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How Long to see specific sites in Florence?

Posted by (Hillsboro, OR) on

I only have one day and a morning to see Florence before we have to move on. I am a big sculpture geek and love the museums and churches, so I have jammed the day full of site-seeing (but of course my boyfriend is not, so I have to be careful not to stress him out). Is what I have below possible without rushing around? If someone could tell me how long they usually spent at these sites, it would be most appreciated.

8:30 - 10:00 San Lorenzo and Medici Chapels
(is San Lorenzo worth going into?)
10:30 Reservations at the Accademia
11:30 - 14:00 San Lorenzo Market and Lunch
14:00 - 16:00 Duomo, Baptistery and Museum
16:45 Reservations at the Uffizi Gallery
??? Head up to Pizzale Michelangelo to watch the sunset

The next day we are stopping at the Bargello before the train. How long should I account for here before we catch the train to Venice? I was thinking two hours...

Posted by
64 posts

MEDICI CHAPELS: First week of May 2009, I spent about 10 minutes because it was 50% covered in scaffolding and a lot of the sculpures had been removed for restoration.

I recommend Museum San Marco before you visit the Accademia.

Posted by
411 posts

IMHO swap out San Lorenzo and the Medici chapels for San Marco with the Beauto Angelico frescos located two blocks from the Accademia. From there on to your scheduled time to see the David. We had a fabulous lunch at Mario's which is next to the Mercado Centrale--- or go inside the market for a great lunch from Nerbone. Their speciality is a roast beef sandwich dipped in beef juice.Then on to the Duomo complex Ufizzi and Pizzale Michelangelo. Since you're gone that far go the extra few blocks to San Mineato. If you're there at 5:30 you can hear the monks chanting their evening office before Mass in the lower chapel. You can sit on the stone steps at the back (they sort of function as bleachers) if you want to sit and listen for a while. Then you can slip out without disturbing those at Mass. There are two local busses that service P MIchealagelo the 12 and the 13.If your boyfriend is getting "arted out" maybe he'd like to climb to the top of the Duomo or the top of the Campanile and take in the views while you hit the Bargello or Ufizzi?

Posted by
421 posts

I am wondering exactly how many places in Florence are there were reservations are required besides the Uffizzi and Accademia?

Posted by
606 posts

"The next day we are stopping at the Bargello before the train. How long should I account for here before we catch the train to Venice? I was thinking two hours... "

I think two hours is plenty for Bargello. It's not that big. Donatello's David was out on loan when we were there last week :-( I'm not sure when it's due to return.

Posted by
606 posts

"I am wondering exactly how many places in Florence are there were reservations are required besides the Uffizzi and Accademia?"

To be exact about it, Uffizi and Accademia don't require reservations. They're just recommended because without them you have to wait in line a while (up to four hours at Uffizi in busy seasons). We got right in last week at Bargello, the Science Museum, the special Galileo exhibit at Palazzo Vecchietti, and everywhere else we went in Florence. The line to get into the duomo was about 10 minutes.

That's not to say that NO place requires reservations, but we didn't find any such requirement at the places we visited.

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