Palazzo Vecchio: the town hall, the tower and the square
In 1299 the people of Florence decided to build a palace worthy of the city and safe from its riots. It has been the seat of the government ever since: of the republic, of the Medici dukes, for a few years of the Kingdom of Italy, and today of the mayor.
- Tickets
- From €19
- Open
- 9:00 to 19:00, Thursdays to 14:00
- Closed
- See the museum's notices
- Allow
- 1½ to 2½ hours
Florence this week
What to see at the Palazzo Vecchio
The Hall of the Five Hundred
More than fifty metres long and 18 high. Vasari raised the roof by seven metres to make it grander. Stand in the middle and look up at Cosimo I, painted as a god among the guilds of Florence.
The Studiolo of Francesco I
A small windowless room off the great hall, lined with painted panels that hide cupboards, where the shy second grand duke kept his minerals and curiosities.
The rooms of Eleonora of Toledo
The apartment of Cosimo's Spanish wife, with a private chapel painted throughout by Bronzino in colours that have hardly faded.
The Hall of Lilies and the Hall of Maps
Donatello's bronze Judith and Holofernes, the original from the square, stands in the first. The second is lined with fifty-three maps of the world as it was known in the 1560s, round a great globe.
The tower
A climb of more than two hundred steps past the cell where Cosimo the Elder and later Savonarola were held, to the battlements, with the dome of the cathedral straight ahead. It closes in rain.
The Loggia dei Lanzi
Free and never shut. Cellini's Perseus holds up the head of Medusa, as it has since 1554. Giambologna's three twisting figures were carved from a single block of marble.
Tickets and tours for the Palazzo Vecchio
Sold by GetYourGuide
Florence: Palazzo Vecchio Skip the Line Ticket & Audio Guide
Entry to the museum of the Palazzo Vecchio without the ticket queue, with an audio guide on your phone.
Included
- Entry to the museum of the Palazzo Vecchio without the ticket queue
- An audio guide on your phone
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Visiting the Palazzo Vecchio: hours and admission
Opening hours
- Friday to Wednesday
- 9:00 to 19:00
- Thursday
- 9:00 to 14:00
- The ticket office closes one hour before the museum.
- The tower and the battlements have a ticket of their own.
- On the day this was read the museum had closed the Terrace of Saturn, the mezzanine and the Tesoretto, with limited access to the Studiolo.
Who gets in free
- Visitors under 18.
Getting there
- On foot
- About fifteen minutes from Santa Maria Novella station. Five minutes from the Duomo, down Via dei Calzaiuoli.
- Tram
- Lines T1 and T2 stop at Santa Maria Novella station. T2 comes from the airport.
- By car
- The old centre is a restricted traffic zone, watched by cameras. Leave the car outside it.
Address
Palazzo VecchioPiazza della Signoria
50122 Florence, Italy
Entrances
The palace stands on Piazza della Signoria. Its first courtyard, through the main door, is open without a ticket. The museum's ticket office is inside the palace.
On the map
Before you go
- The museum closes early on Thursdays, at two in the afternoon. On the other days it is open into the evening, which is the quietest time.
- The tower has a separate ticket and few places. It is shut when it rains, so do not leave it to a doubtful day.
- You can walk into the first courtyard, with Verrocchio's little bronze boy and a dolphin, without a ticket.
- See the square twice: by day for the statues and after dark, when the palace is lit and the crowds have thinned.
- The Uffizi is next door. Do not put both in the same morning: each deserves a clear head.
Seven centuries of government in one building
The fortress with the off-centre tower, 94 metres high, is the work of Arnolfo di Cambio. Behind the plain stone are rooms of two different ages. The republic built the vast Hall of the Five Hundred in 1494, in the years of Savonarola, to hold its great council. Then Cosimo I de' Medici moved in and had Vasari turn the whole building into a ducal palace.
The hall is the reason to go in. Leonardo and Michelangelo were each asked to paint a battle on its walls, and neither finished. What you see are the huge battle scenes Vasari painted over them for the Medici, a ceiling of thirty-nine panels with Cosimo at the centre, and Michelangelo's marble Victory by the wall.
The square outside has been the city's political stage for as long. Savonarola was burned in it in 1498, and a plaque in the paving marks the place. Michelangelo's David stood by the door from 1504 to 1873, where a copy stands now. Under the arches of the Loggia dei Lanzi are Cellini's bronze Perseus and Giambologna's Rape of the Sabine Women, in the open air, for nothing.
Palazzo Vecchio: common questions
- What are the opening hours of the Palazzo Vecchio?
- Friday to Wednesday: 9:00 to 19:00. Thursday: 9:00 to 14:00. The ticket office closes one hour before the museum. The tower and the battlements have a ticket of their own. On the day this was read the museum had closed the Terrace of Saturn, the mezzanine and the Tesoretto, with limited access to the Studiolo.
- Is the Palazzo Vecchio ever free?
- Visitors under 18.
- What does the ticket include?
- Entry to the museum of the Palazzo Vecchio without the ticket queue. An audio guide on your phone. It is sold by GetYourGuide.
- Is the Palazzo Vecchio worth going inside?
- Yes, for the Hall of the Five Hundred alone. The Medici apartments above it, Bronzino's chapel and the Hall of Maps take another hour, and the tower gives the best close view of the cathedral's dome.
- Can you climb the tower of the Palazzo Vecchio?
- Yes, with a separate ticket. The climb is of more than two hundred steps and ends on the battlements. The tower closes when it rains.
- Are the statues in Piazza della Signoria originals?
- Some are. Cellini's Perseus and Giambologna's Rape of the Sabine Women in the Loggia dei Lanzi are the originals. The David by the palace door is a copy, and so is Donatello's Judith: the real ones are in the Accademia and inside the palace.
What visitors say about the Palazzo Vecchio
Rating from Google
More to see in Florence
Uffizi Galleries
Accademia Gallery
Florence Cathedral
Ponte Vecchio
Pitti Palace
Bargello National Museum
Medici Chapels
Basilica of Santa Croce
Artists to see at the Palazzo Vecchio
The most famous artists with work on show here, and the works to look for.
All 30 artists in FlorenceThings to do near the Palazzo Vecchio
The nearest of this site's best things to do in the city. Distances are in a straight line.
- 1Stand in front of Botticelli's Venus at the Uffizi200 m awayMuseum, 2.5 to 4 hours, ticket
- 9See Donatello's David at the Bargello200 m awayMuseum, 1.3 to 2 hours, ticket
- 5Cross the Ponte Vecchio at sunset300 m awayWalk, 20 to 45 minutes, free
- 3Climb Brunelleschi's dome on the Duomo400 m awayChurch, 2 to 3 hours, cathedral free, ticket for the dome
Where to eat near the Palazzo Vecchio
The nearest of the famous tables this site lists in Florence. Distances are in a straight line.
- Rivoire3.8Café and chocolate maker, Piazza della Signoria100 m away
- Trattoria Antico Fattore4.5Trattoria, Uffizi150 m away
- Perché no!4.6Gelateria, Orsanmichele200 m away
- Antico Ristorante Paoli4.7Restaurant, Orsanmichele200 m away
Hotels near the Palazzo Vecchio
The five-star hotels closest to it, of those this site lists in Florence. Distances are in a straight line.
- Hotel Bernini Palace4.7Five-star hotel, Piazza della Signoria100 m away
- Palazzo Portinari Salviati4.8Five-star hotel, Via del Corso250 m away
- Portrait Firenze4.8Five-star hotel, Ponte Vecchio300 m away
- Hotel Savoy4.7Five-star hotel, Piazza della Repubblica300 m away