Florence

Let's say it right away: Florence in one day cannot be visited. Not even in two. Not even if you sleep there. This is just a taste that will make you want to come back

MANDATORY PREMISE
Florence has over 70 museums. The Uffizi alone requires 4 hours. The Accademia another 2. The Duomo with dome another 2. Palazzo Pitti half a day. Plus the Boboli Gardens, churches, palaces, squares...

You get where we're going?

In one day from Chiusi you can do ONE thing:

- Walk through the historic center
- See the main things FROM OUTSIDE
- Eat well
- Breathe the atmosphere
- Return home thinking "I must come back with more time"

You CANNOT enter museums. Lines are endless, tickets must be booked weeks in advance, and once inside you're there for hours.

This itinerary is a conscious hit-and-run. Is that okay? Okay, let's go.

MORNING: FROM RENAISSANCE TO ALLEYS

1. Basilica of Santa Maria Novella

The basilica is right in front of the station. White and green marble façade, harmonious, Renaissance. If you have 30 minutes you can enter (€7.50), otherwise enjoy the outdoor square which is beautiful.

Curiosity: The façade was completed by Leon Battista Alberti in 1470 with perfect mathematical geometry. But you don't need to know technical details: it's beautiful and that's it.

📍 Podere's tip
Take the photo from the square, breathe, and get ready: from here the real walk begins.

2. The Center's Alleys

From Santa Maria Novella to the Duomo it's 10 minutes on foot. But DON'T take the straight path. Get lost in the alleys: Via della Scala, Via del Giglio, Via de' Banchi. Here Florence is still medieval: artisan shops, ancient palaces, no tourists.

You'll see:
- Palazzo Strozzi: Massive Renaissance, magnificent courtyard (free entrance)
- Via Tornabuoni: Luxury street (Gucci, Ferragamo, Prada... all born here)
- Narrow streets with medieval "wine windows" (tiny hatches in walls where wine was sold loose)

📍 Podere's tip
Don't rush. This is the moment to breathe real Florence, before arriving in the Duomo crowd.

The Duomo (Santa Maria del Fiore)

You emerge in Piazza del Duomo and... BOOM. The Duomo hits you. It's huge, decorated in white, green and pink marble, and impossible to photograph all together (you'll try anyway).

What to see:
- Duomo exterior: Free, always accessible. Walk around, admire the details
- Baptistery: In front of the Duomo, magnificent bronze doors (Gates of Paradise = Ghiberti masterpiece)
- Giotto's Bell Tower: 414 steps, crazy view (€20, 45 min climb)
- Brunelleschi's Dome: 463 steps, even crazier (€20, 1h climb)

PROBLEM: Climbing dome or bell tower requires advance booking + 1-2 hours. If you haven't booked it, skip. Admire from below.

Secret gem: Behind the Duomo, in Piazza delle Pallottole, there's a column with a hole. Legend says if you stick your finger in and walk around it three times, you'll return to Florence. Florentines still believe it.

📍 Podere's tip
If the line to enter the Duomo is short (<20 min), enter (free). Otherwise skip: the interior is beautiful but not worth 1 hour queue. Better use that time walking.

4. Via de' Calzaiuoli

From Piazza del Duomo to Piazza Signoria there's Via de' Calzaiuoli, the shopping street. Shops, chains, tourists everywhere. But it's also the historic medieval street, and passing through you see:

- Orsanmichele: Medieval church-granary with 14 niches with statues (masterpieces of Florentine sculpture)

- Palazzo dell'Arte della Lana (headquarters of wool merchants' guild, economic heart of medieval Florence)

📍 Podere's tip
Walk fast, don't stop in shops, reach Piazza Signoria. That's where magic happens.

LUNCH BREAK

San Lorenzo Market
Quick lunch, economical, authentic

5-minute detour from Via Calzaiuoli: the Mercato Centrale di San Lorenzo. On the ground floor there are historic food stalls. On the first floor (the "Mercato Centrale") there are gastronomic stands: fresh pasta, lampredotto sandwiches, pizza, wine, desserts.

What to eat:
- Lampredotto sandwich: Florentine poor dish (veal tripe). At Nerbone it's legendary (€5)
- Schiacciata fiorentina: Stuffed focaccia
- Ribollita: Bread, bean, black cabbage soup (Tuscan peasant dish)
- Bistecca alla fiorentina: (but this costs €40-60, better for dinner if you want to try it)

Quick alternatives:
- All'Antico Vinaio (Via de' Neri): Giant overstuffed sandwiches (€8, line always long but moves fast)
- I' Pizzacchiere (Via de' Macci): Top stuffed schiacciata

🌲 Podere's tip

San Lorenzo Market is authentic and economical. Avoid tourist restaurants in center: you pay triple to eat worse.

AFTERNOON: RENAISSANCE HEART

5. Piazza della Signoria
This square is an open-air museum. In the center there's Palazzo Vecchio (seat of Florentine government since 1299), and statues everywhere around:

- Copy of Michelangelo's David: (the original is at the Accademia, but the copy is here in the original spot)
- Neptune Fountain: Huge and controversial ("What a waste of marble!" Florentines said)
- Perseus with Medusa's Head: Cellini, magnificent bronze
- Loggia dei Lanzi: Open gallery with Roman and Renaissance sculptures

Gems:
- In the pavement in front of Palazzo Vecchio there's a granite roundel marking the exact spot where Savonarola was burned in 1498 (monk who wanted to purify Florence, ended badly)
- An always-open window on Palazzo Vecchio: legend says the Grand Duke wanted to see Bianca Cappello (his mistress) without being seen. Since then that window always stays open.
- Under the Loggia dei Lanzi there's a column with damage mark: it's said to be the point where a traitor was killed. Florentines pass by it for "good luck"

📍 Podere's tip
Sit on the benches under the Loggia, observe the square. It's been Florence's heart for centuries. Breathe.

6. Uffizi Gallery (FROM OUTSIDE)

The museum you won't visit (and that's okay)

Next to Piazza Signoria there's the Uffizi Gallery, one of the world's most important museums. Botticelli, Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, Caravaggio... all inside.

PROBLEM: Requires advance booking (weeks before) + 3-4 hours minimum to visit. If you haven't booked it, don't enter: the line is 2-3 hours.

📍 Podere's tip

Pass under the Uffizi portico (beautiful Vasari architecture), reach the river, and accept that you'll have to return with more time to visit it. It's impossible to do it quickly.

7. Ponte Vecchio

Here it is: Italy's most famous bridge. Built in 1345, it's the only Florence bridge that survived World War II (Hitler ordered to spare it because too beautiful).

What to see:
- Goldsmith and jeweler shops (historic, since 1500)
- Vasari Corridor above the shops (Medici secret passage from Palazzo Vecchio to Palazzo Pitti)
- River view from bridge middle (mandatory Instagram moment)

Gem: In the middle of the bridge there's a statue of Benvenuto Cellini (goldsmith and sculptor). Legend says if you rub the statue's nose, you'll return to Florence. (Spoiler: the nose is shiny because everyone rubs it)

📍 Podere's tip
Cross the bridge, stop in the middle, look at the river. This is THE Florence postcard moment. Then go back (the Oltrarno deserves a separate full day).

8. Via de' Neri and Best Gelato

On the way back to the station, pass through Via de' Neri and stop at:

- Vivoli: Historic ice cream shop since 1930, considered among Italy's best
- Perché No!: Another historic gelateria, divine rice cream

📍 Podere's tip
Gelato mandatory. Classic flavors, no exoticisms. Fior di latte or crema.

✨ In one day from Chiusi you will NOT visit:

❌ Uffizi Gallery (3-4 hours)
❌ Accademia Gallery with original David (2 hours)
❌ Palazzo Pitti and Boboli Gardens (half day)
❌ Medici Chapels (1h30)
❌ San Lorenzo interior (1h)
❌ Santa Croce with tombs of Michelangelo, Galileo, Machiavelli (1h)
❌ Oltrarno (San Miniato, Piazzale Michelangelo, artisans, trattorias)
❌ Fiesole (hillside village with view over Florence)

And that's okay. Florence is too big for one day. This is just the appetizer.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

📍 Distance from Podere

Distance from Chiusi: 120 km (1h30 by car)

Recommended duration: Full day (prepare to walk A LOT)

Best time: Spring and autumn (summer = hellish crowds

Parking

• Villa Costanza (recommended):

  - Tram T1 park & ride

  - €2/day + €1.70 tram

  - 20 minutes to Santa Maria Novella

  - Safe, guarded, convenient

  Alternatives:

  - Fortezza da Basso parking (€2/h, near center but fills quickly)

  - Private center garages (€25-35/day, absurd)

  DON'T enter center with car: ZTL active everywhere, automatic fines €100+.

⏱️ How Much Time Needed

- Half day (impossible): See Duomo + Signoria + Ponte Vecchio rushing

- Full day (this itinerary): Everything above at leisure (relative)

- Weekend (serious minimum): Add Uffizi OR Accademia + Oltrarno

- 3+ days (ideal): Finally visit Florence for real

🌅 When to Go

✅ Spring (April-May): Perfect weather, blooming, less crowd than summer

✅ Autumn (September-October): Still good weather, fewer tourists

❌ Summer (June-August): Hellish heat (35°C+), crowds everywhere, high prices

❌ Winter (December-February): Cold, rain, many things closed

Florence awaits you 1h30 from Podere.

Impossible to see it all. But you can fall in love in one day.