Sundays in Florence, Italy

as most museums and religious attractions seem to be closed.

I don't know who gave you that information, but it is totally incorrect. All major museums and churches are open all day on Sundays.

Monday is when some of them close.

While it is correct that Monday is the big day for closures, I have to disagree with Roberto a little bit that all major attractions are open all day. Most of the churches and the Duomo are open only in the afternoon Sunday. The Bargello is closed certain Sundays each month and the Medici chapels too.

The Bargello museum no longer closes on Sunday.
The Medici Chapels closes only on the second and fourth Sunday of the month, but they open on the Monday following a Sunday closure.
The Uffizi, the Accademia, the Galleria Palatina at Pitti Palace, Museum of San Marco, are all open on Sunday.
The major churches don't close on Sunday morning, they are open, but only for Mass service, not for visiting. The afternoon is open again for visitors. Giotto's campanile is open all day Sunday.
If you can visit all of the above museums and all major churches on Saturday, then you might have to look for something else to do on Sunday.

Many museums are closed on either Monday or Tuesday, and as Roberto said, some places have shorter hours on Sunday. It's like a jigsaw puzzle, but you can probably see everything you want if you check schedules ahead of time (any decent guidebook will have this info, or check the specific website).

I was in Florence on Sunday, March 8 and the Bargello Museum was definitely closed. Sign on the door said something about opening the 1st and 3rd Sundays of each month, but don't quote me on that.

It is safe to say that you will have plenty to do on each of your days there. Have a great visit.

Thank you for the replies. We tried to get tickets for the Ufizzi and the Academia for Sunday, 5 July and all of the websites state that they are both closed. We did find the Duomo's open on Sunday afternoon, but not the cupola. Is it a holiday that day or are July times different?
We're really looking forward to our visit.
Thanks!

Your problem is that the Uffizi, Accedemia, Bargello, Pitti. San Marco and Medici Chapels - along with a few others - are Italian state museums. As of last July, state museums are all free on the first Sundays of each month. I'm sure that you were unable to purchase tickets not because they're closed but because they simply don't sell tickets for days the museums are free.

You can see a note to this effect on this site:
http://www.uffizi.org/news/

Now while this sounds like a very good deal, it's actually not - or not for visitors wanting to see the Accademia and Uffizi because the queues and crowds will be ghastly. I might suggest trying a couple of the others on the list that are a bit less visited and just seeing how long their queues are? San Marco, especially, is lovely, as is nearby Piazza della Santissima Annunziata with its Brunelleschi designed Ospedale degli Innocenti and Della Robbia tondos. The church on that piazza - Basilica della Santissima Annunziata - is also well worth a look-see for its wonderful artwork:

http://www.museumsinflorence.com/musei/Santissima-Annunziata.html

http://www.reidsitaly.com/destinations/tuscany/florence/sights/s-annunziata.html

I might also suggest going up to Piazzale Michelangelo for a glorious view of the city, and visiting old San Miniato al Monte while you're up there. A friend of mine has been there for a service in Gregorian chant - which we sadly missed - and said it was spellbinding.

http://www.visitflorence.com/florence-churches/san-miniato.html

Use this info from the church's website for current hours (badly translated, sorry):
"The Basilica is open from Monday to Saturday at 7.00 am only to allow participation in the singing of the first and the Eucharistic celebration, after which it is closed until the opening also tourist who is at 9.30. Sunday opening is at 8.15 am. Up to 8.00 access to the churchyard is just the old side entrance at the end of Via delle Porte Sante, the so-called "portal Medici." In winter, the closure is at 19.00 and from 13.00 to 15.00 approximately. In summer, the opening is generally continued, until 20.00"

"To Sunday and public holidays the Masses are at 8:30, 10:00, 11:30 and 17:30. The celebration of 17.30 is entirely in Latin and Gregorian chant. Weekdays the monastic community celebrates the Eucharist at 7.15 and 17.30, both are in Latin and Gregorian chant."

I don't think you'll have any problem finding things to do!

You can see the opening schedule of all museums (not just the Uffizi) in Florence here, click on the museum you are interested in:
http://www.uffizi.firenze.it/en/orari/
For the Duomo go below, click on the site you are interested in (cathedral, bell tower, etc.), then on the right panel, under Orari di Apertura, choose the date and the times will pop up.
http://www.museumflorence.com

Kathy & Roberto,
Thank you so much for your responses! They are both so helpful and I'm sure this is going to be an amazing trip!

You're welcome! We loved Florence and I'm sure you will too!

we were in Florence on a Sunday, not the first Sunday, fortunately.(last Sunday in June).....we saw David in the am, and then took the train to Pisa to climb the tower in the afternoon. (get tickets in advance for the tower if you want to do that.) huge FYI, though, we could not find a place open in Pisa for a sandwich and a TOILET after the tower. so, use the facilities at the tower, and wait for your supper after you train into Florence...... (also, make sure you get off at the correct Pisa station, we apparently got off at the far away one......)