-Galileo-Machiavelli avenues which converge here), is due to the architect Giuseppe Poggi, protagonist of the urban transformations of Florence in the second half of the nineteenth century, at the time of Florence Capital of Italy.

Together with the nearby Forte di Belvedere, Piazzale Michelangelo is the panoramic point par excellence over the city: from here you can enjoy a breathtaking view of Florence and its monuments: the Duomo with the dome, Palazzo Vecchio with the Arnolfo tower, the basilica of Santa Croce, the Arno rivers and Ponte Vecchio... until you reach the hills of Fiesole. In the center of the square stands the Monument to Michelangelo, composed of bronze copies of his statues: the four Allegories (Day, Night, Twilight, Aurora) preserved in the old sacristy of the Medici Chapels and the imposing David whose original is today found in Accademy's Gallery.

A few steps from the square overlook the Iris and Rose gardens, while, a little further up, there is one of the most evocative churches in Florence: San Miniato al Monte

It is always from up here that every year, on the evening of June 24th, the traditional Fireworks are exploded: the fireworks display to crown the celebrations of the city's patron saint.