Looking for a destination in the heart of Tuscany? We recommend a weekend trip to Florence. This capital of Tuscany and birthplace of the Renaissance was my introduction to Italy as a college backpacker years ago, and I was so excited take my kids (ages 3, 8 and 10) on a holiday in Florence this past summer during a 10-day family tour of Italy. We visited during a particular hot weekend halfway through our European summer vacation after visiting Paris, Venice, Pisa and San Gimignano. While there are so many things to do in Florence, we uncharacteristically chose not to tour any museums, royal residences or historical buildings. Instead, we spent our weekend in Florence roaming around and enjoying the unique architecture and atmosphere. While tours of the Uffizi, Accademia Gallery and Pitti Palace are almost certain to be on our itinerary the next time we visit, there was no shortage of sights to see in this very walkable city. Our list of the best things to do in Florence with kids includes iconic sights and hidden gems.
Top 10 Sights in Florence For Kids
#1: Duomo With Kids (Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore)
Florence’s Duomo, located in the center of the city, is the world’s third largest church, dwarfed only by St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome and St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. Its neo-Gothic facade, which is decorated with pink, green and white Tuscan marble, was added in the 19th century and is brilliantly ornate. It may be my favorite church exterior in the entire world, and I could spend hours examining its details.
The Duomo’s dome was an impressive architectural feat. Plans included a dome, even though the architects were not sure how to construct it. The only dome on this scale was in Rome’s Pantheon, which was over 1,000 years old, and the building method had been long since forgotten. Filippo Brunellschi studied the Pantheon to design the Duomo’s dome. His plans involved the construction of both an inner dome and an outer dome.
The Duomo’s dome
While we did not make it inside on our last visit due to the long line, we planned to attend Sunday morning Mass at the Duomo during this visit. Like many other cathedrals, the Duomo is foremost a religious building that just happens to also be a popular tourist attraction. There were no admission fees or lines to attend Mass. The Mass times posted online were not exactly accurate, so instead of arriving 15 minutes early for Mass, we ended up 15 minutes late but still welcome. At the end of Mass, which was completely in Italian, the priest welcomed English-speaking visitors and briefly summarized the readings and his homily. Attending Mass while traveling is a tradition for our family, and we’ve heard Masses in several foreign languages, and we all really appreciated and enjoyed this English greeting.
The Duomo’s interior
The interior of the Duomo is not as impressive as its exterior. Large portions of the walls are painted white, and the stained glass windows are significantly smaller than those of other major cathedrals in Europe. Brunellschi’s 330-foot red brick dome was certainly an architectural masterpiece, but its mosaics are not as ornate as those that adorn the dome at St. Peter’s Basilica. It’s still impressive and beautiful, just a bit underwhelming, especially when compared with interiors of other major European cathedrals.
The interior of the dome
- Duomo Facts for Kids: The Duomo’s iconic dome was the first Renaissance dome and served as a model for many other domes, including St. Peter’s Basilica.
#2: Piazza del Duomo With Kids
Piazza del Duomo is always crowded with the hustle and bustle of tourists and locals. Because the square is relatively small, it’s hard to get a good view of the entire Duomo and the surrounding buildings, the Baptistery and Giotto’s Bell Tower from street level.
The octagonal Florence Baptistery was constructed in the 11th and 12th centuries in Florence Romanesque style. It is known for its three stunning 14th and 15th century doors. Michelangelo nicknamed Lorenzo Ghiberti’s east doors the “Gates of Paradise.” The Baptistery is a truly beautiful building, but it’s size seems to be disproportionate with the Duomo. Their proximity really makes it hard to really appreciate each building for its own beauty, and we all wished they could be more spread out like Pisa’s Field of Miracles, which showcases its cathedral, baptistery and tower with an enormous square and pristine grass.
The Giotto’s Bell Tower is another popular sight, and visitors can climb 414 to the top and get a close-up view of Brunelleschi’s dome. We did not visit the interiors of either on this trip.
- Piazza del Duomo Facts for Kids: Lorenzo Ghiberti won a competition to design the Baptistery’s north doors, beating Donotello and Brunelleschi. The north doors took him 21 years to complete but were so impressive that he was asked to design the east doors, which face the Duomo.
#3: Ponte Vecchio With Kids
Ponte Vecchio (or “Old Bridge”), Florence’s oldest and most famous bridge, is enclosed and lined with shops. A bridge has been located on this site since 966, and the current stone, pedestrian bridge was completed in 1345.
Ponte Vecchio was the only bridge across the Arno River to survive German’s World War II retreat on August 8, 1944. There are many theories on why it wasn’t destroyed by the Nazis who blew up ancient buildings on either end to block it off. Nazi officials may have saved it due to its age and beauty, or possibly it was saved because it was not considered a defensive asset. Now, it is a popular tourist sight, with shops lining both sides. Personally, I think that the view from Ponte Vecchio may be as beautiful of the bridge itself.
- Ponte Vecchio Facts for Kids: While butcher shops were originally located in Ponte Vecchio, Ferdinand I evicted them in the 16th century because he didn’t like the stench that emanated into Pitti Palace from their shops. It is now a popular place to purchase jewelry.
#4: David Replica With Kids
Michelangelo’s David replica statue may be one of the world’s most famous copies. This marble statue depicts the Biblical hero who is known for defeating Goliath. David is an iconic Renaissance sculpture, originally designed as a symbol of Florentine freedom to be placed on the Duomo’s roof line but ultimately placed at the entrance of the Town Hall upon completion. After 350 years being exposed to the elements, David was moved to the Accademia Gallery in 1873 to protect it from damage. A copy was placed in Piazza della Signoria in 1910.
Michelangelo was raised in Florence, and his works were a highlight of our visits in Florence and Rome. Michelangelo sculpted David in his late 20s as a symbol of Florentine freedom right before he was commissioned to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. David and Pieta, which we saw at St. Peter’s Basilica a few days later, are probably Michelangelo’s two most well-known statues.
- David Replica Facts: David was originally intended to be installed in the Duomo’s roofline. On November 12, 2010, a fiberglass replica was installed at the Duomo for one day.
#5: Piazza della Signoria With Kids
Piazza della Signoria is the city’s main square, where its town hall, Palazzo Vecchio, the David replica and Fountain of Neptune are located. The Fountain of Neptune was closed for restorations after vandalism during our 2007 visit and again under renovation during this visit but is scheduled to be reopened by the end of 2018.
Palazzo Vecchio was constructed at the turn of the 14th century. Duke Cosimo I and the Medici family made it their home in the 16th century. I love that the Tower is unexpectedly slightly off-center.
This castle-like fortress now serves as Florence’s Town Hall. There was no charge (or line) to enter the ground-floor courtyard, so we took a quick peek inside.
The Loggia dei Lanzi is a building on the corner of the Piazza del Signoria with wide arches open to the square at street level.
- Piazza della Signoria Facts: The Tower is not symmetrical with the rest of the Palazzo Vecchio because the ancient tower of The Vacca was incorporated into the palace’s design.
#6: Santa Croce Church With Kids
The Basilica of Santa Croce is the world’s largest Franciscan church and located in the Piazza Santa Croce, only 800 meters from the Duomo. Santa Croce was designed by architect Arnolfo di Cambio, who went on to design the Duomo and Palazzo Vecchio. Santa Croce was built between 1294 and 1442, and is the burial place for Michelangelo, Galileo, Machiavelli, Ghiberti and Rossini. Like the Duomo, the Basilica of Santa Croce features a 19th century neo-Gothic marble facade. The Star of David is a focal point of the facade. Santa Croce was featured in E.M. Forester’s A Room With a View and was the main impetus for my college visit to Florence because the book was one of my companion’s favorites.
We did not tour the interior of Santa Croce because we really only had one full day to explore Florence, it was really hot, and we were a bit worried about church fatigue before heading to Rome. We enjoyed the view of Santa Croce from Piazza Santa Croce, which is much larger than that square surrounding the Duomo.
- Santa Croce Church Facts for Kids: Piazza Santa Croce is a major gathering spot in Florence and was covered with 15 feet of water on November 4, 1966 when the Arno River flooded.
#7: Church of Santa Maria Novella With Kids
The Church of Santa Maria Novella was built for the Dominican order in the late 13th and 14th centuries. Its green and white marble facade is original 15th century artistry. Santa Maria Novella remains the home of the Dominican order and the centerpiece of the adjacent square. We did not visit the interior, which houses the Trinita, the first painting that featured linear mathematical perspective.
- Church of Santa Maria Novella Facts for Kids: Santa Maria Novella is adjacent to Florence’s train station, which is named after the church, and sometimes shortened to Florence SMN.
#8: Fort Belvedere With Kids
Fort Belvedere is the largest fortress in Florence. It is located across the Arno River from the central part of the city and on the highest hill of the Boboli Gardens. I clearly remember the amazing panoramic view from my college visit and return 10-years later while visiting Florence with friends.
Our pre-kids visit to Fort Belvedere
Fort Belvedere is my favorite place to view Florence’s city center, and especially the Duomo, which rises far above the rest of the skyline.
- Fort Belvedere Facts for Kids: Fort Belvedere gained world-wide notoriety after Kim Kardashian and Kanye West rented it for their 2014 wedding for the reported sum of $400,000.
#9: Boboli Gardens With Kids
Boboli Gardens are the gardens of the Pitti Palace. They were constructed in the 16th century for Duchess Elenora of Toledo, who married Cosimo I of the Medici family. Because we visited Florence on an extremely hot weekend, we came to the Boboli Gardens in search of a park bench in the shade with a view. Adult tickets cost €10 each, and the kids were free. We were sadly disappointed to find very few benches, and none in the shade. We had to settle for taking a seat on a step of a staircase that had a magnificent view, but little shade and few benches.
View of Pitti Palace and Fountain of Neptune
Fort Belvedere is a steep hike from the Boboli Gardens. We just couldn’t manage more walking on the hot day we visited, so we settled for the view from the entrance to the Boboli Gardens, which isn’t quite as detailed, but still shows the Duomo’s impressive scale over the Florence skyline.
View of Florence from the Boboli Gardens
- Boboli Gardens Facts for Kids: At the time that Elenora married Cosimo I, the Medici family was in danger of becoming extinct. Elenora had eleven children to protect the family’s future. Clearly, she needed an amazing garden to relax.
#10: Piazza della Repubblica With Kids
Piazza della Repubblica is located on the site the original Roman Forum. The triumphal arch was constructed in the nineteenth century to celebrate Italy’s unification.
The 20-horse antique carousel of the Picci family is now a centerpiece to this public space.
- Piazza della Repubblica Facts: The English translation of the arch’s inscription is “The ancient centre of the city restored from age-old squalor to new life.”
A Trip With Kids to Florence, Italy
There are so many fun things to do in Florence with kids, and this list just scratch the surface. There were so top attractions in Florence that we definitely recommend a short trip. Planning an Italian holiday? Check out our listing of all posts featuring Italian destinations.
