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Number 6 of 20 in Florence

Piazzale Michelangelo: the view over Florence, and the church above it

Every postcard of Florence was taken from here. The square was laid out in 1869 by the architect Giuseppe Poggi, when the city was briefly the capital of Italy, as a balcony over the old town.

What it is
Walk
Time to allow
1 to 2 hours
Cost
Free
Best time
An hour before sunset

Florence this week

    Why Piazzale Michelangelo is worth it

    From the balustrade you see Florence the way its painters drew it: the Arno and its bridges, with the Ponte Vecchio in the middle, the tower of the Palazzo Vecchio, the dome of the cathedral above everything, and the hills of Fiesole behind. It costs nothing and it is never shut.

    The square is dedicated to Michelangelo. In the middle stand bronze copies of his David and of the four figures from the Medici tombs. The loggia behind was meant to be a museum of his work and became a restaurant instead.

    Most people stop here. Five minutes further up the hill, by a wide flight of steps, is San Miniato al Monte, begun in 1013, with a front of green and white marble in the manner the cathedral would follow three centuries later. Inside it is dim, patterned and almost unchanged, and the monks who live beside it still sing the evening office in Gregorian chant.

    What to see

    1. The view at sunset

      The sun goes down beyond the bridges, down the river, and the stone of the city turns from grey to gold to pink. The steps below the balustrade fill an hour before.

    2. San Miniato al Monte

      A marble floor laid in 1207 with the signs of the zodiac, a raised choir over a crypt, a mosaic of Christ in the apse, and in a side chapel the tomb of a young cardinal of Portugal, one of the most complete rooms of the Renaissance.

    3. The walk up

      From the tower of San Niccolò by the river, ramps and stairs with fountains climb the hill in about ten minutes. Poggi designed them as part of the approach.

    4. The Rose Garden

      On the slope just below the square, free, with some hundreds of kinds of rose in May and June and bronze sculptures by the Belgian artist Folon among them.

    5. The cemetery of the Porte Sante

      Round San Miniato lies a hillside of family chapels and marble angels. Carlo Collodi, who wrote Pinocchio, is buried here.

    How to do it well

    • Walk up and take the bus down, or the other way round. Buses 12 and 13 run between the station and the square.
    • For the sunset come an hour early with something to drink. For photographs without people come at sunrise, when you may have it to yourself.
    • Go on to San Miniato. It adds twenty minutes, the view is higher still, and the church is the one building up here worth entering.
    • The monks sing vespers late in the afternoon. The hour changes with the season: it is posted at the door.
    • From the Ponte Vecchio the walk is about twenty-five minutes, the second half uphill.

    Where it is

    Address

    Viale Michelangelo, on the hill south of the Arno

    Nearest station

    Bus 12 or 13 from Santa Maria Novella station, or half an hour on foot

    Museums and sights nearby

    Distances are in a straight line.

    Tickets and tours: Piazzale Michelangelo and San Miniato

    Piazzale Michelangelo and San Miniato: common questions

    Is Piazzale Michelangelo free?
    Yes. It is a public square, open day and night, and so is the Rose Garden below it. San Miniato al Monte, above it, is also free to enter.
    How do you get to Piazzale Michelangelo?
    On foot it is about twenty-five minutes from the Ponte Vecchio, by the river to the tower of San Niccolò and then up the ramps. Buses 12 and 13 go there from Santa Maria Novella station.
    When is the best time to go to Piazzale Michelangelo?
    The hour before sunset for the light, and it is crowded then. Early morning is empty and the city is lit from the front.
    How much time do you need for Piazzale Michelangelo?
    Allow 1 to 2 hours. That is this site's estimate for an unhurried visit.

    What visitors say about Piazzale Michelangelo

    Rating from Google

    4.8

    114,536 ratings on Google

    Google's figures as read on 11 October 2026.

    Read every review on Google

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