Currently in Florence and wanted to walk up to Ft Belvedere to enjoy the views of the city from the hill. I understand the fort is closed until April but I wondered if it is still possible to see the city on the way up the hill even if it's not possible to enter the fort itself. OR should we skip the walk altogether and head to the Piazzale Michelangelo? Grazie!
Posted by
Minnesota 🎒
15807 posts
Can't answer for the fort but I'd head for Piazzale Michelangelo not just for the view but to climb a little bit higher to San Miniato al Monte. She's a very old and important church, and the cemetery is interesting to poke around in as well.
https://www.visitflorence.com/florence-churches/san-miniato.html
Current winter hours from the church's website:
Monday-Saturday 9: 30-13: 00, and 15: 00-19:00
Sunday 8: 15-19:00
We couldn't make the timing work but weekday 7:15 and 17:45 services are in Latin and Gregorian chant and are said to be well worth attending even if not religious. Looks like there's one on Sundays at 17:30 as well.
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
15165 posts
No it’s impossible. The view is obstructed by buildings, the Porta San Giorgia city walls, the fort’s ramparts, and the walls along via San Leonardo.
You can see a similar view however if you go to the Boboli gardens. You can actually walk to the top and reach the bottom of the fort’s ramparts from the Boboli gardens. Near there there is a building called Kaffeehaus. When I lived there in the 1980’s you could go to the top of the Kaffeehaus (they sold coffee and gelato at the time) to the terrace. The view was virtually the same as from the Fort. I don’t know if the Kafeehaus is open nowadays but unless the trees have grown a lot you should have a good vista from that area. Piazzale Michelangelo gives a good vista too, but it’s a bit farther from the city center, so the one from the fort is more spectacular.