As a general rule, I don't do a lot of touristy things when I'm traveling. In my older age, and infinite wisdom, I've learned that I don't need to go into all the old churches in Europe (especially if there's a line). I'll be happier sipping wine in the sunshine outside a cafe. Having said that, I still highly recommend the Boboli Gardens. My friends all wanted to go and it was a winner that I'm glad they dragged me along to visit. The grounds are gorgeous, and Florence is oddly devoid of anything green, so it's a breath of fresh air (literally) to wander around, walk up the Bowling Green, and gawk at the flowers, the trees, and one of the biggest and best stone heads I've ever seen. As a bonus, after touring the gardens we were somehow able to bypass the lines to get into the Pitti Palace, and skipping lines is my favorite. Also, the palace is just room after room of incredible paintings, gorgeous ceilings, and (my wife's favorite) some of the most intricately beautiful tables you've ever seen. read more

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We visited the Boboli Gardens and the Palazzo Pitti on our first afternoon in Florence, and what with the Duomo views and the Medici glamor, it was a nice introduction to the city. The palace was originally commissioned in 1458 by a Florentine banker named Pitti. The Medicis picked it up in 1549, and it remained a ruling class residence until 1919, when it was gifted to the nation and turned into a museum. It's a giant place, literally palatial, with a kind of forbidding, fortress-like aesthetic. Seems like a weird place to live, but what do I know. We walked in on a Wednesday afternoon, and neither the gardens nor the museum were crowded. We started with the Boboli Gardens, which were quite attractive, even in mid-November with nothing in bloom. It felt like a large, inclined park, pleasant to walk, with impressive fountains and tremendous views. There was an empty amphitheater and an ancient Egyptian obelisk. Tons of old statues, including a fenced-off 17th century work called "The Abundance," where we saw a weird lady sneak in to molest the base. We wandered up the garden's main axis and reached the Giardino del Cavaliere, an intricately landscaped walled garden with truly fantastic views. We spent about an hour in the gardens and another hour in the Palatine Gallery, Palazzo Pitti's primary museum space. The gallery contains over 500 paintings, most of them from the Renaissance, a collection that once belonged to the Medicis and their successors. I'm sure we would've gotten more out of the visit had we taken a guided tour, but we did pretty well walking through those endless rooms on our own. We had a good time at the Palazzo Pitti and would recommend it to anyone visiting Florence. Less mandatory than the Uffizi or the Accademia, but a great place to absorb the lavish splendor of the Medicis. read more

From the front, it doesn't look like much - a standard U shaped brick palace. But what you don't realize is the majestic, jaw-dropping botanical maze that follows. This place is HUGE, with views beyond what the eye can meet - spanning from Tuscany country side on one end and the city's architecture on the other. After landing at the airport, dropping our bags, we headed straight here and did not regret a minute of the exploration. read more

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From the front, it doesn't look like much but it's absolutely beautiful inside. The ceilings and walls in each room were masterpieces already. The sculptures and artworks just brought everything to the next level. We spent two hours here and were able to see most of what was on display. It was raining so we didn't go to the beautiful gardens behind the palace. read more

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When planning my trip to Italy, so many people said that I had to visit the Pitti Palace and the Boboli Gardens. I knew what to expect but once you're here it exceeds everything you could have imagined. Learning the history of the Medici family and walk through the museums and gardens was one of my favorite experiences from the trip. The views of the duomo and city center of Florence were incredible! If you're on the fence about visiting, let this be your sign to add it to the list! read more

We came here after touring the Uffizi in the morning thinking this would be a short stop..,little did we know the palace and gardens are huge! All the sites here are included on the FirenzeCard and we really enjoyed touring the palace which, again, like so many places in Florence, featured amazing art as well as gorgeous architecture and rooms. The garden is lovely but be prepared to climb some serious stairs! I wish we had more time to explore, but it was great to at least get some time here. The fountains are impressive and if you do climb the stairs up a way, there are beautiful views of Florence. As a bonus, we saw a cute lizard in the bushes. Definitely bring water if you're planning to spend a decent amount of time in the garden. You'll get a workout on the stairs, and even in late September it was toasty in the mid-afternoon sun! read more

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We purchased a combo pass w/ Ufizxi, Boboli Gardens and Pitti Palace. We visited both many years ago when we studied there, but honestly, Pitti Palave was much more beautiful and majestic than I remembered. I liked the architecture of the palace: paintings were covering the walls on an obscene amount, like posters on a teenager's wall. Boboli Gardens we're nice, but honestly, a bit underwhelming. We exited at the top; don' recommend that. Had to walk down a long, steep street, narrowly avoiding being hit by cars. Enjoyed the fashion exhibit. Was looking forward to the "modern arty," but modern art referred to paintings largely from the 1700s and 1800s, with just a few from 2000s. Fine, but not what we were expecting, read more

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I have to be honest here it really was just Meh. I only went in because my ticket for the Uffizi included this and what I really wanted to see was the magnificent Bobolli Gardens behind it. The crowds were okay but it was basically much of the same for this kind of Palace here in Florence. The walk to it was fun, and the gardens are a must see with their magnificent views of the city etc. It has an impressive history of ownership from the Medici Family to Napoleon. Had I known I would have spend more time walking the Arno. read more

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Absolutely lovely museum. Just breathing in the beauty and esthetics. Lovely atmosphere, beautiful art. The garden is ok, mainly upslope and the statue of Neptuno is not worth the climb. But nice to hand out outside in a lovely park. Beautiful views over the city. read more

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One beautiful Italian museum in Florence. From magnificent statues, impressive paintings to impressive ceilings and floors and gorgeous gardens It's a 'must see' in Florence! read more

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We spent about 3 hours exploring the magnificent palace & gardens at the foot of the Boboli Hill beyond the Arno. It was purchased in 1550, by Cosimo I de' Medici & Eleanor of Toledo their home & it soon became the new symbol of the Medici's power over Tuscany. It also housed the Court of other two dynasties: the House of Habsburg-Lorraine (which succeeded the Medici from 1737) and the Kings of Italy from the House of Savoy, who inhabited it from 1865. The palace is named after it's first owner, the Florentine banker Luca Pitti that in the mid-1400s. Today the Palace is divided into four museums: the Treasury of the Grand Dukes on the ground floor, the Palatine Gallery and the Imperial and Royal Apartments on the first floor, the Gallery of Modern Art and the Museum of Costume and Fashion on the second floor. Each was spectacular! read more

Palazzo Pitti e Giardino di Boboli - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Florence, FI

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I just can't believe how rich these folks were. The gardens are lovely, not perfect like a botanical garden, but you can image what it must have been like to walk these gardens hundreds of years ago. There's lots of shaded areas to hide from this sweltering Italian heat! If you are all museum-ed out, like we were, it's a nice way to spend an afternoon. Plus, there's some really gorgeous views. And it gets you across the river. There's still oodles of people, but if you're staying here for more than a few days, it's nice to see the other side of the river. read more

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This was my first stop after getting into Florence. It was miserably hot and the sun was not a friend to humans. The line to get in was rather long and there is no shade. After buying your ticket, you get in another line to enter the Museum/Gardens. That line is equally as long and not in the shade. After the Green Pass verification and security check, you are finally in. The gardens are expansive and you will be walking up hill. There were certain sections that weren't open and it was a little bummer. I wanted to get to the highest point so I could see the entire cities landscape. The gardens weren't at their best, but are still a must see if in Florence. read more

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I wasn't sure Pitti would be cool based on my guidebook, but the combo ticket with the Uffizi made me want to give it a shot. I should have trusted my gut. If I could go back and do it again, I'd just buy the Uffizi ticket and not bother with Pitti. If you've never been in a palace before, maybe you'll like that aspect of the museum. For the most part, this gallery just felt like a second-rate collection, almost like this was the stuff that wasn't good enough for the Uffizi. There are a lot of rooms that just take the shotgun approach with paintings hung floor to ceiling but all of them pretty average and with no sense of curation or direction. read more

A day at the Pitti Palace complex (and you could spend a day seeing it all) gives you a little taste of the many things Florence has to offer: an outstanding art gallery, a Medici palace, Florentine craftsmanship, museums, history, royal apartments, and one of Italy's premier gardens. It is situated on the quieter south bank of the Arno river ( not so touristy area) Medici Family used the Ponte Vecchio bridge, to cross frequently between their offices in the Palazzo Vecchio and their apartments in the Pitti Palace. This former Renaissance residence is now home to Florence's most extensive grouping of museums. The most notable of the Pitti's galleries is the Galleria Palatina, which - with its impressive collection of works by Raphael, Titian and Rubens. it houses a total of six museums. read more

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This museum houses a large amount of incredible art. When you purchase a ticket for the museum you can also buy a ticket for entry to the adjoining Boboli Gardens at an additional cost. On this yelp page many reviewers write about both the museum and gardens although there is a separate page for the latter (Giardini Boboli). My review is only about the museum. This enormous building is a former palace for the rich rulers of Florence, now a museum that showcases furnished rooms as they existed hundreds of years ago. Additionally there are many rooms full of floor to ceiling paintings and sculptures. A few of the paintings are by famous artists but most are names you've never heard of. I found the lighting on the art to be poor in many cases, making it difficult to view detail. Also, some of the rooms are small and claustrophobic once a tour group crowds through. We were approached by a student while in this museum who told us in detail about some of the art we were looking at. This happened at other museums as well and is part of their school curriculum in order to better learn English. A great secondary attraction if you are visiting Florence. read more

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When you're tired of the tourist crowds but still haven't had your fill of Florence's wealth of history and art, take a stroll across the Arno River to visit the Pitti Palace and its gardens. Built centuries ago by a wealthy banker named Pitti before ultimately being purchased by the Medici family, the palace remains today in amazing shape to be enjoyed by visitors from around the world. I would recommend devoting at least 3-5 hours to fully explore each room of the massive building and its surrounding gardens. The palace houses priceless Renaissance art, family jewels, stunning frescoes that adorn every inch of wall space in each subsequent room you enter, and so much more. My only wish is that a guided tour or audio tour had been available to help explain the significance of each room, the palace history, and important works of art to take note of. The palace is so massive that it really will make your visit so much better to have a guide. Tip-if you're visiting Florence on the first Sunday of the month, the Palace will have free admission. read more

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A lot of reviews here are for the gardens which we didn't visit (it was COLD and WINDY) - we visited the palace proper. For €13, you'll see a very eclectic collection to be sure. The exterior is a forbidding fortress - I guess when you have a lot of cash and want to protect yourself from angry mobs, you design for security. Inside - well, you'll see what all that money bought. Rooms are extravagantly decorated and hung with masterpieces - mostly Renaissance. There are several Raphael madonnas, Titians, Caravaggio, Tintorettos, Botticelli and more. It's much less crowded than the Uffizi and the works tend to be more intimate as well. Your ticket also allows access to the Costume Gallery which interestingly is mostly Italian couture from the 20th century. They do have a very few vintage items including burial clothes preserved from the 1600's. I don't know how they got all the dead people juice off but that's science for you. Finally, there is the Treasury which has mostly religious stuff and an incredible amount of carved ivory doodads. You'll see many antique scientific instruments, some classical statues and plenty of cameos and jewelry. There's also a giant penis statue - seriously, like a 8' tall wiener dug up at a Ronan temple and sold to the Medicis. What does it say when someone digs up an enormous wang statue and thinks "hey, I know a guy who will love this for his palazzo"? Anyway, we weren't supposed to take pics in the treasury but I snapped one of the dick statue so you'd all know I wasn't kidding. You're welcome ladies. read more

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Been to the gardens a few times now and is a great way to spend a day away from the hustle and bustle of the city. The wide open spaces are good for kids to run around and the gardens offer a unique view of the city. It is also the backside of the Palazzo Pitti so you can knock both out in one day. My favorite part of the gardens is probably the long passages of tree lined paths along the southeast side. There are many photo ops along with history. There are terraces you can explore and areas to just plop down and enjoy the scenery and weather. We did the palace afterwards and actually ran out of time. There is a lot to see and the rooms are so ornately decorated. We covered all but the top floor in about 90 minutes. I would allow myself 2-3 hours for the palace itself. read more

Do yourself a favor and hire a guide to show you around the gardens and palace. The gardens are gorgeous, but be prepared for ALOT of stairs and steep hills up and down. It was worth it because our guide shared many stories and hidden outlooks to enjoy the view. The palace had ALOT of beautiful paintings and sculptures. Our guide was able to give us back story so many pieces that we would have just walked by otherwise. Plan to spend three hours doing both with a guide. Wear sneakers with good traction for the gardens. read more

We went to Palazzo Pitti on our first day in Florence. I bought tickets on line on the official website, meaning we skipped the queue when picking up the tickets. What to expect, well, of course very nice paintings and statues. What stands out, however, are the absolutely amazing ceilings. Those are sufficient for the visit itself. Some parts of the palace were closed, but don't let that detract from visiting. read more

My friends and I only got tickets for the Boboli garden rather than going to the garden and Palazzo museum. Having already experienced Versailles garden, the Boboli was underwhelming to say the least. Their garden needed more tending, and suffered from lack of watering and overheat. There weren't much sculptures, so the whole area was pretty bare. The little pond was murky- I felt bad for the turtle swimming in it. The only highlight of this place is the view you get of the city when you're high up. Otherwise, this could've been easily skipped. read more

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Highlight of this museum is the gardens. It feels like a French palace. Lots of beautiful art work from renaissance period. read more

Palazzo Pitti e Giardino di Boboli - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Florence, FI

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Incredible architecture. It's a must when in Firenze. It's really close to everything in the city center and not to far of a walk from other touristic places :) read more

Palazzo Pitti e Giardino di Boboli - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Florence, FI

This was one of my favorite places in Firenze while studying abroad. It's amazing. If you are in no hurry, I recommend coming early. It's a huge estate; you can go in the gardens and/or tour in the palace. We went on a sunny day so it was nice to just sit up on that hill (under the trees) and relax. We easily took an hours time just relaxing and observing our surroundings. I cannot emphasize enough at how gorgeous that estate is. We finally decided to stroll around the gardens and found sculptures and other pieces of artwork worth discussing about. After the sun started beating down, we decided to go in the palace and it was yet another sight to see. I cannot say much about the price as I studied abroad in 2009. Nonetheless, I would urge people to visit this place. If you are visiting in the summer, bring an umbrella and water. read more

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On a first-timer's visit to Florence, the Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens are one of the few attractions located across the Arno River (Oltrano). While the palace and gardens are not as considered "essential sights" as the Duomo or Accademia/Uffizi museums, if you love castles, art pieces or have an interest in the lives of the ruling elite of Florence this attraction can certainly hold your interest. The palace was first built in the mid-1400's by Brunelleschi and his apprentice Luca Fancelli and commissioned by Luca Pitti, a Florentine banker and its namesake. Pitti died before the project was completed. It was sold a century later by a descendant of Pitti to Eleonora de Toledo, wife of Cosimo I de Medici, first grand duke of Florence. Under the Medicis the palace and gardens were greatly expanded to its current size. Starting with the establishment of the first Medici grand duke the primary residence was switched from Palazzo Vecchio to here and Vasari built a corridor that connected the two palazzos together via the Uffizi. When the Medicis ceased to rule it was passed to the houses of Lorraine and Savoy with a brief stint by Napoleon when he took over Florence. When Italy was a unified state, King Victor Emmanuel used it as his residence when Florence was the the state's capital; his grandson finally donated the estate and its gardens to the state, converting it into its current status as a museum. ADMISSION: The palace and gardens are covered by *separate* admission tickets though both are covered under Firenze Card. - €16 covers Palatine Gallery, Royal Apartments, Gallery of Modern Art, Treasury of the Garden Dukes and Museum of Costume and Fashion. - €10 covers the Boboli and Bardini Gardens as well as the Porcelain Museum located inside the gardens. (There is a combined ticket for both sites along with the Uffizi but this doesn't allow advanced reservations, which is essentially required for the Uffizi). The whole museum complex is the biggest in Florence and can easily take a day but to prevent museum fatigue most people suggest touring the contents of the first floor: the Palatine Gallery and the Royal Apartments along with the gardens. PALATINE GALLERY: The 28 rooms of the gallery are decoratively arranged as intended as the palace is still effectively a private art gallery. The Lorraine family established this gallery as a way to show off pieces from its previous owners, the Medicis. Many 16th and 17th century masters are depicted here such as Titian, Tintoretto, Caravaggio and Rubens and includes the largest concentration of paintings by Raphael in Italy. ROYAL APARTMENTS: The 14 rooms located in the south wing contain the private apartments of the ruling family. You can see the changes that the Medici, Lorraine and Savoy families made in the rooms to suit their personal tastes. Rooms are named after the colors that predominate the wall hangings and curtains. GARDENS: With limited time the gardens are skippable, but if time permits use the gardens as a break between your sightseeing. Starting from the back of Palazzo Pitti the front of the gardens are in the shape of a half circle with an obelisk in the center. There's also a huge fountain containing the statue of Neptune. The Porcelain Museum is self-explanatory and is relatively small. I visited this attraction on my 3rd full day in Florence, so it was a bit hard to truly appreciate the sights when museum fatigue was kicking in full gear. It also didn't help that the rooms felt stuffy; there was better air circulation in the Uffizi and Accademia. Still I had no regrets visiting this attraction as I learned more about the Florence ruling elite from the Medicis until its incorporation into the Italian state. read more

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Came around 2:30pm yesterday afternoon under the sweltering Tuscan sun and deep regrets for choosing an outdoors location during the hottest time of the day. Pros- 1. Cheap! Only 7 euros per adult if you don't want to see all the museums as with this ticket price you only get to see the porcelain museum. 2. Very short and fast line, takes no more than 5 minutes for entry. 3. Restrooms and cafeteria inside 4. Beautiful views of Florence and neighboring countryside Cons- 1. Maybe mid-June is the wrong season, but there weren't many flowers or pretty plants to look at. If you've ever visited other huge estates + gardens like Biltmore in Asheville, NC, you won't be impressed by Boboli. Tip- come in the mornings when it's cooler! read more

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Put on some bug repellent before going out into the Boboli garden...the mosquitos ate us alive! There's a 13 euro and/or a 10 euro ticket, each giving you different access to about half of the place. We did the 10 euro ticket to access about 1/3 of the palace and the gardens. The palace is pretty groovy! Pretty rooms, ceilings, and they got AC units all over. The garden is alright...mostly grass, trees, and mosquitos. There's still water all over the place, perfect for mosquito breeding. Someday I'll do the 13 euro ticket. Maybe... read more

Something out of a fairy tale! The grounds are so amazing! On the day that I went, it was pouring BUT it was very warm out, so it was ok. You can meander around the property for hours. read more

For people that have issues with time management: You can easily spend a whole day here and still find something new to look at! This place is absolutely amazing & I love the way it was set up. I came during the winter so the garden was not too cold, not too hot! Just perfect to lounge about. As for the actual Palazzo Pitti, the museum is set up so nicely & easy to maneuver your way around. There are ample staff members lounging about ready to help you out in case you have questions of the pieces! Great mixture of fashion, statues, paintings, & appreciation of architecture. read more

This place is really fabulous in every way. So much history,beauty and tranquility. We came in here because we thought it was a good way to get away from the tourist. For some reason they seam to be every where, but not so much here, which was a big surprise to me, because it is one of the most beautiful and tranquil places in Florence. Walking through the gardens, felt like I was walking through a time machine in the middle ages. read more

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If you are readying this review, you may be considering a visit to the Boboli Gardens. I would not consider this one of the "must see" places in and around Florence. If I was in Florence again, and wanted to take a nice walk through some gardens, I would probably opt for a day trip to Lucca to walk or bike around the wall. You will see a lot of nice countryside on the train ride, and I think that is just a really fun city to visit. We were there in May, and it was quite pleasant. It might not be so pleasant to walk through in the hot summer months. Also, I expected more colors in these famous gardens... there is a rose garden at the top, but it is mostly large shrubs. You can get some great photos of Florence from the gardens (especially the cathedral). read more

Palazzo Pitti e Giardino di Boboli - Boboli gardens - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Florence, FI

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Very nice place. The inside has some amazing and stylish clothing. The outside got some pretty neat scenery. Do not go during the summer as it will be too hot to bare. read more

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UNDERRATED. So much fine art here. Of course the Uffizzi has more art, but this place holds a huge collection of art as well. This was the Medici families private art collection. They would show their guests. Very impressive. Book a tour, you wont regret it. read more

just across ponte vecchio (bridge with shops)...keep walking and follow the massive walls to an entrance to pay....another entrance on opposite side near forte di belvedere...the estate is quite massive and hilly...most of the estate is composed of standard lawns, hedges and shrubs...some tree-lined paths and steps...expect lot of sun exposure...probably too big for a one-day visit...some sculptures and fountains worth a look...small exhibits housed in various locations...lot of stairs...the gardens might be good for people who wish to stroll and lay on the grass to read or relax...endless paths and random benches and lawns to relax...for people wishing for a short visit, museums in palazzo pitti might be better suited and skip the gardens...forte di belvedere was closed april/may 2016... read more

Palazzo Pitti e Giardino di Boboli - lot of hills...lots!!! - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Florence, FI

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Palazzo Pitti e Giardino di Boboli (Pitti Palace and the Boboli Gardens) are situated across the Arno River from the city center of Florence, but are reachable by an easy walk over Ponte Vecchio (the Old Bridge). The Pitti Palace has a very formidable exterior appearance when approaching from the main/front entrance. Access to the Boboli Gardens is obtained through the main courtyard of the Pitti Palace. The Boboli Gardens were our primary reason for visiting this attraction. Be prepared for lengthy uphill walks/climbs to fully appreciate the grandeur of these gardens. The gardens lie behind the Pitti Palace on an uphill climb. As you enter the Gardens you will first encounter an amphitheater encircled with numerous historical sculptures. Then, a further climb will lead you to a small pond containing a sculpture of Neptune. From there, a final climb will lead you to the top of the gardens from where a panoramic view of Florence can be enjoyed. There are also numerous other areas of the gardens to be explored and appreciated, too lengthy to list here to keep this review to a readable length. However, for more information you can check out Wikipedia, or better yet, just enjoy the spontaneity of an unplanned stroll through unknown pathways, overgrown corridors, and too many sculptures to count. In some (perhaps many) areas, the grounds could have been better kept and tended. However, they are still very impressive and a great place to enjoy a beautiful relaxing day in a historic Italian park with Romanesque features. We also decided to quickly check out the Pitti Palace after the gardens. We were a bit disappointed to learn that they charge separate admission fees for different parts of the palace. You'll be charged individually for the Silver gallery, Porcelain gallery, Costume gallery, etc. We decided to visit only the Costume gallery, in part because we were somewhat short on time, but also because we were hoping to get a real sense of the nature of the garments worn by the royalty of the Medici family that resided in the Palace dating back to the 1500-1600's. We were impressed with some of the oldest costumes, but many were also much more recent: 1800's and even many from the 1900's, which was slightly disappointing. Nonetheless, this was an interesting trip back through time to some extent, and certainly a worthwhile museum to spend a measured amount of time investigating. read more

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We bought the 9 euro ticket which got us into the Bobboli Gardens, the Silver Museum, the Porcelain Museum and the Costume Museum. We could have spent more time but the temperature was about 30 C and the walk in the gardens tired us somewhat, though they were gorgeous. Make sure to go up to the porcelain museum site for a spectacular view of the Tuscan hills. Remember this is an Italian landscape garden - there are not a lot of flowers. As far as what we saw, I'd say not to spend too much time in the costume museum unless you are interested in 20th century couturier clothing. There is little else except some early period pieces to contrast the styles - nothing before 1780 or so. Plus most of the displays are of evening wear. There is very little on men's clothing and no actual renaissance or 17th century clothing. Perhaps it is a changing exhibit. The porcelain museum is not in the Pitti palace itself but rather in an adorable little pavilion at the top of the gardens which also provides some great views of the Tuscan hills. The collection is truly outstanding, especially the Neapolitan works. Some of the bisque figurines are exquisite as is some of the Berlin porcelain. No Russian stuff and no Chinese porcelain (though plenty of chinoiserie) but that did not reduce the quality of what was on display. A good place to rest after the climb, too. The silver museum is misnamed. I was expecting a rather dull collection of candlesticks and chalices. Instead, this is actually a truly enormous collection of decorative arts. At the time of our visit, there was a special exhibit of objects from the Kremlin which added to our enjoyment. The upstairs has rooms for what seems like virtually every type of decorative object: carved ivory (no comment on environmental correctness, please, this stuff goes back to the renaissance), cameos, inlay furniture, and little figurines made out of jewels, among other things. All in all a great collection. Would like to see the Royal Apartments on a return visit. read more

I am a huge fan of Palazzo Pitti and the boboli gardens for a variety of reasons. First because they are a historical institution here in Florence with history dating back to the Medici era, they bought the house from the Pitti family in 1549 where It grew as a great treasure house as later generations amassed paintings, plates, jewelry and luxurious possessions.. Other fun facts include: - In the late 18th century, the palazzo was used as a power base by Napoleon -palace and its contents were donated to the Italian people by King Victor Emmanuel III in 1919 -work on the palace after Pitti suffered financial losses following the death of Cosimo de' Medici in 1464 -the palace is where the famous Vasari Corridor ends. I recommend take a few days to wander the different galleries, all of which are special in their own way. My personal favorite is the costume gallery, and recently there was a Japanese installation in one of the galleries. There are two different ticket options to purchase and each one allows you to see different parts of the palace. There are a total of eight different sections. Each ticket allows you to see four sections. Just make sure you give your self time to see the ones you want. Don't forget to check out the beautiful grotto where during the summer they have recently been holding jazz concerts under the stars. The gardens themselves are absolutely vast, and you can get lost wandering the labrynth of different paths. From the top you can be treated to a nice panorama of the palace and city and if you have the yearly museum pass, you can even just come to chill and have a picnic in the gardens at any time. They also have special operas here during the summer. They also hold several events throughout the year inside the inner courtyard, including my favorite Florence wine event and Winetown, not to mention several other notable fairs and events. Coming to Florence and not exploring this palace is like going to Paris and having a baguette, it's just not done. ;-) read more

One of my favorite museums in Firenze! The Palace was built by the Pitti family during the Renaissance, only to later on be purchased by the Medicis. With an enormously vast and impressive history (just like to everything else in this gorgeous city), you can easily spend an entire day at the Palazzo. Sadly i was limited to a mere 4 hours :( Pitti Palace is walking distance from Ponte Vecchio and houses the Boboli Gardens in addition to a huge amount of major principal works of art. In the Palatine Gallery (which has 28 rooms), one will enjoy many famous Raphael paintings-Madonna della Seggiola, Woman with a Veil, Portrait of Agnolo Doni (just to name a few). I was really excited to see Caravaggio's Sleeping Cupid here as well. Other Galleries include the Silver & Porcelain Museums as well as the Royal Apartments & Costume Gallery. There are different price options for museum entrances depending on where or not you have a Firenze card or what combination of galleries you would like to visit. There is also a cafe/restaurant although i did not try it out. read more

When I was studying abroad in Florence I lived just up the street from here. I really enjoyed visiting the Boboli Gardens and strolling through. I didn't think I would enjoy it as much as I did. I felt like I had gone back in time and was walking through "The Secret Garden". What I liked most about this spot was people watching. A lot of locals come here with their ragazzos and ragazzas and grandparents or parents bring little kids to allow them to run around. I guess since most people live in flats and there aren't a lot of public parks this is a great place for kids to run around. read more