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Florence American cemetery

My husband and I will be visiting Florence and we would like to visit his uncles grave site. What is the best way to get to the cemetery? Should we use a taxi or try the bus? If we taxi how do we get back to town once we are done?

Posted by
3 posts

Yes Kathy that is the cemetery. It looks like it is about 8 miles one way.

Posted by
13809 posts

Brenda, also look for his name on this list.

https://www.abmc.gov/database-search-results?field_cemetery=7105&field_cemetery2=7105

Then contact the Florence American Cemetery and let them know you are coming to visit his grave. As I understand it from visiting both this cemetery and others in France and Belgium, someone from their office will meet with you and take you to his grave. They are awesome with family members. I looked quickly and didn't see an email address but I am sure there is one.

If you scroll down the link Kathy gave you there are also transportation directions for public transport as well as if you decide to go by car or taxi.

This is a beautiful location. If you haven't been to an American Cemetery abroad you'll be very moved at the care they take.

Posted by
31 posts

We visited the cemetery just a couple of weeks ago. It is very moving and a fitting memorial to the Americans who died in the fighting north of Rome.

The monument at the top of the hill explains the fighting. One fascinating thing is how many different nations fought together in Italy: Americans, Canadians, British, Indians, New Zealanders, Poles, French, Brazilians, and more.

A taxi from the near the Florence train station is about 25 Euros. The cemetery staff will call a taxi for your return trip; it is about 50 Euro. There is a bus from Florence that stops near the cemetery. Service is about once an hour, so plan ahead. The cemetery web page contains this information about transportation:

The Autostazione “BUSITALIA” bus terminal located in Via Santa Caterina da Siena, a few minutes walking distance from the main train station ( Firenze-Santa Maria Novella), provides frequent bus service to the cemetery along Via Cassia. The bus line is either the “Firenze-Poggibonsi” or "Firenze-Gaiole in Chianti” line. (There are no bus numbers.)

If assistance is required during your travel for bus information and bus schedules, please contact the cemetery at +39 055 202 0020.

Posted by
3 posts

Thank you for all your suggestions. We’ve read all we can find on the internet but our emails to the cemetery have gone unanswered. We will check in with the cemetery when we arrive. We are going to try the bus out and a taxi back. We are so pleased to be able to visit.

Posted by
13809 posts

Oh, that's disappointing about the emails being unanswered!

Would love to know how this works out. Would you come back with an update?

Posted by
85 posts

Did you try calling? The phone # is listed. I know someone that contacted ahead of time and said they were wonderful in taking care of the family.

Posted by
15043 posts

If you go via bus from the Florence Bus Station (FIRENZE AUTOSTAZIONE) located across from the train station next to the Deanna Bar, here are the timetables:
http://www.acvbus.it/orari/365.pdf
http://www.acvbus.it/orari/368-370.pdf

Not all stops are listed in the timetable, but the CIMITERO DEGLI AMERICANI stop (Americans’ Cemetery) is, coming from Florence, just before the stop called TERME DI FIRENZE (which is listed in the timetable). The stop is after the village of Tavarnuzze after the bus stop at the Ponte degli Scopeti (Scopeti bridge over the river Greve).

On the right, in the image below is the road over the Scopeti bridge (the bus continues on the main road SS2 on the left side).
https://goo.gl/maps/mh6HShi9BBtac1vF7
the bus stop sign (not captured in this photo) is just before this intersection (off photo, to the right)
After you see this, prepare to get off the bus, the Cemetery stop is next, less than a km later.

Here is the image of the bus stop in front of the Cemetery.
https://goo.gl/maps/a827ZoFixCdv6gWj8

Posted by
61 posts

We stopped there before we stayed in Florence on the HOI tour. Impressive and humbling to say the least. Hopefully one of the guards will give you a tour. Step into the chapel, it is beautiful.

Please stop and at a grave and remember their sacrifice in WW2. The tour we took, the guide asked us to take some time and randomly pick a grave and thank them.

I paused and thanked Douglas Robinson, SSGT 366 INF REGT; New York; Jan 10, 1945.

Truly moving and I can only hope a family member reads this!