Husband, myself and 18 year old son will have 3.5 days in Florence.
I was thinking of covering Duomo + Academia + Mercato + San Lorenzo on 1 day and palazzo vecchio + uffizi + piazzale michaeangelo on another day.
We do enjoy seeing beautiful things, but none of us is big on art history.
I think perhaps a guide may be useful for one day.
If we decide to have a guide, are there specific attractions in Florence that would benefit more from a guide's explanation?
Thank you.
I have been to all those places without a guide. The one I most wish I had had a guide is the Uffizi. I am super interested in art, and there is just so much at the Uffizi that it became a bit of a blur and I didn't get the most out of my visit.
Perhaps the Duomo too. Again, there is just so much there, like the Baptistry, the Dome, the Treasury. A guide would be useful there too.
The Accademia, on the other hand, has only a few pieces of art. Read up about David, and the Slaves, and you'll be alright. Any of your other locations should be OK without a guide.
We didn’t use a guide anywhere but did a lot of reading before hand. We also got Rick Steve’s Audio Europe app where you can download any number of tours onto your phone and listen in for a guided tour by Rick himself. We used it in Venice and Rome as well. It’s free and there are many options.
A friend got a guide for the Uffizi and was glad they did.
Uffizi is the only place I recommend a guide.
Don't forget Rick is an art "geek" so his guidebook should give you lots of info as you walk around inside a location
Uffizi recommended, Palazzo Vecchio and Duomo useful.
I've had guides for almost all sites in Florence when I was in middle and high school and we used to go to a different museum/church about once every month or two. Of course at the time either our Art History teacher, or some outside guide paid by the school provided the lecture. I was a kid but I remember enjoying those guided tours which otherwise would have bored a kid to death without context. I also remember carrying our own tiny beach chairs provided by the Uffizi's management so that we could sit in front of the frescoes while the guide would give us the lecture in each hall. I don't know if they would allow non students to carry beach chairs inside the Uffizi nowadays, but that was nice.
My wife and I were on the VFR Tour in mid-October. We had a local guide for the Uffizi on the morning of our first day in Florence. Since, by your own admission, you are not big on art history, be warned that guides at the Uffizi ARE. We had the unfortunate experience of our guide being way too detail oriented when it came to certain paintings. We spent 20 minutes in front of one while he went over in very fine detail what everything in the painting meant or symbolized. After 10 minutes, I started wandering around on my own.
We saw the Duomo Complex and Accademia on our own. And remember, Rick's guide books are just that...guide books.
looks like uffizi it is. reederman noted, i am afraid we will get an overeager guide. fingers crossed we get an easy going one.
thanks.
After reading everyone’s replies, I’m rethinking my plans. Instead of seeing Uffizi on my own, it sounds like a tour is worthwhile.
Which tour company did you use? I saw City Wonders has a Uffizi (only) tour but I’m not familiar with them.
Thanks!
I suggest you go to the library at home and obtain a book on each museum you want to visit. Go through the book and see which pieces of art appeal to you, each of you. Read about them, list/map them, and create your own route on what to see. Each of you should have your own route. You don't need a myriad of details to enjoy a piece of art, you just need to be receptive to your own responses. Just go and enjoy a route that appeals to you as fast or as slow as you want. See the pieces that speak to you with the brief background that you obtained at home. As an art history major ...many years ago... descriptions of art are basic, academic BS, generally, given by someone told how to describe and look at the piece. Use your own eyes to see the art, at your own pace.
That being said I love to see the classes of elementary school classes in museums. They are giving kids a love of art at a wonderfully young age with much less of the BS.
My only complaint about RS, at least early on (90's,00's) as I've ignored this topic from him since, is his poor perspective on art/architecture, IMO. This is good, this is not, so he's the last person from whom I'd learn art, especially in Florence. Granted, I am not being generous having not bothered with his recent book on art so maybe he's been educated on it (no one is good at everything. lol so no offense meant.)
More important is to understand the relationship of the Popes to art through the Renaissance, politics, and Girolamo Savonarola. Also, an easy biographical fiction book is The Agony and the Ecstasy, by Irving Stone (not the movie).
I'd suggest a good historical walking tour in Florence instead of in a museum. That should help with the history. But, if you feel you really need a guide, I'd get one in the Uffizi to beat the crowds. Florence is one of my top three cities, if not the top. Have a great time!
Just go back from 10 day trip to Florence with a 19,16&15 year old. We saw everything….my thoughts..
Accademia do on your own see David and a couple other rooms then done.
Uffizi tour for sure. We used a private tour guide and he was outstanding. Knew his stuff, alot of history and took us to the highlights (3 hrs).
Duomo - did a tour but it did not go up into the dome - highly recommend getting tickets into the dome. Tour was not great (bc I think I picked the wrong tour) but I think a tour guide at the Duomo is worth it.
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND Michele! He was amazing for the Uffizi tour. I see he does Duomo tours too and I’m sure he would be great there. If you don’t need a lot of detail maybe let him know that - he did go into detail on the paintings to help one understand them - which we loved.
https://guidaturistica-michelebusillo.com/tourist-guide-of-florence/uffizi-gallery-guided-tour/
Medici Chapel (part of San Lorenzo) - highly seeing the Medici Chapel and recommend a tour guide if you are into the Medici history. The Chapel is amazing and having a guide to explain everything was worthwhile. Also saw the Michelangelo chapel. Fascinating and the tour guide was outstanding.
At the academia, in addition to David ;
the Slave statues are not to be missed!!
